Episode five of Daredevil: Born Again, titled With Interest, steps away from the broader arc of gang wars and vigilante politics to deliver a taut, self-contained thriller that doubles as a character study. It’s the kind of mid-season episode that slows the pace just enough to sharpen the focus, without sacrificing the tension that’s been so carefully cultivated so far.
The premise is deceptively simple: Matt Murdock, ever the stubborn idealist, is trying to secure a loan on Saint Patrick's Day to keep his struggling law firm afloat. When Yusuf Khan, the earnest assistant bank manager, turns down the application on the basis that the firm works with clients who can’t pay, it feels like another weight pressing down on Matt’s back. It’s a quiet but telling moment—a reminder of just how deeply Matt is trying to balance justice with sustainability.
Then, the episode flips on its heel.
Moments after Murdock leaves, the bank is taken hostage by a group of criminals led by the edgy and volatile Devlin, working for the ever-shadowy Luca. They’re after something very specific: $1.8 million that Luca needs to pay off Viktor. What unfolds is a low-key pressure cooker, as Murdock, ever the reluctant hero, re-enters the bank and begins dismantling the threat from within, one thug at a time.
It’s a thrilling return to the kind of closed-circuit storytelling Daredevil does so well. The episode leans into the tension of the standoff, layering the unfolding events with moments of dry wit, moral ambiguity, and tactical intelligence. One standout element is the interplay between Khan and Murdock. Khan, played with genuine gravitas and restraint, initially seems like a minor foil, but quickly proves himself as a vital ally in delaying the robbers at the vault.
The heart of the episode beats strongest in its quieter moments. There’s a fantastic rhythm to the way Murdock operates in the shadows of the bank, slipping between hostages and hallways, taking out henchmen without any of the showboating that often plagues superhero media. When he finally opens the vault and discovers that the true target is a rare diamond, the stakes shift again, more symbolically than literally. This isn’t about money—it’s about power, deception, and who knows what.
What follows is a dance of misdirection. Murdock hands off the diamond, but not to Devlin. In a slick moment of sleight-of-hand, he gives it to an accomplice among the hostages, who only later realises she’s carrying a decoy. It’s a smart twist, neatly executed, and it gives the episode just enough of a heist flavour to keep things inventive. Devlin, disguised as a police officer, very nearly slips through the cracks—until Murdock intercepts him in a visceral, down-and-dirty fight outside the cordon. It’s a reminder that, even after hanging up the cowl, Matt can’t help but step back into the fire.
And it works. But what lingers isn’t the action; it’s the epilogue. Murdock quietly returns the diamond and is invited to dinner by Khan’s family. It’s an unexpected note of community and warmth in an otherwise tense hour, but one that reinforces the season’s subtler themes: that heroism isn’t always about punishment. Sometimes, it’s about showing up.
With Interest is a contained triumph—not flashy or explosive, but smart, intimate, and sharply written. It lets us sit with Murdock, to remember why he’s worth rooting for. More than that, it reminds us what Daredevil does better than almost anyone else: it makes street-level stakes feel like the end of the world.
It might not move the season’s wider arcs forward in seismic ways, but it absolutely tightens the emotional tension that will no doubt pay off later. And sometimes, in a show this finely tuned, that’s more than enough.
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