In the two episode premiere of Daredevil: Born Again, Bullseye is heavily featured in the show’s shocking opening scene. Death follows him everywhere he goes, but why was he actually there? What was his goal? Who sent him? None of these questions are answered in the premiere. They’re left burning in our minds.
SPOILERS BELOW.
In the premiere of Born Again, Bullseye shows up and shoots Foggy Nelson straight in the chest, killing him, but why? What was the point? The show seems to want us to think it was just an act of vengeance against Daredevil, but I don’t think so. There are some hints that point towards Bullseye’s appearance being a specifically targeted hit put out on Foggy Nelson. It wasn’t just random violence or revenge. Poindexter was hired to kill Foggy, but not by the Kingpin.
Who is Dumb Benny?
Before Foggy is killed, he is talking with Kirsten about a client of his that he refers to as Dumb Benny. We have very little information about who this person is, but we know a bit about what he was involved in, and we know Foggy very confidently believes he will walk. Benny then calls Foggy concerned that people are coming to kill him. Matt overhears the conversation, asks Foggy about it, and Foggy says, “After that thing in Red Hook…” Benny believed there were bad people after him, so Foggy was letting him stay in his home. Benny calls him again, and it’s clear people are actually coming to kill him, so Matt suits up as Daredevil, only to be distracted long enough for Bullseye to kill Foggy.
The Significance of Red Hook
In a later scene, we see Vanessa acting in place of the Kingpin as the head of New York City crime. She sits down with several crime bosses who are arguing over something that happened in Red Hook. It’s kept very intentionally vague, but Vanessa reminds them that Red Hook is exempt from “taxes, tolls, and other payment.” Clearly, Red Hook is important to the crime families. In episode three, Red Hook is brought up again after a goon for one of the head families kills two other thugs from a different family. Vanessa has to smoothe this one over too by forcing one crime head to pay the other reparations. Kingpin clearly has some interest in Red Hook too as he wants the police to put a lot of resources into the area.
Vanessa Ordered Foggy’s Death
Bullseye was not there by accident. He did not show up simply seeking revenge against Daredevil. Foggy was protecting a client that undoubtedly had some information into the shady dealings and happenings at Red Hook, and was likely going to testify, revealing whatever he knows to the public. Foggy’s death was a hit, but it wasn’t put out into the criminal underworld by Kingpin. He was recovering after being shot in the face during the events of Echo. It’s clear that Vanessa was running his criminal empire while he was away. It’s also clear that Red Hook is of interest to that empire. Therefore, Vanessa ordered the hit on Foggy.
If this proves to be true, that will give Daredevil a reason to go up against his nemesis, the Kingpin, once more. Kingpin, while he clearly can’t leave his old life entirely behind, does seem to not want any conflict with The Man Without Fear, but if his wife ordered the hit on Foggy, Daredevil will be coming for her and, therefore, Kingpin as well. I’ve been wondering what is eventually going to bring Daredevil and Fisk to blows once again, and this very well may be it.
There’s a lot of speculation that Foggy isn’t actually dead. There’s a Daredevil comic run in which Foggy “dies”, Matt hears his heart stop beating, but then he isn’t even dead. There are hints that this may be the case, but that would be somewhat disappointing. While I’d love to see more of his character, bringing Foggy back from the dead or revealing that he never really died would make his death feel even more cheap than it already does.
Do you think Vanessa ordered the hit on Foggy? Is he even really dead? Let me know in the comments!