Editor’s Note: The following contains spoilers for Daredevil: Born Again Episode 7.One of the most impressive aspects ofDaredevil: Born Againis how naturalHeather (Margarita Levieva)andMatt’s (Charlie Cox)relationship is. Despite the fact we haven’t spent much time with these characters, something we could attribute to reshoots, the actors share great chemistry which carries romantic beats, such as when they tell each other “I love you,” in this latest episode, “Art For Art’s Sake.” Similar to the Netflix original show, Matt’s relationships help us to see a different, gentler side to the character who hides a deep rage under the surface and unleashes it on criminals.
However, we may need to start worrying about the future of this couple. While his relationships are often sweet, they don’t last, with examples such as Karen (Deborah Ann Woll) and Elektra (Elodie Yung), who burned bright and were snuffed out by external factors. In keeping with this tradition,Born Againseemingly implies that Heather may not be supporting Matt for much longerdue to what she experiences in this episode regarding vigilantes, her knowledge of his past, her current clients, and the end of the episode, which seems to be a pivotal moment in their relationship, and the overall season, moving forward.
Heather May Have Become Far More Anti-Vigilante in This Episode of ‘Daredevil: Born Again’
The morality surrounding vigilantism has been at the forefront of this season ofDaredevil: Born Again. As a psychologist, Heather has presented fascinating opportunities in this season to drill down into the underlying psyche of someone who takes the law into their own hands. However, while Heather was already interested in the idea that vigilantes could hide or reveal their true selves by putting on their masks,we may have seen her become less accepting and more condemning of the practice. We can’t blame her for feeling this way aboutMuse (Hunter Doohan); he did kidnap her after all, but it seems to stretch beyond this one serial killer.
When Heather is kidnapped, we see her taking a more human approach that is flawed but understandable due to the stakes of the moment. At first, she tries to talk to Muse calmly, but when he refuses to be called by his real name, stubbornly identifying only as his serial killer persona, Heather seems to lose all her sympathy for him.She taunts Muse, calling him a “coward” for wearing his “insane mask,” and lumps in all masked individualswith him. It obviously angers Muse and endangers Heather’s life, but it offers a look into her character that we haven’t seen before.
Heather’s anti-vigilante sentiment continues to intensify in the episode. When Daredevil enters the room and fights Muse, Heather doesn’t cower in the corner. Instead, she pulls out a gun and shoots Muse multiple times in the chest, killing the murderer, rejecting the idea that Daredevil is her savior.It also creates an ideological wedge between her and Daredevil, asshe seemingly takes The Punisher’s (Jon Bernthal) viewpoint that some people are too dangerous to be left aliveand defeated with a punch-and-kick combo.
Vanessa Fisk’s Marvel Comics Origins Are Way Darker Than ‘Daredevil: Born Again’
“It’s one of the things I learned from my husband.”
The Supporting Characters Could Create a Rift Between Heather and Matt in ‘Daredevil: Born Again’
While this ideological divide could only be something Heather experiences in a life-or-death scenario,there are other, smaller, clues that Heather may turn on or at least step away from Mattby the end ofBorn Again. Earlier in the episode, when Heather speaks about Matt’s past life, she pauses before saying Karen’s name, and there are a lot of implications in just that one moment. She could be jealous of what Matt and Karen had if she is aware of their past, or she could be worried about how tumultuous their relationship was. WithKaren returning for Season 2, it feels likethe show could be setting up Karen’s appearance to threaten Matt and Heather’s relationship together.
Then, withFisk (Vincent D’Onofrio) and Vanessa (Ayelet Zurer)going to her for couple’s counseling, it feels like only a matter of time before the Mayor learns who Heather’s partner is. When this happens, with Daredevil returning,it wouldn’t be surprising to see Fisk manipulate the psychologist against Mattor threaten her to implicate him in some way.
Matt’s Lack of Honesty May Be the Breaking Point of Their Relationship in ‘Daredevil: Born Again’
Heather wouldn’t be the first person to learn about Matt’s secret identity, yet their final scene in this episode might be one of the major reasons why she would be the first to turn on him for it. After Heather wakes up in the hospital, Matt comforts her and assures her she had to shoot Muse, which she states he couldn’t know. Heather then points out that Daredevil used her name, which could imply that she already suspects Matt’s involvment, and when he doesn’t answer, she merely turns the TV on and looks away from him, crying.
There is a heartbreaking emotional distance that can be felt in the scene. The characters' lack of words is a far cry from their passionate love at the beginning of the episode, and it feels like it could have been the last straw. Perhaps if Matt was honest with her, they could move forward, but how can trust be mended if Matt couldn’t even begin to open up? Overall, Heather’s emotional arc concerning Matt and Daredevil is becomingmore complicated than a simple vigilante’s lover who gets caught in the crossfire. She has real motivations to hate vigilantes and sees Matt’s actions as not just morally gray but as a betrayal of their trust. With this and her connection to his greatest enemy, Fisk, it seemsmore and more likely Heather could indeed flip this deception back onto Matt, breaking his and our hearts in one go.
New episodes ofDaredevil: Born Againare released every Tuesday on Disney+.
Daredevil: Born Again
