Marvel’s Daredevil: Born Again has officially returned to its gritty origins with Episode 6, which is called Bad Apples. Following a tonally awkward diversion in Episode 5, the show returns to form — darker, grittier, and more in line with the Hell’s Kitchen drama that fans became enamoured with. With serial killers, moral complications, and a chilling anti-vigilante twist, this episode puts the season on a path towards an explosive final stretch.
Muse Unleashed: A Killer with an Artistic Agenda
Episode 6 brings us Muse, a serial killer-graffiti artist who literally paints with blood. With more than 60 victims, Muse is not only a bad guy — he’s a grotesque commentary on anarchy. His sick art appalls the characters and audiences alike, particularly when he’s draining blood from a kid. It’s a scene that propels Born Again into genuinely disturbing territory.
For Matt Murdock, this is the last straw. When Angela Ayala — Hector Ayala (the fourth White Tiger)’s niece — disappears, Matt puts on the red suit for the first time this season. It’s a victorious image: Daredevil returns, not as a reluctant lawyer or conflicted hero, but as a agent of justice no longer content to wait for the dysfunctional system to move.
Fisk’s Dark Politics: A War on Vigilantes
Wilson Fisk, who is now the Mayor of New York, manages to politicize Muse’s rampage. By pointing out the NYPD’s inaction prior to sanitation workers stumbling upon Muse’s crime scenes, Fisk suggests a terrifying solution: an anti-vigilante task force composed of “bad apple” cops — no body cams, no accountability.
Among them are recognizable faces, such as the corrupt Powell, and other officers who warp the law in horribly violent manners. It’s a searing indictment of actual police abuse, presented by Marvel’s amplified prism.
Dual Lives Collide: Daredevil and Fisk Return to Form
Director David Boyd skillfully intercuts two brutal confrontations — Daredevil vs. Muse, and Fisk vs. his archenemy Adam. Both Matt and Fisk accept the violent personas they struggled to abandon. It’s exhilarating for us, but threatening to their characters.
The Verdict
Though Born Again faltered a bit with its tonal inconsistency in Episode 5, Episode 6 brings the gritty violence and moral ambiguity that made the original Daredevil series a hit. With the red suit back and corruption running rampant, Born Again is finally living up to its title.
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