Marvel promised Born Again, but Episode 3 delivered something deeper: a powerful tribute to the White Tiger that hit me right at home.

Daredevil: Born Again continues to explore Matt Murdock’s dual life as a lawyer and vigilante in Hell’s Kitchen. Episode 3, “The Hollow of His Hand,” delves into the trial of Hector Ayala, also known as White Tiger, accused of murdering an undercover police officer. And Matt’s on it, man. He defends Hector Ayala, played by the late Kamar de los Reyes, and the charges are pretty serious. Whether he did it directly or indirectly, there are several different charges on the table for the jury.

But the episode goes deeper than that. It covers justice and identity and systemic corruption, and at its core it becomes a really poignant tribute to Puerto Rican culture. That tribute is woven into the whole thing.

My partner Gonzo has said it felt contrived in some areas, and I don’t know that he’s wrong. What I said to him exactly was: I get it, but I don’t care.

Far Better Than the First Two

This episode’s far better, far superior to me, than the first two were. The first episode wasn’t my favorite cup of tea. It felt glossy. I know some of you in the comment section on the previous video said, “what do you mean by glossy?” By glossy I just mean it’s got that Marvel sheen to it, whereas Netflix was always much grittier. It felt more grounded.

This is much closer. I’m hoping that as the season progresses we’re going to get more of that, especially in light of that ending, which I found very controversial.

There was very little daredeviling happening in Daredevil, though. And to go any further I have to start spoiling it, so this is your one and only warning. We’re going to talk about it. It’s what we do here in the Know-It-All Nation. I’m not going beat by beat. Broad strokes.

Matt Is Daredevil

Charlie Cox has embraced wholly and completely his persona as Daredevil. To me, Daredevil and Matt Murdock are interchangeable. It’s almost like Batman and Bruce Wayne: Batman is who he is, Bruce Wayne is his persona. I believe we’re seeing more and more of a lean toward the idea that Matt is Daredevil.

Matt’s got to out Hector as White Tiger. At the end of last episode they thought they had the witness. They bring the witness to court, and he’s so intimidated. You have the entire gallery full of police officers staring the man down while Matt’s question is setting him up to say that the police officer who just testified is a liar. Dude’s not going to go down like that. So he turns and decides not to talk, and as a result Matt has no choice.

So he puts Hector on the stand. He asks him how he helped, and Hector explains the whole situation the way we saw it. Matt’s like, why would you do that? Why would you run toward danger? And Hector says it’s the right thing to do, that guy needed help. And Matt goes, well, I understand it’s not the first time you’ve helped people before, is it? Hector’s like, excuse me, what? And then Matt pulls the thing out.

The judge is so mad. You, who lectured me about right and wrong. And Matt tells him: they somehow got to my star witness. My hand was forced. What he’s done as the White Tiger speaks to his strength, his character.

I knew it out the gate. I was like, yeah, he had no choice.

Where the Episode Becomes Something Else

Then Matt has a conversation with Hector, and this is the moment for me where the episode began to shift from just being Daredevil to really being the story of not only White Tiger but, I believe firmly, the legacy of Kamar de los Reyes.

It’s funny. So whenever I see Puerto Ricans put out there and I hear the name Reyes, I feel that connection to my own family, especially because it’s a small world. If you’re a Reyes in New York City, chances are you’re related. Obviously Hector is a fictional character, but you get what I’m saying.

Matt tells him flat out: you realize now that this is out, you’re not going to be able to be White Tiger anymore. And Hector says, I think you understand, being the White Tiger is more than just putting on a suit. It’s who I am. It’s a calling. Matt even tries to tell him, you’ll be surprised how easy it is, eventually you won’t even miss it. He’s talking firsthand, obviously.

And it got me in my feelings, because Hector is talking about being Puerto Rican and his culture and everything else, and it really reminded me. I was born in New York, right off Jamaica Avenue. I grew up there till I was eight years old, and then my grandmother decided, you know what? She can turn a phrase, okay. Grandma Know-It-All can turn a phrase. She said, “I saw the neighborhood becoming more hood than neighborhood.” So she and my grandfather decided to move, and they moved to Florida. That’s where I ultimately grew up till I was 30, and then I came up here to Atlanta.

So when Hector tells the story of going to the bodega, and the story of Puerto Rico and the coquí, it’s wonderfully true and poignant.

A Puerto Rican Hero I Never Knew Was There

I texted Gonzo immediately and said, oh my gosh, you have no idea. One, how did I not know there was a Puerto Rican hero? And two, one who isn’t La Borinqueña?

I say La Borinqueña because that’s a Puerto Rican Superwoman, or Supergirl slash Wonder Woman. I have a little statuette that my late aunt got for me. It’s very important to me, and the creator signed it and everything. So there is a Puerto Rican hero who wears the flag, literally, as their moniker. I never knew that in popular comic book fiction there was one.

I was familiar with the character of White Tiger, because I think there was a storyline, if I’m not mistaken, with Black Panther, White Tiger, the Silver Ape and other characters, where the jungle characters all came together. It was a long time ago, probably in the 80s or something. But I had no clue this character existed.

I’m really interested to see what they’re going to do now that the character is gone, because in the comics his niece takes up the mantle. This character does have a niece. Chances are they may never touch on that again, but I think that would be a mistake, frankly. There are opportunities there, especially if you’re potentially looking to do the Young Avengers thing they’ve talked about. I don’t think they are, but if they do, she could totally be an asset. Remember: magic amulet. Mystical amulet.

What Gonzo Sees, and What Actually Got Me

Gonzo and I were texting just before I started recording, and he says: “Not jaded, just seeing a perspective that has been squashed down.”

His perspective is, look, we grew up very much in that culture. We grew up with Puerto Rican Day and all the different trappings in New York. Having the flag up in our houses, the whole nine yards. You’ve got to have the sticker on your license plate, on your bumper. You’ve got to have the shirt. The whole thing. We grew up in that culture.

I agree with him that, though I was moved by all of that, it’s not ultimately what pushed me. What really pushed me was the very end of everything, the sound of the coquí and the crashing waves. There’s a part right after that speech where Matt says to him, “It’s the music of the island. You’re going to see that beach again, Hector. I promise.”

It was emotional, to say the least. The Puerto Rican elements, the coquí call and all of that, are important the same way Gonzo talks about them. But that connection is really what mattered.

The Tribute to Kamar de los Reyes

Kamar de los Reyes, who portrayed Hector Ayala, the White Tiger, passed away December 24th, 2023, after a battle with cancer. His portrayal brought depth and authenticity to the character, leaving a lasting impact, I hope, on the audience. The episode’s dedication to Puerto Rican culture honors his legacy, and I feel like that’s special. I do think they absolutely should continue the story of White Tiger.

“The Hollow of His Hand” really stands out as a powerful episode, and it’s an intense legal drama. By the way, I didn’t miss Daredevil. I know a lot of people are like, all right, about time to get back to Daredevil. But this is what it means to write well. This is what it means to be really good at your job. These writers handled the material.

Fisk, the Acquittal, and That Symbol

Then there’s the whole Fisk angle, everything going on in the background, because Vanessa and him are at odds. But at the very end, Fisk is angry that Hector gets acquitted, and that is going to set the tone. He invites the reporter back and tells her it was a miscarriage of justice. She’s like, but a jury of his peers, and the whole bit. And Fisk says he ran on the promise that these vigilantes wouldn’t get away with it anymore, and he has to keep that promise.

Then they cut away. White Tiger’s running toward the sound of someone calling for help. Someone steps up, walks toward the camera and past it. They’re wearing a vest, they have a hood on, and you see the Punisher symbol.

Look, I don’t for one second believe that’s Frank. Not at all. But they’ve built a compelling story and argument, and I can definitely see Frank and Matt going at it again. Because of who he is, Matt’s going to find out. I believe firmly this is the inciting incident that’s going to get him back in the suit. We’re going to see daredeviling happening next week.

So let me make some predictions. He’s going to go hunting after Frank, because someone’s going to say, I saw a guy, I remember a silhouette or something, and he’s going to be like, oh, it’s him. And he’s going to hunt him down. If you remember the trailers, he sees an overgrown Frank, the beard. I guarantee it’s not him. But we’ll talk about that later.

There you go, now you know, and if knowing is half the battle you’re halfway to being a know-it-all yourself.

The Verdict

Daredevil: Born Again Episode 3, “The Hollow of His Hand,” has two numbers on the Know-It-All Index. I say a 10 out of 10, but I believe Kamar de los Reyes deserves a 9 out of 10: for being an amazing actor, for it being an amazing story, and for ultimately opening the door.

This is inclusivity I can get behind, because I am Puerto Rican and White Tiger was my hero. At least now. And I’m going to start doing my research.

If you’re not reading the comics, go check out the comics. You get an opportunity to really delve into who these characters are a little better. A lot of people talk about how the MCU does nothing to get people back into reading comics, and I just can’t believe that.

When this went up, the next episode was dropping that same night, and the day after at 2:00 Eastern, Gonzo and I premiered our very first Daredevil: Born Again after show, about 30 minutes diving into what happened in the episode and really getting into some of those story beats.

Let me know what you think. Did the tribute land for you the way it landed for me, or are you with Gonzo that parts of it felt contrived? The conversation lives in the comments on the video above. And never forget, everyone loves a know-it-all.