Living With B

Episode #: 5

Title: The Grand Design

Director: Angela Barnes

Release Date: April 14, 2026

Runtime: 50 minutes

Episode Four Review | Episode Five Review | Episode Six Review

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⚠️ Spoilers ahead for this episode of Daredevil: Born Again ⚠️

Summary

Episode 5 of Daredevil: Born Again centers on escalating emotional stakes rather than physical action, as Matt wrestles with guilt over Foggy’s death and his conflicting urge to save Dex. Meanwhile, Fisk’s emotional dependence on Vanessa becomes more apparent as her medical crisis pushes him toward instability. Flashbacks and returning characters deepen the emotional weight, while the episode builds tension around multiple looming deaths and shifting loyalties.

Full Recap

This episode was focused on death, honestly. Will Vanessa die? Will Dex die? What happens when the scales are still uneven? A lot of questions are circling, and most of them feel like they’re finally being answered. This episode lacks a lot of traditional action, but it works because the focus shifts to two sets of characters dealing with the weight of impending death or a death that’s already happened and is still lingering over everything.

It’s evident that Matt continues to struggle with Foggy’s death, as even the mention of his name from Dex leads Matt to grabbing and choking him. Matt’s core belief that he should save Dex’s life is powered by his guilt over almost killing him in Season 1. The scales are not all that even…

Elden Henson brings back Foggy’s likable energy in flashback/memory, and on the flip side, Toby Leonard Moore returns as Fisk’s right-hand man, James Wesley, marking his return 11 years after being killed off in Netflix’s Daredevil. Vincient D’Onofro and Moore slip right back into their old dynamic effortlessly, with Wesley still being one of the few people Fisk actually seemed to care about.

But he cares about no one more than he cares about Vanessa. That much is clear as he fights with nurses and doctors just to see her, sits in the gallery while she is operated on, and visibly breaks with relief when she wakes up. It’s obvious that losing Vanessa would be the moment Fisk completely unravels

It already felt unlikely that Vanessa would survive, especially considering how her flashbacks have been framed around her meeting Fisk and the moments that led them together. Their final scenes are filled with nostalgia, making everything feel strangely tender and sickeningly sweet at the same time. Now that his anchor might be gone… it feels like something truly awful is coming next. Right?

My Takeaways

• BB is kind of annoying because she keeps betraying Daniel for the sake of journalism.
• Poor Daniel, dude! He is just getting hit after hit.
• Hot take but the flashbacks were lovely. It was nice to see where Foggy/Matt began and Vanessa/Fisk. Funny how the world works to collide two people together.

Final Verdict

It was good and fits in well with the rest of season, so far. It was wonderful and heartbreaking to see Vanessa pass on. I’m scared for the future under Fisk’s fists.