Flowers In The Window

She’s Already Hurt (Read on Ao3!)

If he's a serial killer, then what's the worst that can happen to a girl who's already hurt….

📣 Hooray I finished my fic!!!!!! It took me a year, but it’s done!!!! I can’t believe I made it through before the official Kastle reunion tomorrow night!

14 Chapters and 60,450 word count!

This story is now canon divergent— What if Karen got shot by Bullseye instead of Foggy, and Frank stayed with her through her recovery and to face off against Bullseye again?

It’s a slow burn with lots of them getting to talk about all the things the show never makes time for, mainly Karen’s grief and trauma. But with a happy ending and some fluff along the way. I try my best to keep their voices as in character as possible.

Highlights in the plot:

Reversed Kastle Hospital Scene

Karen tells Frank about her family

Frank calls out Paxton Page on his bullshit

Frank and Matt tension, but also respect

Karen has female friends (Madani is her bestie)

A Foggy and Marci and Frank dynamic I love

Found family connections

The Beth Conversation (handled like adults)

The Wesley Conversation

Karen gets a Melvin Potter made “armored” blouse and pencil skirt to wear into battle (this just amuses me so much to imagine)

Ensemble cast uniting to fight Bullseye as “Team Karen”’s defense squad

Hostages, explosions, and a big showdown

Bullseye throws a tooth (I put this in not knowing it was in the comics or that it would be in the show!!)

Kastle softness and sexiness and everything I crave for these two.

Holy moly, my Kastle fic She’s Already Hurt recently surpassed 10,000 hits!! While I am someone who actually never selects fics to read off of searching number of hits or kudos, it is still pretty amazing to know my story has been visited by readers so many times!

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This has been sitting on my computer, but I’ve been being a writing hoarder and not posting it.  But for like the 3 people interested, here is my scene reaction essay on the season finale!  I feel like this got a little more plot summary heavy than I’d like, but there was much to go through. And as always, fair warning to skip if you are a karedevil enjoyer.

An ad for the Punisher Special, a recap, and then straight to the credits, no cold open.

Karen and Matt walk down a street, smiling and happy and blurred with a lens flare.  They look cute, all dressed up for a date.  We saw lots of leaks from when they were filming this.  Should have known they would just be strolling along for aura— they never have any actual conversations outside.  They eat in the window of the Indian Restaurant.  I like how the tree branches are right outside the window since the restaurant is up some stairs.  That’s very beautiful and adds to the fantasy-like feel, like they are in a tree house.  I don’t like how the twinkle lights are filmed.  I always maintain that part of the magic of the original s2 date was that you cannot see the strings hanging down, just all the ethereal glowing dots surrounding them like fairy dust.  This camera work captures it as is, and of course, with the color gradient of Born Again, things look washed out.  It just doesn’t have the magic of the original.  The red rose is above them, blah blah blah, red rose = symbol of romantic love.  I’m bored.

Matt and Karen share two brown bottle beers. No one else is in the restaurant, because Karen imagines it empty or they just emptied it for filming.

I’m gonna be honest— when I first saw this opening, I got a little excited that maybe they were going to do something super creative with this last episode, similar to how my favorite episode of The Punisher, The Virtue of the Vicious, is structured and that the events would be told out of chronological order!  I don’t know what that might have looked like, but it would have been kind of neat getting things slowly revealed to us, leading up to Karen and Matt’s date at the end.  There were lots of rumors that there was a secret “third person” who had supposedly filmed inside the restaurant too, but no one could say who it was.  I know that the Indian Restaurant is Matt and Karen’s special place, but I really held out hope that it might be Foggy.  But no dice.  We got nothing.

Instead, the date is just Karen fantasizing about a peaceful and happy life, being able to actually go out in public as themselves.  Meh.  Alright, I have some more qualms, like this scene feels to me very much like some editor decided to splice up footage from the end and put it here.  But, sure, maybe the script says what Karen is imagining from the beginning.  I don’t trust these people.  If it’s a fantasy or a memory, they should be in different clothes. But, okay, I’ll just let the karedevils have this one.  Cute for them, I guess.

I still note that it shows them talking and whatever they are saying is muted.  And even in it, Karen gets a worried look— to me, it feels like she is apprehensive something is about to happen and ruin it, like cops arrive to arrest him?  I dunno… I do really feel like this was an alternate take or something of their flashforward date. 

Back in the present, Karen and Kirsten are at court.  For some reason they aren’t making it public that Kirsten and Matt were attacked in the parking garage by an ATVF van and shot at?  Kirsten is calling Matt and he’s not picking up.  The judge asks if they should keep waiting, but she says, “Matt is tied up, but he should be along shortly.”  

Matt is getting some first aid from Jessica back at Frank’s base.  No comment from her about visiting the Punisher’s hideout?  Instead, she’s joking to Matt about child birth, in case you forgot she’s a mom now.  Matt says he needs to rest and maybe get a total knee replacement.  At first, I wondered if that was a joke about Charlie, but I looked it up and he had shoulder surgery, not knee surgery.  But I know he has made comments about how much he has come to appreciate needing to stretch these days.  Hopefully his knees are doing okay!

Matt is surprised Jessica came back to help with Fisk and New York.  Jess asks if he can stop Fisk and he says “not alone.”  and “I don’t think he’s gonna kill Karen.  At least, not until he gets me in his sights.  Which is exactly where I need to be.”

Fisk asks Buck if Daniel delivered Ms. Urich.  Buck says no and they stare at each other.  Even though Fisk has been demanding to know who has been leaking things in his office all season, he has no further comment on either BB or Daniel.  Of course, he doesn’t even get to know Daniel died because that wasn’t in the script.  Instead, Fisk complains about the responsibilities of someone being elected by millions and that he hears whispers that his grief has clouded his judgement.  What exactly has he been doing while grieving?  What are the New Yorkers upset about that we haven’t been shown? One protest and putting Karen Page on trial?  Is that it?  We really haven’t seen any “citizens” since ep 6!  

Fisk tells Buck that Murdock has survived the night.  That is because his plan to kill him was bad.  He has a letter from Matt asking him to come be a witness at the trial.  Buck asks him if he really wants to do it.

Heather says Karen has “antisocial personality disorder.” AKA formerly known as a sociopath.

Matt enters the courtroom and limps down the hall and interrupts his ex to say, “Objection.  It’s prejudicial.  Sidesteps any objective diagnosis with conjecture.”  

The judge asks if he is okay.  

Matt says, “Sorry I’m late.”  Karen and Kirsten stare at him and Kirsten scoffs, “Late? I thought you were dead.”  So… does she still not know he is Daredevil at this point, even planning the trial together?!  Karen asks if Matt is okay.  If Kirsten was wondering if Matt were dead, then why did she tell the judge he’d be along shortly? I get covering for him, but why set the expectation he would arrive? 

Heather reads her book on vigilante psychology:  “The vigilante’s mask does not hide his public face, in fact, it reveals his private face.  The real mask is the one that he wears in his public life.  The dutiful boyfriend, the responsible boss, the loyal son.”  Does that mean Heather has figured out Matt is Daredevil? The dutiful boyfriend? She must have written this months ago though, to get her book published already. It was only 6 months ago she was thinking about starting it and asking Matt if he could get her an interview with Frank!

Kirsten counters that clinical professionals could be wearing masks.  She asks, “Dr. Glenn did you strike Miss Page during your evaluation last night?”  Heather denies it as Matt’s head turns toward Karen.  I guess he could not “see” her bruises, but I’m pretty sure there were times in the old show when he could sense injuries like a bruise.  Blood pooling under the skin and stuff.  

Matt asks, “Does a vigilante need a mask. . . Would my client qualify as a vigilante if she never cultivated an alter ego?”  Heather says “Sure.  She didn’t need a mask.  She hid behind Daredevils.”  

Matt mocks her, “In the same way you’re hiding behind the Fisk administration?”  Hochberg objects, the judge sustains.  

The court adjourns for lunch.  

I guess all that was basically fine.  I’m not super into it, but it was an okay courtroom drama scene.  Again, this court has no rules, but it feels like a lawyer defending his current girlfriend and facing off against his ex girlfriend as a witness is a pretty big ethical conflict of interest.  Also, if Karen is known to be dating Matt, but is also accused of being on the run aiding Daredevil…. Why is no one putting together that Matt IS Daredevil.  Like, Matt has gone missing.  Karen and Daredevil are wanted criminals on the run together.  I get he’s blind, but also… does no one have any imagination? Cole North thought he was doing a well-check on Matt’s apartment but Karen was driving the getaway car for Frank and Daredevil… Daredevil is the only one whose identity is a mystery.  Can no one put two and two together?  

ATVF officers are setting up a Bullseye impersonator to snipe Matt from outside the courthouse.  

Fisk comes to testify against Karen.  He marches into the courthouse as a choir chants and camera lights flash.  It’s very imposing and impressive.  

Fisk swears to be truthful and Matt listens to his heart beat to know that he means it.  

A ton of ATVF officers file in to observe in the back.  Cole North closes the door behind them but does not join them.  

Fisk:  You know, when I was a boy, I was taught to find the biggest man and bring him down.  But as I grew, I realized no man stands as tall as this court house.  These institutions.   Matt:  That was lovely, Mr. Mayor.  Thank you for joining us today. Fisk:  Not at all.  I consider it my civic duty.  And I welcome the opportunity to see my Safer Streets Initiative in action, to see justice prevail.   Matt: I was a little surprised you showed up. Fisk: I could say the same for you. Matt: Thank you.  I’ll live.

This is all fine.  Fisk said the thing and managed to make it now sound too much like a meme.  It worked.  Funny.  Matt and Fisk taunting each other about being surprised each showed up works.

We cut to Dex arriving and killing like 4 ATVF guys.  At least, I assume he killed them.  It was just the governor he was supposed to not kill, right?  He shoots the fake Bullseye.  Gotta admit, I’m disappointed that that guy was just an anonymous flunky.  I kinda wanted him to get unmasked.  The person it would make most sense to be is Buck with his history in Afghanistan.  Not that I wanted Buck to die.  Just, it would have been a more meaningful scene if we had any clue who this guy was.  Anyway, he is definitely dead with a knife to the head.  Dex calls him a “poser” and takes his place by the rifle. Fake-Bullseye had such potential to be an interesting plot, but it was a total nothing burger. Dang. 

Fisk speaks about how the Safer Streets Initiative was created out of necessity, in response to the lives lost to vigilante violence.  He lists specific victims, including Foggy and Vanessa, as well as Officers Saunders (Powell shifts, perhaps a little uncomfortably), and says that the people of New York deserve to see criminals like Karen and Daredevil be brought to justice.  Matt mocks Fisk for using the witness stand to make a speech.  Fisk responds that Matt should know why the Initiative was needed.  Matt reminds him, “Yes. . . when Bullseye took a shot at you.  Actually, you called me a hero that night, didn’t you?”

With many objections from Hochberg’s side and a dry warning to get to the point from the judge, Matt continues that even if the streets are statistically “safer”, lawlessness still exists— adding with more “objection!”-able snark that Fisk rounding people up and throwing them in jail without due process is similarly lawless. 

He builds his argument, pointing out that Fisk’s policies:  “harsh as they may be, did not prevent a criminal from taking a shot at you and ultimately, murdering your wife.  An assassin, actually who I believe was once in your employ.”  

Nitpick:  I don’t think Dex was ever publicly in Fisk’s employ?  He worked for the FBI.  He did start helping Fisk but only for crimes like impersonating Daredevil, and later he attacked Fisk at his own wedding. It’s not like he was on Fisk’s official payroll.

Again, Hochberg objects and the Judge tells Matt the “kitchen sink approach is getting tedious”.  I do feel the scene is dragging a little bit in its back and forths.

Matt insists there is a point to all this and that he seeks to determine what is a vigilante and what is a criminal.   Fisk growls, “You really want to do this, Mr. Murdock?”

It just seems that Fisk’s entire plan is banking on Matt not doing “this” when Matt is clearly showing him— even by inviting him there to be a witness in the trial— that he is.  Matt is willing to risk everything, to “go down that road”— why would Fisk anticipate that he wouldn’t?  

Matt dives deep into the case of the Northern Star and then drops the bombshell that the ship was actually smuggling illegal arms via the free port owned by Fisk’s trust.  He says the only evidence that they have that Daredevil sank the ship is officer Powell’s testimony and an allegation from the DA, both of whom are taking orders directly from Fisk.

Hochberb objects, but apparently the Judge’s interest is peaked because she overrules him.  Matt asks to introduce video testimony from the first mate.   

Matt:  Considering the flexible standards of this court, such evidence should be admissible. Hochber:  Christ, this is turning into a circus! Judge:  Mr. Hochberg, I think we’ve been under the big top for a while now.   *she asks to the see the counselors in chambers*

It is worthy of note here, one of my biggest issues with the trial is with this Judge. The tribunal has three judges, actually, but only the woman speaks this time, while the others just sit there.  I do not understand why she is acting as if she has real legal authority or investment in this case. 

 When we last saw her at Swordsman’s trial, she was popping pills and trying to get it over with.  This woman should be Fisk’s puppet, unquestionably.  In the old show, Fisk was capable of blackmailing every single member of special juries, pulled together at a moment’s notice.  He was controlling FBI agents by taking away their relative’s health insurance and depleting their finances.  He was killing their kids and making them divorce their husbands to keep their remaining family alive.  He was EVIL and it took huge acts of courage and sacrifice to stand up to his tactics.  So WHY IS THIS JUDGE ACTING LIKE SHE CAN ACTUALLY RULE IN THIS CASE?  There’s nothing to establish she is looking to get out from under Fisk’s thumb herself or at any risk to herself.  She knows this trial is a sham, we all do.  So why would she ever do anything to benefit Karen’s case?  It makes NO SENSE.  But here is Hochberg acting like things are suddenly turning into a circus and she’s openly agreeing with him?  

While they meet, Fisk makes use of the tactic that he employed at the ball, whispering from another room, knowing Matt can hear him.  He warns Matt that he can ruin his life and send him to jail.  Even knowing that Fisk can’t possibly hear him Matt mutters aloud, “I could say the same about you.”  He quickly covers and returns to spouting off some legalese.

Matt:  Karen Page is charged with providing support to terrorist attacks.  It’s the definition of relevance that the defence provide exculpatory evidence about one such attack.   Kirsten: And a basis for appeal if such evidence is suppressed Hochberg:  There’s not going to be any appeal. Matt:  You’re saying that out loud in front of the judges?  You want to just hand Fisk the robes and gavel? Judge: We’ll allow it.

See, this is what I mean with the Judge?  Why should she allow any of this?  Why doesn’t she know that her purpose is to convict vigilantes and send them to jail?  Why are we treating this charade as if it still has any real aspects of a legitimate court?  This contradiction makes no sense.  The entire court exists because Fisk corrupted the legal system as an extension of his political power.  So does he have the power or not?  Why is this judge concerned about evidentiary standards at all? 

Christofi’s video is played— I seem to remember something in the Nadeem trial about his video testimony only being usable because he gave it under some legal stature that he knew his death was imminent.  I guess that doesn’t apply here, but it still seems silly to just accept this video as evidence, even if Kirsten was the one to formally procure it.  Why can’t the prosecution just say he was forced to say those lies about the mayor under duress because Karen and Daredevil threatened him?  It’s ridiculous to take him at his word.  I feel like this scene would have hit a lot harder if Christofi were still alive.  The video is exactly what we saw before, so kinda boring narratively.  Also, he only names “the kingpin” and just says they understood it to be “the mayor”.  As Hochberg says, it’s all hearsay.  None of this is actually convincing, concrete evidence.  

Also, imagine if Fisk had just rewarded the Captain and Christofi for following orders and scuttling the ship instead of trying to kill them for no reason? Then they’d have stayed loyal to him and Matt would have no case. Everything hinges upon Fisk being sloppy and making mistakes—not a very impressive villain! 

Matt suggests Daredevil can corroborate Christofi’s statement as a witness.  He counters Fisk’s assertion that Daredevil is a criminal and says “the people” see him as a hero. Again, it would have helped if we ever saw him doing things to help “the people” at all this season, protecting bodegas or standing up to the ATVF harassing people in the street. Instead, it's just empty words. For a second time, Matt reminds Fisk that he called him a hero for taking a bullet for him.  

The governor and Jessica Jones suddenly march into the courtroom.  Jess glares at Powell, since her strength powers evaporated when she tried to punch him.

Matt presses yet again if he’s a hero, and Hochberg and the Judge are getting impatient.  Matt accuses his witness on the stand of being the one who orchestrated the weapons sale through his official office and ordered the ship scuttled when his plans were exposed!  

Hochberg warns Fisk not to answer that because I guess Fisk is also his client.  But Fisk is seething and lashes out:  

Fisk: I will answer it!  You don’t get to know what comes through our port.  All you need to know is that I am running this city and it is thriving.  Anything else is above your paygrade, little man.  

So basically Matt has succeeded in getting Fisk all up in his emotions until he cracked.  I’m sorry but I think this is dumb.  No matter how mad he is, Fisk should know that saying “You don’t get to know what comes through our port” sounds self-incriminating and will not go over well with anyone when he’s supposed to be the elected official.  I dunno… I just don’t buy it. Also, Fisk WASN’T smuggling these weapons to arm his private militia at all.  He was doing it as a deal with the US Government, which he intended to profit off of financially.  He only took the weapons for himself after Mr. Charles pissed him off.  I feel like Fisk has lost all strategy here and it’s just giving Matt his Legally Blonde bait-the-witness moment.  Sorry, getting a witness to blurt out their own guilt shouldn’t work for someone as cruel and calculating as Fisk.  And don’t give me anything about how he’s under emotional strain from Vanessa’s death.  This was HIS plan to put Karen on trial, and he knowingly accepted testifying as a witness at friggin’ Daredevil’s invitation.  And now he’s just gonna mock his nemesis over matters of pay grade?  Absurd.  Matt’s been in hiding for half a year, he has no income to even taunt him with!

At last the grande finale:  

Hochberg:  Your video proves no wrongdoing by the mayor, Mr. Murdock.  It’s all hearsay.   Matt: Correct, but we have established there was another witness on the boat, haven’t we?  A witness who in fact is in this courtroom today.  Isn’t that right, Mr. Mayor?  You and I both know who Daredevil is.  He’s the man who knows exactly what happened on the Northern Star.  He knows exactly what happened in my apartment, and he knows exactly who the real criminal in this courtroom is.  Isn’t that right?   Fisk:  You are a fool.   Matt:  No.  I’m not.  I am Daredevil.   

There are gasps and camera flashes but we don’t really get to see individual reactions.  I still don’t know if Kirsten knew he was Daredevil before this moment or not.  I’m not even sure if Heather knew or not.  We don’t get any hint of introspection if she realizes her own boyfriend saved her life, instead of Daredevil being there to just attack Muse.

Hochberg scoffs at the idea that a blind man can be Daredevil so Matt theatrically throws his cane and catches it.  No one asks for further explanation of his super powers for some reason. (I really, really had wished that shot of Matt turning around would turn out to be him hearing Foggy’s heartbeat arriving in the courthouse to save the day with important testimony or evidence!  BIG SIGH!)  Hochberg bemoans the trial is now an absolute farce.  He tries some more objections but the Judge overrules him.  

Matt: I was there and can testify to this.  Miss Jones and myself then witnessed Fisk arm his private militia, aka the Task Force with said weapons, which we then destroyed in the interest of public safety.  Fisk’s smuggling is a criminal act.  Arming the Task Force with smuggled weapons is a criminal act.  Enough evidence has been provided to charge Fisk with these crimes.  This court was formed to adjudicate the Safer Streets Initiative, an initiative created by this man, Mayor Fisk, in furtherance of his criminal agenda!  Which means this court has neither the ability nor the mandate to decide justice! (Karen tears up watching) Judge: Daredevil or not, Mr. Murdock is right.  In light of the evidence, the corroborated testimony, Miss Page’s crimes, if they even are crimes, cannot be judged by this court.   Matt: Thank you, your honor.  I move for a dismissal. Judge: Granted.  This case is dismissed with prejudice.  Miss Page, you are free to go.  Mr. Murdock, please remain in the courthouse.   Matt and Karen hug and kiss in the camera flashes.  Jess rolls her eyes.   Fisk: You won nothing, Mr. Murdock, nothing.

It’s kind of funny to hear Matt say “enough evidence has been provided” in the same breath as he says that he and Jessica Jones destroyed all the weapons—- basically their existence at all is now more hearsay!  Not one shred of physical evidence is ever presented!

I feel like it’s still disappointing that this was the only crime they were able to identify at Red Hook.  This is what Foggy died for— his client Benny knew something about smuggling wine bottles there, right?  I really, really wish Foggy had died for something more important than just being the first to discover the charter of the “free port.”  Basically it was just a fairly mundane money making scheme and nothing more complex and nefarious and worthy of his death.  

Also can we talk about how insane it is for the defense lawyer to also suddenly name himself as the key witness in the trial, while also being the romantic partner of the defendant?  I guess I don’t know that much about law, but that’s super weird right?  No one’s questioning this?  Especially when he reveals he is a wanted criminal/terrorist, or at least how he has been portrayed in the mainstream media?  His argument is basically “my girlfriend is innocent because this guy who isn’t here says I didn’t do this crime and I also say I didn’t do this crime.”  And then the Judge is like “thank you for corroborating this testimony, I guess no crimes were committed!!  Yay!”  Really?

I think Matt should have gone further with confronting Fisk about knowing his identity, in fact for years, and not revealing it, while also calling Matt a hero— that would have shown Fisk’s hypocrisy and that his private agenda mattered more than “public safety.”  

Fisk also should have been ready to crucify the Judge for her betrayal of his anti-vigilante court.

I’m also disappointed the Trial of Karen Page concludes without ever actually becoming about Karen.  Like, she just sits there and occasionally covers her mouth with her hands and blinks.  I strongly wish she could have taken the stand to defend HERSELF.  Even Frank got to take the stand at his trial.  I saw someone say that it was impractical for Karen to speak because Hochberg would just ask her “who is Daredevil” and she’d have to reveal his identity.  Nah.  This trial was already a circus.  She could just flat out refuse and say she’s only here to speak about herself.  And tell the public SOMETHING, ANYTHING, literally ANYTHING that would resonate with how it feels to need to stand up, even when you are just one person, small and powerless.  Let Karen be the hero she is, outside of the streets.  Let her inspire people, and use her words to show that she doesn’t need a weapon to eviscerate Fisk for his crimes.  Instead of allowing Karen to reclaim her own story, she must be defended, interpreted, and spoken for by a man.  A man who also took control of her moral agency earlier.  This season’s reduction to all the female characters— Karen, Kirsten, Jess— to silent courtroom spectators, passively witnessing Matt litigate Karen’s fate feels deeply regressive and I can’t stand it.  

And look, I can say that sure, it’s a grand gesture, and a hugely romantic sacrifice for Matt to give up his privacy and finally reveal his secret identity to keep Karen safe.  I just wish she also had some sort of input in this decision.  The last she and Matt spoke about him defending her was just a weak little exchange of “no you can’t!” and him refuting her with “yes I can.”  That’s it.  It was all Matt’s decision and Karen gets to be happy he set her free…. But now they will both have to live with the fall out, which is basically that Matt has condemned himself and Karen gets to escape punishment and be….. Completely alone.  Like, what is this woman going to do now, logically?  She’s famous for being a wanted criminal.  She has no job and no home and worst of all, no friends.  She and Kirsten have barely spoken.  She and Jess have never spoken in person.  She has no life to save without Matt. She’s starting over from scratch yet again! 

But I guess Karedevils can rejoice at Matt’s selfless act of love and the parallel that the only times he has willingly shared his identity with anyone has always been on behalf of Karen.  So, no denying a win for their team!  Karen and Matt enthusiastically embrace and kiss.  You can see so many emotions play out on Karen’s face, both happy, thankful, and a little sad.  Again, their kiss is a few quick pecks on the lips, though she still has to cover up their mouths. God forbid we get a hint he kissed her with tongue or something like that in a Disney show, I guess. 

And final thought for the moment— the Judge only declared a mistrial…. Can’t Karen be put on trial again?!  Fisk shouldn’t be treating this as the defeat it is.  Now is his chance to convict Daredevil AND Karen Page, if he wanted.  Or just have them both killed by snipers, as was his apparent back up plan….?  I dunno, guys.  We’re sweeping a lot under the table, it feels.  

The Governor meets Fisk in the hallway as he exits:

Governor:  Mr. Fisk, the Attorney General has filed charges against you for racketeering, smuggling, corruption, at this point, it’s a dictionary.  Your assets have been frozen and the free port is under government control. Fisk: On the word of a deluded lawyer? None of it will stand up.   Governor: Oh, then there’s attempted murder against a government official.  Your assassin lived.  He has a lot to say.  This is the part where you resign. Fisk:  There is a process for what you propose.  I suggest you start that up.  If you’ll excuse me. . .  Interesting to see who you’ve aligned yourself with, Miss Jones.   Jessica:  Watch yourself, Kingpin.  

Once more, Fisk’s powers are just a shadow of what they once were in the old series.  What do you mean “your assassin lived.  He has a lot to say” ???  Do we not remember that Fisk’s authority once meant that people were so afraid of him they would not speak his NAME aloud?  And that in fact, the one man who broke faith and identified him to Daredevil immediately knew he was so fucked beyond belief that he committed suicide by willingly impailing his brain on a metal fence post????????  Where is that Wilson Fisk???  We were scared of him!!!!!!! Now it seems like he is a buffoon who commands a bunch of inept robocops.  Buck was worried about Daniel staying loyal to Fisk– apparently they should have worried about hiring someone they sent on an actually important mission to not immediately betray them because of some survivable injuries?!  

Fisk and Jessica’s confrontation.  “Watch yourself….. Kingpin.”  Am I supposed to be impressed?!  YAWN.  Simply meaningless.

Okay, halfway through the episode!!

Matt and Fisk’s teams have a confrontation in the lobby.  A BTS shot of this scene was released and because of it the fandom knew a whole bunch.  We knew that Cole North was going to be in this season, having survived the bombing.  We knew that Heather and Karen would likely meet and face off.  And we knew that tape on the glass meant that a bullet was likely getting fired.

Powell tells his sniper to prepare to shoot Matt Murdock, even though Matt can hear him.  Dex kindly responds on the radio that it’s the wrong Bullseye behind the rifle.  If only he had stayed quiet, he could have just shot Fisk from across the street instead of Matt.  Instead, Buck has time to jump in front of Fisk and save his life.

Powell leads the charge outside, directing Cole North to join him in firing at the window where he knows the shooter is supposed to be stationed.  Both the Fisk and Matt camps scatter to hide inside the courthouse.  Everyone hunkers down in separate chambers.

Night has fallen and the building remains on lockdown.  A huge line of ATVF forces stand outside the steps as newsreporters detail what’s going on.  Karen, Kirsten, Jess, the Governor, and Matt are all in one room, watching the news together. 

Kirsten:  What is he waiting for? Karen: I don’t know.  We can’t just hold up here.  I mean, we’re sitting ducks. Jessica:  *finds a bottle of whiskey* Yes. God bless jurisprudence. Matt: Task force or not, at this point, he just wants to tear it all down. Governor:  I’m calling in the National Guard Jessica: Wait. . . There’s more.  *cut to Fisk on the news*

So….. you had Matt Murdock and four women in a room together and THIS is the dialogue they came up with?  A bunch of throw away lines, Karen saying once again that she doesn’t know something, Jess making a booze joke, and the Governor being overridden from taking action.  I also can’t believe we had Karen and Jessica Jones in their first scene together and they didn’t even speak one word to each other.  WTF.  Who let this happen?  This is a CRIME.  They didn’t even interact once?!  Karen just gets mysterious text messages from “her”.  They don’t have a friendship or even any relationship at all.  Goddamn, this season was the absolute worst for its female characters.  

Fisk is apparently holed up with a bunch of the press, so he’s going live on tv.

Fisk:  New York is in a state of emergency.  Following today’s miscarriage of justice, we were once again attacked by a vigilante.  My aide has been wounded.  Right now, we are under siege.  As we speak, our enemies are assembling.  Masked, hidden, and they are coming for all of us.  I want to make myself clear to you.  I will not abandon you.  I swore an oath and I intend to honor it.  I will stand and fight.  Will you? Karen:  Jesus Christ, he’s asking for a war.  

I don’t see why Buck isn’t being allowed to get medical attention.  Is Dex still out there shooting at anyone who tries to leave ? Why does Karen say FISK is the one asking for a war when apparently it is DAREDEVIL supporters who are the ones taking to the streets in masks?  I don’t see any civilian Fisk supporters coming out to defend him, just his private army?

Matt:  See, that’s my concern.  You call in the National Guard, you’re giving him exactly what he wants.   Karen: Yeah, then, that’ll take hours.  I mean, we have to stop this now.   Umm, how does this make any sense?  Having the National Guard and the ATVF clash will give him what he wants?  And what will take hours?  They’ve already been on lockdown for hours anyway! Matt:  Hold on one second. Karen: What? *Kingpin Video starts playing on phones outside* “We are under siege.  By me!. . . By the Task Force, by the people who kill our family, our friends, and lock us up.  It’s our city, not his.  It’s time to take it back.”  

BB Urich reveals herself as the face behind the Fisk mask.  So I guess Daredevil is not the only one revealing their identity publicly to the world today!  She includes pictures of Ben and Daniel in a montage of Fisk’s aggressions.  I understand this was added in post, since you know, Daniel survived in the original script. Has Daniel’s body been found then? Did Buck frame anyone? How did BB find out?  Does Daniel’s mom know? All unanswered questions! 

Matt says “The city is picking sides” and Jessica says “trick or treat” and tosses Matt a duffle bag with his suit in it, making me recall when Foggy also smuggled Matt his suit in a duffle during Defenders.  Outside, people are marching on the courthouse in their red costumes and devil masks.  I saw someone say that this season is supposed to take place in October, so possibly this night is also supposed to be Halloween?  But if that was in the script, it was something else that got cut.

The protestors march up the streets led by the Good Guy Cops– Nameless Man, Cherry, Brett Mahoney, and Angie Kim.  

Sheila folds her arms and looks tense— wow, where has she been all season?! It’s like they totally forgot about her. 

Matt opens the duffle and unzips it so the DDs are dramatically revealed.  

Fisk pats Buck, who is still sitting around bleeding out.  He says whatever happens, Matt and Karen must never leave this building alive. (Maybe he should have just killed Karen when he had the chance, if that’s a satisfying resolution?) The Task Force officers feel worried, so Fisk tells them to resign, but they nod and march off.

Matt can hear the Task Force coming, so Jess takes one last drink and then she and Matt also march out.  Matt tells Karen to stay safe and she locks the door behind them.  I kind of wish we had gotten a scene of the Task Force breaking into this room and Karen successfully defending Kirsten and the Governor as soft targets from them.  Come on, we can have things like that in a basic Doctor Who episode with the companion helping people. This was totally an opportunity for all the women to get to bash some attackers on the heads, with Karen as their ring leader.  Instead, absolutely nothing happens.

The Daredevil Mob is preparing to enter the building.  Cherry tells the squad of guys with assault rifles, “All right, let’s not do anything we’re gonna regret later, all right?  Put the guns down.” In what world would that ever work? 

The attorney general calls Fisk.  Sheila gets to… hand him the phone, wow so useful.  Fisk doesn’t accept the call. 

Powell wants to know why Cherry isn’t retired and living upstate— I don’t know, maybe because that plan for Cherry has never been depicted since it was mentioned in season 1 episode 1? After Foggy died, he didn’t even retire, he started working as the investigator attached to Murdock and McDuffie!

Mahoney reminds the ATVF, “Maybe you forgot, we serve the people, not the other way around.”  Guns are pointed at them as they step closer.

Buck is shivering, so Heather demands Hochberg give up his designer jacket, even though she is wearing a blazer herself.  Hochberg says they are both reasonable people and shouldn’t have to burn with Fisk.

Powell gives Cole North orders to shoot.  Angela marches forward and says “tell him about Hector Ayala!”  Powell replies he was a fucking cop killer.  Soledad insists, “my husband wouldn’t kill police.”  For some reason Cole North takes her at her word, as he whispers “you told me Ayala pushed men off the platform.”  He says that Cherry is “one of ours”, but Powell insists he’s “one of them” and to shoot.  When Cole still doesn’t obey a direct order he says , “did you lose your balls in that fire too?”  and prepares to do it himself.  Cole knocks him out, while the crowd just stands there and gasps.  The Task Force are now apparently taking orders from Cole, who just says “get him out of here” and after a tense moment decrees, “Let them in!” and the mob cheers as they enter the courthouse.

Look, I am never expecting even Daredevil to take an ACAB stance. Even in the original Netflix shows, vigilantes operate outside the law, but are always supported by the existence of decent, ethical characters within the state.  Mahoney, Agent Madani, Misty Knight, etc embody the belief that these “American institutions” are fundamentally salvageable if courageous individuals uphold their ideals.  There is always a distinction between them and “bad apple” agents who destroy the system, like dirty cops, or rogue FBI and CIA agents.  

Cole North is not someone who just made a mistake.  Cole North is not like Agent Nadeem, who was purposefully backed into a corner to be manipulated through threats against his family.  Cole is a character who willingly aligned himself with an abusive regime and actively participated in using his authority to enact violence and death upon an honest, hard-working immigrant whose supposed crime was just genuinely trying to help people.  Suddenly having him find the “moral courage” to do the right thing and refuse to shoot another fellow police officer and spark off another riot does not feel earned.  Instead, it is the marginalized folk, the immigrants like Soledad and Angela, the protestors and just regular New Yorkers, who have been harmed by him.  It’s not just a hollow redemption arc.  It’s offensive propaganda.  I know ICE was not as active when they were filming this, but the parallels were already there. In light of the killings of civilians like Renee Good and Alex Pretti, this could not be a worse narrative choice. Honestly, this feels even more tone-deaf to me than Fisk’s ultimate fate.  

It was a mistake to bring in this character of Cole North from the comics and have him be the one to kill Hector.  I do not understand this show’s consistent messaging that actually we should forgive our worst abusers, and let them continue to act in the hopes they will find some redemption.  Born Again flirts with the aesthetics of fascism but never fully dares to engage with questioning the systems which have produced this level of injustice.  And while we are speaking of aesthetics, what about the optics of having the Black ATVF officer act out the story carrying out institutional violence, and then having the change of heart to be like “I was just following orders” like the myth of a good German.  Why are we rehabilitating this character with an opportunity for redemption, when that redemption comes without him taking accountability?  Even going to jail at the end, is it for the murder he committed in cold blood, or just for being one of Fisk’s militia? I’m NOT looking forward to seeing him and Matt become allies in jail next season.

Ick.  We are getting into major ick territory here. I don’t forgive Cole. I don’t forgive Dex. And I certainly don’t forgive Fisk. 

Anyway, for some reason, none of the other ATVF officers challenge Cole North and they all step aside to make way for the crowd.  A mob of politically enraged citizens descend upon the Courthouse.  

Back to Heather and Hochberg. He suggests they try to leave and strokes her hair.  Heathers strikes him in the throat and tells him to never touch her while he chokes.  She takes his jacket and drapes it carefully over Buck.  I don’t mind this— I like Heather not wanting a man to touch her after her trauma, and lashing out instead, but overall— meh. 

Fisk just sits there as the mob swarms some more.  We are getting some phone footage interspersed with some VERY beautiful cinematography of the scarlett-clad protestors running amongst the yellow marble chambers of the courthouse.  I love it.  It’s truly wonderful and iconic.

People are chanting “Hang Mike Pence!”.... I mean, “Kill Fisk!”  

The Task Force is beating people wearing devil horns on hoodies with jeans and backpacks.  

Sheila says the AG has called with one final offer, “tender your resignation and leave the city.”  Fisk realizes that Matt’s offer for them both to “leave New York” will likely be his fate.  He scolds Sheila because he thought he had her support.  Sheila gives the stupid response, “The office of the mayor has my support.’  I’m sorry, at this point, Fisk should have done to Sheila what he did to Commissioner Gallo.  He has no reason not to.  Also, Sheila has been a HUGE part of implementing Fisk’s policies and we have barely seen her question him or wrestle with her guilt in letting him rise to power.  No, sorry, she is complicit.  She doesn’t get to just claim she was supporting the “office” and not the candidate that SHE helped get elected and backed throughout his term.  I was hoping this season was going to give Sheila an arc where she became a mole in the mayor’s office, actively working against Fisk because her morals and her conscience demanded it of her, and so she would at least deserve to become the next mayor. As it is now—absolutely not!

People are banging on doors.  

Sheila explains the AG’s deal is to not just leave the city, but as long as Fisk renounces his citizenship and goes into exile, the AG promises not to prosecute.  

Um.  WHAT?!   Okayyyy.  

Fisk refuses and yells for the doors to be opened.  He surprises a protester on the other side with a loud “Boo!”, once again making me think this episode was supposed to take place on Halloween?!  Anyway, he starts brutally KILLING people, smashing them into walls and breaking arms and spines, getting more and more blood on his white suit.  Matt and Jess are having a non-one take hallway fight.  Jess is beating people with a fire extinguisher and Angela is leaping like a tiger across walls and punching heads.  

Karen sneaks out for some reason and has no trouble at all surprising an ATVF officer holding a rifle.  She punches and jabs him and he collapses immediately.  WTF was this?  Karen just took down a cop in tactical armor with a few quick punches.  She looks cool doing it, but it’s just stupid, stupid aura farming.  Do they not understand that I liked Karen Page because she wasn’t a ninja?  Why did they make her like a ninja this season?  I get she was training, but realistically that was always mostly gonna be for self-defense, right?  Karen’s greatest line of protection has always been her gun.  I get she doesn’t have one, but they could have had her steal one or something.  Instead, she’s just in her nice shirt and slacks and chopping down a meaningless guard like no problem.  There’s no build up to their fight, and it has no significance after.  It was just throwing us a bone of “look, Karen got to do something!  Isn’t she cool?”  No.  No it’s not cool.  Karen having her own little mission of getting Kirsten and the Governor to safety would have been cool.  Instead, she just strolls into the main chamber just in time to hold Matt’s hand and stand in front of the violent mob with Jess, Angela, Cherry, and a bunch of angry New Yorkers.

Fisk marches to the balcony like he’s gonna start singing, “Don’t cry for me Argentina.”  No, sorry, it’s to have his own little moment of authoritarian melodrama.  He yells, “You’re wrong about me!  I have done everything for you!  I have given you my heart and my soul!  I’ve fought for you, and I stand here now, and I still fight!  I just wanted a better New York!”  The crowd yells he is a liar and starts to rush the stairwell.  

Fisk yelling “I did everything for you” sounds like a narcissistic boyfriend blaming his partner for all his problems.  The mob surges forward and Fisk starts beating people and throwing them off the balcony.  Matt yells “No! No! Stop! Listen Listen!” and tries to keep the people from killing Fisk/being killed by Fisk.

Again, I have nothing but complimentary things to say about how this scene LOOKS.  It’s stunning.  FIsk at the top of the stairs in white, being piled upon by wave after wave of figures in red.  The deep shadows make it feel like a Renaissance painting.  Fisk is being buried under the fury that he himself created.  

Matt fights his way up the stairs by swinging on his billy clubs and Jess jumps up the walls, which I guess is one of her powers, but the shot feels like a vampire from Twilight.  Fisk is getting stomped to death.  Matt yells.  “We’re better than this!  Stay down, Fisk!”

Fisk rises anyway and they grapple with each other, face to face.  

Matt: Listen, listen to me.  It’s over.  It’s over for both of us.  Take the deal. Fisk:  I will not. Matt:  You go to prison, you die locked away from her memory, or you do what you do and this whole thing starts over again.  The poison, the fight, the death.   Fisk: This is your so-called retribution? It means nothing to me.   Matt: What about grace? Fisk:  No, no, no. no.  You are not allowed to offer that to me. Matt:  I believe you love this city.  Same as me.  We have the opportunity to give it peace.  Even if we have none.  That’s grace. Fisk stands and gazes out:  No Matt: Please. Fisk:  No.  I, uh, I accept.  You’ll understand if I don’t shake your hand. Matt:  Yeah, Wilson.  I understand.   *Fade to black*

….What are we doing here guys?  A mob, in the name of Daredevil, has stormed a building representative of the sacred institutions of law and justice and tried to overthrow the government with a violent coup.  And listen, I love the basic concept of instead of having a vigilante army like fans anticipated, the ones who join Matt to take back the city are just regular New Yorkers, unwilling to stand by in the face of oppression.  But the execution is so poorly done.  Narratively, we know none of these “average” citizens besides the Good Cops and maybe Soledad?  As an audience, we have no connection to them.  They are literally just faceless rioters.  And yes, The Riot has been a tool to reclaim power for centuries, but this has never been framed as a method Daredevil would endorse— reckless violence and lives lost in the chaos.  And in the light of our current political climate, the parallels in imagery to January 6th insurrection cannot be ignored.  This is NOT the people “rising up”.  This is not a reclaiming of democracy as a righteous cause.  This is us, the viewer, being put in the bizarre position of aligning with the side of a guy in a horned cap, carrying a spear, and smearing poop on the walls?? Costumed rioters wearing devil horns, intent on killing their civilly elected leader, and Matt Murdock is stopping them by pulling out the “We’re better than this” line?  We’re expected to “go high” when they “go low”? ?  I just don’t know about this.  The tension here is very, very uncomfortable.

This discomfort is furthered by the deal Matt impresses upon Fisk.  It does not fit his character at all.  Matt Murdock may believe in grace and forgiveness, but he also fundamentally believes in Justice through law and due process.   He believes that our system, while flawed, is still “not entirely broken,” and is capable of delivering real consequences.  Allowing Fisk to take “the deal” that was offered him BEFORE killing many protestors with his bare hands flies in the face of this need for accountability.  Instead, he is allowed a “graceful exit”:  leave the country, mourn Vanessa, problem solved.  This conclusion being amenable to Matt Murdock of all people is shocking to me.  Grace in his moral framework has never meant an absence of consequences or even punishment.  Matt has extolled his own punishments in the streets— breaking bones and leaving criminals in comas or drinking through straws, but here he intervenes to stop protestors from stomping on Fisk’s body and finishing what they started?  He offers Fisk a way out, a way for peace, but it comes at the cost of denying justice to any of the people he has just harmed, or making him face any accountability.     

It just seems like in this day and age, the most effective weapons to bring down a fascist leader are a union of legal statues, the free press, and collective civil pressure, from protests and voting.  Having Fisk defeated through a riot suggests something much darker: that our institutions have not prevailed, but have failed.  And more worrisome, they will just continue to fail because ultimately no internal change has been achieved, just a temporary removal of one exploitive authoritarian.  The cycle is bound to repeat, but this show champions the return to the status quo.  Cops who joined the ATVF are arrested and sent to jail, but people who supported Fisk and were complicit in his leadership, like Sheila, are left in charge even though their leadership should be equally suspect.  Collaborators like Daniel are honored in remembrance, while Heather is also allowed to go unchecked—- even as the show hints they are going down a darker path as a direct outcome.  

I don’t know about this.  It really, really doesn’t sit right with me.

The city resets.  Fogwell’s Gym has new windows.  Josie’s bar is still boarded up.  An unknown amount of time has passed.  A day?  A few days?  Karen’s black eye is better, so there’s definitely been a skip.

We sweep through the electric lights of the Indian Restaurant to find Matt and Karen on their date, wearing the exact same clothes as Karen envisioned in her daydream at the beginning of the episode.  

Karen:  It’s hard to believe it’s really over. Matt:  Yeah I know.  I know.  This normal life thing is… no more running, no more being hunted.  No more– Karen:  It’s gonna be hard Matt: It’s really hard.   Karen: So hard. Matt: Why is it so hard? Karen: Because we’re really messed up.  Are we really that messed up, my god? Matt: What does that say about us?  If I’m honest, I’m not sure I know how to do it. Karen: Well that’s okay.  Neither do it.  I’d still like to take a shot at it. Matt: Yeah, me too. Matt hears sirens.  Karen glances out the window and her face tightens.  Matt gives her a tiny smile and they hold hands. Karen: I thought we’d have more time.

Matt gets down on his knees and puts his hands on his head.  A police officer comes in to arrest him.  He waves the reading of his rights, joking “I used to be a lawyer.”

He and Karen exchange I love you’s and she watches him get marched away.  They look longingly at each other as he is placed in the cop car.  Radiohead starts playing.  

Again, I don’t like how the twinkle lights are filmed where you can see all the strings.  Karen and Matt are sharing beers, but it would have been a nice touch if they were drinking O’Melveny’s in honor of Foggy and because Matt won the case for Karen.  

I’m not sure why Karen and Matt seem so optimistic here.  This is the problem of skipping entirely over the fallout from the riot at the courthouse.  The Judge (what even happened to her in all the fighting?) told Matt he had to remain in the courtroom.  I assume that’s because he was going to be charged as a vigilante, right?  But here are Matt and Karen feeling relaxed and on a date.  Why wasn’t Matt arrested immediately after the standoff concluded?  Why did he go free?  Where’d they get these clothes– Matt in his signature burgundy and Karen in a greenish-gold color.  They’ve been putting her in natural, earth-tones all season.  Gotta say, I miss her in a blue blouse so much.

Their conversation is fine.  It’s cute.  I like them joking about how messed up they are and how hard it will be to return to “normal” life and not even knowing what that would look like. Karen wants to take a shot at it, so karedevils rejoice.  You guys are winning.  They kiss again, and Karen does that thing where she holds his face so her hand covers their mouths again. Another demure, restrained kiss.  

Charlie Cox said on a panel that he had the idea to get down on his knees and make the audience think Matt was about to propose.  This was greatly speculated about by fans too, having seen Karen holding Matt’s face through leaked photos taken from the street.  As a die-hard kastle fan, you can imagine, I’m pretty relieved that they did NOT get engaged.  However.  Even I can say—- this was a chance to make a very obvious narrative parallel between Matt and Fisk, because s1 of Daredevil ended with Fisk proposing to Vanessa with a ring, right before she got on a helicopter and Fisk was arrested.  Matt proposing to Karen right before getting arrested would have mirrored that perfectly.  

It sounds like a lot of the actors do not actually watch the show, don’t always know which takes make it in, etc.  But if Charlie was suggesting that almost in a joking fashion, it really makes me wonder about the team working on Born Again.  Was there NO ONE who in the moment could think about how things went down between Fisk and Vanessa.  Or are they not willing to go there because Karen getting engaged would tie down her character too much and they would lose a chunk of their shipping audience?  Not that I think they really care about us— it’s just really interesting that they had this opportunity and didn’t take it, either as an intentional choice or just sheer negligence.  Who knows!?  Karen may be saying “I love you” to Matt, but their chemistry has been falling flat all season, and I really do think there is a piece of her heart that still has feelings for Frank.  (and let me tell you, the Punisher Special has got my hopes up we will one day go back to exploring that, no matter how much I also hate Dario baiting us!!)

Anyway, I’m gonna keep on being delulu about this.  We got a whole season of MattKaren, which was literally my worst nightmare…. and it left me utterly unmoved.  Like, I was in serious fear that they were going to tell a definitive, compelling love story, and I would know that Karen deeply, truly had resolved her conflicts with Matt and chosen him……. And I have never felt less convinced by a romantic couple in my life.  Matt and Karen managed to be simultaneously boring and lackluster, and also never properly addressing any of their problems, old or new.  Matt continues to never properly apologize for wrongs beyond surface level “sorries”, nor does he support Karen emotionally or give her comfort.  Any of the things I would have wanted to see.  Instead, she was just like an appendage to him all season, and they managed to make me like them EVEN LESS than ever before.  Sheesh!  I know everyone got the shaft with the writing this season, but wow.  Hard to believe.

Luke Cage returns and meets Jess and Dani at Alias Investigations.  

BB is given Ben Urich’s office and Ellison welcomes her to the Bulletin with a box of her uncle’s old articles.  She opens it up and reads the headline, “Fisk’s Iron Grip: How One Man Controlled Half of New York’s Underworld.”  This is super annoying.  Ben Urich was going to write an article about Fisk, but Ellison wouldn’t publish it because it was all based on conjecture.  Ben got fired from his job at the Bulletin and went home, deciding to write a blog post and self-publish what he had learned about Fisk killing his father.  He wrote about one sentence before he realized he was not alone.  Fisk was in his apartment and strangled him to death on the carpet.  Ben’s articles against Fisk never saw the light of day.  It’s a slap in the face to fans to retcon Ben’s death and his legacy. 

I have to say I’m really surprised to see Ellison back!  It hurts a little to see BB settling into the office Karen had once inherited.  I hope Karen and Ellison can renew their relationship!  He was a surrogate father figure to her, and even though he had fired her, you know he would have tried to hire her back eventually.  Deborah Ann Woll said that she prefers Karen the journalist to Karen working in law, so I really, really hope for s3 we can get back to Karen investigating things and writing in some capacity.

Luke says he is done working for Mr. Charles because he found someone else.  We see he is flying with Dex, who is listening to his head phones.  Jess hugs Luke, so I guess one family gets to be in a better place.  

Matt wears his orange jumpsuit and walks through the jail.  Heather takes out the Muse Mask and puts it on.   Her real reflection finally looks back at her in the mirror.  Matt passes all the ATVF guys in the hall.

Fisk stares out at the ocean waves.  Apparently they filmed this in Puerto Rico, but who knows where he is supposed to be.  Matt sits in his cell and gives the barest of smiles.

The END.

Unforgivable that there is no post credit scene revealing Foggy is alive. The disrespect to fans is horrible.  I’m appalled.   

I’m looking forward to next season with Matt in jail.  It sounds like there’s a couple of comics stories they may be drawing on.  I know Frank and Fisk were also in cell block D back in s2 of Daredevil.  They’ve been filming s3 of Born Again and based on the few set pics we have, Matt is still in jail around episode 5!  I actually like that— a contained story could actually be really compelling, if they have better writing!

I saw someone, Dario maybe, said that in s3 Karen is going to be doing a lot of “networking.”  Uh, yeah, that is because she has no friends and is completely alone!!!!!!  Also, it sounds like we are getting a whole year time skip.  Ug, it makes me shudder.  Poor Karen.  I also hate that we’re gonna come back and she’s gonna pretend to have been besties with Kirsten or Jess this whole time.  Dani’s gonna be calling her Auntie Kay.  Oh wait, I’m already being too optimistic.  She probably won’t interact with any of them.  Jesus Christ.

Fisk getting to retire to a beach is another huge slap in the face.  He’s the only one in the shot, but you know he’s not on some deserted island, he’s staying at a five star resort or something.  On the podcast, Dario said something along the lines of this being a realistic ending for Fisk because people like that never face consequences.  I’m sorry— I still have a massive problem with this because MATT MURDOCK was the one responsible for making sure he faced some sort of consequences, and as a lawyer and vigilante, chose to let the fascist leader basically just fuck off to Argentina.  I don’t want to hear anything about how this is a punishment for Fisk too because he hates sand and Vanessa is still dead, so he’s lost everything.  No. No it isn’t.  This is not justice, but a displacement of it.  Matt sits in jail, while Fisk goes free.  And that was the tradeoff he made to keep Karen safe?  Sorry, I don’t believe she’s safe at all!   Or even all the happy.  Karen’s life sucks!  This sucks!  In some ways it feels like Matt’s sacrifice wasn’t even for her at all because it’s not like going to jail in her place makes her happy!  Also, Matt probably has a much longer sentence to serve than Karen would have.  Or were they both facing life in jail?  If that’s their future… ug, can Karen just be single again?  Or is she expected to have to wait chastely for years again? Girl just cannot catch a break.  

I’m going to give this episode a C.  

Ep 1: B Ep 2: B- Ep 3: B Ep 4: C Ep 5: C Ep 6: C+ Ep 7: C- Ep 8: C

My average works out to be about a C+.  It’s funny, most professional media reviews complained the earlier episodes were slow, but after ep 3, things picked up and began to feel like the Netflix show again.  As you can see, I had the total opposite impression.  After that flashback episode, things went downhill and never really recovered.  At the beginning of the season, I still had a lot of hope.  I believed that storylines were going to be developed and that the characters were going to get to DO things.  Every episode, this hope waned more and more.  Things were set up and never followed through on, or just badly rushed.  Karen never mentored BB.  Matt never had another panic attack. Foggy was never properly mourned, but Vanessa took 3 episodes to work through her death.  Matt and Karen got together off screen for an uncompelling relationship.  Karen was reduced to being a martial arts practicing girlfriend.  Matt was reduced to someone who just stands around and says very little and lets bad guys go kill people.  Where are the things we were promised this season, like Matt feeling uncertain about his role as Daredevil and asking Karen what they thought they should do for missions?  That’s how Charlie Cox described the beginning of the season, but we never saw Matt defer to Karen even once! 

The time has come to finally post this.  I’m sorry it took so long, but I kept trying to proof read it and just couldn’t get through all 25 pages in one sitting. See, I’m too rambly for my own good.  

In some ways, the season not being what I’d hoped for has been kind of freeing.  I’m so much less worried and hopeful about the quality of s3, because now I know this is all their capable of delivering.  And it’s not gonna be good.  It might have moments, a line here and there or a brief character interaction that I like, but overall, the story is just not there.  I am not kidding when I say that fanfic authors think so much more deeply about these characters and their relationships than Dario and his team of editors who are trying to slash stuff together in the hopes of appealing to a second-screen watching audience.  It’s sad to lose so much faith and enthusiasm, but the quality of this season in some ways was worse to me than Born Again season 1.  And I didn’t even like Born Again season 1 much.  I’ve tried to rewatch it and honestly burn out every time.  But it still had moments that made it feel worth it, like that Frank and Matt scene, and Karen’s return in the finale.  It felt like all the bad, boring stuff was just something we had to get through to get back on track.  But now, I don’t believe there was an adequate course-correction at all.  Season 2 feels like an empty shell.  The suggestion of many things, but not an actual season.  And it’s not even the problem that there were only 8 episodes.  It’s that they never showed us the story they were trying to tell us was happening.  I hate to say it, but I think this season is not going to hold up at all in the legacy of the show.  And season 3 may well herald the end, just when we were on the cusp of maybe getting more Defenders verse shows?  They could have done so much more, if they hadn’t fucked everything up.

They didn’t even bring Foggy back.  I’m tired.  So tired.  

Forever missing Foggy Nelson 💔

The white rose that is Karen Page.

Kastle + Whatever It Is

*and by ex I mean WIFE you are hallucinating your girl wearing the same sweatshirt as… Always thought this song suited Frank (better than Sharp Stick, ug, but enjoy the kinda meta crossover!)

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Episode 5 Reactions

Episode 6 Reactions

Okay. Finally back to posting!  I’m feeling a little burned out, guys.  I have seen the finale and it’s probably going to color this episode a lil bit, but I’ll still kinda stick to my initial vibes from when I was first viewing it all.  I’d say this is the episode where they really lost me.  Like, actively giving me things I do not want and going downhill from there.  Nope, not a happy camper.  Also, as always, this is not a karedevil-friendly essay, with lots of gripes in particular this time around, but these are always my opinions, not objective reviews.  Make of that what you will!

We start with a couple establishing shots of the city.  Some man’s voice says “one avocado.”  FUCK YOU, DARIO.  How fucking dare you throw something like that in and not bring Foggy back this season. It’s disgusting.  

We get some shots of the aftermath of the protest/riot.  A news reporter says there was an attack on city hall by “criminals” and that there were 3 injured and two dead.  They use David Bowie’s “It Ain’t Easy” to underscore the intro.  

Fisk discovers one of Vanessa’s earrings is missing.  The rose by Vanessa’s bedside table is dried and wilted.

Karen is getting strip searched at the jail.  I guess they put in a shot of her feet for the Matt Murdock approved foot fetish fans.  Karen is back in a gray NYPD shirt again, just like when she was arrested for Daniel Fisher’s murder.  Oh hey, just realized that’s another repeat name— Daniel.  Grrrr.

Unlike that scared, desperate young woman, Karen stoically tolerates her incarceration this time.  Fisk marches down the hallway to Karen’s cell.  Not gonna lie, I don’t understand why the show would have her booked at a regular jail.  Why the hell wouldn’t Fisk have standing orders to have her brought to his dungeon if she were ever caught?  He should have plans to deal with her privately.  According to Angela and the video Karen was streaming yesterday, people who get arrested by the Task Force “go missing” and are kept in cages for weeks, their rights denied and no access to a lawyer.  Right?  Matt only freed a small group of 19— there have to be others?  So why is Karen in jail at all and not in whatever other holding places the Task Force has been using?  None of this makes sense, and you can’t convince me that the feeble excuses the show is going to give as they go along are good reasons.  This is stupid.  All of this is stupid writing.

Fisk (sneers at Karen): You have taken people from me.  And out there, they believe that you’re a hero.  Yet I believe in order.  And you are a criminal.  Worse, you are the sidekick of a deranged vigilante.  You broken, deluded.  You abet his crimes? For what? Love? HA! Karen:  You know I’ve never seen you scared before.  I kinda like it. Fisk:  No, not fear.  Order, Ms. Page.  Order  (he strangles her) Karen:  No, you took it too far last night and you know it.  And the city knows it!  

Fisk almost breaks her neck but then stops to grant her her one phone call.  Why on earth would you offer your worst enemy a phone call when all the other nobodies you’ve arrested aren’t getting the same?  

….

I think this show is overhyping itself so much.  I don’t even know what to say.  The protest last night that left 2 dead, one of which was a cop, killed by fellow cops to spark off a riot?  The mainstream news is reporting on it as criminal activity— how exactly did they show the city coming to feel like Fisk took things “too far?”  

Also, why is Fisk scared?  I love this line and Deborah’s delivery, but it feels so unearned.  Obviously, he’s lost without Vanessa beside him.  But what is different from last night than it was before that?  Because people had one protest?

I’m not buying any of this.  Fisk would just break her neck and be done with it.  He has a chance to hurt Daredevil in a way he has been hurt, over Vanessa and Wesley, so why wouldn’t he?  This plan to use her as an example doesn’t fit his character at all.  That he’d even let her have her phone call is absurd.  

Like other Kastle shippers, I wish she could call Frank. 😢 But if it’s been 6 months without seeing him, she’s probably tried it and knows whatever number she has no longer works.  And it makes sense that her only option is to call Kirsten.

I wish we could have SEEN a reaction scene of Kirsten finding out that Karen was captured.  That would have been a great opportunity for both women to connect and talk about the situation she was in— outside of Matt/Daredevil.  It would be about how Karen was going to be charged, what they’d try to pin on her, etc. Let Kirsten have ideas to use in her defense.  But nope, nothing.

Karen watching Fisk through the bars and looking absolutely unhinged is wonderful.  But seriously, where is Frank?  Fisk has left his fingerprints as bruises on her neck.  He would go ballistic.  At this point, he’d lose his shit on Matt too, because Matt took a bullet for him, only for him to turn around and brutalize Karen.  Again, I’d love Karen to have any sort of connection outside of these two men, but she is still connected to both of them and Frank would NEVER stand for any maniac coming after her like this.  NEVER.

Jessica has broken into Mr. Charles’s apartment.  She says “good morning sunshine,” which was Foggy’s line to wake up Matt way back in episode 1 of s1 of Daredevil.  At this point, I’m sure the writers did not even think of that.  She just said it to be sarcastic and sound tough. Jessica repeats the plot point she already explained to Matt in the same exact phrasing “you sent them to my house with my daughter there.”  Mr. Charles claims he only sent them to tell her to back off and that he’d never hurt Dani, he loves children!  Jessica threatens to kill him, he mocks her weakened powers and reminds her he’s the only one who can apparently still connect her with Luke.  Jess says that Mr. Charles is the one behind Fisk’s arms deal and he denies it— since the weapons were conveniently blown up by vigilantes— and that Fisk is planning to kill the Governor.

I enjoy Matthew Lillard so much when he’s on screen.  I just wish his character had some bigger purpose.  He’s nothing. He’s just there.  It’s bad.

Matt and Jess meet on a rooftop to discuss this new information about Fisk planning an assassination because she can revoke the freeport charter.  Cherry arrives for the first time since episode 2!  He reports that Karen’s at the 15th precinct, and explains how Karen was “booked legit” and is being fast tracked for vigilante court.  Matt starts to head there, but Cherry stops him and says “if you go in there and bust her out, you are the criminal he says you are.”  Matt protests, "she' s not safe there.”  Cherry insists, “If he was going to hurt her, he would have done it already.”  Instead, Fisk talked to her and left.  

Matt realizes Fisk is going after Karen “legally”.  He then asks the dumbest question of the show yet– “Do we have anyone at the 15th?”  Jesus Christ.  I know Brett Mahoney’s reveal was already spoiled, but any good fan of the og show knows that Brett works there.  Brett is Matt’s ally.  Matt would know this.  Why would he say that? Fuck ass stupid dialogue.  Jessica could have asked that question but instead after shaking hands with Cherry she has basically nothing to say.  Cherry leaves.

Wow.  So Matt had absolutely NO REACTION at all to finding out Karen was arrested.  It appears from some of the promotional material there was maybe a scene of Daredevil on the roof by the watertower and he’s clutching his head— so I assume that was the moment and it was cut.  How?  How?  I don’t understand what was happening in that editing room.  Dario, you are ON NOTICE.  I already feel like Matt doesn’t care about Karen enough and now they have intentionally chosen to REMOVE a scene where he has some sort of feelings about her?  I can’t even—-

So, instead I have to operate with what IS canon.  That Matt has no reaction to Karen being captured.  That whatever he felt was left off screen because it’s so incidental, it doesn’t matter.  He finds out where she’s being held and instead of going straight there, caves to Cherry’s assurance that she’s not going to be harmed because they haven’t done so already.  

The truth is— Karen was harmed.  Fisk hurt her.  He could have done even worse.  And Matt would have been too late to do anything.  And we don’t even see him have to face that possibility.  Why would you believe that Karen was “safe” there under any circumstances?  It’s pathetic that this convinces him.  Fisk is intense and volatile, and deep in the stages of grief.  Grief that Matt has already seen comes out frequently as rage and impulsiveness.  There is no guarantee for him to act rationally.  Or that he won’t leave her where someone like Powell could get their hands on her.  Even if Brett is there— what can he do without exposing himself?  I don’t buy it for a single second.  Matt has lost Karen and he’s just kind of…. Fine with it.  Sad!!!!!! 

Jess says she can’t help Matt take on the 15th and that she’s going home to Danielle rather than keep fig hting.  She tells Matt “Fisk isn’t going to stop unless someone puts him down.”  So it’s okay for Jessica to tell him these truths but not Karen?  She leaves by reminding him, “Don’t get yourself killed.  This city needs you.”  Barf.

Matt has no one else to ask for help, so he sets Dex free.  He’s back in his Daredevil mask— but it's not supposed to mean Dex doesn’t know his identity, right?  That’s ridiculous.  He tells Dex he could do one good deed, even though he hates him.  Agent Nadeem mentioned!!!  Matt says “part of me wants to kill you and part of me needs to forgive you.”  Good for you, Matt, but not everyone does.  

Matt throws him a shirt.  Is everybody just raiding Frank’s closet?  Matt and Karen fled here with nothing but the shirts on their backs.  Next we see Matt in sweats and now Dex gets a new, non-bloody shirt…. Frank’s gonna come back and be like, where the F did all my clothes go? LOL.

Matt says “Now go, disappear, die.  I don’t care.”  Dex says he can’t promise to fulfill the good deed.  Yeahhhh.  This is bad, Matt.  Anyone and Everyone Dex kills going forth yet again is Matt’s fault.

BRETT MAHONEY.  This is one of my favorite moments of the whole series.  It really feels like seeing an old friend who is going to make us safe.  Brett explains as Chief Detective he got to pull a few strings to bring Karen there.  It’s silly that the Task Force wouldn’t be able to determine a connection between Brett and Karen.  They have a known history and Brett and Daredevil have a connection too.  Foggy, Karen’s coworker, was Brett’s childhood friend.  All of this is public knowledge.  The ineptitude of Fisk and the AVTF continues. 

Brett actually lets Karen out of her cell, which is kind of crazy.  Apparently all the other cells are empty because no one is around to see?  

He takes her outside (no cameras??) and she gets to meet Daredevil behind a wall.  

Matt: I’m so sorry. Karen.  I’m sorry.  I’m sorry.  I shouldn’t have said what I did.  

You should see my blank, blank face.  Yeah they both apologized, but Karen does it twice and then she is the only one who issues a retraction.  So she is conceding to Matt’s moral absolutism as is.  And why does she have to be sorry for what she said when it was TRUE, even if it hurt to hear? That was the whole point, now she’s taking it back? Why doesn’t Matt have anything better to say for himself and his reaction too, or even throwing his billy club at the gun in her hand which still physically hurt her? Fuck off, Dario.  Stop making Karen apologize.  She did it in Born Again s1 as well.  I’m so done.

Karen:  I can’t go with you. Matt:  No.  I know.  I didn’t come to get you. Karen:  Fucking great minds, huh?  Look, I don’t know what this is, but it feels like an opportunity.  I think I have to stay.  I have to face him in court.  Did they tell you he came to see me? Matt: Are you okay? Karen: Well, I’m alive.  He’s different.  I don’t know what’s going on in his mind, but he’s scheming, and he’s planning and he’s way the hell ahead of us.  I just don’t think we can run. Matt:  Yeah.  Cause he’s losing the city and he knows it.  So he’s gonna prosecute you and humiliate you.  Publicly, legitimately and make everyone cheer for it.   Karen: Can’t say it’s not smart….  That means there’ll be cameras.  Matt: Exactly. Karen:  Holy shit. Matt:  Turns out we may have to cross lines to stop him, just not the ones you think. Karen: No, no, Matt, you can’t. Matt: Yes I can.

They kiss in front of the glass window with a big lens flare.

Is this a joke?  I see what they were going for with this scene, but yeah, I’m biased and I hated it.  Matt’s lack of concern over Karen’s situation is so hurtful.  It’s like she’s not even in danger— he’s just fine with her being caught and losing her.  Did this same woman not almost get STRANGLED to death in her cell in this same jail 10 years ago by a police officer in Fisk’s pocket, but we’re supposed to just blindly accept she’s “safe” here?  

Don’t even get me started with this “Great minds” crap.  How have we been shown Matt and Karen's overlapping thoughts earlier this season— them both having the obvious idea to use Kirsten as a lawyer and saying the name “Christofi” at the same time once? LOL!  Then we start off this scene with them both making up after their massive conflict by making Karen acquiesce to Matt as right.  Matt barely even reacts to hearing Karen faced off with Fisk and knowing that she was hurt, but survived.  Matt and Karen both coming to the same conclusion that she needs to stay there and face the humiliation of a public trial feels so forced.  The trial should be just as much of a circus as Jack’s was and the result will be what— Karen gets sentenced to jail?  How can you assume you can work this system just because public opinion might land on your side?  Karen even says that Fisk is planning something and is always multiple steps ahead of them— but they can figure out the jist of his vision and counter it in two seconds, because he’s actually stupid for doing this.  That’s what I’m getting from this scene.  

Also, Matt is basically saying that he’s going to expose himself for Karen and she protests but then is just going to… let him?  

This is the great love I’m supposed to be rooting for?  Matt barely caring that Karen’s in jail?  Karen not caring that Matt’s going to ultimately let himself go to jail instead of her, because how else will this end?  LOL even.  I don’t even know what to say.  I guess some karedevils were satisfied with this scene, but it just confirmed everything I don’t like.  It’s so stupid for Cherry to say “if you break her out, you are the criminal they say you are,” as if Matt hadn’t already broken the Swordsman out of jail AFTER HIS OFFICIAL SENTENCING AND CONVICTION, and aided in him becoming a fugitive?  But Karen’s just expected to take it so he doesn’t look like a bad guy?  What hypocrisy is this?  If Karen escaped jail, they could just go back to continuing to fight for the city while on the run, exactly as they have been.  

The excuse that Fisk is somehow changed is not a guarantee.  Doing things publicly doesn’t actually change hearts and minds as much as this show seems to think it does.  

My friend Thay (@cassofnowhere) wrote on twitter that this scene would have gone a lot harder if Matt had indeed come to break Karen out, but then SHE was the one who, upon her new, personal assessment of Fisk’s state of mind, convinced him to let her stay.  And Matt should only have reluctantly agreed, under protest— that it was crazy for Karen to risk herself, but she would be firm and show him this was the only way to actually defeat Fisk.  A bunch of people got mad at her, but I totally agree.  A version like this would have put the agency back with Karen.  It would have given Matt the chance to follow something that was her idea.  It would have let everything Karen gleaned about Fisk mean something.  It would have been HER doing an act of selflessness for the city and risking sacrificing herself for something bigger— just as Matt then plans to sacrifice his secret identity.

Instead, Matt arrives and he already has that part figured out, so there’s no information to share with him.  They’re both just there, agreeing, and it’s boring and anticlimactic af.  

Imagine if they hadn’t both had the same idea.  Karen: “you’re here to rescue me?”  Matt: “No actually you have to stay there and endure further trauma and brutalization.”  Karen: “.... what?”  And then he’d have to sell her on this plan!  Obviously that would have been worse, but again, having Karen already have thought of it too is still not good.  She really is reduced to just being the love interest and an extension of Matt to get to Fisk, rather than have her own, independent agenda.

And finally, that kiss…. Filmed so far away.  At least it has slightly better lighting than all their other washed out ones.  But it’s still so…. Passionless?  Like, this is the last time they might see each other for a while and it’s just…. A kiss.  Her hand covering their mouths to be extra modest.  At this point, I can’t even imagine these two have sex.  Sorry.  

Hochberg says Karen is charged with: aiding and abetting murder, providing support to terrorist Daredevil and inciting a riot.  Fisk says they need to use all of them.  

Heather arrives and Fisk reminds her “lawyers use words to twist the truth.”  She asks him how he’s doing and Fisk is shocked someone has bothered to ask him.  He says he “accepted love as a prison.  I just never expected to be in it alone.”  Heather acknowledges the meaninglessness of condolences and the hurt doesn’t really end.  

Fisk confronts Heather with Vanessa’s other earring.  She immediately apologizes and Fisk encourages her to be impulsive and gives her the earring to keep.  Does he have cameras in his bedroom?   Did Buck see her take it before she became aware of him in the room?  LOL how did he know it was her?

Kirsten walks Karen up the steps to court.  They don’t speak to each other at all. Also, I'm just gonna say it— Karen’s pants have a weird seam or something on the butt and for a second I thought you could see she was wearing a thong.  Why’d they give us that shot of her butt when her pants looked like that?!  Not very classy.  

BB and Daniel are still at his mom’s house and yelling the F word at each other.  She accuses him of turning a blind eye, and he says that Buck Cashman is waiting for him to hand BB over to him.  And if he doesn’t he will come after him too. 

…. Is that really where we left off?  I thought Buck gave Daniel a test— to see if BB would leak information Fisk would not run for reelection.  BB did not leak it, so how has she failed that test?  

Daniel is keeping her phone from her (pretty wisely for once) and says they need to go to a safehouse.  He says they’ll go to a buddy’s apartment….and gives Buck an address.

Fisk asks Buck, “Do you think Karen Page knows, that she is the wounded soldier, screaming in the field, drawing her comrades into the line of fire?”  Umm, yeah, apparently she does!  Saw it coming, a mile away!  

The trial starts.  Kirsten and Karen sit together and don’t say anything to each other.  It is kind of insane this is happening literally the day after Vanessa’s funeral.  Daniel and BB are still at his mom’s house!  No time has passed.  Just arrest and formal “trial” the next day!!!  Why’d they make the Swordsman wait for 6 months?  I mean, I get it, anything goes in a kangaroo court, but what the hell?  Where are we supposed to accept realism and fantasy?  Frank Castle’s trial took place at break neck speed and even that was a few weeks.

Also, random side note but I got called to jury duty last month and I almost got put on a real life MURDER TRIAL.  Thank God I did not get selected but btw the murder took place FOUR YEARS AGO in 2022.  Kinda crazy how long stuff takes in the actual legal system.  So a next day trial should signal to the public that it is even more of a sham.

Hochberg asks them to convict and punish Karen for the crimes she has committed against the city.  Kirsten says she could argue for innocence, or that the court is even "illegitimate".  She asks them instead to answer the question “what is a vigilante.”  I do agree that this is a question the show needs to address because they have been lumping killers like Dex in with actual do-gooders like White Tiger.  Kirsten asks “Is a vigilante the last resort to obtain the justice that a broken society can no longer supply?”

Hochberg calls Karen a criminal, responsible for deaths– I assume they mean The Northern Star?  The riot? Wesley?  It’s unclear.  Kirsten continues to appeal to the “ideals of this court” which feels incoherent when she just explained the court is corrupt by design.   I get that the goal is just to win based on public spectacle, but how does this argument even serve their point?

Kirsten calls in her co-counsel and Matt has a dramatic entrance.  Karen smiles smugly as camera lights flash. 

The build up to this scene had no oomph behind it.  It feels like it should have been a big moment, but it was just… yawn.  Also, what the hell happened to his hair?!  Anyway, people are shocked that the missing Matthew Murdock has returned! Shocking!  

Fisk watches on TV and growls.  But clearly, Matt is acting as expected, since you know, his goal was to make Karen the wounded soldier drawing her enemies into the field, right?  Or was Fisk just absolutely counting on Daredevil to break Karen out of jail?  How was that showing how he was “way ahead of them” when even Cherry had that figured out from before he ever talked to Matt?

Matt puts Powell on the stand as a witness and asks him about the Task Force.  “That sounds serious”  “As a heart attack.”  Quick cut to Cherry who is there, doing nothing.  Oh Angie Kim is there and also doing nothing.  Matt asks him who formed the task force and Powell says “Fisk.”  Next, Cole North takes the stand.  He says he was doing a well fare check on Matt Murdock when he had a fight with Daredevil and Frank Castle.  Karen’s only involvement is Powell’s verbal claim that she drove a getaway car.  Kirsten then accuses him of killing Hector Ayala!  Hochberg rightly objects.

The judge reminds her there is no jury to play to and Kirsten says “you sure about that?” as we cut to the media standing by.  

The governor calls the Attorney General and says they need to suspend Fisk for being “out of hand.”  

Daniel arrives at the apartment. He has a lot of texts from Buck.  He explains to BB that he buried a body with Buck, and then says “I can’t have anyone else knowing I did that.”  As if he needs to get rid of BB now.  Um, she didn’t know that until you just told her, dude?  For half a second, I thought that Daniel might mean he was going to COVER UP HIS CRIMES by trying to kill Buck.  Actually, that would have been interesting/unexpected!  Instead, he’s marching BB inside.  BB realizes she’s in danger and begs him to reconsider.  

The thing about Daniel is he is so weak minded and such a people pleaser….. This guy will ALWAYS go along with whoever the last person who talks to him is.  Like, this is so ridiculous.  He immediately has a change of heart and tells her to run off and hide.  Daniel finally says he will “Do the right thing.”  Ha ha, what?  This is Daniel’s big act of redemption?  He is the one who brought her here and only at the last second doesn’t go through with it?  He doesn’t even do anything useful, like tell BB who or where he buried the body so they can have evidence against Fisk.

Matt and Karen have a brief exchange.  Some of it is inaudible, the subtitles seem to think Karen says she thought it went well.  You can only hear Matt respond, “It’s okay” and Karen tells him to be careful.

Matt notices the AVTF aren’t leaving.  Dun dun dunnnnn.

FIsk sits alone in his bedroom.  Ominous music starts.

Matt and Kirsten go with Angie and Cherry to the parking garage.  Matt can hear guns clicking and engines revving.  He tells everyone to run.  An AVTF van tries to shoot at them.  Cherry and Angie help get Kirsten out, but Matt is shot in the thigh. He throws his billy club and makes the ATVF van crash, while he limps away.  

THIS was Fisk’s plan??? Draw Matt out of hiding to come defend Karen, and then try to use the ATVF to kill him? When have the ATVF ever, ever, ever had a successful face off with a vigilante at this point?  They have always been foiled and their asses handed to them.  They are not even a legitimate threat at this point.  Also, why would they attack Matt at court in a van with all their markings on it?  They’re fine with everyone knowing that Fisk’s secret police just tried to shoot two lawyers and their cop friends?  How does this make sense?  Also, what is the point of this injury of Matt’s?  It doesn’t add anything to the story, other than ultimately delay him a bit, I guess?

What does Kirsten even think just happened after she gets driven off and Matt stays behind after she just got him back?  Does she even know he is Daredevil yet? What is going on?

This just proved once again that Fisk is stupid.  Also, the imagery of Matt trying to run while shielding Kirsten was reheated nachos from when Matt and Nadeem ran for their lives together.  

If Fisk was hiring a fake Bullseye in the next episode, why didn’t he stage a fake Bullseye attack.  That way it wouldn’t look like the guys who were just standing in court tried to kill the legal counsel in the “legit” trial??  Matt would then know it wasn’t the REAL Bullseye and that they could defeat him because he would lack Dex’s precision.  Or something!  Then Fisk could claim that another “vigilante” killed Matt Murdock instead of…. Very obviously his own men?  Fisk had Dex dress up as Daredevil before– a great parallel!  Using a fake Dex would have been the perfect way to show vigilantes are dangerous and further the reasoning for a harsh sentence for Karen.  If the real Bullseye turns up later, just say that he inspired copycats— equally dangerous.  

An assassin tries to strangle the governor in her office.  Jeez, good thing he didn’t shoot her or something fast.  Dex appears and throws a knife in each arm and one in his head.  Then he salutes the governor.  The man on the ground writhes for a fraction of a second and then stills.  People got SOOOOO MAD at me on twitter because I assumed he was dead.  I got so many rude comments I had to delete the tweet because what the fuck is wrong with all these tourists in DD twitter needing to be total jerks.  I’m sorry, I thought taking a knife to the brain was generally fatal???????  

It’s Dex’s one good deed to save the Governor?  Honestly, we know nothing about her character either.  She clearly has ties to Mr. Charles.  Good heavens, she could be just as corrupt as Fisk for all we know about her.  Dex walking off smiling and all self-satisfied is cute.  

Buck asks where BB is and starts taking off his jacket to show Daniel he means business.  Daniel lies to him, so Buck puts on his gloves.  Daniel drops one more “Fuck you,Buck” and Buck starts beating him.  

Heather comes to interrogate Karen.  

Heather:  Miss Page.  It’s nice to finally meet you. Karen: Ms. Glen.  Are you here for Fisk? Heather: I’m part of the mayor’s office, yes.  I also conduct psychological evaluations for the District Attorney’s office.   Karen: I’ll pass. Heather:  Doesn't really work that way.  I’m gonna ask a series of true or false questions.  Please, answer truthfully.  There are no wrong answers.  True or false.  “I like mechanics magazines.”   Karen: You know, the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory is out of date.  I can game it.  Most people can.  Maybe we should try something else. Heather: What did you have in mind? Karen:  I’m in love with this man.  But he’s completely inaccessible.  He’s distant, complicated.  There are nights where I fall asleep in bed next to him, totally unsure of who he is.  Worries me.   Heather: As it should. Karen:  It’s also totally hot.  I’m sure you can understand.  So what does that say about me. Heather: That’s a very good question.  I mean, what kind of person kills their own brother?  The Mayor’s office has detailed files.  Fratricide is very rare.  Was Kevin molesting you? Karen:  Don’t.  No.  It wasn’t like that. Heather:  I’m sure.  (laughs).  Did you feel powerful when you murdered James Wesley?  After a lifetime as being used as a puppet by all these men.  Daddy, brother, Frank Castle. Karen: Fuck you. Heather: Funny.  That’s where the nerve is.  Does Matt know? Karen: You wanna know what I think?  I know that Matt, that mystery beside me, loves me in a way that makes every contradiction, every conflict in him and in me, a part of us.  And I’m willing to bet that is the part that you can’t really understand.   Heather:  Professionals call that transference. Karen:  Yeah, well, I call it the truth.  You were friends with Vanessa Fisk, weren’t you?   Heather:  I’m not answering any personal questions.  That’s unprofessional.   Karen: She had my friend Foggy killed, did you know that? Is that in those files? Jesus.  Matt really hurt you, didn’t he?  Enough that you’d run to them to feel safe.  Please.  Look, I get it, I am so sorry.   *Slaps her twice and grabs her face*  Heather: Don’t pity me. Karen: Too late. *Slaps her again* Karen:  (Laughs)Is that all you’ve got? Heather:  Not even close.  We should do this some other time. Karen: I can’t wait.  

….

I don’t know what to tell you guys.  The acting in this scene was so good, kudos to both Deb and Margarita.  

And I hated it.

I hated seeing Karen and Heather reduced to bickering over Matt.  I hated watching a scene that could have been about power, violence, psychology and trauma devolved into an emotional cat-fight triangulating around a fucking man.  Karen getting slapped repeatedly across the face to prove that she knows and understands Matt better than his emotionally wounded ex.  We could have had a fascinating confrontation that actually focused on Karen’s misdeeds and turned it around into Karen having insight on Heather’s experience.  If Heather has files about James Wesley, then Karen should have been able to use that to relate to Heather being attacked by Muse and having to kill to defend herself.  According to public record, the AVTF killed Muse, so Heather could be upset that Karen knows this secret of hers.  That would have actually connected the two women through their shared experiences with violence and survival, instead of through Matt friggin’ Murdock.  

Karen’s monologue about how mysterious and inaccessible Matt is at first sounds like she is just trying to weaponize Heather’s past relationship against her, but then Karen speaks as if it is a shared quality both of them have experienced—- the only difference being that Karen can handle it while Heather couldn’t.  Karen confirms she speaks of her own relationship, calling Matt “that mystery beside me” and I just don’t get where she is coming from.  She has known Matt for years, they know all of each other’s secrets….. they sometimes aren’t compatible in their ways of thinking— but there is no way that she doesn’t understand how Matt thinks.  At this point Karen understands Matt better than anyone else alive.  Wasn’t that the point of her whole conversation about coming back in the BA s1 finale?  Foggy knew and loved all of you and so do I?  But here, it’s making her sound like she still is getting attracted to Matt because she finds him unknowable?  

We never saw that.  We never saw Karen lying beside Matt and feeling disconnected from him.  If anything, the show has the opposite problem:  Matt is constantly telling her (and the audience) what he believes.   We saw her feel frustrated over his idealism and his black and white morals, but she KNOWS where those come from and how important they are. Their conflict was never about Karen failing to understand Matt.  It was about Karen understanding him completely, and still not always agreeing.

Additionally, we never even saw Heather lying in bed beside Matt feeling like he was mysterious and unknowable.  The one we saw lying in bed and zoning out unhappily was…. MATT.  Heather was just sleeping peacefully beside him, completely clueless until he blindsided her with weird behavior and then disappeared.  She thought she knew him.  But the version she knew was FAKE.  So that is why she is hurt.  Everything Matt presented to her was a lie.  It is HIS FAULT she feels like this because he deceived her, over and over and over again.  Matt chose to lie to her, as he once lied to Karen, and restricted himself to being a shell of a human.  Matt also chose to resume being Daredevil without telling Heather, OR at least having the decency to break up with her first.  Being Daredevil got Foggy killed.  Matt gave it up for that sin and as penance for almost killing.  What does he think may happen if he is a vigilante and has a secret girlfriend?  She’s at risk, without her consent. This is not okay.  Matt just repeats his behavior patterns and learns nothing from his mistakes.   Instead of ending the relationship after suiting up again, Matt distracted her from asking questions about his injuries with sex, then continued to lie to her.  ICKY!!!    

Karen says that “I know that Matt, that mystery beside me, loves me in a way that makes every contradiction, every conflict in him and in me, a part of us.  And I’m willing to bet that is the part that you can’t really understand.”  This is… quite a sentence to unpack.  Again, already covered that I don’t think Matt should feel like a mystery to her, but obviously the point is that she just thinks that love prevails and overall cancels out any of their conflicts.  Which is fine, I guess… except the show totally failed to actually interrogate with their conflicts, they just made them apologize/ Karen concede.  Soo….. Sorry, I won’t take it.

Also, worth note is this was all Karen’s response to Heather needling her about Frank Castle.  A lot of Kastle shippers were excited by Karen’s “fuck you” and Heather’s “that’s where the nerve is”, but I’m sorry, I was unmoved.  Don’t even play with me, Dario.  This scene was trash.  TRASH.  

Again, in my Daredevil Born Again Bingo Card, I had hopes of Karen interacting this season with every other female character that is her peer.  I wouldn’t mind seeing her actually mentor BB or Angela (neither really happened, fuck you again, Dario.) but she needs friends who aren’t so clearly her juniors. Instead it’s episode 7 and Karen hasn’t even met Jessica.  She sat next to Kirsten for her trial and they didn’t even speak.  She didn’t meet Vanessa. This is Karen’s biggest scene with another woman since Sister Maggie (Matt’s MOM)  and it is about her and Heather projecting their emotional needs over him onto each other.  Good God.  This is literally the last thing I wanted.  

I’ve said this before, but I HATED The Punisher s2 for making Dinah Madani have this ongoing fake professional friendship with therapist Krista Dumont all season before spiraling into the worst cat-fight imaginable were Krista fights her with a kitchen knife (for way longer than she should have) and then Madani eventually throws her through a window (repeating her childhood trauma.  Krista survived, only for Madani to come to the hospital to mock her with Billy’s death— the man they both had a relationship with.)  I HATE HATE HATE it and ever since then I have been campaigning that Karen and Madani should be besties because they both need a real female friend.  (I would also support them as a ship).

This Heather and Karen conflict…. You can tell Dario had a hand in both projects.  Dario, this is your biggest sin of all to me.  I’m done.  I’m so done.  Lost what little respect I had left anyway.  Sheesh.  Okay, I can’t really say anything else right now.  But sir, you are on my shit list and I only have two people on my shit list in my entire life.  Give your actresses better material.  I almost wish Karen had gotten slapped  by Powell instead.  I’d have loved to see her laughing in his face. I think the only reason we don’t get that is because women on women violence is somehow more acceptable and “matched”, even though Heather (and Krista) should be so much weaker than their skilled opponents. Karen mocking Powell and holding her own while giving him a verbal dressing down for wearing Frank’s skull would have been awesome.  Put him on blast for having been the chief SS officer of a literal concentration camp.  Anyway, not saying it’s a better solution, just… anything to not have… this.  

And I will admit in the future—- if we did get a scene of, say, both Matt and Frank arguing over Karen, I would likely not have such complaints.  And sure, this is obviously a completely biased personal take, I’m not trying to be objective.  But I do feel like if it’s well done, the narrative could absolutely earn such a scene.  Because this would not be the first time Matt and Frank have met, and their history of differences while mutually pining for the same woman actually leads to a natural source of tension and confrontation.  So, yeah, if they’re still dangling that love triangle bullshit in front of me, go all in.  I’m tired of seeing women center themselves around a man.  Let the two dumb hot shot vigilantes spill their guts and beat their chests and possibly throw a few punches but still come away with some mutual respect, and both loving Karen. But that would require good writing, so I don't know if they can ever hope to pull it off.

Buck keeps beating Daniel, even though he doesn't know where BB went.  He says “I don’t enjoy this.”  

Matt meanwhile limps into church.  He crosses himself.

Daniel asks, “How long until you’re on the floor with a gun pointed at your head.” Well, clearly Buck’s inevitable death has just been foreshadowed, knowing how this goes down….

Matt prays to Saint Jude patron of difficult cases and says he is so “helpless and alone.”  We see Karen lying in her cell and Buck aims his gun at Daniel, grimacing hard.  Jessica Jones enters the church and marches towards him.  Matt says “amen” and Buck pulls the trigger and then leaves Daniel on the ground.

So, it is now known how Daniel’s death was added in post.  I guess they were editing it together and when they tried that option, the room just went “silent” and everyone saw it would be a powerful moment.  So they decided that Daniel didn’t have any relevant storylines going forward for s3, and he was pretty much finished.  No more Evil! Matt and Foggy. (several people online have pointed out the framing of them by the couch and the windows is very similar to the Nelson and Murdock fight! Nice!).  I’ll admit, I’m sad because this was one dynamic that actually had juice.  But ultimately, I don’t really care about Daniel and he only “did the right thing” at the last second, so it wasn’t even like he ever fully consciously had to face repercussions for all his choices.  It was honorable that he died protecting BB, but also, he couldn’t give up her location since she didn’t tell him where she was going!  And it would be easy for Buck to track her down, right?  That’s his job, just like it would have been his job to track down and kill Ray in ep 5?  Plus, BB doesn’t exactly go into hiding in the next episode.  She starts speaking out about things that Buck would not want her sharing, right?  But why is she safe?  It makes no sense.   

I think it’s good Daniel died.  Honestly I probably felt a bit more for him than I did with Vanessa’s drawn out expiration.  Buck was right– Daniel does grow on you, thanks to Gandolfini doing a great job playing him.  His motivations were always super vague, but that was always a function of choppy scenes and bad writing.  But again, it was all pretty superficial affection.  It could have kept going, but alas, it cannot.  Shooting him does solidify Buck as super loyal to Fisk, though I wonder if it will kind of start to haunt him more than his past ruthless kills.  Unfortunately, we don’t see any of that because the last scenes established with Buck have him acting as if he had let Daniel go.  

It’s kind of wild how late in the game this change must have happened.  Gandolfini was on the Official Marvel Podcast released after the episode saying he survived!    Genneya Walton had to record new lines via ADR, which is how she found out her last scenes with Daniel were removed from the finale.  Also, all the trailers had Jessica Jones approaching Matt in the church and saying, “I hope you can walk because I’m not carrying you.”  That line was cut last minute because tonally it must have clashed way too much with Daniel taking a headshot a few seconds later.  That was a nice character tidbit between them!  Cutting Matt content is not what was needed here!  Also, now Jess just walks in to help him, but instead the female character is left with, once again, you guessed it, saying NOTHING. 

I think the saddest thing is looking at set pictures and realizing that the Kingpin Crew was having way more fun together than anyone else working on this show.  This is actually part of the problem.  I think Dario fell in love with showcasing their evil office drama more than Matt and his team.  They were way more compelling than Angela and BB, or Jess and Swordsman who don’t even want to be there.  Matt and Karen are unseasoned chicken and plain rice.  No wonder, he weighted the scales towards the villains.  

And one final, gripe— even if Daniel’s death was not in the original script, following the online news about the show already spoiled it for audiences.  We knew in advance that Michael Gandolfini was not confirmed for s3, which could only mean one thing.  His death for “shock value” was never even a shock during the initial episode watch to deeply invested fans.  Instead, the most surprising thing was finding out that it hadn’t been a foregone conclusion and instead something they settled on because they became aware the story they’d filmed lacked an emotional impact….. Hmmm, maybe they should have taken a step back and looked at the whole thing when they were WRITING it, and they would have realized this was a pervasive problem all season and devoted more time investing in the character arcs with greater intentionality.  

Kastle + Sondheim bc I like Marvel and Musicals!