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DDBA s2e7: The Hateful Darkness

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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.

I give this episode a C-. And I got bored rewatching it for this review.

#daredevil born again #daredevil born again s2 #daredevil born again s2e7 #daredevil born again the hateful darkness #karen page #matt murdock #wilson fisk #benjamin poindexter #jessica jones #kirsten mcduffie #anti karedevil #Kastle thoughts #krista dumont