Daredevil Born Again (Disney+) - March 4, 2025

[ZE_501]

Keeping it totally spoiler-free: I liked the second episode better. I'm good to keep following the story, so far it's not a Disney hate-watch. There are things they've done I liked, others I'm lukewarm on. Not a lot yet that I can say I love.

 

[jye4ever]

Episode 1 had that one really REALLY bad cgi shot when he landed on the roof…Oomph.

In a way they married the DD movie with the Netflix series.

He is definitely 100% comic book DD swinging and jumping around like Spiderman.

 

[ZE_501]

Episode 1 had that one really REALLY bad cgi shot when he landed on the roof…Oomph.

In a way they married the DD movie with the Netflix series.

Ig is definitely 100% comic book DD swinging and jumping around like Spiderman.

Agreed. I didn't love that -- not like he doesn't move like that in the comics, but I'm not used to it from Charlie-devil; but just that one shot was REALLY bad as you say.

 

[jye4ever]

I 100% don’t buy the split between Fisk and Vanessa, also…putting her in white was super forced and cringe.

 

[chrisstbh]

WTF THEY RUINED THE PERFECT UNSKIPPABLE INTRO FROM NETFLIX

Yeah it sucks lol

 

[Johnny Utah]

New theme sucks hard. Paesano should have been kept on.

 

[BeefEaster]

That was some distractingly bad CGI to start off the series. I'm not sure if Benson and Moorhead were the right choice as directors. I enjoy most of their movies, but their style doesn't seem well-suited for this kind of show.

 

[chrisstbh]

That was some distractingly bad CGI to start off the series. I'm not sure if Benson and Moorhead were the right choice as directors. I enjoy most of their movies, but their style doesn't seem well-suited for this kind of show.

I haven’t even heard of a single one of their movies.

 

[jye4ever]

I knew going in that this was going to be MCU DD with comic book moves so because I prepared for that I’m totally OK with that, minus that one single horrible CGI landing.

In a weird way this is literally the Affleck DD movie, but much more refined and serious.

It even brought back the Bullseye fly moment!

I didn’t expect Foggy to die so soon!

My only real narrative complaint is the Fisk, Vanessa split, why?

I still can’t believe they went and ****** up the best opening in TV series history



They literally just had to leave that alone!

 

[The Buffinator]

I 100% don’t buy the split between Fisk and Vanessa, also…putting her in white was super forced and cringe.

I actually like there being some friction there. I imagine it'll contribute to Fisk's showing his true colors as the plot develops. As for Vanessa, I was too busy noting how much she's aged since the Netflix series to notice what color clothes she was wearing lol...

p.s. - I also like Matt's chemistry with the new therapist girlfriend Heather. Hopefully Karen stays in San Francisco until Fisk has Heather killed near season's end lol...

 

[chrisstbh]

Who the hell is Cherry. Where is Mahoney?

I miss Matts old apartment.

 

[ZE_501]

I actually like there being some friction there. I imagine it'll contribute to Fisk's showing his true colors as the plot develops.

The acting and writing for that subplot, I have no real issue with. Having had a relationship fall apart -- it rings true. I just don't really know how they got there. I haven't re-watched the old series and remember his brief appearance in Hawkeye but I have no context, and the expository dialogue is vague.

As for Vanessa, I was too busy noting how much she's aged since the Netflix series to notice what color clothes she was wearing lol...

I noticed that too. Time bears down on all of us.

p.s. - I also like Matt's chemistry with the new therapist girlfriend Heather. Hopefully Karen stays in San Francisco until Fisk has Heather killed near season's end lol...

LOL ... did Matt and Karen have a romantic relationship by the end of the series or was it always will-they/won't they stuff? I guess I should do some Google-ing.

Spoiler

Karen shutting him out feels a little bit thin, but I guess she's traumatized and wants away from all the violence that follows him, which is realistic. Plus she might be freaked out that he tried to murder Bullseye and it seems he shut her out first. But the simplest and most realistic take is that she doesn't want to get brutally murdered in the street or abducted or tortured or terrorized etc. -- it's all a bit much, innit?

EDIT: Back from a quick Google. I didn't even know there was a show called 'Echo'.

 

[chrisstbh]

Finished the first episode. The music at the end was too cringey for Daredevil.

Bullseye fight was great. Dex fully embracing his psychopath side.

Dialogue good. Was worried they’d drop the ball on that front since all they’d ever talk about was how good the action was.

Lighting in the daytime and bright indoor areas looks really meh, flat.

 

[ZE_501]

Bullseye fight was great. Dex fully embracing his psychopath side.

He was definitely made to be a remorseless and dangerous killer. No watered-down Saturday morning villain here.

Dialogue good. Was worried they’d drop the ball on that front since all they’d ever talk about was how good the action was.

Agreed.

Lighting in the daytime and bright indoor areas looks really meh, flat.

Some of the night scenes look pretty low budget as well. I wonder if that's going to improve.

 

[The Buffinator]

The acting and writing for that subplot, I have no real issue with. Having had a relationship fall apart -- it rings true. I just don't really know how they got there. I haven't re-watched the old series and remember his brief appearance in Hawkeye but I have no context, and the expository dialogue is vague.

Yeah, I'm hazy on their relationship details post-Netflix DD. He mentioned that he needed quite a bit of recovery time after the last beat down that DD gave him, but I don't think that includes his time on the Hawkeye and Echo series. Apparently Vanessa also had an affair with someone - forget the name Fisk mentioned so I don't know if we've actually seen him on screen. Perhaps he was one of the guys in the meeting she was conducting that Fisk interrupted?

 

[ZE_501]

Yeah, I'm hazy on their relationship details post-Netflix DD. He mentioned that he needed quite a bit of recovery time after the last beat down that DD gave him, but I don't think that includes his time on the Hawkeye and Echo series. Apparently Vanessa also had an affair with someone - forget the name Fisk mentioned so I don't know if we've actually seen him on screen. Perhaps he was one of the guys in the meeting she was conducting that Fisk interrupted?

Adam, I think it was. No idea who that is. His former protegé Echo shot him in the face apparently -- which he survived with some plot armour and high tech magic nano surgery.

 

[jye4ever]

Who the hell is Cherry. Where is Mahoney?

I miss Matts old apartment.

Yeah no Mahoney bugged me, HE should’ve been the investigator for the law firm.

Cherry, who dafuq is Cherry lol

That being said, I did take a quick liking to Cherry.

Cherry lol

 

[jye4ever]

Yeah, I'm hazy on their relationship details post-Netflix DD. He mentioned that he needed quite a bit of recovery time after the last beat down that DD gave him, but I don't think that includes his time on the Hawkeye and Echo series. Apparently Vanessa also had an affair with someone - forget the name Fisk mentioned so I don't know if we've actually seen him on screen. Perhaps he was one of the guys in the meeting she was conducting that Fisk interrupted?

I freaking hit rewind to see if I had missed Adam!

Not well written to just drop a name like that.

However, I AM looking forward to next week so that’s a good thing.

I quite liked the fake out of the therapist saying she had a client and everyone thinking it was going to be the kid and ended up being Fisk and Vanessa.

I thought she was dying on that episode.

I guess that kid is going to be the serial killer?

She is so dead lol

 

[chrisstbh]

CGI was a bit iffy. We’re just not at the point where we can put full CGI humans into a live action environment.The movements are just off, there’s no weight to them.

I wish I could turn that part of my brain off and just enjoy what I’m seeing, but I’m not built like that.

I have a friend that never notices weird CGI like that but it sticks out like a sore thumb to me. I’m jealous in a way .

I dunno, I don’t need Daredevil to be doing CGI flips and jumps and swinging through the air. It’s not a comic book or cartoon, and he’s not Spider-Man.

 

[ZE_501]

I dunno, I don’t need Daredevil to be doing CGI flips and jumps and swinging through the air. It’s not a comic book or cartoon, and he’s not Spider-Man.

When you look at comic characters like Elektra, Daredevil, Spidey, The Hand, Black Cat ... they inhabit the city's rooftops like they're these fantastic creatures, moving effortlessly through another world. It does feel fluid and weightless but it doesn't translate well into live action.

Particularly the style of the Daredevil series. Here is a literally bone-crunching, brutal and grounded street combat show, but suddenly they want to take us to the rooftops comic-book style. It's jarring and dissonant. The visual language just breaks, never mind the poor execution. Theoretically the CG *could* sell it but they don't have the time or the budget to invest in that level of perfection.

In 1994 we saw Brandon Lee as The Crow bounding across rooftops and leaping over obstacles. That less flashy but no less dramatic approach was believable and would have worked for Daredevil, updated for 2025 with maybe some improved choreo and tricks. That wouldn't have taken us out of the show.