The Punisher: Season 2 REVIEW – Jon Bernthal Shines Again

It was always going to be a tall order following on from a strong first season and The Punisher’s dramatic initial entrance in season two of Daredevil. The first season was an intense, moody and brutal rollercoaster of a ride where we saw Frank Castle on a mission to exact his revenge on those responsible for his family’s death. Whilst some of the characters and subplots carry on from the first season, the main narrative is new territory. Season one creator Steve Lightfoot returns and brings with him the same style and tone he previously incorporated in The Punisher’s first outing.

The pre-title sequence intro to season two of The Punisher delivers exactly what you would expect: a blood covered Frank Castle in a car chase, followed by a high octane shoot out. This thirty second opening scene not only provides what all Punisher fans are after but also immediately piques your curiosity. As the title credits role, viewers will immediately be trying to guess and figure out how exactly Castle has got himself into yet another compromising situation. This sequence is of course a flash forward and the rest of the episode focuses on the build up to this explosive moment.

When the credits have rolled we are presented with quite a bizarre scene: Frank Castle standing at a bar with a big smile plastered on his face, tapping his foot to the music. Although it is clear both from the pre-title intro sequence and the source material that this moment of happiness isn’t going to last, there is something heartwarming about the scene. The tension and pacing is brilliantly built up in the first episode and similar to the first season, there are a few moments where things almost blow up but it turns out that they are only red herrings. This reinforces the underlying tension and suspense and makes the eventual inciting incident all the more dramatic.

One of the strongest aspects of this opening episode is how the characters are introduced. Although Castle’s relationship with the barmaid Beth is only brief and doesn’t last, she is an investing and well fleshed out character. The scene where Castle, Beth, and her son are having pancakes at a diner is particularly powerful, as for a moment it feels Frank has finally found some sense of belonging. It also opens the fresh wound that is Castle’s deceased son and how it still greatly affects him, even after having exacted his revenge in season one. Rachel who later becomes a very important character to the show is introduced literally crossing paths with Castle. She is in trouble with some bad people and Castle being Castle steps in to lend a hand. It is an effective way of implementing a new character, as you feel invested with Rachel early on due to the perilous situation she finds herself in.

The choreography and fight sequences in the first three episodes are amazing with some truly inspired scenarios where see Castle doing what he does best. The bar fight in the first episode works so well for a number of reasons. The choreography is brutal, flawless and intense, the camerawork is slick and fluid and the build up from the start of the episode to the close is perfectly achieved. During the fight scene in the toilets and the shoot out in the motel we see Castle using combat strategy to outsmart his opponents. This not only provides satisfaction and entertainment when watching, but also highlights how tactical and lethal Castle can be when pushed into a corner.

The whole of the third episode is a stroke of genius and feels very much like an ode to Assault on Precinct 13. The scenario of Castle and Rachel in a local police station under attack isn’t an exactly original concept but it is so well executed that it is a pure delight to watch. Again the suspense is what makes it so engrossing, as the lights go out and everyone inside the station waits nervously for the onslaught to begin. When the attack does happen it is a non stop unrelenting shootout and the balance between action and suspense is what makes the whole episode so impacting.

The new villain for season two, John Pilgrim, is truly terrifying and whilst the approach they have gone for is slightly old testament, it is very well presented and utilised. Josh Stewart gives a chilling performance and there is something extremely menacing about how measured, calm, and direct his character is. There is something always highly disturbing about characters with fanatical ideals who belong to cults and John Pilgrim is exactly that, making him unwavering and driven in his task. Unfortunately from episode four onward Pilgrim takes a back step, and suddenly Billy Russo gets all the focus.

The returning villain is a great inclusion, as it continues a strong storyline already established in season one. However it does feel that between episode four and nine that Russo steals too much of the limelight. In fact some of the creative storytelling decisions seem a bit odd in season two. In the first few episodes it is established that Castle and Rachel are on the run from Pilgrim. This cat and mouse chase style works beautifully, as there is this sense of rolling momentum and rhythm to the episodes. This core narrative is interspersed with scenes and sequences focusing on Dinah Madani, Billy Russo and Curtis Hoyle individual storylines. This works well because it adds more surrounding content to the show, continuing to develop the other characters but at the same time not so much that it diverts attention away from the main storyline.

So it is a bit perplexing when the storylines suddenly switch when Russo escapes from the hospital. This could have worked well if the right balance had been struck between the two storylines but it feels like as soon as Russo escapes, the core focus of the season switches to him. Madani brings Castle and Rachel to New York to deal with the rogue Russo. At first it sort of makes sense and having Castle caught between two villains and not knowing which one to take on first, adds an extra layer of complexity to the story. Castle flits between the two, in one instance trying to take on Russo and in the next trying to help Rachel with her problem. As a character development it might have worked well having him struggle with both objectives because his attention is not solely focused on one. However it just doesn’t really correlate with Castle as a character, who is ex-military, tactical and highly skilled, meaning that he would prioritize which problem to tackle first.

There is quite an interesting dynamic between Castle and Rachel which starts off being very reminiscent of the relationship between Joel and Ellie in The Last of Us. At first neither one trust each other, Castle keeping her tied to the bed to stop her from escaping and Rachel trying to sell out Castle the first chance she gets. As they spend more time together they grow a fondness for each other and the scene where they kidnap a politician shows how effective they work as a team when they combine their talents. Unfortunately there are only a few instances of this and most of the time Rachel is locked away in a safe house whilst Frank goes out to take care of business. The section where Castle is teaching Rachel how to defend herself is great but there is not enough of this sort of material which is a shame.

Billy Russo’s storyline has a lot of interesting ideas but never seems to quite see them through to completion. The episodes and sequences where he dons the Jigsaw mask to carry out heists and robberies are superb, as being close to the original source material it has a comic style and tone to it. Aspects of his relationship with the therapist Krista Dumont are really interesting, as they develop this strange co dependency with one another. Her determination to reform him even after everything he does is initially admirable but after a while it becomes a bit too far fetched and the kinky sex element is just plain weird.

The first season of The Punisher delivered the necessary punches when it needed to, but was also not afraid to spend a suitable amount of time on character development and extended dialogue sequences. Whilst I love watching Castle dishing out some serious punishment, I also enjoy the fact that the show takes the time to mature and grow the characters through heavy dialogue scenes. However in season two the mid season episodes are a little too slow and some of the dialogue and conversation sequences don’t seem particularly necessary in developing the characters and moving the story forward. There are some great moments between episodes four and nine, including important bonding between Castle and Rachel, some interesting backstory of Dr. Dumont and some epic Castle fight scenes but they are few and far between. The scenes where the characters are unsure what to do and talking things over is realistic to how real people would be in a compromising situation. Unfortunately it seems to linger and gestate too long on these sequences, causing the story to lose a bit of its momentum and drive.

The good news that from episode ten onwards the show really begins to pick up pace again. It just feels a lot tighter and smoother. There is still a certain amount of dialogue-focused scenes but it is fairly balanced with action sequences that are thrilling and shocking to behold. The various storylines and trajectories have come together making for a more focused and united conclusion to the season. Certain characters that have become a little overlooked in previous episodes gain more screen time, in particular Rachel and Pilgrim who are used really effectively in the last few episodes. There are also some clever pieces of storytelling that felt a little absent in the mid season episodes, which allow for a handful of surprises and twists that will have you gripped to the settee once more.

Jon Bernthal’s performance is once again phenomenal and there are some scenes in the later episodes of the season where Castle is pouring out his heart that are immensely moving. Overall Ben Barnes’ performance is very strong and his anger and frustration at not being able to remember past events is very well acted. There are a handful of sequences where his performance is slightly over the top but for the most part his acting is rather impressive. The supporting cast are terrific which stop the show from relying too heavily on the lead protagonists but their characters never feel they are developed and explored to their full potential.

Season two has all the right components to make it a spectacular Punisher addition and almost manages to pull it off. The first three episodes are outstanding and capture all things fundamentally Frank Castle. The last three episodes are also fantastic and the finale is gripping, cleverly conceived and a satisfying conclusion. Unfortunately there is a bit of a lull in the middle of the season where the pace is a little too slow and the characters don’t really seem to know what they are doing. Despite this, I highly recommend you still give the second season a watch because the stuff it does get right is so well executed that the not so great bits can be overlooked. Frank Castle starts off strong, loses his way in the middle but finishes on a high note as the one and only Punisher we all know and love.

In many ways it’s a shame that The Punisher may not be returning for a third season because it is such a beloved Marvel character and Jon Bernthal has done such a tremendous job of presenting us the best on-screen Frank Castle to date. The scope and potential of what Punisher stories could be adapted in further seasons makes the thought of a cancellation frustrating. However, there is some solace in the fact that the season ended with some semblance of closure. A lot of ongoing narratives come to a natural end and so it can be seen as a fitting finale to a great show if it follows the same fate as other Marvel Netflix shows.