Daredevil: Born Again has been something of a slow burn. Sure, it opened with a shocker of a premiere episode, destroying the world that audiences fell in love with on the Netflix series, but it has spent its time trying to put the pieces of that world back together. The fourth episode took it some steps closer to that, as Matt Murdock reunited with his old frenemy Frank Castle, a.k.a. The Punisher, for a vicious catch-up.
The two vigilantes had a conversation that felt like it had been ripped straight from the Netflix series, setting the stage for Matt's eventual return to heroics. He's not quite there yet, but all it takes is one more push - and that's something that the pretty unique fifth episode of the series seems committed to showcasing.
With that in mind, let's dive into what goes down in the fifth episode, titled "With Interest".
Familiar faces in unexpected places
Daredevil: Born Again hasn't shied away from making some light nods and references to the wider Marvel Cinematic Universe early on in its run, with a hint towards Tom Holland's Spider-Man and a reference to Skrulls. It features perhaps its most significant one yet in the fifth episode, as we meet none other than Yusuf Khan - the father of Kamala Khan, a.k.a. Ms. Marvel. Mohan Kapur reprises the role and he's the only other actor credited as a series regular in this episode outside of star Charlie Cox.
The two cross paths right out of the gate in "With Interest", as Matt Murdock is at the New York Mutual Bank, where Yusuf works, hoping to take out a loan. Unfortunately, his firm is struggling with money as Murdock McDuffie is taking on clients that can't always pay. Matt reminds Yusuf that New York needs people to look out others, regardless of whether they can pay or not, and Yusuf commends him for doing so. However, the bank aren't able to provide him with a loan due to that.
The two do have a conversation about heroism, New York and superheroes, which leads to Yusuf namedropping his daughter Kamala and even referencing Jersey City's own superhero Ms. Marvel. He then shows Matt a custom-made Funko Pop of Ms. Marvel. It's a fun scene that makes reference to another one of the MCU's many heroes, all while providing a fun intro to an episode that raises the stakes very quickly.
As Matt leaves the bank, he overhears a group of armed robbers break into the bank. It's St. Patrick's Day, and they are hoping that the luck of the Irish will help them successfully pull off whatever it is they are attempting to do in their heist. But Matt plans to deal out a different kind of luck to them when he "wanders" back into the bank and gets himself captured and grouped in with the rest of the hostages. Yusuf doesn't know why he returned but he's clearly thankful to have him by his side. And he's going to need his help, even if he doesn't realize it.
Breaking the bank
The lead robber, part of Vanessa Fisk's criminal empire, asks for the bank manager, but Yusuf had already told us earlier in the episode that he wouldn't be in until later in the day. Yusuf tells the gunman that he is the assistant bank manager and that he can help him open the vault. Matt quickly figures out that he is lying and tells him to stall for as long as he possibly can.
As SWAT arrives on the outside, Detective Angie Kim leads the operation and starts a line of communication between herself and the primary gunman. He has no intention of striking a deal as he's familiar with how these hostage negotiations work; he simply wants two specific types of armored cars. He's good, but so is she, as she tells him that he must release two hostages as a sign of good faith. He agrees, selecting a woman and Matt. However, Matt tells him to release the woman's partner instead. The robber reluctantly agrees, but he doesn't like Matt, partially because he doesn't like lawyers and partially because he doesn't like Matt himself.
As one of the robbers escorts Yusuf down to the vault, Matt tells the others that he needs to go to the bathroom. Another escorts him and, when alone, Matt begins to fight back, which leads to a scuffle on the stairs. There is one particularly brilliant sequence in which he has to stop the fighting for a moment to grab the gun, which almost hits the floor (and would have inevitably alerted the other robbers), before he then defeats his adversary and ventures down to the vault.
Yusuf does his best to stall for as long as he can, but the gunman gets restless and figures out what he's up to. Matt arrives just in time to subdue the robber and help Yusuf out. When the ring leader radios down to them, Matt puts on his best Northern Irish accent to convince him that all is in hand. It works, and the pair begin attempting to figure out what is in the safety deposit box behind the vault that the gang is so clearly interested in. That is, of course, after Matt figures out how to open the vault - something else which impresses Yusuf.
They find one of the keys needed to open the safety deposit box on the robber himself. It contains the number 4, so they begin using both sets of keys on all of the boxes with 4 in them. Eventually, box 407 opens and a yellow gem looks back at them. It's then that Matt hears that the cops are about to burst in - which prompts The Man Without Fear to return to the bank's main hall (with Yusuf beside him) and confront the ring leader. The gunman is shocked by what he sees, but he's out of options as the cops are right outside - and they burst in just as Matt throws the diamond to his adversary.
Matt helps diffuse the situation by taking out some of the other gunmen as the police storm the building, while the robber searches for the gem. He finds what he thinks is the diamond and hands it to a female hostage - who has seemingly been working with him all along - as he makes his way out of the commotion quickly, dressed as a police officer to avoid arrest. But, as we all know by now, you can't escape Daredevil that easily.
Matt puts on his best performance to ensure that the police help escort the "frightened" blind man out of the madness and to safety. He then calmly puts on one of the masks that the robbers were wearing and tracks down the lead gunman. A brutal fight breaks out as Matt attacks him with a broken beer bottle before ultimately subduing him by snapping his leg. He might not be wearing the mask he's known for, but The Devil of Hell's Kitchen is back.
Daredevil: Born Again episode 5 ending explained: Returning the jewellery and making friends
The closing scene takes us back to the beginning of the episode, kind of. Matt Murdock and Yusuf Khan are exactly where they were back then, sitting across from each other in the New York Mutual Bank, reflecting on the crazy situation they found themselves in the last time that they were there. Yusuf points out that even Matt's heroic activities won't be enough to secure a loan from the bank for his firm, but he already knows that; that's not why he's there to see him.
Matt simply wanted to check on Yusuf and make sure that he was okay after the ordeal that the pair had gone through together when the robbers held up the bank. Yusuf assures him that he is, commending Matt for his bravery and telling him that he would get along well with his daughter Kamala. And, as a personal way of saying thank you, he invites him to the Khan household for a special family dinner. Matt happily accepts the offer and Yusuf promises to set it motion. But that's not the only surprise in store for him as, upon Matt's exit, Yusuf looks in the tray of sweets on his desk to see that among them sits the yellow diamond.
Speaking of gems, "With Interest" is something of an unexpected gem in and of itself for an MCU drama series. It's a bottle episode, all taking place in the one location, and it didn't do much to progress the main story, but it did progress Matt Murdock's arc a great deal. After his conversation with The Punisher in the previous episode, he is edging closer and closer to putting the mask back on and bringing Daredevil back to screens. It's only a matter of time until it happens, and this episode made that so much clearer.
Matt is always invested in helping those around him and this time he managed to do it without the mask. But without his time under that mask, he may not have been able to; this is something that he's beginning to realize in Born Again. In a city full of corrupt officials, the law can't save the day all the time. But when that happens, Daredevil is there to do it for it. And now that he might be mingling with other beloved MCU heroes, he may not be a lone vigilante for much longer.