Major spoilers for the latest episode of Daredevil: Born Again, “The Grand Design,” lie ahead.
The second season of Daredevil: Born Again is past its halfway point amid the 2026 TV schedule, and the drama is certainly palpable. Matt Murdock’s crusade for justice continues and, in the meantime, Wilson Fisk (a.k.a. The Kingpin) fights his own battles as the mayor of New York City. This week’s episode is quite heavy thematically, as it marks the death of a major character. At the same time, it does provide some bittersweet joy by way of the return of beloved character Franklin “Foggy” Nelson.
Born Again Delivers A Major Death That Will Impact Another Key Character
Last week, viewers saw Kingpin get dealt a tragic blow when his wife, Vanessa, was critically injured due to a glass shard being lodged into the side of her head. That unfortunate turn of events was set in motion after Bullseye attempted to attack Fisk following his charity boxing match win. (It was such a big development that even The Watcher apparently had his eyes on it.) This week’ s installment sees Vanessa being rushed to a hospital, where she undergoes a lengthy emergency surgery.
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As a whole, “The Grand Design” serves as something of a tribute to Vanessa, who also appears in flashbacks set during the era of Netflix’s Daredevil. Fans see glimpses of her time working at the art gallery shortly before meeting Fisk. (There’s even a bit of added context regarding the Rabbit in a Snowstorm painting). In the present day, Vanessa’s surgery appears successful, though the surgeon suggests Fisk be cautiously optimistic about her recovery. Eventually, Vanessa wakes up in her room and seems as vibrant as ever.
Vanessa eventually asks Fisk to tell her about the time they met, which he happily obliges to. The warm scene takes a cold turn, however, when Vanessa begins to go into shock and, within a matter of moments, she passes away, leaving Wilson devastated.
Now that Kingpin is without the woman he loves, it’s easy to assume he’s not exactly going to handle it well.
Foggy Nelson Returns As Part Of A Sentimental Subplot
The anticipated return of the deceased Foggy Nelson comes in the form of flashbacks in this latest episode, which show Foggy and Matt’s time as young paralegals saving money for their own firm. As part of this subplot, the two pals are tasked with overseeing a case that coincidentally involves a childhood friend/bully of Foggy’s named Lionel McCoy, who refuses to take a plea deal in his case. However, Foggy and Matt eventually discover a legal technicality that would free McCoy, and the two pals argue over the merits of freeing him.
In time, though, Nelson convinces his buddy to pursue the route that will free McCoy instead of getting the plea deal as directed. Lionel’s situation is also linked to Kingpin, who wants him silenced. To get that done, Fisk’s right-hand man, the late James Wesley, hires an old associate, who turns out to be Buck Cashman (Fisk’s aid in the present day). However, when Buck arrives at Lionel’s to do the deed, he’s already left after having been convinced by Foggy, who also gives him the money he and Matt were saving for their law firm.
Although this subplot may seem inconsequential in the long run, it does perfectly exemplify why Foggy is such a beloved part of this mythology. His ideals and sense of empathy have been grounding elements, and they’re very much missed. But, right now, there’s more to be concerned about in the present day, given the potential impact of Vanessa Fisk’s death.
New episodes of Daredevil: Born Again drop on Tuesdays at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m PT and can be streamed with a Disney+ subscription.
