By Nermeen Nabil Khear 
The season one finale of Daredevil: Born Again is officially out. This episode gives us an amazing and brutal Punisher x Daredevil fight scene, a welcome return from an original cast member, and the goriest violence to ever grace Disney+ to date. Here’s how the first season of Born Again came to a conclusion.
Vanessa Fisk and Bullseye: The Truth Revealed
The episode opens with a flashback to one year prior. Vanessa Fisk (Ayelet Zurer) visits Benjamin Poindexter (Wilson Bethel) in the mental hospital, and explains that the FBI’s involvement in Wilson’s case, and its exposed corruption, resulted in her husband’s acquittal after season three. This finally explains why Fisk hasn’t been in prison all this time since the end of the original series. She says that a client of Foggy Nelson’s could expose her criminal empire and its ties to Red Hook Point, and she wants Poindexter to eliminate him before he does. She promises him an early release if he does this one thing for her. A desperate Bullseye signs on the dotted line.
Matt (Barely) Survives Taking a Bullet for Fisk
We cut back to the present, in the aftermath of Matt Murdock (Charlie Cox) getting shot to save Mayor Fisk (Vincent D’Onofrio). Matt wakes up in the hospital with Heather Glenn (Margarita Levieva) and Kirsten McDuffie at his bedside. As he comes to, he mistakenly thinks that Heather is his old love Karen Page for a moment, which visibly stings Heather. Kirsten says, “It’s the drugs,” but Heather realizes it’s more than that. Matt tells Kirsten that Vanessa Fisk ordered the hit on Foggy, and begs her to get him access to his old case files. It’s clear Heather thinks Matt is delusional, and Kirsten is just about right there with her.
Wilson Fisk Becomes the Kingpin Again
At the Fisk’s mansion, the Mayor and Vanessa recover from his assassination attempt. Matt Murdock’s blood covers his formerly pristine white shirt. It doesn’t get more on-the-nose symbolic than that. Wilson admits to Vanessa that he knows that she ordered the hit on Foggy. And he doesn’t seem to care or feel betrayed. He said he ran as Mayor to “Save the city,” but he clearly wants back in the criminal game. He tells Vanessa she used Red Hook to funnel millions, but as Mayor, he can use it to funnel billions. Vanessa gives a sly smile to her husband, realizing that the Kingpin of Crime is officially back.
Mayor Fisk Throws Rule of Law Out the Window
In his office, Mayor Fisk furiously rants after his attempted assassination. He screams that his Anti-Vigilante Task Force is “Going to hunt down all vigilantes, not just Poindexter. There will be no body cams, no due process, no warrants!” Police Commissioner Gallo (Michael Gaston) reminds him that it’s totally illegal. But Fisk sees himself as above the law. The corrupt cops of his task force smile, now allowed to become the monsters they’ve always wanted the authority to be. Fisk says he’s not just condoning the use of lethal force, he’s encouraging it. Sheila (Zabryna Guevara) agrees that a lone gunman attacking a mayor is a serious affront. However, it’s not enough of a threat to public safety to shut down the city, closing all bridges and tunnels. It goes in Fisk’s ear and out the other.
Mayor Fisk Orders Matt’s Death
As his rant continues, it’s clear to everyone that Fisk sees himself as the most important being in the universe, and his will dominates. The actual law is irrelevant. Fisk dismisses his staff, except for Buck Cashman (Arty Froushan). When the two are alone, he asks how Matt Murdock is doing in the hospital, and Buck tells him he’s stable. He also tells him that going after him now may “Confuse the optics of things.” But Fisk sees a perfect opportunity, and essentially asks Buck to go kill Matt in the hospital via poison, so it looks like the brave lawyer from Hell’s Kitchen died trying to save his life. He thanks the man who saved him by sending someone to kill him in his hospital bed. “A dead hero is better than a live vigilante.”
Gallo Tries to Make an Alliance With Sheila
Fisk is alone with Sheila, and tells her that the city just needs the right push to have everyone fall in line. He says that she knows who in his staff is loyal, and who is not. He asks her to dismiss anyone who is not completely on board with his personal agenda. Sheila knows that betraying a monster is not good for her survival chances. As she tries to leave his office, she’s confronted by Gallo. He knows Sheila is aware of what’s going on, and how flagrantly unlawful it all is. He says, “There are still sane people in the building, and I am betting that you’re one of them.” Gallo says that he’s going to try to convince the state governor in Albany of what’s going on, and he needs her support. Only the governor can remove Fisk from office. Sheila agrees.
The Punisher Returns
As Matt lies in his hospital bed, he hears Buck Cashman walk in. Matt is smart enough to know what he’s there to do and how. Cashman pulls out a syringe, ready to take care of Fisk’s Daredevil problem for good, and just as he does, the power goes out in the city, thanks to Fisk’s control over the power company. Matt uses the confusion to escape the hospital, and Buck’s plans to kill him are thwarted. Matt goes back to his apartment in his hospital gown, and Frank Castle (Jon Bernthal) is there waiting for him. He reprimands him for not having a functioning coffee maker, but Matt claps back that not everyone lives in a fallout shelter like he does.
Matt asks Frank directly what brought the Punisher out of retirement. He says he got a phone call from a friend who made him promise to get Matt out alive. Frank tells him there’s a ton of his “fanboys” out there as they speak, ready to come into his place and take him out, and he’s ready to use lethal force against them. And he’s doing it whether St. Matt is ok with it or not. Frank asks Matt about Fisk “Why would you take a bullet for that asshole?” Matt doesn’t really have an answer for him.
Daredevil and Punisher Take on Fisk’s Goons
As the two talk, Fisk’s anti-vigilante task force pulls up to Matt’s apartment, getting ready to raid the place and bring him down. As a small battalion of officers enters his place, guns loaded, Matt, as Daredevil, busts in from the skylight, using non-lethal force to take out one cop after another. The Punisher, however, has no problem killing these guys, even though Matt begs him to stop. And given how many of these cops wear the Punisher emblem, he has zero problem killing his own fanbase… sometimes with a large knife to the throat.
Matt Learns Who Killed Hector Ayala
One office that survived is Cole North (Jeremy Isaiah Earl). Punisher recognizes the bullet casing from his gun, and it is the same one that was used in the murder of Hector Ayala. Despite having the temptation to kill him, Daredevil refuses, knocking him out instead. The Punisher tries to goad him on, saying, “Do it, Red.” But Matt won’t go there. As the two argue over the morality of killing these officers, Matt senses a grenade launched into the apartment. The two vigilantes then jump off the roof and land on a cop car. As they stand alone on the street, a car pulls up. Out of it comes none other than Karen Page (Deborah Ann Woll), who helps them escape the scene.
Daredevil and Karen Page Reunite
Karen takes both men to Frank’s safehouse, where she tries to stitch them up. Karen confesses that once she heard Bullseye escaped, she called Frank and hopped on a plane to New York. Matt is visibly hurt that she called Frank first. Karen says that Fisk going after Matt Murdock and not Daredevil is bold, even for him. This is when Matt tells her that Vanessa Fisk ordered the hit on Foggy. He realizes there is evidence in storage that can prove it, but he needs Karen’s help to find it. Punisher says he’s not into playing detective with them, choosing to stay behind. Karen thanks him for his help saving Matt. She also reminds him that she can see through his tough guy bravado and knows that he actually cares.
New York City Falls Into Chaos
At a special midnight meeting with the city council, Daniel Blake (Michael Gandolfini) tries to get everyone to endorse Fisk’s “Safer Streets” initiative. One council member calls it insane. But then Daniel starts dropping his knowledge of different dirty dealings and secret bank accounts each member holds. He threatens to expose them unless they fully endorse Fisk’s plan to turn New York into a police state. As the blackout continues, riots break out all over the city, and there’s looting. One looter, clearly a teenager, gets caught by the cops, and one of them shoots him even when he surrenders. A more sympathetic officer realizes “he was just a kid.” But the officer who shot him pulls his cap around his eyes, and says “No, he was a masked vigilante.”
Matt and Karen Discover Why Vanessa Had Foggy Killed
In Matt’s storage facility, he and Karen look for the files Foggy filed a year earlier. Karen finds the file, which has a photocopy of documents from 1855. It declares Red Hook as a free port, not officially part of the state of New York, or even the United States. No crime committed there is actually on U.S. soil or subject to American laws. Matt realizes that Vanessa Fisk has been using Red Hook as a port to launder money legally for years. Now, her husband is building a development project there. And under the Red Hook Charter, he could conduct all kinds of illicit activities there legally and rake in billions. Foggy accidentally stumbled on this, and Vanessa wanted him silenced.
The Punisher Gets Captures By His Own Fans
Frank is listening to police radio, and realizes that both Karen and Matt are in danger. He goes to Red Hook Point, where he finds a ton of his fanboys, all part of Fisk’s militia. He handily slaughters them all like he’s Jason in a Friday the 13th movie, but is captured alive. Meanwhile, Sheila betrays Gallo, and plays a recording of her conversation with him for Fisk. She breaks down crying, knowing what she’s doing is wrong, but that fear for her own safety pushed her to make the evil choice. As Gallo gets into his car, a young officer with a fresh Punisher tattoo is his driver. He realizes he’s been betrayed and is being taken somewhere he likely won’t come back from.
Now zip-tied to a chair, the Punisher meets with his #1 fanboy, Officer Powell (Hamish Allan-Headley). The worst of the bad apple cops says he lost a lot of guys today at his hands, and he hopes it was all worth it. He tries to get Frank to join their side, saying Frank can do what he does with impunity as part of Fisk’s personal army. Frank then calls them all a bunch of clowns for admiring him, and reminds them they can never know his pain or his loss. One by one, each of the cops wearing Frank’s emblem proceeds to punch him brutally.
Fisk Brutally Murders Gallo in Front of His Task Force
Gallo is taken to a tent in Red Hook, where Fisk is flanked by members of his task force. Gallo says the truth out loud to Fisk; “You never stopped being the Kingpin. You can’t stop.” Either because of his insolence, or just because he knows he’s right, Fisk punches Gallo in the throat, and then crushes his head like a grape in front of his task force. (Anyone remember when Disney+ wasn’t going to have R-rated content?) “Any questions?” Fisk asks those around, and his militia stands silent. If they had any questions, they sure aren’t going to voice them after that gory display.
Daredevil Declares War, “We Need an Army”
Daredevil and Karen go to Red Hook Point, and the place is now crawling with Fisk’s task force. Matt says he going to go in, but Karen reminds him that if he goes in there, he will die or kill someone. This isn’t the time to make any rash moves. Especially as he’s still hurt from the shooting and the fight earlier that night. She convinces him, but Matt assures her that he can beat Fisk, and they can take back the city. But Matt tells her to do that, “We need an army.” The next morning, the power comes back on in New York, and Heather Glenn meets Fisk in his office. Fisk offers her the job of “Commissioner of Mental Health,” and she accepts the offer. Whether she believes in Fisk or is spying for Matt is unknown.
Mayor Fisk Declares Martial Law
Fisk does a televised address to the city, where he lies to the public and says Gallo “chose to resign.” He officially enacts his Safer Streets Act, declaring all vigilante activity illegal, and sets a citywide curfew for 8 pm. He also declares martial law in the city, and when this manufactured crisis is over, he will restore “the pursuit of life and liberty” in the city. “Never forget,” he says, “I love New York.” Matt hides out in Josie’s Bar, and he confesses to Karen that ever since Foggy died, he didn’t know who he was anymore. Karen says that Foggy knew both the light and dark inside him and accepted him for who he was. This gives Matt the strength to put back the Daredevil mask, and he meets with his allies within the police force at Josie’s, among them Cherry (Clark Johnson) and Angie Kim (Ruibo Qian.)
The War Between Fisk and New York’s Citizens Begins
At the same time, Fisk and Vanessa go to his secret dungeon where he once kept Adam prisoner. It’s now filled with cages housing his political enemies, among them Jack Duquesne (Tony Dalton), a.k.a the vigilante Swordsman, and Frank Castle himself. The criminal power couple toast each other over their New York domination over a fancy dinner. The episode ends with Matt declaring New York as “the city without fear,” and vows to take it back from Fisk for good. We then get a post-credits scene, which shows the Frank Castle escaping his cell, probably setting up his very own Punisher Special Presentation, which is coming later this year.
Will Matt’s army include a reunited Defenders? Is Fisk now King of New York? And is Foggy really dead? We’ll find out when season two of Daredevil: Born Again begins in spring 2026.
The post DAREDEVIL: BORN AGAIN Season 1, Episode 9 Recap and Revelations From ‘Straight to Hell’ appeared first on Nerdist.
This articles is written by : Nermeen Nabil Khear Abdelmalak
All rights reserved to : USAGOLDMIES . www.usagoldmines.com
You can Enjoy surfing our website categories and read more content in many fields you may like .
Why USAGoldMines ?
USAGoldMines is a comprehensive website offering the latest in financial, crypto, and technical news. With specialized sections for each category, it provides readers with up-to-date market insights, investment trends, and technological advancements, making it a valuable resource for investors and enthusiasts in the fast-paced financial world.