Luquillo is a beach near where I'm from in Puerto Rico. To me, it's the most beautiful place on Earth. White sand, palm trees, and the Coquí, this little tree frog. Doesn't croak. It sings its name. [he whistles] Ay, I laugh because... the tourists, man, they think it's noisy and annoying but, to us boricuas, it's a magical sound. And the Coquí, it mates for life, right? So every sunset, thousands of these frogs start calling out to their one and only love. It's the music of the island.
All S1
S1 E15Unfinished Business
Officer Powell, good morning. I'm told you have a black eye. I hope everything is okay.
Yeah, don't worry about it.
You know, there's thing they say in boxing: The, uh, the best cure for a black eye is fast hands.
DADistrict Attorney Hochberg
Objection!
JCJudge Cooper
Sustained. Come on, Mr. Murdock.
LLuca
I don't take orders from the mayor's errand boy!
I don't work for the mayor. I work for the man.
I don't like watching everything fall apart.
I respect that. You wanted to keep the peace. Sometimes, peace needs to be broken. Chaos must reign, just for a moment, to build a stronger order.
[Hector is testifying.]
You decided to risk your own safety to help a stranger. Wasn't the first time, was it?
I-- I don't understand.
Well, I'm just saying you put yourself in harm's way before. Many times. The question is, why?
Because he was in trouble.
You intervened that night 'cause you're a hero.
[realizing] Matt, don't do this.
[Matt retrieves something from an open leather bag.]
Matt, don't do this--!
[He pulls out the White Tiger mask and displays it before the court.]
Mr. Ayala, yes or no, are you the vigilante known as the White Tiger?
I don't think you understand. Being the White Tiger is more than just putting on a suit. It's who I am. It's a calling. I didn't choose it, it chose me. You might as well ask me to stop breathing.
There are other ways to help. Other ways to contribute. Ways that don't require a mask. You have to think about your family now. They need you. And for what it's worth, I think you might be surprised at how much you don't miss... being him.
Mr. Ayala, let's talk about Mr. and Mrs. Burgos. Why would you risk your life by running toward a burning car to save strangers?
It's the right thing to do.
What about Gianna Moreno? You again put yourself in harm's way. Why?
...It's the right thing to do.
And when you saw Officer Barlow was in trouble, you ran in when other's would've run out. Why?
It's the right thing to do.
The police said that Hector attacked them, that he came out of nowhere. That's what they said. But why would Hector, the White Tiger... Why would he do this without the amulet that gives him extraordinary strength and power? Would any of you walk into battle with one arm tied behind your back? I wouldn't. Every night, Hector Ayala goes out and risks his life to keep his neighborhood safe, to protect his community. So ask yourselves... does this sound like the type of man who would murder a police officer in cold blood? He is a man of integrity. The community says so... The police say so. The mask doesn't make the man. And whether Hector Ayala's wearing the White Tiger suit or not, he's a hero. Thank you.
[Murdock takes his seat. Hochberg stands.]
HHochberg
Yeah, you know, every morning, I get up, I kiss my wife, I call my kids. I go to work to serve the people of this great city, I go to church every Sunday, I sit in my usual pew, I give money to my parish, then I drive out to Queens to see my mother. Does that make me a "good" person? That was a trick question. See, frankly, it's a false premise. Good people can do bad things, bad people can do good things. Humans, all of us, we're-- we're... messy, complicated! Capable of good, capable of evil. Yes, Hector Ayala might have done some good things. Does that make him incapable of doing a bad thing? Of course not. Do you know what happens to a person when they get hit by a train? When you have 200,000 pounds of steel slam into you? All of your bones break, all of your organs are eviscerated, your body twists up like a circus balloon full of blood. But here's the kicker, you're still alive. You don't actually die until they back the train up and then your body, it just bursts. And that is exactly what happened to Officer Shanahan when Hector Ayala pushed him in front of that train. But we're supposed to be okay with that, right? Because he's done some nice things for people. Because it was the "right thing to do". Look around you. These men and women you see sitting here, they're officers of the law. They took an oath to protect, even in the face of danger. And every single day, these brave men and women show up to serve the people of this city -- to serve you, to serve me. And they do all that... without a mask. If Hector's sole intent was to do good for this community, why was he hiding?! Because the last time I checked, real heroes don't need to hide.
You see, my old partner and I, straight out of law school, we were so broke, we pooled about everything we had together for an office bottle of O'Melveny's. Only broke it open when we won. Needless to say, the first bottle lasted a very long time. Just a nice little reminder that, once in a while, the system works.
You're talking about your friend Foggy Nelson, right?
Yeah...
I was kinda wondering when you would.
It's not easy. He certainly knew how to enjoy the, ah... The good moments when they came.
Well then, here's to a man who cooks, a well-won case, and... Foggy Nelson. May God hold them all in the hollow of His hand.
Courts fail, juries get it wrong. I should know. And now, a masked vigilante, a murderer, is allowed to roam the streets. And a veteran of the NYPD lies dead. These vigilantes are a threat to any society that's based on the rule of law. A man who wears a mask to cover his face… is a coward. These vigilantes, they are not heroes. And I ran on a promise, and the acquittal of Hector Ayala demands that I keep it. The rule of law must prevail.
ADAngela Del Toro
I hate them, Mr. Murdock. I hate this city. No one is doing anything about it and no one's ever gonna do anything about it, 'cause he was just Hector from the Heights and they're the fucking cops!
[to Fisk and Vanessa] Without forgiveness -- and I say this to both of you -- there can be no real healing. Forgiveness isn't just the highest act of love, it's the only way forward.
My husband is capable of many, many things. Some of them extreme. Harming me is not one of them.
You, uh, doing the Lord's work today?
Yeah.
Hey, you couldn't have a weak link out there, could you?
What?
Or maybe it was pride. Ayala made you look bad, didn't he? Actually, he flat-out embarrassed you, and you can't have that at the NYPD. Is that why you did it?
...You have yourself a nice day, counselor.
He had a family. He had a future. And you took that away from him.
[Powell pushes Matt up against a wall.]
You can't see this badge, Counselor, 'cause you're fuckin' blind, but my grandfather wore this badge. My father wore this badge, my brother wears this badge, four of my fuckin' cousins wear this badge. They're all knuckleheads, but they're good cops. So I wear this fuckin' badge with honor, Counselor. And I don't know nothin' about nothin' to do with what happened to Hector Ayala.
[Matt listens to the cop's heartbeat -- steady.]
But here's something that I know -- an attorney who assaults a police officer? Who obstructs an active investigation? Not something that the Bar Association's gonna take lightly, if you catch my meaning. Not to mention, some of my more excitable colleagues on the force.
Yeah. Only... you'd have to bring a few more than the last time we met, wouldn't you?
LLeroy
Look, I said probation and I meant probation!
You took the stuff, Leroy! There is no probation to be had here, this is the best you're gonna get. So you tell me, how is this not a "good job, counselor" situation?
LLeroy
So you just wanna shove my ass into jail and I'm supposed to thank you? You just don't get it, do you? This shit never ends! Look, I've been jerked around by the system my whole life! Last time I got thirty days, you know what happened? I missed my SSI appointment and they cut my benefits. Bad enough trying to live on food stamps, but when they cut it? Man, it takes forever to get that shit back regular! Then you gotta start eating throw-away crap from supermarket dumpsters. Begging for change, for food... Yea-- And, yeah! Just once, I want a dessert. Something that don't taste like crap, something that tastes real good! So why'd I get the caramel corn? I liked that shit and it tastes good. And for that, they're willing to spend five times more to lock me up than they're willing to spend to feed me, and you come in here telling me that that's a gift?! That I should thank you?
[To Daniel] I've been around a lot of... Let's just say, I know how unreliable people can be. I've learned that loyalty and courage, two qualities that are... not easily replicated. [...] In the fullness of time, you'll make a better man. That said, if you ever do anything like that again, it will be the last thing that you ever do.
These quotes come from Wikiquote's Daredevil: Born Again pages and are available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.