The fifth episode of Daredevil: Born Again season 2 is now streaming on Disney+, and with a number of inevitable confrontations looming as we enter the season's final stretch, "The Grand Design" allows time for some self-reflection from our main characters.
Major spoilers ahead.
The teasers already gave this away, but tonight's episode features the return of Elden Henson as Foggy Nelson. Those hoping that the character was somehow still alive after the shocking events of the series premiere will be disappointed, however, as Matt Murdock's late bestie only appears via flashbacks.
When the Man Without Fear catches up with a gravely wounded Bullseye following the lethal marksman's attack on Vanessa Fisk last week, the hero struggles with his decision to keep the former assassin alive as they're both hunted down by Mayor Wilson Fisk's forces. As the two argue, Murdock thinks back to his early career as an "Avocado at Law" alongside Nelson, and a case involving a figure from Foggy's childhood.
Now a criminal working for Fisk's growing empire, Lional, aka Ray, knows he'll be killed if he is sent to prison, so Foggy wants to do everything he can to prevent him from being locked up. Matt isn't so sure Foggy's "friend" deserves a second chance, but the pair soon discover a loophole which renders his arrest unlawful.
Back in the present, the AVTF officers catch up with Daredevil and Bullseye as they take refuge in Clinton Church, and Dex convinces the hero to leave him to die and save himself. As Murdock makes his way to the street, he remembers Foggy bringing Ray their savings so he can try to make a new life for himself far away from Hell's Kitchen.
Inspired by his friend's unwavering goodness and belief that everyone deserves a shot at redemption, Murdock returns to help his enemy get to safety.
A welcome return for Henson, but this might well be the last we see of him in this series. As for Dex, could this really mark the beginning of the villain's path to becoming a "good guy"? That's probably a stretch, but that doesn't mean he couldn't make a useful ally to Murdock as the story progresses.
This episode also featured another Netflix character return, but we'll have more on that a bit later. What did you make of "The Grand Design"? Drop us a comment down below.
Across eight gripping episodes, survival, resistance and redemption collide as the battle for the soul of New York begins," reads the season 2 synopsis. "In Season 2, Mayor Wilson Fisk crushes New York City underfoot as he hunts down public enemy number one, the Hell’s Kitchen vigilante known as Daredevil. But beneath the horned mask, Matt Murdock will try to fight back from the shadows to tear down the Kingpin’s corrupt empire and redeem his home. Resist. Rebel. Rebuild."