Despite the show’s subtitle, anyone hoping for an adaptation of writer Frank Miller and artist David Mazzucchelli’s seminal Born Again storyline will be disappointed. That story arc ran throughout most of the monthly Daredevil comic book back in 1986. While the blind, acrobatic superhero created by Stan Lee and Bill Everett debuted in his own self-titled book in 1964, Born Again became the go-to story for anyone new to the character. There are elements from that storyline in the first three seasons of the Netflix Daredevil show (2015-2018), but calling the revival and continuation “Born Again”, which dropped a year ago, is a spot-on double entendre. For those well-versed in Miller’s story, seeing that title brought apprehension and anticipation, but the first season of “Born Again” became a fitting jumping-on point, and now we’re in the thick of it with Season 2 dropping.

Last season’s 9-episode storyline found lawyer Matt Murdock (Charlie Cox) primarily facing challenges and opposition within the walls of the New York City courtroom, forgoing his vigilante activity as Daredevil, after his best friend and partner, Franklin “Foggy” Nelson (Elden Hensen) died at the hands of psychopathic assassin, Benjamin “Dex” Poindexter assassin Bullseye (Wilson Bethel). Meanwhile, his greatest threat, former crime boss Wilson Fisk (Vincent D’Onofrio), has been elected mayor of the Big Apple. His campaign, led by protégé Daniel Blake (Michael Gandolfini), bragged that NYC is his city and he promised to revitalize it and make it safer, calling vigilantes terrorists.

But surely giving such power to a man with that much anger, insecurity, and ego can’t be a good thing for anyone but himself. Sure enough, Fisk consolidates power, declares martial law with an 8 pm curfew, and starts targeting vigilantes, such as The White Tiger (played by the late Kamar de los Reyes), a vigilante represented by Murdock. After almost killing Bullseye as Daredevil, a broken Murdock goes underground and gathers allies, such as Karen Page (Deborah Ann Woll), to resist Fisk’s corruption and his Anti-Vigilante Task Force (AVTF), which worships Frank Castle, aka the Punisher (Jon Bernthal). The season ends with Fisk completely losing it and brutally murdering Police Commissioner (Michael Gaston), taking control over Red Hook, and leaving Castle in a tough position.

Writer/producer Dario Scardapane served as showrunner, with the writer/director duo of Aaron Moorhead and Justin Benson (both of whom directed episodes of Marvel Studios’ “Moon Knight” and “Loki”) heavily involved, helming three of the nine episodes. That trio returns for Season 2, which offers eight episodes (10-17, if we’re totalling both seasons in “Born Again”) that pick up the story six months later. Moorhead and Benson direct the first two episodes, “The Northern Star” and “Shoot the Moon”, with the following directors taking two episodes each: Solvan “Slick” Naim, Angela Barnes, and Iain B. MacDonald.

As Season 1 did, the event at the start of Season 2 serves as the catalyst for the rest of the series. A cargo ship called Northern Star, carrying military-grade weapons, quietly makes its way into Red Hook harbor. It’s a secretive smuggling operation that will equipt Fisks AVTF, but Daredevil is alerted to its arrival thanks to his keen senses. When the horned vigilante boards the ship, causing primal chaos for anyone in his path, the captain and first mate try to capsize the behemoth into the East River.

That shipment was ordered by the mysterious Mr. Charles, a new-to-the-series character played by Matthew Lillard as a cross between the Cheshire Cat and Bugs Bunny, if you could envision those two as an unnerving threat rather than comedy relief. Throughout the entirety of Season 2, it’s hinted at that maybe this Charles guy works for someone bigger, perhaps someone Fisk fears, but that never plays out. Regardless, Lillard has a good time essentially being a thorn in the side of D’Onofrio’s Fisk. It is implied that Charles has powerful connections, as when he namedrops Julia Louis-Dreyfus’s CIA director, Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (“Thunderbolts”), during his introduction.

The idea is that none of the dangerous cargo will be traced back to Fisk, but the commotion causes the mayor and his entourage to spin the occurrence as the work of a “domestic terrorist”. A short-tempered, egotistical fat cat who’s quick to blame his opposition and label them a “domestic terrorist” to cover up his own illegal doings? Someone who has a violent task force wrapped around his finger? Yeah, this hits a little too close to home.

While much of Season 2 is inspired by two specific runs, Charles Soule’s “Mayor Fisk” storyline (Daredevil #595-600) and Chip Zdarsky’s six-issue “Devil’s Reign” series, the latter of which finds Fisk launching a massive crackdown on the heroes of New York City, it’s uncanny (and unfortunate) how much Fisk and his new totilaritarian regime mirrors what’s happening today in America. The AVTF letters on the armed goons could easily be replaced with ICE.

Marvel Comics has always been more grounded and reflective of real-life issues and events, as opposed to DC Comics. The fact that many of the superheroes are going through problems or internal struggles recognizable to readers is something Stan Lee always took pride in.

So, seeing Fisk use a warehouse in the industrial area of Red Hook to cage those his AVTF arrests is unfortunately not an unusual sight. This is where Swordsman (Tony Dalton) will be locked up with many others, and where Bernthal’s Frank Castle escapes during the end credits of Season 1. No doubt, it’ll have certain viewers’ “woke radar” go off, or will create an obvious (perhaps too obvious) link to what we’ve seen happen on the news. To be fair, this is very similar to what another bald threat did last summer in James Gunn’s “Superman”: caged those who opposed him in a hidden dimension. Fisk may be crafty and devious, but how long will he be able to uphold this tight grip and maintain a reputable political persona?

In this season, we see more of Daredevil’s allies, as he leans on them as sources in his fight against Fisk. Many of these characters are carried over from previous seasons, like journalist BB Urich (Genneya Walton), whose father, reporter Ben Urich, was killed by Fisk. Retired NYPD officer Cherry (Clark Johnson) works closely with Kristin McDuffie (Nikki M. James), a former A.D. now with the Murdock & McDuffie law firm.

Since it’s been in the marketing for Season 2, it’s no spoiler to say that Kristin Ritter reprises her role as Jessica Jones, a super-powered private eye, who has close ties to many of Marvel’s street-level heroes, as seen in previous Netflix Marvel shows. It’s great seeing Ritter return to the role, maintaining her cool, no-nonsense disposition, and she complements Cox’s Daredevil well, never overshadowing the titular hero. Seeing how she gets pulled back into the action is cool, and much of her side story is comic-accurate, making it a fun surprise.

Near the end of the first episode, there’s a bloody smackdown between Daredevil and the AVTF, which eventually puts Cherry’s life in jeopardy and leaves our hero unmasked. When the remaining officers are suddenly taken out by sharp projectiles that fly into the room and ricochet their way to vital organs, it’s clear that Bullseye has returned. But what does he have planned?

One thing is certain: the second season of “Daredevil: Born Again” isn’t playing around. The violent fight sequences are bloodier, there are F-bombs aplenty, and there’s an ongoing discussion over what the right thing to do is. Karen Page has spent plenty of time learning Frank Castle’s blunt philosophy, so she’s inclined to just take out Fisk, once and for all. But, Murdock cannot condone such action, even though that’s what he was tempted to do with Bullseye. Still, the devout Catholic and upholder of the law has to rise above such urges. Murdock and his crew have to figure out the most effective way to bring down Fisk, and one option is to turn his supporters against him, which will require showing them the truth. However, Fisk may also meet his downfall from within, as we’ve seen how his beloved wife, Vanessa Fisk (Ayelet Zurer), may wind up as his greatest Kryptonite.

Having seen all eight episodes, I can definitely say the darker tone of this season is fitting for the characters, though it’s nothing new for them. Daredevil is best when he is written and portrayed in an R-rated fashion. That’s not to say the character doesn’t translate well to a more PG-13 version (“Spider-Man: No Way Home”) or a comedic side character (remember him in his yellow costume, bumping uglies with She-Hulk, in her underappreciated show?), but, like Bruce Wayne/Batman, Murdock/Daredevil is best portrayed in more serious and intense stories.

Some may find the way Fisk is written in this season to be too over-the-top or cartoonish, but consider the source material. This is also the same guy who somehow survived a gunshot to the head at the end of the “Hawkeye” series. Yes, there’s a crazy, silly episode where Fisk gets in a boxing ring to square off against an opponent. It may not be very mayoral, but it’s certainly something you’d read in a comic book. D’Onofrio has developed a reputation for going big with characters, especially those on the edge, whether mentally unstable (“Full Metal Jacket”) or darkly comedic (“Men in Black”). He plays Wilson Fisk as a complicated character, one who isn’t afraid to get his white suit blood-splattered. The smackdown we eventually see between Murdock and Fisk is just as intense as the new fight between Daredevil and Bullseye; the difference this season is that these action sequences are much more emotionally motivated.

After this season closes out in May, we’ll get a Disney+ The Punisher one-shot event (which better be R-rated) in the same month, and then there’s this summer’s “Spider-Man: Brand New Day”, which will also have Bernthal’s Frank Castle in it. If we don’t see Peter Parker team up with Matt Murdock soon or face off against Wilson Fisk, then it’s clear that Marvel Studios and Sony don’t know what they’re doing. Everyone wants it, and if we can get Deadpool cavorting through timelines with Wolverine, we can definitely get a Murdock/Fisk/Parker encounter.

RATING: ***