Daniel Blake has an eminently punchable face. He looks like a loser when he licks the boots of Wilson Fisk or when he attempts to pass himself off as a VIP in front of his friends. The latter proves to be injurious to his career, his reputation as his loose lips gives rise to an article that somewhat harms the image of the New York City mayor. Perhaps I should say "almost injurious," given that Daniel manages to save his skin through his confession. When an angry Wilson screams and promises to find the culprit who leaked sensitive information, Daniel comes forward to accept his punishment. Look at him as he continues to blame himself even after Wilson clarifies that he will not be fired. He wants to present himself as a good boy who is too honest, and this obsequiousness prompts you to mock him - his behavior turns you off. What all this means is that Michael Gandolfini competently does his job. As a man-child in Daredevil: Born Again, he gets on your nerves. Well done, Michael.
But before we see him in a fit of rage, we get the pleasure of watching Wilson bored to death. He first endures a song sung by some children, and then he is forced to listen to a choir. During both scenes, he puts on a fake smile that doesn't conceal his discomfort from the audience. Episode 4 has more such comic moments involving Wilson. During the therapy session, he and his wife say, "Business" in unison when the latter mentions that Adam wasn't part of her husband's world, and the therapist asks, "And what world is that? Politics?" Wilson also gets a lesson from Sheila that he "can't just decide something and then speak it into existence." He needs to go through the proper channels. For the majority of the episode, Wilson looks like a joker. Then, towards the end, it's revealed that he is holding and torturing Adam in a cage, in prison, which hits us with the realization that Wilson is a dangerous criminal. Make all the jokes you want, but at the end of the day, this drug lord is very capable of inflicting harm on others. A few gags won't neuter this walking-talking hazard.
Elsewhere, Matt is assigned a client who is accused of stealing Fiddle Faddle caramel corn. His name is Leroy, and he acts like an asshole. "Yeah, let me, uh, see what I can do," says Matt. "See? See, that's funny, 'cause you can't see shit," replies the new client. We, however, almost immediately sense that he's not entirely guilty because this Black man is arrested by two White officers. And so, we wait for that speech, and it does arrive later. "So, why'd I get the caramel corn? I like that shit, and it tastes good. And for that, they're willing to spend five times more to lock me up than they are willing to spend to feed me," Leroy explains to Matt. One can appreciate Daredevil: Born Again's attempt to address a societal problem, but the scene sticks out as a social message - something designed explicitly as a lecture. Some shows can smoothly mix their narrative with a message. Sadly, this compliment cannot be given to this episode. What's more, I think I read somewhere that Born Again would be an R-rated show (TV-MA), so why hold back on sexual content? That kiss between Matt and Heather looks chaste. In the next scene, we see them lying on the bed naked, with her asleep, while he stares blankly at the ceiling, lost in a whirlpool of thoughts. The intimacy of the moment feels superficial because it is not fully realized - it has been hastily sketched. As a result, you don't buy those passionate remarks, like "When I am not sleeping over, I don't worry about you. But you come home late one night, and my mind is spinning," and "You know, I got pretty used to coming home to an empty apartment. And now I can't imagine you not being here." These declarations sound more like lines rehearsed in a play than heartfelt sentiments, making the characters appear like distant acquaintances rather than lovers. Leroy's obsession with caramel corn feels far more genuine and believable.
Final Score- [6/10]