In every show, there’s a moment where things change for the better or the worse. Fans of Daredevil: Born Again witnessed that moment at the beginning of season 2's sixth episode.
Everyone watching the Disney Plus series knew that the death of Vanessa Fisk would set Mayor Wilson Fisk off, but no one knew how long it would take for him to become a destructive and irrational force of nature. Well, that moment happened just three minutes into "Requiem". If we're being honest, the fact that it didn't happen the second that Vanessa was pronounced dead was the most shocking part of all.
*** This article contains major SPOILERS from Daredevil: Born Again season 2 episode 6. ***
Recap Without Fear
While Fisk was still mourning, the doctor who worked on Vanessa offered kind words to the Mayor of New York. Fisk was silent and calm as he broke the back of the doctor and killed him with a bearhug, showing zero emotions. As this is happening, the Anti-Vigilante Task Force (AVTF) is taking the weapons that Mr. Charles brought to New York to a new location. It’s clear that they will now be used for his war against vigilantes.
Soon after that, plainclothes government goons attacked Jessica Jones at home while she was with her daughter. Shocking to no one, Jessica beats them mercilessly. This leads to her meeting Daredevil to join the resistance.
At the end of the episode, Fisk’s world crumbles around him. People are protesting outside of his office, the governor is pulling her support, and Charles is actively working against him. And when Daredevil comes to try and work things out peacefully, the Kingpin attacks The Man Without Fear and loses the fight.
After the fight, Fisk makes a great point to his nemesis: There’s nothing that Daredevil can do. He can’t arrest Fisk, and he won’t kill him. So, where does that leave Matt Murdock? Likely to do something extreme like revealing to the world that he’s Daredevil.
The Devil’s Review
The most notable thing about the plot of "Requiem" was that Wilson Fisk didn't talk for most of the episode. It showed us, as viewers, how intimidating Fisk is without even saying a word. What made it even better was the way the creative team picked the perfect moment for him to speak. It was with the man he hates, but also respects, Matt Murdock (who was in his Daredevil uniform). And the few words spoken were enough to show that sometimes, the less that is said, the better.
Karen is clearly still traumatized by everything that’s happened to her. She killed James Wesley (in self-defense), was harassed by a physically and politically powerful man (Wilson Fisk), and lost more people than anyone should have to. And don’t forget, she doesn’t have superpowers or years of martial arts training. Then, after all of that, she was asked to look after Bullseye, who killed one of her closest friends (Foggy). It makes sense that she’d be tempted to kill him. And after all of that, the episode ends with Powell holding a gun to her head.
Deborah Ann Woll did a masterful job this entire season, but this episode highlighted how great she is. She showed a range of emotions in her voice and delivered such convincing, powerful facial expressions that helped tell a story of how Karen has been through more than people realize and still holds it together. And if I had to guess, it’s only going to get better as things heat up in New York.
Thanks for reading. Stay tuned to Bam Smack Pow and our social media pages on Bluesky, Instagram, and Twitter for more comic book, TV, and movie news, opinions, and rumors as they come out. Daredevil: Born Again season 2 streams new episodes every Tuesday on Disney+ at 9 pm EST.
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