‘Daredevil: Born Again’ Season 2 Episode 5 Review - Goodbye, Vanessa Fisk

If nothing else, the fifth episode of Daredevil: Born Again—The Grand Design—brings a sense of tragedy to death scenes in the Marvel franchise. This universe is notorious for reversing the deaths of major characters, mainly through multiversal logic. When nothing is final, why should anybody waste their time wallowing in grief? It's entirely possible that someday a Marvel show or movie might revive Vanessa Fisk through some magical hokum, but for now, Born Again does a decent job of rendering her farewell genuinely moving. Writer Jesse Wigutow and director Angela Barnes achieve this through a non-linear narrative. In the present, we watch Vanessa in the ICU and see a frustrated, helpless, devastated Fisk, determined to keep her alive. The Fisk we meet in the past isn't really happy either, but the flashback shows how those clouds of sadness dissipated once he met the love of his life in an art gallery.

The fact that the mayor is given a false sense of relief further deepens the episode's tragedy. He might be a very bad man, but he adored Vanessa—he loved her wholeheartedly. Vincent D'Onofrio powerfully brings out his character's mournful spirit, seeming to tear himself apart from within. If The Grand Design is about anything, it's love and how it shapes and affects those consumed by it. Move away from Fisk and settle on Daniel, whom Buck forces to drive to Albany. Why? At first, Buck's motive seems to be "kill Daniel," and his creepy smile is so intimidating that we anxiously expect Daniel to accuse BB of, among other things, leaking Vanessa's location to journalists. This Deputy Mayor of Communications, however, remains silent until the end, even though he fears he's about to be killed. Daniel truly loves BB, and we see his relief when he discovers that Buck only wants him to bury Savva's body.

The Grand Design belongs to these lovers—Fisk and Vanessa, Daniel and BB. In comparison, whatever happens between Dex and Daredevil, and in the flashbacks, Matt and Foggy, feels weaker. I couldn't summon much enthusiasm for their storyline, which revolves around practicing mercy. Matt and Foggy's thread, in a way, also resembles a love story—they're like a couple who bicker while sharing a common dream. But Daniel's commitment and Fisk's intensity overshadow everything. To some extent, this even makes you overlook the episode's somewhat filler-like quality. In a show that doesn't have many virtues, I suppose this counts as a significant win.

Final Score- [5.5/10]