Episode 4 of Daredevil: Born Again (titled “Gloves Off”) rocked. It continued the narrative that Mayor Wilson Fisk is unstoppable, showed that Bullseye is deadlier than anyone realizes, and left fans wanting more. But what made this particular episode stand out?
WARNING! SPOILERS FOR DAREDEVIL: BORN AGAIN, SEASON 2, EPISODE 4
Starting this episode with Bullseye’s "morning routine" was fantastic because it was an inside look at him as a person. It was very reminiscent of how he is in the comics.
People who aren’t comic book fans may not know that Poindexter (Lester in Marvel Comics) is incredibly charismatic and smart. You don’t become the deadliest assassin in the world without being able to hide in plain sight and be strategic. Showing this, along with his deadly skills, got people invested in the episode and made them anticipate his eventual showdown with Daredevil.
Speaking of the Man Without Fear, his two confrontations with Bullseye were as good as it gets. Poindexter used everything at his disposal, which includes anything he can get his hands on, to throw with perfect precision. He also wasn’t against putting innocent people in danger to kill people and keep himself safe. However, the one time he could have killed someone or gravely harmed them to escape Daredevil, he doesn’t. Because he truly believes he’s one of the good guys.
Bullseye being this delusional isn’t shocking, but it’s interesting (and pretty funny). He says he has one good deed to do and that will, as he says, level the scales again. The problem is that Poindexter killing all of these people furthers Fisk’s point about needing the Anti-Vigilante Task Force. And while I may not agree with Poindexter killing Fisk's murder squad, I'd be lying if they didn't deserve everything they've gotten. And, when this is all over, the excuse of "I was just following orders" won't keep them safe or from escaping prosecution.
The scene with Mr. Charles confronting Wilson Fisk and Buck was brilliantly done. Matthew Liallard’s (Mr. Charles) performance was good, but the best part was seeing how Buck and Fisk reacted. It was an example of how Wilson doesn’t bow down to anyone and always has a plan. But, despite how dangerous he is, he remains a man of his word. That is, until you anger him.
This, along with Buck killing United States Marshals, showed that Wilson Fisk is king. So far, there isn’t anything that’s been able to stop Fisk because he’s always one step ahead of everyone. Sadly, the one person who stops him from completely becoming a tyrant was his wife, Vanessa, and the end of this episode shows that she won’t be around to keep him contained.
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