TV Recap: Bullseye Makes His Play in "Daredevil: Born Again" Season 2, Episode 4
After Fisk scored a major victory with the trial of Jacques Duquesne in last week's episode of Daredevil: Born Again, Murdock struck back by releasing the Mayor's prisoners from the Red Hook port. Things ended with a literal bang though as Fisk had the Northern Start blown up, with the night crew still on board after they salvaged his weapons. Now, Matt and Karen have to deal with the fallout, but at least they have some new allies.
The fourth episode opens up with what is possibly the greatest sequence this series has ever seen. We see Benjamin Poindexter, better known as Bullseye, seemingly living a normal, even mundane life. He makes breakfast, cleans his apartment and does some physical therapy before heading out. In the hall, he gives an egg to his neighbor's cat before leaving his building and stepping into a diner. He sits at the counter and orders a milkshake before making a phone call. He places a tip with the AVTF hotline, saying he saw the Punisher in diner. He sips his milkshake and waits until the AVTF arrives. When they do, they swarm the building and eventually realize who he is. Before they can act, he begins his attack. He systematically and brutally takes them out, with all the trademark violence of this series and, more specifically, this character. In the process, he tells one of the diner patrons he's "one of the good guys," before killing yet another agent. He leaves a bullseye on the diner doors with a bottle of ketchup before walking out. It is a spectacular opening to the episode, reminding us just how dangerous Bullseye is.
Another City Without Fear video debuts, sarcastically hyping Fisk's upcoming charity boxing match. After, we see Karen recording a video of Soledad talking about how she was locked up by the AVTF. It appears they are gathering evidence from the escaped prisoners to help with their eventual case against Fisk. Duquesne tells Daredevil he is leaving but he has given them an account number, giving them access to money they've never had before. Meanwhile, Angela volunteers to make a delivery to Karen's source. Karen is reluctant but Daredevil gives her a nod and she gives in. Before Angela leaves, Daredevil asks if she's ready to accept the responsibility that comes with the amulet around her neck. They're interrupted by a man outside but when Daredevil pulls him into the room, he identifies himself as the first mate from the Northern Star.
Fisk and Vanessa talk about her going up to Albany to meet with the Governor. Vanessa is unhappy with being sent away during Fisk's boxing match. He tries to argue he is trying to keep her safe, but she just wants to be by his side. He refuses though and it is clear that she is unhappy.
Daredevil's team questions the first mate about his time on the Northern Star and he tells them all their paperwork was signed off on by "the Kingpin." Matt and Karen decide they need Kirsten to take his statement to build a case against Fisk and that they need her to come to them. They mention it will be easier because most of AVTF will be at Fisk's boxing match which is being held at Fogwell's gym, the gym where Matt essentially grew up before his father was killed. They realize Fisk is using the match as a trap for not just Matt, but also for Bullseye. They decide to divide and conquer, with Daredevil going after Bullseye and Karen connecting Kirsten and the first mate.
AVTF storms Kirsten's office looking for Duquesne and threatening Kirsten. Meanwhile, an enraged Fisk questions Buck in Red Hook about the escaped prisoners. They're interrupted by Mr. Charles, who is once again much more casual than the circumstances should allow. He questions why the weapons are still in Red Hook when they should be on their way to Guinea-Bissau. Fisk says they can't risk moving the guns now because Daredevil will likely stop the shipment again. Charles starts to question Fisk's ability and Buck reaches for his gun. Two armed men enter the room behind Charles and Buck puts his hands up. Seconds later though, Buck very quickly pulls his gun and kills the two men before taking aim at Charles. Fisk tells him to be patient before he and Buck leave. Alone, Charles finally shows his first sign of fear or dismay.
Karen meets with Kirsten in her office. The latter asks about Matt but Karen tells her she can't say. There's some clear tension between the two but as Karen helps clean up her office, Kirsten reluctantly agrees to help her.
Vanessa meets with the Governor, who informs her she doesn't like how Fisk has acted as Mayor. After some conversation, she tells Vanessa she cannot support Mayor Fisk but she reluctantly agrees to support "Mayor and Mrs. Fisk."
Back in the city, Angela meets with the teenager who started the incident in the convenience store that got Soledad taken by AVTF. She hands him an SD card and a wad of cash and tells him she needs a favor. He agrees.
An AVTF agent steps into the diner where Bullseye attacked and sends the NYPD away. After a moment, we see it is actually Matt wearing the AVTF gear he took from the agent they captured earlier. Matt inspects the diner and finds a coin form the church in which he grew up. Matt visits his church and meets with the same priest who spoke to Bullseye a couple of episodes ago. He asks him about the coin and get all the information he needs to find where Bullseye is living.
That night, Daredevil attacks Bullseye in his home and the two fight in another incredible action sequence. Bullseye explains he is trying to level the scales by performing a good deed, which he says is killing Fisk. Daredevil refuses to let him do that and he chases after Bullseye.
Kirsten takes the first mate's statement. They get video of him saying everything we know to be true about Fisk's operation regarding the Northern Star. Meanwhile, Daniel meets with BB in line to get into Fisk's boxing match. Their conversation gets interrupted by the teenager Angela met with earlier, as he approaches BB to get a photo. When he does, he slips the SD card into her coat pocket. Daniel is clearly skeptical but brushes it off.
Security meets with Fisk before the fight and he instructs them to leave the front door uncovered, confirming this is in fact a trap. Buck tries to talk him out of it but stops when he feels his phone buzzing. Fisk tells him he is needed elsewhere and he reluctantly leaves, putting Powell in charge of the security. As the fight begins, we see the first mate being led away by US Marshalls, presumably to be taken to a safe location. When they get out of the car though, they are met by Buck, who kills all three.
Fisk puts on an impressive display of violence and brutality that shocks many of those in attendance. Between rounds, Powell informs Fisk that the first mate has been taken care of before he goes right back to pounding on his opponent. He gets distracted though when Vanessa walks in and his opponent lands a punch, sending him further into a rage. Fisk lands two massive punches that drop his opponent and silence the crowd, who momentarily can't believe what they just watched. However, Fisk is causally presented with a title of some sort and the crowd returns to cheering.
Vanessa gets into the ring to celebrate his victory but the celebration is short lived as a knife takes out an AVTF agent. Bullseye enters the gym and start laying waste to the task force as Fisk screams to get Vanessa out of the building. Vanessa pulls away and fires a shot at Bullseye as he throws a glass statue at the Mayor. Vanessa's shot lands but Fisk blocks the statue with the title, shattering it. Fisk pulls a gun and is about to kill Bullseye before Daredevil stops him and pulls Bullseye out through a window. Fisk orders his men to follow them before turning to find that Vanessa has a large shard of glass lodge in her head. Blood soaks her white dress, mirroring the painting he bought from her when they first met. A white painting that became splattered with blood because of Fisk's violent tendencies. Vanessa drops to the mat as Fisk rushes to her and the episode ends.
This episode both starts and ends with intense, spectacular scenes. The action with Bullseye sets the tone for energy and violence and it crescendos with the apparent killing of Vanessa Fisk. The tension and drama of this series is now at an all-time high because Fisk's rage and desire for revenge will certainly reach a boiling point and things will become even more chaotic for the city of New York, if Vanessa is in fact dead.
The second season of Daredevil: Born Again is now streaming on Disney+.