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https://nerdist.com/article/brennan-lee-mulligan-wired-dungeons-dragons-tech-support-answers/

Dungeon Master for Dropout’s Dimension 20, Brennan Lee Mulligan, recently participated in WIRED’s Tech Support series. He answered everyone’s burning questions on Dungeons & Dragons, effectively becoming D&D Support. Mulligan goes through over 30 of the internet’s most burning questions, from interesting D&D lore to how to play as a newbie. You can watch the video in its entirety below.

Have you ever wondered what D&D‘s most iconic monster is? In Mulligan’s opinion, it has to be a mimic, a monster disguised as a treasure chest because of how many adventurers are fooled by its appearance, hoping for loot instead of instead of a scary mouth. However, this is in opposition to Mulligan’s favorite monster, which is the Owlbear. “Why would you mix an owl and a bear together? Bears are more dangerous than owls. Just have a regular bear, but no, we made them half-owl,” joked Mulligan.

Also interesting is a Reddit user asking what pop culture representation of D&D has been best in movies or TV. Mulligan shouted out Stranger Things as one of them for showing people how D&D is “inherently social.” Additionally, the video game series, Baldur’s Gate, that takes place in the Forgotten Realms D&D campaign was a big eye-opener to those who don’t play the table top RPG on the nature of the game. Of course, no discussion of D&D pop culture is finished without mentioning Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, which Mulligan says was good at highlighting the more goofy nature of a real D&D game.

Brendan Lee Mulligan at a white table with D&D supplies on it with a white background.
WIRED

Another question highlight: What is the golden rule for D&D or any TTRPG? Mulligan’s answer: “You’re playing with other human beings at the table. Stay tapped into what their experience is. Are they having fun? Are you all telling a story together? That is the measure of a great tabletop game.” I would have to agree and say that that advice extends past TTRPGs to all games you play with others.

Mulligan answers a variety of other questions in the video that he explains in depth, for example, the difference between a critical roll and nat 20. He also shouts out his new Dimension 20 show, Dungeons and Drag Queens, which recently concluded its second season. For more of Mulligan, check out his new series premiering April 2, Dimension 20: Titan Takedown, where four WWE wrestlers play a campaign with Mulligan at the helm.

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The post Brennan Lee Mulligan Answers the Internet’s DUNGEONS AND DRAGONS Questions appeared first on Nerdist.

March 8, 2025

Brennan Lee Mulligan Answers the Internet’s DUNGEONS AND DRAGONS Questions

https://nerdist.com/article/brennan-lee-mulligan-wired-dungeons-dragons-tech-support-answers/

Dungeon Master for Dropout’s Dimension 20, Brennan Lee Mulligan, recently participated in WIRED’s Tech Support series. He answered everyone’s burning questions on Dungeons & Dragons, effectively becoming D&D Support. Mulligan goes through over 30 of the internet’s most burning questions, from interesting D&D lore to how to play as a newbie. You can watch the video in its entirety below.

Have you ever wondered what D&D‘s most iconic monster is? In Mulligan’s opinion, it has to be a mimic, a monster disguised as a treasure chest because of how many adventurers are fooled by its appearance, hoping for loot instead of instead of a scary mouth. However, this is in opposition to Mulligan’s favorite monster, which is the Owlbear. “Why would you mix an owl and a bear together? Bears are more dangerous than owls. Just have a regular bear, but no, we made them half-owl,” joked Mulligan.

Also interesting is a Reddit user asking what pop culture representation of D&D has been best in movies or TV. Mulligan shouted out Stranger Things as one of them for showing people how D&D is “inherently social.” Additionally, the video game series, Baldur’s Gate, that takes place in the Forgotten Realms D&D campaign was a big eye-opener to those who don’t play the table top RPG on the nature of the game. Of course, no discussion of D&D pop culture is finished without mentioning Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, which Mulligan says was good at highlighting the more goofy nature of a real D&D game.

Brendan Lee Mulligan at a white table with D&D supplies on it with a white background.
WIRED

Another question highlight: What is the golden rule for D&D or any TTRPG? Mulligan’s answer: “You’re playing with other human beings at the table. Stay tapped into what their experience is. Are they having fun? Are you all telling a story together? That is the measure of a great tabletop game.” I would have to agree and say that that advice extends past TTRPGs to all games you play with others.

Mulligan answers a variety of other questions in the video that he explains in depth, for example, the difference between a critical roll and nat 20. He also shouts out his new Dimension 20 show, Dungeons and Drag Queens, which recently concluded its second season. For more of Mulligan, check out his new series premiering April 2, Dimension 20: Titan Takedown, where four WWE wrestlers play a campaign with Mulligan at the helm.

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The post Brennan Lee Mulligan Answers the Internet’s DUNGEONS AND DRAGONS Questions appeared first on Nerdist.


March 7, 2025

Daredevil: Born Again Doesn’t Compromise A Damn Thing

https://blacknerdproblems.com/daredevil-born-again-review/

No man is ever truly good. No man is ever truly evil.
I do the things you never could… and we won’t ever be equal”
– Incendiary & CFO$

The biggest fear everyone had with Daredevil moving from Netflix to Disney+ was that the show wouldn’t have the gritty, noir, dark elements that make Matt Murdock and Daredevil the characters that they are. These are the elements that revitalized the franchise in the 80s under Frank Miller. With the MCU announcing Daredevil: Born Again, the consensus was that we may be moving the character into a lighter light. Aye, look me in my eyes when I tell you this: you ain’t gotta worry bout none of that. Someone at the House of Mouse said, “if you can’t stand the heat, then get out of Hell’s Kitchen cause we ain’t changing a thing!”

Daredevil: Born Again feels like we got the gang back together again. You can tell when a show tries to recapture the formula of a previous iteration vs maintaining the vibes. Not only was the vibe check passed, it was done while creating a new adventure for these characters that we’ve become so familiar with. Seeing Charlie Cox reprise the role of Matt Murdock is one thing, but seeing Karen Page (Deborah Ann Woll), and Foggy Nelson (Elden Henson) is an entirely different thing. Honestly, it feels like the creators of Daredevil: Born Again – Dario Scardapane, Matt Corman, and Chris Ord – were in the offices of Disney+ and told them, “y’all know what to do. Dismissed.”

Daredevil: Born Again, So We Ballin’ Again

Daredevil: Born Again Foggy Nelson and Kirsten McDuffie
(L-R): Foggy Nelson (Elden Henson) and Kirsten Mcduffie, ADA (Nikki M. James) in Marvel Television’s DAREDEVIL: BORN AGAIN, exclusively on Disney+. Photo by Giovanni Rufino. © 2025 MARVEL.

The mark of a good comic adaptation is being able to take characters with a heavy history for an on-screen adventure that will keep an audience engaged. Now, I have been a Daredevil fan since I was a kid. I collected the Frank Miller “Man Without Fear” comic run, then the Brian Michael Bendis/Alex Maleev comic run back in ’01. I saw the Daredevil movie with Ben Affleck in 2003, died on the hill defending that movie (it was a B+ movie) and franchise for twelve years till the Netflix show dropped and changed the fucking game. I say all that to say this: I have been a fan of Daredevil’s world for more than half of my life.

In the first episode of the series, I could not believe what I was seeing. I mean that in the best way possible. I know this character in and out and I was shocked. That’s how you adapt a comic book series. That’s how you elevate the natural progression of the characters. What I love about the show is seeing character’s from the Netflix series now interacting with characters from the comics making their debut.

Seeing Kirsten McDuffie (Nikki M. James) from the Mark Waid/Paolo Rivera Vol 3 run of the Daredevil comic was a pleasant surprise. However, with the insertion of original characters such as Cherry (Clark Johnson), I thought I knew where the show was going to go alongside the show. Man, color me Jon Snow tho, because I knew nothing. Something that was a pleasant surprise and that I had been hopeful for was a specific call back to the Netflix series; someone that was a very important and connected character. We see them honored through the portrayal of Genneya Walton’s character BB [redacted last name]. I was very excited to see her character; it felt like a baton pass in a way.

The initial episode sets the tone for what’s to come for the entirety of the season. Folks talk about the MCU not taking risks, well Daredevil: Born Again brought out the board game for the critics.

Situation, Speculation, Everybody, Litigation

Daredevil: Born Again Hector Ayala White Tiger portrayal by Kamar De los Reyes
Hector Ayala / White Tiger (Kamar de los Reyes) in Marvel Television’s DAREDEVIL: BORN AGAIN, exclusively on Disney+. Photo by Giovanni Rufino. © 2024 MARVEL.

As exciting as it is to have Charlie Cox hitting the streets as Daredevil, an underrated joy is seeing him back in the court of law because being a lawyer is a big part of Matt Murdock’s identity. The Netflix series did a good job of mediating Matt’s life between being a lawyer and a vigilante, especially in his early years, but as the show went on the vigilante aspect took over a majority of the show. Daredevil: Born Again, on the other hand, doesn’t shy away from Matt’s career and all that it entails. One of the biggest cases Matt Murdock has involves The White Tiger, Hector Ayala, portrayed by Kamar de los Reyes.

For those that don’t know, White Tiger debuted back in Deadly Hands of Kung Fu #19 in 1975. He’s credited with being the first Latinx superhero as well (Puerto Rico stand up). Kamar de los Reyes is a scene stealer as Hector – every time he appears you want to see more of him. This man wastes no time on-screen and truly brought this legendary character to life. It’s wild to remember reading this storyline as a teenager in the Bendis/Maleev comic run and now see it happening in live action.

This storyline is an important one in Daredevil’s lore and what’s amazing is the way the creators and writers blended it into a different storylines to weave together a tapestry of the bigger picture that’s being told over the season.

Violins and Violence

Daredevil: Born Again Matt Murdock talking to Wilson Fisk
(L-R) Daredevil/Matt Murdock (Charlie Cox) and Kingpin/Wilson Fisk (Vincent D’Onofrio) in Marvel Television’s DAREDEVIL: BORN AGAIN, exclusively on Disney+. Photo by Giovanni Rufino. © 2024 MARVEL.

The show runners understood that the essence of the Daredevil franchise is the duality of Matt Murdock. This man has the most gifted hands (no Ben Carson) Marvel 616 has ever seen. The struggle of Matt trying to keep his composure and violence contained is what truly makes him such a compelling character. No one understands that composure better than his nemesis, Wilson Fisk (Vincent D’Onofrio). Charlie Cox and Vincent D’Onofrio portray Matt Murdock and Wilson Fisk as two men wrestling with violence that found themselves at opposing sides of the law.

Two victims of circumstances that led to different paths, which makes their conversation with one another so compelling considering their history in the comics as well as the show. These are two men tryin’ to suppress who they truly are for a more acceptable version of themselves for society. However, all they need is an excuse to let their true selves out. They are that excuse for one another.

Throw in the appearance of Punisher (Jon Bernthal), whose relation to violence is much more brutal and savage then Murdock and Fisk. Bernthal lets you not only see that in his portrayal of Punisher but he lets you hear it as well. D’Onofrio’s Fisk calmly releases his violence like an animal walking out of a cage. Cox’s Daredevil has his violence escape from him like a prison break whenever he does his yell. Bernthal’s Punisher has a visceral and primal violence. Every time he fights, he sounds like a wounded animal backed into a corner.

Daredevil/Matt Murdock (Charlie Cox) in in Marvel Television’s DAREDEVIL: BORN AGAIN exclusively on Disney+. Photo courtesy of Marvel Television. © 2024 MARVEL.

Now when we look at the more defined villains of the series like the newcomer Muse (who debuted in the Charles Soule/Ron Garney Daredevil run) his violence is artistic. Expressive. Then we got Wilson Bethel’s Bullseye. Woooooo-wheeeeeeeeee. There is no spectrum with this man. The violence is simply an extension of himself – it’s as natural as breathing.

Speaking of violence. I’m reminded of a story staff member Nicole Homer (who is a brilliant writer) told me. She was in a martial arts class, and the instructor told her that she had to be even more brutal. “Don’t compromise the violence.” I thought that Daredevil: Born Again was going to compromise the violence and I was prepared for a milder type of fight choreography for a watered-down Daredevil. It. Was. Not.

My god, I never thought I’d live to see the day when the House of Mouse would air Matt Murdock breaking bones and filling more hospital beds in Harlem than Loaded Lux, or seeing The Punisher [redacted]. Disney+ went full on Triple H and let Daredevil be Daredevil because “that’s what’s best for business”. Now, yes – violence is a part of Daredevil, but it’s not all that he is. We see these characters cursing and having real reactions of frustration and anger and it makes the series feel so much more authentic. Matt drops an F bomb later on in the series that came straight from the soul.

Hood Politics

Wilson Fisk/Kingpin (Vincent D’Onofrio) in Marvel Television’s DAREDEVIL: BORN AGAIN, exclusively on Disney+. Photo by Giovanni Rufino. © 2025 MARVEL.

You know a show is good when they can make politics and the things that go into the operation of a city interesting. Daredevil: Born Again was out here looking like The Wire and Ozark for a couple episodes. As much as I love how Daredevil lore can delve into the occult and mystical, I’m always going to be a fan of the street level happenings. The show captures all the things going on in the city and the temperament of the citizens of MCU New Yorkers perfectly. There’s so much to check in on in the series from the crime, the people, the villains, and heroes, as well as the city itself, but there is such a perfect balance this time set as a foundation for this show. Another thing the show does is not only make the law an interesting character as well, but it also shows how fickle that law itself can be.

We always say that art imitates life. The suspension of disbelief can only hold so much. What I like about this go-round with Daredevil is that even these folks who defend the law feel as if the system is rigged. What’s believed to be wrong or right changes from certain perspectives being switched. Especially when it comes to cases that aren’t so major or grand in scale.

Matt Murdock is a lawyer that defends the little guy – we get to see and critique that help this time around. Sometimes the best case scenario isn’t actually helping when the system got the dice rigged, which is something I appreciate. Don’t tell me that in this world the law is black and white when we know it’s the same color as prime era Loaded Lux’s hoodie. I appreciate the element of realism this incarnation of Daredevil achieved for this season. Again, seeing this character get to be his full self and real rap rap on Disney+ is insane to me. Never thought I’d live to see the day but we here now, baby.

Daredevil: Born Again is streaming right now on Disney+. The first two episodes aired as of March 4th. COME DOWN TO HELL’S KITCHEN AND SEE MATT MURDOCK GOIN CRAZY ON THE WOK AND STOVE TOP!

“Next time you in the hood and see an ol’ G
You ask about me, The young boy don’t back down.”

Daredevil/Matt Murdock (Charlie Cox) in Marvel Television’s DAREDEVIL: BORN AGAIN, exclusively on Disney+. Photo by Giovanni Rufino. © 2024 MARVEL.

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The post Daredevil: Born Again Doesn’t Compromise A Damn Thing appeared first on Black Nerd Problems.


March 7, 2025

6 Podcasts That Prioritize Black Women’s Mental Health 

https://www.blackenterprise.com/6-mental-health-podcasts-for-black-women/

We can’t really talk about Women’s History Month, without mentioning women’s mental health. Many Black women bear heavy burdens in their personal and professional lives and don’t even get us started on the weight Black women have in society.

According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, over 10.4% of Black people, in general, were uninsured and had no access to healthcare services, which is a direct barrier to mental health treatment. Luckily, in the podcast space several Black women have taken up the charge in discussing mental health and wellness for the demographic. Check out these six women-centered podcasts that prioritize women’s mental health. 

Balanced Black Girl 

Balanced Black Girl is a wellness community founded in 2018 by Les Alfred, to provide a supportive space for Black women to explore health and self-care. Through its podcast and blog, it connects people with experts and practical advice on creating balanced, fulfilling lifestyles. With a holistic approach that values the whole: emotional, physical, social, and spiritual well-being, Balanced Black Girl inspires sustainable habits and personal growth.

Therapy For Black Girls

Therapy for Black Girls was created in 2014 to make mental health care more accessible and relatable for Black women. The goal was to erase the stigma that often prevents women from seeking therapy. Founded by Dr. Joy Harden Bradford, a licensed psychologist and speaker, the platform uses engaging conversations and pop culture to explore mental wellness. Bradford’s work has been widely recognized. 

Self Care IRL

Founded in 2017, Ty Alexander’s podcast, explores healing, self-love, and personal growth through honest conversations and developing practical strategies. Alexander shares personal experiences to help listeners navigate grief and embrace self-care without guilt. Self Care IRL is a supportive space for women to cultivate wellness and live their best lives.

Women Evolve

Woman Evolve was founded by Sarah Jakes Roberts, Bishop TD Jakes’ daughter, in 2018. The Woman Evolve Podcast Network provides a supportive space for women to engage in real, faith-based conversations, covering topics such as mental wellness and personal growth. The network fosters connection and vulnerability, and through shared experiences and sisterhood, it encourages women to evolve and embrace their wellness journeys.

The Glow Up Secrets

Created by Elicia Goguen in 2022, this podcast guides listeners on a journey of self-improvement and personal growth. It covers topics like self-love, mental health, and confidence, encouraging women to embrace healing and become the best version of themselves. Goguen also created a supplementary book, The Glow Up Guide, to help readers become their best selves by getting to the root of their thoughts and behaviors. 

Affirmations For Black Girls

Founded by Tyra Morrison, Affirmations for Black Girls creates a nurturing space for Black women to process their emotions and share experiences they may not feel comfortable discussing with others. The podcast explores topics such as relationships, self-love, faith, and personal growth, encouraging listeners to reflect on their journeys and move forward in a healthy, empowered way. Morrison also has a book club with the same name. 

RELATED CONTENT: 7 Political Podcasts With Powerful Black Perspectives


March 7, 2025

DAREDEVIL: BORN AGAIN, Season 1, Episode 1 and 2 Recap, New Revelations and Questions from ‘Heaven’s Half Hour’ and ‘Optics’

https://nerdist.com/article/daredevil-born-again-season-1-episode-1-and-2-recap-revelations-questions/

After seven long years, Daredevil is back, in the Disney+ revival series Daredevil: Born Again. Many of the main players from the original series have returned, although for some, it’s not for very long. Here’s everything that went down in the first two episodes of Daredevil: Born Again.

Spoiler Alert

Revelations From Daredevil: Born Again Season 1, Episode 1, “Heaven’s Half Hour”

R.I.P Foggy Nelson, and Farewell Nelson, Murdock, & Page

Foggy and Kirsten sit at a bar in Daredevil: Born Again right before his death
Giovanni Rufino/Marvel Studios

The episode opens some years after we left our heroes at the end of the original Daredevil show. We have no clear idea how much time has transpired since then. We also don’t know if any of them got Thanos-snapped for instance. But enough time has passed for Foggy Nelson to get quite a glow-up. We see our trio from the original series out for a few post-workday drinks at Josie’s Bar in Hell’s Kitchen. Matt Murdock (Charlie Cox), Foggy Nelson (Eldon Henson), and Karen Page (Deborah Ann Wohl) are at a retirement party for their cop friend Cherry (Clark Johnson). After Foggy awkwardly flirts with Assistant D.A. Kirsten McDuffie (Nikki M. James), he gets a frantic phone call from a client. He goes outside to talk to him, and Matt senses something is up. Foggy isn’t outside for more than a few moments before a sniper’s bullet hits him in the chest.

DAREDEVIL: BORN AGAIN, Season 1, Episode 1 and 2 Recap, New Revelations and Questions from ‘Heaven’s Half Hour’ and ‘Optics’_1
Marvel Studios

That bullet turns out to be from Benjamin “Dex” Poindexter, a.k.a. the assassin Bullseye (Wilson Bethel). He kills two more people and takes aim at Karen, before Daredevil steps in and the two have an epic brawl in the bar. As Daredevil and Bullseye fight inside of Josie’s Bar, and then on the roof, Foggy lies dying on the pavement outside. Matt can hear his heart slow down, and when he knows that his best friend has died, he breaks his “no killing” rule. He promptly throws Bullseye off the building. Bullseye survives the fall. We assume it’s due to his enhancements received at the end of the original show. But there may be more to it. In just the first fifteen minutes of the series, Matt Murdock’s life comes crashing down on him. And it’s brutal.

“One Year Later” – Matt’s New Life, and Is NYC Better Without Daredevil?

Charlie Cox as Daredevil in Daredevil: Born Again.
Marvel Studios

After the credits roll, we then pick up one year later, in Matt’s new swanky apartment. He still looks very sad, and they’re letting us know Foggy’s death still weighs heavily on him. We then watch some street interviews with locals on an online show called The BB Report. The titular BB is BB Urich, niece of reporter Ben Urich from season one, played by Genneya Walton. Seems she’s following in her uncle’s footsteps. From these candid interviews, we learn Daredevil retired and things are not any better. Career-wise, Matt is doing great though, as he and Kirsten are now partners. Soon after, Matt gives a very emotional testimony during Bullseye’s trial, and Karen Page also appears for the sentencing. The judge sentences Poindexter to life in prison on 11 counts of first-degree murder.

The Kingpin Goes Legit. Maybe?

We are soon reintroduced to Wilson Fisk (Vincent D’Onofrio), eating a fancy meal as if his time served in prison never happened. As his estranged wife Vanessa Fisk (Ayelet Zurer) has a secret meeting with the heads of the Five Crime Families, he walks into the room. Just like that, everything comes to a stop. Vanessa has been keeping his criminal enterprises thriving while he’s been gone. But Fisk soon informs her he now wants to go “legit.” We’ll soon find out exactly what he means by that.

Awkward Reunions, and What Happened to Matt and Karen in the Missing Year?

Karen and Matt talk on a bench on Daredevil: Born Again
Marvel Studios

Karen and Matt have an awkward conversation in the courthouse after, where Karen reveals she’s living in San Francisco. It seems the trauma around the events a year ago means she’s not ready to renew a close friendship with Matt. It’s all still too fresh and painful. Matt simply reminds her of Foggy and their practice together. Before she goes, she gives Matt a broken-off horn from his Daredevil costume, realizing he might just need the push. Does she want him to become Daredevil again, or keep his vow to not go the vigilante route again? It’s unclear what Karen is hoping for here. That night, Matt learns that his old nemesis Wilson Fisk is running for Mayor of New York City. And he’s not very happy about it at all.

Matt Has Two Awkward Coffee Dates

After we see Fisk meeting with his campaign staff, including his Gen-Z representation Daniel Blake (Michael Gandolfini), we return to the offices of Murdock & McDuffie. Kristen sends Matt on a client meeting with a woman named Heather Glenn, an old friend of hers who is a therapist. What she didn’t tell Matt (or Heather) was that it was actually a blind date. Although Both Matt and Heather are mad at Kirsten for the ambush, the two do hit it off, and a romance begins. Soon after, Matt’s ex-cop buddy Cherry reveals he’s not discovered anything dirty on Fisk’s campaign. At least nothing he can use against him in his upcoming mayoral run. This doesn’t make Matt very happy, and then he says “Maybe New York is getting the mayor it deserves.” Ouch.

Daredevil and Kingpin meeting in Daredevil Born Again (1)
Marvel Studios

Then we get to the pièce de résistance for episode one. Matt Murdock and Wilson Fisk meet up in a diner and exchange some tense pleasantries. It’s clear the two have not seen each other face to face since the events of Daredevil, several years back. Matt makes a few verbal jabs, reminding Fisk that his protégé Echo shot him in the face. Although Fisk assures Matt that he had nothing to do with Foggy’s death, keeping his promise to leave them alone (Matt would know if he was lying). Both men remind the other that if they “step out of line” there will be consequences, with Fisk threatening Matt should he ever put on the Daredevil costume again. We’d say the first coffee date went better than this one.

New York Votes for a Convicted Criminal as Its Mayor

Later, while on a proper date with Heather, Matt learns that Fisk has won the race. The former Kingpin is now Mayor of New York City. After his victory, Fisk confronts his wife Vanessa over an affair she had with someone named Adam, after which she calmly pleads with him not to kill him. Fisk says “I’m not that man anymore.” But we kind of doubt that. Are we meant to know who this “Adam” is? Is he a character we’re meant to have any familiarity with? It’s unclear.

Revelations From Daredevil: Born Again Season 1, Episode 2, “Optics”

Mayor Fisk Lays Down the Law on Masked Vigilantes

Episode two of Born Again, “Optics,” begins right after Fisk’s recall election on New Year’s Eve, where he assures New York City that he won’t tolerate any costumed vigilantes running around, like the guys wearing skulls on their shirts or men dressed as spiders (Hey, we know them!). We then cut to a man heading to a (mostly) empty subway platform, who tries to break up two men beating down another man. He kicks their butts, but one of the men falls on the subway line and is creamed by a train. The guy they beat up runs away, and the good Samaritan is arrested, as the surviving assaulter is a cop.

DAREDEVIL: BORN AGAIN, Season 1, Episode 1 and 2 Recap, New Revelations and Questions from ‘Heaven’s Half Hour’ and ‘Optics’_2
Marvel Studios

Fisk starts his job as Mayor pontificating on how old his desk is, not very interested in the mundane minutia of his job. Later, Matt Murdock is down at the Police Precinct, when he overhears the cops threatening the subway Samaritan, whose name is Hector Ayala. Matt offers to represent him in court, knowing thanks to his handy-dandy hearing powers he’s not lying about what took place. Although he immediately knows Victor is holding something back. Back at his office, Matt and Kirsten realize that vindicating Ayala is going to be an uphill battle, as he killed a police officer, and the only witness he saved ran away.

BB Urich Meets Mayor Fisk, But Does She Know He Killed Her Uncle?

Daniel Blake introduces BB Urich to Mayor Fisk for an interview. Fisk realizes her coverage of his campaign actually helped his election efforts. It’s unclear whether or not BB realized that Fisk murdered her uncle in cold blood, but she doesn’t seem to like him much. Interestingly, she doesn’t really ask him a question despite getting permission to try and get a soundbite out of him. What exactly was the point of this meeting?

Heather Glenn is hosting a reading/signing for her newest book, when an awkward young man approaches her about getting some help. Next, Fisk’s right-hand man Buck Cashman approaches Heather with a different offer. At the funeral for the cop who died on the subway platform, Fisk confronts Police Commissioner Gallo. He’s trying not to get him to quit in protest, as he knows many cops will follow his lead. But Commissioner Gallo knows the true criminal Fisk is and wants no part of him. He tells him “You’re not a mayor who loves this city. You’re just a whiny kid who wants everyone to love him.” This insult is not one Fisk will soon forget.

Surprise! Our Subway Hero Is Actually Marvel Comics Hero White Tiger

image of the white tiger aka hector ayala in daredevil born again
Giovanni Rufino/Marvel Television/Disney+

At Hector Ayala’s apartment, Cherry discovers that Hector is actually operating as the vigilante White Tiger. This obviously throws a huge wrinkle at Murdock & McDuffie’s case. When the Police chief goes to Fisk’s office and tries to resign, Fisk essentially threatens him to stay on the job, or he’ll expose that he has a son with another woman (presumably not his wife). Pressured, the comish stays on the force, but tells Fisk “Be careful what you wish for.” Matt and Kirsten get the judge to not allow Ayala’s masked identity to be brought up in trial. They argue that since he wasn’t in costume or using his mystical amulet during the incident, it shouldn’t factor in.

The next scene shows us Wilson and Vanessa Fisk in couples therapy. It seems that older voters don’t like seeing estranged married couples as the Mayor and First Lady of New York. And, as it turns out, Heather Glenn is their therapist. Seems Fisk’s guy recruited her at her book signing. They skirt around the criminality of their marital issues, but it’s clear Vanessa was happier without Wilson around.

Matt Murdock Lets the Devil Out (But Did He Kill Again?)

An enraged Matt Murdock after beating down to corrupt cops in Daredevil: Born Again.
Marvel Studios

Matt eventually discovers the young man that Hector Ayala saved, hiding out in his apartment. Turns out his name is Nicki Torres. Matt learns that he was a police informant who the cops were roughing up. Matt goes to his apartment to get him to testify in Hector’s case, but the cops are also on their way to kill him. Nicky escapes through the window, and when the cops try to kill Matt instead, he unleashes holy hell on them, letting the ol’ Devil of Hell’s Kitchen out to play. It doesn’t appear he killed them, but it’s actually unclear. As the episode ends, Matt Murdock screams into the night. But we’re not sure if it was a howl of pain, or a howl of victory. On some level, Matt enjoyed letting his rage out. As they said in the original series, “the Murdock boys have the Devil inside them.”

And that is our recap of the first two episodes of Daredevil: Born Again season one. Join us next week as we continue our return to Hell’s Kitchen and the ongoing struggle between Matt Murdock and his “darker half.”

More revelations and questions in Daredevil: Born Again next week.

The post DAREDEVIL: BORN AGAIN, Season 1, Episode 1 and 2 Recap, New Revelations and Questions from ‘Heaven’s Half Hour’ and ‘Optics’ appeared first on Nerdist.


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