Daredevil: Born Again has been quite a surprise across the board. It's far and away the most violent show on Disney+, critics and audiences all seem to love it, and I think it's as great as the previous Netflix show ever was. For all the things I love about this show, I can't get over how the thing I'm most enamored with is the scenes with Vanessa and Fisk.
Even the arrival of Jon Bernthal's Punisher didn't outweigh the latest scenes with Vincent D'Onofrio and Ayelet Zurer's characters. In a revival series where I expected to be captivated by Matt Murdock kicking ass up and down the streets of Hell's Kitchen, I'm the most tuned into an MCU villain attending therapy with his wife.
I'm Glued To The TV During Fisk And Vanessa's Couples Therapy Scenes
Don't get me wrong, the romance of Wilson and Vanessa Fisk has always been fascinating. Her admiration for Kingpin, as well as her ability to cut through the darkness in him, is something we've seen played on many times. It's even central to the plot of Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse, so it's not like Daredevil reinvented the wheel.
What is has done, however, is give us more depth to Vanessa and Wilson's relationship that we didn't see in the original Netflix series. Seeing the two trade barbs in therapy with Dr. Heather Glenn is as captivating as it was when they were a couple. While one would think Fisk preventing his wife from going to jail would be enough to earn her undying support and admiration, it takes more.
We don't know the full extent of Vanessa and Wilson's troubles in Daredevil: Born Again, but one thing that remains clear is that it is complex and full of nuance. I think that's a major part in why it's what I'm most looking forward to every week when I fire up my Disney+ subscription. I need to see just how deep this therapy goes and everything that happens in between. Like, does anyone else truly wonder if the therapy is working?
I have my doubts, especially after seeing that Kingpin kept Vanessa's one-time affair partner, Adam, captive in a random dungeon that he visits to eat his dinner at night. Those don't seem like the actions of a man who is taking the lessons he's learning in therapy to heart, and I would love to see how Vanessa reacts if she were to discover what really became of her affair partner.
Watching Villains Navigate Their Everyday Lives Is So Fascinating
Perhaps it's because superhero shows and movies always show the perspective of the protagonist that I'm so enamored with what villains are up to when they aren't being nefarious, but it's something I always wonder about. What does The Joker shop for when he goes to the market? Does he have to hire someone to do shopping for him?
Both Daredevil and Daredevil: Born Again have been good about giving us an inside look at Wilson Fisk, but in fairness, he's a rather easy villain to portray. It's not hard for an audience to believe how a crime lord operates day-to-day in New York City, especially after Echo set him on the path to pursue his political aspirations.
The level of access viewers see from Wilson Fisk's life further humanizes him, even as monstrous as he can be. So often we see Marvel villains who are just one-dimensional, and I think it's because we can only understand their motivations and perspectives from a limited point of view. That's not a problem with this series, and it's something I appreciate more as the episodes continue.
I think Daredevil: Born Again also thrives when it shows Fisk outside of his comfort zone. When the monster inside of him is struggling to go off the rails as children sing "We Built This City" to him inside of a classroom is a hilarious example. I think it's fair to say he's equally uncomfortable in therapy and having to be vulnerable about the thing he cares about most in life in front of someone who is essentially a stranger. Kudos to Marvel for recognizing how captivating these scenes would be.
I Do Wonder Why We The Audience Are Being Shown This
As entertaining and thrilling as it is to see Fisk and Vanessa work through their marriage, I do have to wonder why there's such a focus on it in Daredevil: Born Again. Had Vanessa and Fisk just found stability in their relationship without the need for therapy, would we have found that so odd? It wouldn't be the strangest thing I've seen happen in the MCU!
I think one obvious theory is that Heather Glenn has a very clear path for Fisk to piss off Matt Murdock should he harm her or threaten her in any way. It seems like the most direct path for these two to have a showdown, especially with Fisk having little to do with what's going on with his ongoing battle with corrupt cops in Hell's Kitchen. Maybe that's the sole reason it's in the story, to set up the inevitable battle between Fisk and Daredevil toward the finale.
Or maybe there's some reason why knowing what's happening with Fisk and Vanessa throughout this season is so important. Maybe this could be the beginning of the end for the couple, especially if she finds evidence that he's not really putting in the work they're talking about in therapy. I think the only thing more dangerous for New York City would be Vanessa and Fisk embroiled in a bitter divorce that has all sorts of collateral in making moves against one another. I'm not sure anyone wants to see that happen, so hopefully the good doctor is doing all she can to mend the bridge between these two.
Whatever the reason is for the therapy scenes, it has me coming back for new episodes of Daredevil: Born Again on Tuesdays over at Disney+ at 9:00 p.m. ET. I can't wait to see where the rest of this season heads, and I'm hoping we get some more compelling moments between Wilson and Vanessa.
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