Daredevil: Born Again, Episode 5: Product placements, ableist punchlines, and one hell of a comeback

At first glance, episode 5 of Daredevil: Born Again might seem like a stylish breather, a pause between the heavy arc of the first four episodes and the chaos yet to come. But that would be a mistake because this chapter doesn’t just pivot the narrative—it slices through a different enemy: ableism.

Without Fisk, without explosions, without even much darkness, this episode delivers something sharper. It’s a 40-minute social critique that uses irony, humor, and restraint to expose how disabled people, especially blind people, are treated in systems built for everyone else.

In Daredevil: Born Again, ableism isn’t subtle — it’s the target

When a group of masked robbers storms the bank where Matt Murdock just had his loan denied, they treat his presence like a joke. One throws out a line dripping with mockery:

"We have a blind man, do we have a deaf one as well?"

Another follows it up with:

"A blind solicitor and, hold for it, an orphan?"

And earlier, one of them barks:

"On your knees, Stevie Wonder."

These are not just tasteless lines. They are the embodiment of everyday ableism and serve as punchlines in a high-stakes situation. But Daredevil: Born Again doesn’t let them stand. The script hands the mic back to Matt with a line that lands with quiet force:

"Just 'cause I’m blind doesn’t mean I need your pity."

And that’s the heart of this episode. No grand speech. No flashy comeback. Just clarity.

A Funko Pop (or two), a Guinness, and a system that doesn’t see him

Earlier in the episode, Yusuf Khan, Kamala's father and the assistant bank manager, proudly shows Matt a Funko Pop of Ms. Marvel. He lifts the figure and says:

"This is her right here,"

as if he were presenting a portrait. He goes on to describe the details out loud, the costume, the pose, the look. Matt, of course, is blind.

The moment plays lighthearted on the surface. But the irony cuts deep. A visual object being described to someone who cannot see it. Not out of malice, but out of a systemic failure to understand how to actually connect. It’s a symbol of how people with disabilities are often treated, not with cruelty, but with well-meaning detachment from their reality.

Right after that, Matt's loan is denied. It’s bureaucracy at work, but the subtext is clear. The same man seen as worthy of admiration is seen as untrustworthy on paper. And then, not long after, that same bank becomes the target of an armed robbery. The entire structure crumbles - not metaphorically, but literally - and the blind man everyone underestimated becomes the one in control.

Even the negotiation with the criminals turns into another punchline for capitalism. Detective Kim tries to defuse the situation with:

"Don’t wanna come out and grab a Guinness?"

A brand tossed into a hostage crisis. A beer ad in the middle of fear. It’s comedy with bite, and Daredevil: Born Again leans fully into the absurdity.

Ableism meets its match in Matt Murdock in this interlude in Daredevil: Born Again

None of the robbers consider Matt a threat. He’s invisible to them until he acts. That’s not just plot convenience - that’s commentary. He’s underestimated because of what he looks like, how he moves, what they think he can’t do.

And yet, Matt remains unshaken. Calm. Tactical. He opens the vault before anyone realizes he’s moving. He outsmarts them in silence. And when Yusuf asks,

"Exactly what kind of lawyer are you?"

Matt simply says:

"A very good one."

That moment doesn’t just land. It defines the episode. Because ableism expects fragility. What it gets instead is precision.

A punchline that echoes beyond the episode in Daredevil: Born Again

This episode could have been forgettable—a filler, a setup for something bigger in the world of Daredevil: Born Again. But it chooses a different path. It takes the opportunity to frame ableism not as something abstract, but as something insidious and constant. It shows how it hides in jokes, bureaucracy, gifts that don’t make sense, and decisions made without ever seeing the person in front of you.

Matt doesn’t give speeches. He doesn’t call it out. He just moves through it with purpose. And in doing so, he exposes everyone else.

Episode 5 of Daredevil: Born Again isn’t just one hell of a comeback. It’s a quiet war against assumptions and a reminder that the most powerful line in the episode wasn’t thrown. It was delivered with calm, conviction, and zero pity.