"Will you be my eyes?" "Hey, anytime." and suddenly I can't see the screen through the tears. they're back. they're going to start healing together soon, just you watch.
DAREDEVIL: BORN AGAIN 1.09 'Straight to Hell' (2025 - )
Season 1: "All we can do is move forward together," a hand clasp, and going through a door together.
Season 2: Matt opens the door to the old office to find Karen waiting there, "I'm Daredevil" and the truth is finally out.
Season 3: Walking out the red doors of Clinton Church together, out of the place where they were "buried" together and resurrected into the sunshine of a spring day. "You helped me see the truth about myself" and "I'd say you're ahead on that score" and no more secrets between them.
Born Again Season 1: "He knew you, and I do too" and a forehead kiss, and going through the sliding door of Josie's to find the people who will help them take the city back.
I'm on my knees...
I can't stop thinking about this quote from Deborah Ann Woll about Season 2:
"The scripts are amazing. I'm deeply honored, actually, to be a part of this storyline that Dario has written. I'm impressed and thrilled."
I feel like she wouldn't say this if Karen wasn't going to have a compelling storyline in the next season? My impression of Deborah previously has been that she doesn't hype writing like this if she doesn't mean it. I understand that Karen wasn't a main character this time around, so I'm trying to keep that in perspective with DD:BA S1 right now. She came in to save the day and now we have hope for the future.
This the woman who cried her eyes out over the writing for Karen this season on Jon Bernthal’s podcast, vague as her allusions were. She’s a “color code my script notes” person. I trust her completely. She’s diplomatic, but totally honest. She even put her hand to her heart as she talked about them. The relief and surprise was palpable in her tone! I think S2 will be better.
She *cried* about it on Jon’s podcast ???? Omg need to see that/know more 👀
I remember how frustrated she felt even back then when people reduced her character to a love triangle and I think that’s why she even started maybe "resenting" any mention of a romance. I always understood her thought process (even when she was also very mad at Matt on behalf of Karen) but. A great actor can’t do more than half the job. And that’s what she was doing in the 20 minutes we saw her this season. Just her trying to make sense of where her character is at. I hope she got her answer and we soon will 🙏🏼
I want to talk about the adrenaline line that Matt acknowledges when Karen asks about her heartbeat. It is obvious that Karen is an adrenaline junkie just like Matt and Frank. She is attracted to both of them for that reason. The difference is that Matt needs her as much as she needs him. Matt needs her to ground him and center him. And Matt is the only man that can give Karen what she needs, that adrenaline without losing her identity. Karen is the only one currently, that allows Matt to be the vigilante and the lawyer, without losing one or the other.
Okay, but can we talk about how Matt and Frank can't go a single minute without arguing and getting on each other's nerves, but still trust each other enough to jump out of a fucking window together?
Matt praying over Foggy’s obituary
Why did this come up as “potentially mature content”??? Tumblr, seriously, the man is praying on the funeral card, not…. whatever your sick AI-corrupted mind thinks it is!
DAREDEVIL: BORN AGAIN
↳1x09 Straight to Hell
Oh I just noticed this! When Karen gets out of the car and Frank is looking at her so intently, Matt turns his head to focus on Frank cause he picked up Frank’s love-struck heartbeat. And the next thing Matty does is make sure that Frank gets the back seat, further away from Karen, while he gets the front. “SHOTGUN” 😂
DD:BA Episode 9
OK… I do have more thoughts.
First of all, the good things:
The scene in the hospital! Call me vindictive, but I dislike Heather so much (and love Karen) that I stood up and cheered when Matt uttered Karen’s name first and then proceeded to dismiss Heather because Heather just Didn’t Get It.
That smirk when Matt walked into his apartment and realised that Frank was there (and, of course it was Karen who called Frank! That was bleeding obvious!) The banter beforehand, the sarcasm, the flipped bird - that was everything that we all ever wanted from Matt and Frank working together.
The brutality of the fight. AND the fact that Matt did not even try to interfere with Frank once Frank started killing really showed that Matt himself has lost a lot of his idealism once he pushed Bullseye off the roof. Yes, he still objects to killing a man who is no longer a threat, but not those who have guns and bullet-proof vests and a Kingpin’s licence to kill. Yet Matt still has a line. And Frank pushes him towards that line… but not really. As in S2, Frank does not want Matt to become a killer. Frank is the killer. Frank is happy to kill for Matt when Matt can’t. Frank is happy to be the asshole.
Oh… and all those cops are dead, whether Matt wanted them dead or not. They are crispy-fried. Unfortunately, so are Matt’s vinyls :(
“SHOTGUN!!” Of course Matt wants to sit right next to Karen while she drives the getaway vehicle.
Frank… just wanting to spend time with Matt and Karen after a successful mission. Just a piece of human warmth in his armoury. Matt understood it (though, what’s with the oat milk, Matt? Age catching up to you? You lactose intolerant now?). But Karen… I think she understood it too, but her heart and concern are for Matt. And then there is Frank’s puppy face when looking at Karen. I think that’s the first time we’ve actually seen Frank make that sort of vulnerable face. Of course he loves her (a nod to kastle fans here; this entire episode is basically one big fan service).
So many karedevil scenes! One after the other. So many conversations that we wanted them to have, but had to write ourselves in fics! There they are! In-jokes and reminiscences (Avocados at law!!) Karen asking Matt about heartbeats and what he could read from them hoping that he understood her (as opposed to feeling humiliated by his insight). And Karen telling Matt that both Foggy and her recognise the “wrath and the mercy” warring inside of him, both indelible components of who he is. Lawyer and vigilante - all loved, all cherished. All supported.
And Matt listened to her! He did not go diving headlong into a suicide mission. He has a direction now, and the need to save the city. But more than that. He knows he is loved, and he knows he is fully known and accepted. He is NOT ALONE. Not anymore.
And now he has the beginnings of a fighting force (and a steady supply of booze courtesy of Josie, which will be needed if Jessica and Luke join the party next season!)
And now, not so great things:
We finally get to see Matt in the naked-butt hospital gown and we don’t get even a single glimpse of his naked butt! Also. Claire isn’t in the episode, which meant that she missed the “pigs must be flying in frozen hell” sight of Matt finally getting proper medical care. So, I am doubly disappointed on her behalf too.
They finally sorta explained how Fisk got out of jail after S3 and… it just does not pass the sniff test at all. Even if he somehow managed to blame all the crimes of S3 on the corrupted FBI, including the surveillance room that was built in a hotel that was owned by him, there was still the issue of all the crimes from S1, which he would’ve still been serving the sentence for.
Fisk’s overreach was too much… it was too comic-book-villain. And the best thing about Fisk was always the fact that he was terrifying because of his humanity and his behind-the-scenes manipulation. But shutting off power to the whole city to trigger disorder? Telling cops to forget about due process and go shoot suspects on sight? Declaring martial law? (WTF?? He is a mayor of a city, not a state governor! Where’s the Federal Government, please? Or is Trump in charge already? In which case… yeah, figures).
And keeping millionaires and other ‘rebels’ in cages? (i.e. alive and a burden? gotta feed em, clean em, make sure they don’t chit chat and plan)… that’s some post-apocalyptic warlord-level bullshit. Fisk’s power has gone to his head so much, he really has lost all touch with reality and became a caricature.
Frank’s capture by the rogue cops… That should’ve been a version of THIS speech:
Not some “do you think you understand my pain?” bullshit. Come on Frank, you should’ve been dressing them down for the being the cowardly traitors to their oaths that they are! Did you get hit on the head too many times??
Finally, Heather is really an idiot, isn’t she?!
TL:DR
Episode was full of love for Matt and Karen… but very Disney in terms of the plot development and over-the-top Fisk’s villain-ness.
DD:BA Episode 9
My karedevil heart is full to overflowing!
That’s it, that’s the post.