The second season of Daredevil: Born Again has been weaving a narrative thick with political allegories, most notably drawing parallels between Mayor Wilson Fisk (Vincent D’Onofrio) and former President Donald Trump. Fisk's rise to power through fear, his command of the Anti-Vigilante Task Force (AVTF), likened to ICE, and his temperamental leadership have been clear commentary on Trump's presidency. However, the season finale takes a surprising and controversial turn, leaving audiences perplexed and concerned about the message it conveys, particularly in its depiction of events mirroring the January 6 US Capitol insurrection.
The season's culmination involves Karen Page's trial, where Matt Murdock publicly outs himself as Daredevil to incriminate Fisk. Following a sniper attack, a standoff ensues between the AVTF and protesters, predominantly wearing red (masks, handkerchiefs, and notably, bright red baseball caps, a symbol long associated with the MAGA movement), who storm the courthouse in a scene unmistakably evoking the January 6 insurrection. This turn of events undermines the season's established anti-fascist, anti-Trump narrative, prompting the question: On which side does Daredevil: Born Again stand?
About the Controversial Finale Scene
The finale's depiction of the courthouse storming is intentionally crafted to mirror historical events, as admitted by showrunner Dario Scardapane in an interview with Entertainment Weekly:
"We leaned into the January 6 parallels because it's important to learn from history."
Dario Scardapane, Showrunner
Yet, the execution raises more questions than it answers. The protesters, symbolizing the "good" side throughout the season, are shown behaving in a manner analogous to the insurrectionists, complete with the problematic imagery of red baseball caps, blurring the lines between the show's heroes and real-life perpetrators of violence.
Furthermore, the narrative's handling of the AVTF's change in command, welcoming the protesters, echoes the debunked myth that Capitol police welcomed the insurrectionists, adding to the confusion. The scene's aftermath, where Daredevil fights against AVTF agents again, only compounds the narrative whiplash.
The Message and Its Implications
The most jarring aspect is the potential interpretation that the show justifies or finds common ground with the actions of the January 6 insurrectionists. Given the season's previous stance against fascism and intimidation, this shift is jarring. Scardapane's intention might have been to highlight how ordinary people can go too far, but in doing so, the narrative risks insulting the victims of Fisk's (and by allegory, Trump's) actions throughout the season.
A particularly disturbing moment involves Fisk, in a bizarre display of strength and aggression, attacking protesters, which can be seen as a fantastical revenge fantasy for Trump, given the real-life president's passive role in the insurrection. The finale's closing message, where Daredevil stops the protesters from killing Fisk with "We're better than this," feels hollow given the context, as it juxtaposes the show's heroes with the real-life insurrectionists without clear condemnation.
What This Means for Viewers
The controversy surrounding the finale underscores the challenges of crafting timely, politically charged content without clear messaging. For fans who have followed the series for its stark commentary on contemporary political issues, the season's ending is not just confusing but also offensive, given the real-world implications and victims of the January 6 insurrection.
As Daredevil: Born Again moves forward, the hope is that subsequent seasons will clarify or rectify this narrative misstep, reaffirming a stance against violence and fascism without ambiguity. Until then, the finale's controversial ending will undoubtedly be a topic of heated discussion among fans and critics alike, serving as a cautionary tale about the delicate balance of political commentary in entertainment.
