Episode Review: Daredevil: Born Again 1x8 - "Isle of Joy"

Welcome back to the blog readers. Daredevil: Born Again (2025-) has been such a revelation to me over its six-week run so far. I am so upset that it is coming to an end very soon, but I can be glad we are getting its second season next year(!!!). Everything has been firing on all cylinders and I have been salivating every time we get to Tuesday night. With two episodes left, could we continue on and end on the high note Disney+ series usually do not reach? Stick around to find out, as I review the penultimate episode of the first season, titled "Isle of Joy," written by Jesse Wigutow and Dario Scardapane, and directed by Aaron Moorhead and Justin Benson.

NOTE: I will be using spoilers for my thoughts, so DO NOT read ahead if you have not seen the episode.

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Like I alluded to in the introduction, Disney+ shows really do not stick the landing so I was admittedly nervous these final two episodes that this was going to be much of the same. But seeing this was an episode directed by Benson and Moorhead gave me a lot of hope because I am loving what they are doing. And of course it had to be a Benson and Moorhead episode that shoots its way up to be a contender for episode of the year for me. This episode has it all: visceral violence, amazing character work, Roman J. Israel, Esq. (that part was a joke, if you know, you know). I loved all of it.

I think that the absolute MVP of this episode has to be Charlie Cox as Matt Murdock. I have spoken on how great he has been as Daredevil in previous reviews. I had originally thought he leveled up in the fourth episode, but my goodness does he shock me again in this episode. In that fourth episode, I saw a whole lot of that "Catholic guilt" all over that character, but I see a whole lot of rage this time around. Rage for the system, rage for Fisk, for Foggy, for a lot of things, and Cox rises to the occasion to give possibly his best performance as Daredevil yet. Especially his scene with Wilson Bethel's Bullseye, that shit hit hard. The anger and rage is enough to power a city. I'm calling it right now: give Cox an Emmy nomination for his brilliant work on this show.

Now we absolutely have to talk about the story of this episode because it is totally bonkers. The episode really begins with Benjamin "Dex" Poindexter / Bullseye being moved from solitary confinement to general population on Fisk's orders as Heather reflects on her experience with Muse. She expresses her further dissent with vigilantes, especially Daredevil, and calls them all unsafe as Fisk shows Vanessa what he has done to Adam, who is still begging for his life. Fisk tells Vanessa he kept his promise to not kill him but leaves the choice to free or kill him to her; she chooses the latter by point-blank executing him in the most shocking moment of the episode to me as they kiss in front of his dead body. This whole thing ends when Buck arrives at the Murdock residence and gives Heather an invitation to Fisk's Black and White Gala, leading him to deduce he is seeing her, leading to a straining of their relationship.

Fisk reveals to Vanessa that this Gala is going to help pay for his port project and he also promotes Daniel to deputy mayor of communications (amidst a protest from Sheila). Meanwhile, Dex is looking to talk to Matt, who has completely given up on the justice system when he lambasts a client he is defending, about his situation. Matt goes back to Josie's and reunites with Josie, and realizes Foggy was about to win a case before he was murdered, and suspects Fisk was responsible. Dex is looking to get revenge on Fisk for transporting him to general population and wants Matt's help; Matt declines and bashes his face in to the table he is sitting at, while threatening him to give him the information on Fisk's supposed involvement in Foggy's death. While being looked at by the prison doctor, Dex kills him and a guard and escapes the prison.

At the Gala, Daniel remarks to BB about his new position and how grateful he is to Fisk for the opportunity, and points out how Fisk is the embodiment of power. Meanwhile, he is bribing and threatening people - including vigilante Jack Duquesne - into supporting his port project financially. Heather arrives alone at first and Matt arrives soon after. They discuss Matt's growing distance and he promises to tell her everything once the Gala is over. BB confronts commissioner Gallo, who disapproves of the Anti-Vigilante Task Force (AVTF), and he offers to help her take down Fisk, who she is aware murdered her uncle. Matt then realizes that it was Vanessa who ordered the hit on Foggy and confronts her on this, which leads to Fisk threatening to tell Heather about Matt. Meanwhile, Dex has infiltrated the Gala and is about to kill Fisk, but Matt sees this, hesitates a little bit, and jumps in front of the bullet, leading the AVTF to confront Dex and Heather to comfort Matt.

Daredevil: Born Again is shaping up to be one of the best shows of the year, and episodes like this are a major testament as to why. Thank you all for reading, and I will see you for the next post.