"Whether Hector Ayala is wearing a White Tiger suit or not, he's a hero."
The third episode of Daredevil: Born Again is now streaming on Disney+, and "The Hollow of his Hand" culminated with another shocking death and a Punisher tease which could indicate that Frank Castle (Jon Bernthal) has finally crossed the line from violent vigilante to full-on villain.
If you haven't watched yet, beware of major spoilers from this point on.
Episode 2 concluded with Matt Murdock (Charlie Cox) getting the confidential informant that was being roughed-up on the subway platform, Nicky Torres, to safety just seconds before the cops arrive. After being assaulted by the officers, Matt's old instincts kicked in and he left both men broken and battered, but still breathing.
Murdock convinces Torres to testify, while Cherry manages to keep him alive en route to court.
As for Wilson and Vanessa Fisk, without someone running their criminal empire, their underlings have resorted to hijacking and murder. Wilson tells his wife that this "type of violence" no longer concerns them, but a quick shot of the Kingpin's bruised knuckles suggests that he hasn't completely given up his old ways.
Terrified of repercussions from the cops, Torres changes his mind at the last second and denies being on the platform when Hector Ayala (Kamar de los Reyes) came to his aid. Matt then takes a gamble by putting Ayala on the stand and revealing his identity as the White Tiger to the world.
Reports of Ayala's heroic deeds as White Tiger gain him a lot of supporters (even among the NYPD), and Murdock's closing argument ultimately leads to him being found not guilty of all charges. Unfortunately, the emotional victory is short-lived.
Despite Matt doing his best to convince Hector to hang up his costume for good if he's acquitted, the vigilante suits-up again and takes to the streets to fight crime. The episode ends with a figure emerging from the shadows and executing White Tiger with a bullet to the head at close range. It's a tragic end for a genuine hero, and the closing credits roll to the sound of the coquí tree frog Hector told Matt about earlier in the episode by way of tribute.
As the mysterious individual walks towards the camera, we see that he's wearing the Punisher's signature skull symbol on his chest.
Did Castle actually pull the trigger? While the Punisher certainly isn't above killing someone in this manner, we're not sure what type of grudge he'd have against Ayala (would he really care that much about the death of a dirty cop?), and it's worth keeping in mind that we have seen several corrupt officers sporting skull tattoos.
Fisk sees Ayala's acquittal as an outrage, and instructs BB to run a story making his position on masked vigilantes very clear: the rule of law must prevail.
What did you make of the third episode of Daredevil: Born Again? Let us know in the comments section down below.
In Marvel Television's Daredevil: Born Again, Matt Murdock (Charlie Cox), a blind lawyer with heightened abilities is fighting for justice through his bustling law firm, while former mob boss Wilson Fisk (Vincent D'Onofrio) pursues his own political endeavors in New York. When their past identities begin to emerge, both men find themselves on an inevitable collision course.
The show also stars Margarita Levieva, Deborah Ann Woll, Elden Henson, Zabryna Guevara, Nikki James, Genneya Walton, Arty Froushan, Clark Johnson, Michael Gandolfini, with Ayelet Zurer and Jon Bernthal. Dario Scardapane is on board as showrunner.
Episodes are directed by Justin Benson & Aaron Moorhead, Michael Cuesta, Jeffrey Nachmanoff, and David Boyd; and executive producers are Kevin Feige, Louis D’Esposito, Brad Winderbaum, Sana Amanat, Chris Gary, Dario Scardapane, Christopher Ord & Matthew Corman, and Justin Benson & Aaron Moorhead.