Full spoilers follow for our Daredevil: Born Again Season 2, Episode 7 Review. The episode, titled "The Hateful Darkness," is streaming on Disney+ now.

It was truly wonderful to see Matt Murdock, Attorney at Law, walking back into that courtroom again. While his return was a highlight, I did find myself wishing we had seen the scene where he explained his recent absence to his law partner, Kirsten. It was difficult to watch her worry about whether he was even alive while he had essentially just been "hanging out."

Tension and Transitions in Hell's Kitchen

The final moments of the episode were incredibly strong, intercut between Matt praying in church after being shot in the leg and the tragic end for Daniel Blake. The arrival of Jessica Jones provided a massive moment, though I wondered why her return wasn't introduced earlier in the season. Having her waltz in right as we had just seen her felt slightly less impactful than it could have been.

The build-up to Daniel’s death was handled with great care. His growing honesty with BB regarding Wilson Fisk and the truth about Ben’s death added significant weight to the narrative. Daniel's decision to change his mind at the last moment—refusing to bring BB to Buck—felt incredibly believable for a man lacking backbone but ultimately lacking Buck's cold cruelty.

Expanding the Marvel Universe

We also received important tidbits regarding Luke Cage, with his name explicitly confirmed. The situation involving Mr. Charles is becoming increasingly complex, especially with the hint that he works for the CIA "so you don’t have to." While this implies a shared history of working for Charles, I would have loved more specifics on why Luke chose to go along with this rather than fleeing.

Character Clashes in This Daredevil: Born Again Season 2, Episode 7 Review

Watching the walls close in on Fisk is fascinating, even if some of the political logistics feel a bit wonky. His moves regarding the Governor of New York and Marge raise serious questions about his actual reach. Matt fears that if Marge is killed, Fisk will simply replace her with a "puppet," but the feasibility of Fisk's influence outside the city remains unclear.

The interpersonal drama was just as intense:

  • Karen and Heather: It felt slightly out of character for Karen to mock Heather’s situation initially, leading to a physical altercation where Heather eventually snapped.
  • Dex's Mission: The "good deed" Matt sent Dex to fulfill—saving Marge—provided a nice payoff, even if it left the would-be assassin alive to spill secrets.
  • Nostalgic Returns: Seeing Brett Mahoney back in action is a great nod to the Netflix Marvel era.

The episode also featured a lovely callback to the original Daredevil series, seeing Karen once again locked up in jail wearing an NYPD t-shirt. Amidst the chaos, Matt’s blunt dismissal of Dex was a line I won't soon forget: “Go. Disappear. Die. I don’t care.”