When Daredevil season 2 landed in March of last year, fans were finally given something they thought would never happen: a version of The Punisher that was actually bloody brilliant, thanks in no small part to a tremendous performance by Jon Bernthal. A year and a half later, Frank Castle has his own series, but is it just as much of a success? Damn right it is.
The series starts with Castle thinking he’s done with being The Punisher. After hunting down the last of the Irish, the Bikers and the Cartel, Frank Castle (Jon Bernthal) now tries to live a quiet and reserved life, but old habits die hard. After receiving new evidence from the hacker David Lieberman, aka Micro (Ebon Moss-Bachrach), that there was more to his family’s murder than originally thought, Castle begins to wage another war for retribution.
The return of The Punisher leads him into the crosshairs of both the Head of Covert Ops at the CIA, Rawlins (Paul Schulze), looking to silence Frank for the atrocities they committed in Afghanistan, and Homeland Security Agent Dinah Madani (Amber Rose Revah), who wants justice for the murder of her partner at the hands of Castle and Rawlins.
We also learn more about Castle’s relationship with Billy Russo (Ben Barnes), who also spent time with Frank under the command of Rawlins. As the series develops, the bond between both men is put under immeasurable strain, especially during the latter half of the series.
As far as the plot goes, The Punisher is by far the most accessible and separated show in the Netflix shared universe. Though the returning Karen Page (Deborah Ann Woll) is in it, her involvement doesn’t nor isn’t an impact on the other shows. Basically, don’t worry about playing catch up if you decided to give Iron Fist a miss.
The pacing of the show is slow at first, but steadily escalates as the series progresses. As Punisher’s war for the truth intensifies, so does the tension in each episode. The stakes are constantly being raised throughout, leading up to bloody crescendo. Castle isn’t The Punisher you’d expect right out of the gate, and the series makes you wait for it, but it feels much more impactful when it finally happens.
This might disappoint those who were expecting 13 episodes of Garth Ennis inspired cold hearted slaughter, but come on. That was pretty foolish to begin with. TV shows need more depth than just the gratuitous violence, and Netflix’s Punisher provides that.
There are elements of Punisher Max in terms of how Frank is portrayed for those comic book fans. One of the key threads throughout the series is whether or not Castle was more comfortable at home or at war. The beauty of Bernthal’s Punisher is that he walks the line between the two, creating a more nuanced Castle as a result.
Again, this is aided by another strong performance by Bernthal, who appears to be in his element with this character. The flashbacks to Castle’s home life and his interactions with Micro’s wife Sarah (Jamie Ray Newman) and the kids allow Bernthal to channel the warmer sides of the character; the family man. And yet, that doesn’t diminish how believably vicious he is when the darker elements of the character come to the forefront.
The sections with Micro’s wife and children also help to establish the character of Micro as a loving family man trying to get his old life back. Because he faked his death, Lieberman sends Castle off to look after his family from time to time, which effectively establishes Micro’s character and how he’s trying to be there for his kids vicariously through Frank.
But it isn’t just Bernthal and Castle who command the screen. Characters like Curtis Hoyle (Jason R. Moore), who runs a support group for veterans, and Karen Page are the perfect foil to Castle’s reckless abandon; willing to help but wanting Frank to find a future beyond his next target. His interactions with both allow us to further understand the psyche of Frank, and how much he is willing to protect those he loves.
Dinah Madani is also captivating to watch. She displays the same determination and desire for retribution that Castle does, with the show essentially presenting both characters as two sides of the same coin. The show even explicitly states as much, with her partner Sam Stein (Micheal Nathanson) giving her the old “you know who you remind me of?” line.
Curtis’ support group for veterans gives the show a chance to tackle America’s treatment of veterans once they come back from active duty. How war affects the psyche is explored through both Castle, Curtis and other characters, leading to some gut-wrenching moments.
The Punisher also brings up issues like terrorism, using it as a comparison to how Castle operates. What gives Castle the right to take life and not other individuals? Does choosing to target criminals instead of civilians mean Castle isn’t a terrorist? Those are still people at the end of the day, and it’s that debate that makes for compelling viewing.
The series even dabbles in the gun control debate, specifically the belief that taking away guns is infringing upon civil liberties. It’s a hot button issue, but one that feels mishandled. The series seems to take umbrage with both sides, portraying the anti-gun control side as disenfranchised militants, yet the pro side is represented by a bumbling hypocrite politician who abhors guns yet hires a fully armed security detail.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lIY6zFL95hE
Seems like neither side come out of the series looking favourably, but perhaps that was the point. Jon Bernthal did an interview with ABC News saying how he liked that the show wasn’t preachy. Perhaps it’s not my place to comment, being from the other side of the Atlantic and all. It’s just something to think about as you watch the series.
In terms of negatives, Rawlins is probably the weakest part of the series, not through any fault of his screen time. He’s slimy, conniving and arrogant, all of which are effective villain traits. The issue is he’s not around enough, despite spending most of the series as the primary antagonist.
The key word there is primary; without spoiling anything, Castle has plenty of other dirtbags to punish and they’re compelling enough to compensate for Rawlins’ flaws. The series also sets itself up well for future villains, though that would saying too much. Perhaps that’s the subject for another article.
Ultimately, The Punisher should give fans what they’ve been looking for: a well-developed and wonderfully acted Frank Castle, supported by a mostly brilliant cast of characters. If you have at least a passing interest in the character, you should enjoy this series.
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