Right now, we are at the halfway point of Season 2 of 'Daredevil: Born Again,' Disney+’s continuation of the Netflix Daredevil series, and although it feels more cohesive than the first season, it lacks some of the charm of the original. Season 2 of Born Again finds itself trying to pick up the pieces from the first season’s shortcomings, mainly the death of Foggy Nelson, Matt Mudock’s best friend and partner at their law firm.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Marvel Studios (@marvelstudios)

'Daredevil: Born Again,' the television series, is loosely based on 'Born Again,' the famous Daredevil comic run that saw Matt pushed to his absolute lowest in his personal life and as Daredevil by Wilson Fisk, aka Kingpin. It makes sense why they would kill off this central character, but the chemistry between the series’ main leads, Matt, Foggy, and their former office manager turned attorney, Karen Page, was undeniable, and the absence of one is still felt throughout Season 2. We get glimmers of their friendship when Matt and Karen, who somehow entered a full-blown relationship between seasons, reflect on their lost friend. It's unfortunate we lost this dynamic, but Foggy's death was a catalyst for certain storylines to play out.  

In lieu of Foggy, Born Again has given us a slew of supporting characters, which by Season 2 feel a bit more familiar at least, but they make the series more akin to a court drama than one about a superhero. We see Matt’s new partner, Kirsten McDuffie, serve as defense in the first Safer Streets Initiative case, reporter BB Urich “leaks” sensitive information about Fisk through internet propaganda videos that she stole from Daniel Blake, a budding lover but who also serves in Fisk’s cabinet. These additions aren’t necessarily a bad thing. Matt is hellbent on bringing Fisk down through the law so he doesn't become a martyr if he were to be killed. Although these storylines take away from Daredevil's screentime, it is captivating to see the full picture of how, piece by piece, they try to pin Fisk to evidence of his wrongdoing. Knowing that these subplots all tie in to the central plot makes these scenes more tolerable. 

This isn’t to say Born Again Season 2 doesn’t have its fair share of action; it does, just nothing that has touched Daredevil’s iconic single-take fights so far. There is a fight scene in Episode 4, featuring Daredevil’s foe, Benjamin Poindexter, aka Bullseye, which may have helped earn the episode its title as the highest-rated episode of a Marvel series. In fact, this season has given Benjamin a lot more screentime and, as we’re slowly learning more about his motivations, has made him one of the more interesting characters. His storyline is definitely one of the bright spots of this Season, and we’re eager to see how the “redemption” arc they’re setting up for him plays out. 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Matt Murdock (@daredevil)

Another aspect of Born Again Season 2 that’s almost impossible to ignore is the real-life parallels that the series may have been inspired by. Wilson Fisk’s Anti-Vigilante Task Force, which works outside of the police jurisdiction, bears a striking resemblance to real-world ICE agents. The group is tasked with arresting anyone who partakes in “vigilante” activity, but they’ve also gone as far as detaining people who clearly weren’t vigilantes. The writers had a lot to say, and you can feel that anger and frustration whenever the AVTF are on screen. It's storylines like this that make the series feel more grounded.

Overall, the series seems to be worth the investment so far. It’s not quite up to the standards of the original Netflix series, but it’s at least more polished than Season One, which was riddled with rewrites and storylines that never played out. The latest episode of Season 2 ended with quite the cliffhanger, and if the earlier seasons were any indication, things are only going to get more explosive from here, and we are ready to dive in.