REVIEW: ‘Daredevil: Born Again’ Episode 4 — “Sic Semper Systema”

A lot happens in Daredevil Born Again Episode 4. But beneath the noise and ridiculous marriage counseling, there’s one pivotal scene that sneaks up on us and makes us momentarily care. For the majority of “Sic Semper Systema,” the series maintains a level of monotonous disinterest, an apathetic disconnect due to how little time we’re spending with characters we care about. And then, Frank Castle, aka the Punisher (Jon Bernthal), appears, and for about five minutes, we remember why we love this series (well…the Netflix one.)

It’s a dirty trick, especially considering that Daredevil Born Again Episode 4 is a slog to get through for most of the runtime. Once again, the series presents a lot of interesting ideas—radical, even, by Marvel and Disney’s stakes. The writing is doubling down on its efforts to highlight police corruption while also dealing with the realities of a society that would spend five times as much to lock a man up than to feed him.

These instances of displays of injustice give Daredevil Born Again Episode 4 necessary fuel. We see it first when Matt (Charlie Cox) is confronted by Hector’s (Kamar de los Reyes) niece at the morgue following his murder. Angela wants to see him, which Matt rightfully stops, but it doesn’t halt Angela in her furious tirade. Her uncle never stood a chance in her eyes when up against the corrupt cops of the city. It’s a decisive moment, made more so when she hugs Matt, and the latter gets to display his too-often withheld compassion.

Daredevil Born Again Episode 4 remembers that Matt cares. 

In a way, the episode is a reminder that Matt cares at all. We see it again when he takes on a burglary case. Leroy stole a snack from a bodega and is now being arraigned. He wants probation, but the best Matt can do is get him ten days behind bars. Matt believes, at first, it’s a good deal. He’s even frustrated that Leroy doesn’t see it but is put in his place when Leroy talks about the endless, systemic ways in which he’s never allowed to move forward. He’s locked in a system that wants to see him fail and will pay to do so.

But the real emotional kicker arrives when Matt appears at Frank’s doorstep. Having found the shell casing of the bullet that killed Hector, he realizes that the Punisher emblem is on it. Refreshingly, Matt doesn’t assume it’s Frank as they both know it’s another fanboy — many of whom are cops. This doesn’t diminish the tense showdown as Matt tries to needle, taunting Frank about his lifestyle and why he can’t use some of his equipment for good.

Frank calls him out for it, saying he can tell Matt is itching for a fight, planting him on Frank’s doorstep. Their dynamic has always offered a bruising look at two tortured souls, and it’s no different in Daredevil Born Again. Bernthal and Cox are electric together, demonstrating more chemistry and performance ease than any other scene partner (other than Vincent D’Onofrio) Cox has had so far in this reanimated husk of a series.

Bernthal leans into the tough guy schtick as Frank gets a rise out of Matt, calling out Matt’s hypocrisy. When Foggy is mentioned, a weight is lifted from the series as it delves fully into the persistent grief of these broken characters. Matt instantly breaking down is heartbreaking, and Cox does a beautiful job of showing how this character is just barely keeping it all together. The issues of morality and justice arise here, too, as Frank can’t fathom how Foggy’s killer is still allowed to live when Foggy isn’t.

Jon Bernthal and Charlie Cox are excellent together. 

The sequence is well-written and better acted by two actors who have an innate understanding of their characters. Matt’s parting message, that Foggy was the kindest, purest soul he’s ever met and that nothing he or Frank do in their lifetimes could amount to his decency, is the perfect closure to their one interaction. But considering Matt is being drawn to his nightly vigilante escapades again, it hopefully won’t be the last.

The sequence is so intense that returning to the rest of the series is an example of excess disappointment. Nothing Fisk does in Daredevil Born Again Episode 4 is interesting. Frankly, I don’t care about his relationships, and he’s a character who is most interesting when the level of threat is imminent if not displayed. Aside from brief instances, he keeps it buttoned up, though we learn about one of his more violent current sequences by the end of each episode.

With too much reliance on B-roll style city footage and continued reliance on characters we don’t care about (you actually can’t make me interested in Daniel or Heather, thanks), Daredevil Born Again Episode 4 is another frustrating addition to a show in need of a lifeline. Said lifeline arrives, albeit briefly, with Frank. With a new serial killer threatening the city and draining the blood of their victims, it will be interesting to see how the series marries the stories together or if it will become overwhelmed by the plots it’s trying to juggle.

Daredevil Born Again Episode 4 is engaging when it allows Matt and his overwhelming sense of guilt to drive the narrative. But too much Fisk and too many of his companions eat up too much of the story, leaving it imbalanced.

Daredevil Born Again Episode 4 is out now on Disney+.

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