The Punisher "Roadhouse Blues"
That was AWESOME! And do you know the part I found most awesome? The first 3/4's of the episode where Frank is trying to relate normally to other people. It's quite endearing, as his entire relationship to Beth the bartender.
Beth. I love Beth.. I love Alexa Davalos from Angel too (she played Electric Gwen) and as fond as Frank instantly seems of her (he likes her enough to tell her his real name after a couple of hours) I honestly believe she fell in love with him that very night. Isn't that just absolutely crazy and wonderful, and an unexpected thing to get from a one-night-stand? It boggles the mind how good with her kid Frank is. The kid has every right to be frightened to see Frank in his house, and he diffuses tension by telling the kid he's right to worry, because for all he knows he could be a Rangers fan. I think Frank is not a very insightful person if he thinks killing people is acceptable, especially since his actions on Daredevil were first degree mass murder. But he seems to instantly get how to relate to kids and the potential threat they could see him as.
I like her making Frank promise he's not an ahole, but him refusing because only aholes promise that. Maybe Frank's more insightful than I thought. He's certainly still an ahole.
The scene at the pancake house was excellent, because the kid Rex is asking questions that are both embarrassing and sensitive to Frank, that his mother does not want him asking. And she's pleadingly looking for Frank not to lose his cool, and he's trying to figure out the best way to talk about his dead son without telling the kid he's dead. It's just an amazing, small and intimate scene, that I love that both Frank and Beth navigate it successfully. Stuff like that is why I love the episode.
Why does the band in the roadhouse keeping playing while everybody is murdering each other in the bar? I suspect the show thought that would be funny. Instead, just I think it's dumb.
My first thought upon seeing Rachel stuck in the bathroom window: "Oh bother." I couldn't have been the only one.
Frank Castle is like Matt Murdock and Danny Rand in that he has romantic and intimate sex rather than degrading and raunchy sex like Jessica Jones and Luke Cage do. I gotta say the scene is much more enjoyable to watch because of that fact. Frankly Luke Cage and Jessica Jones are probably both really lousy lays.
That was fabulous. People are definitely going to buzz about how "awesome" the fights in the bar and the bathroom were, but as far as I'm concerned they were the least important thing in the episode to me. It's the human drama that I absolutely loved. As a franchise I hate the character and comic of The Punisher. As a TV show, it's actually quite good. No denying it. Not after this.
Fantastic. Five Stars.
The Punisher "Fight Or Flight"
There is something about this episode that I find extremely disturbing. Maybe I shouldn't be bothered, because we saw the same dynamic with Micro last year, but when Frank is tying and gagging Rachel up, we are supposed to think it's funny, and what this chick has coming to her for being so stupid. And that's how I feel. Weird, right? I should not ever be made to feel that way about a man violently mistreating a woman. Yeah, with Micro there was some added torture (Frank freely admits here he treats woman kinder than men, which is why he rescued her) but it's not like the situation isn't actually horrific anyways, whether he's using kid gloves or not.
It's super effective television that is triggering responses in me that I should not have to feel. And if the show were doing so to prove a point about how terrible Frank is that would be one thing. But they think it's funny too. Which is actually messed up. I don't approve of that.
I was very relieved Beth survived, and I would not have thought any less of her had she given Pilgrim Frank's real name. It's only a first name after all. But really I wouldn't have minded because the second Pilgrim learns it he's going to lose. He would be safer just calling the mission a loss and moving on. But I would not begrudge Beth for deciding to protect her son simply because there is no damage that can happen to Frank just by Pilgrim learning who he is. The only people in Ohio Frank cares about are the Quinns and they are already on Pilgrim's radar. The more Beth could possibly give, the more certain he's going to lose. Either way I wish we had returned to her at the end of the season.
I find Dr. Dumont unsettling. The fact that she never flinches at Billy's outbursts says she's damaged.
My favorite thing is the bloody money. Do you know why I love it so? It raises eyebrows to both of the people it passes to, but it is never actually commented on. Money is money. I love that. It's a super funny small touch. I actually laughed at it.
The hotel lady is nothing but a nuisance. Which is why she survived. She's not a big enough jerk to be punished for it, and not a nice enough person to be anything but a thorn (admittedly a minor one). I actually found her being so combative and bad at her job quite funny.
Pilgrim not wanting to hear profanity for some reason strikes me as extremely maddening. This individual, whoever he is, values the wrong things, and is clearly not in his right mind. The never swearing thing was also the creepiest thing about the Mayor on Buffy The Vampire Slayer. And we all saw how that went.
That Sheriff was a pretty sharp guy. I instantly liked him.
I enjoyed the episode, but frankly, I don't actually LIKE the fact that I enjoyed the episode. ***1/2.
The Punisher "Trouble The Water"
I love that Frank got everyone in that station out alive. And I'll tell why I like this part of the season compared to both the first and Daredevil. This isn't vigilantism, or payback, vengeance. It's war. And in war I do not have the objections to lethal force I normally attach to the Punisher's actions. The fact that he let the guy he shot in the stomach live while Pilgrim killed him shows his mindset is different in this specific scenario. He could always go back to being a sociopath in a future season. But I don't see any future seasons coming, do you?
The one thing in the episode I hated was Russo leading Dumont out of the hospital in that dumb Jigsaw mask. As if it isn't totally ludicrous, and as if he wouldn't be attracting ALL kinds of the wrong attention in that. SO dumb.
I love that Rachel gave the deputy back his five at the end. As far as moral victories go, it's pretty small, but he looked over the moon about it anyways. As he should. He is a hero. The fiver proves it.
It's good to have the Devil on your side. Watch out, New York. ****.
The Punisher "Scar Tissue"
Facial reconstruction or not, Billy should look a LOT worse than that after what Frank did to him with the mirror. You ever notice that current TV refuses to disfigure or majorly scar their hot actors? It's like the Beast from the Beauty and the Beast remake on the CW was supposedly a beast because he had a scar on his face, which did not do anything to diminish how hot his young actor was. In MY day, Beasts put on lion prosthetics, and looked like craggy-ass Ron Perlman BEFORE they even put the ugly make-up ON! I do not buy Billy as scarred or hideous while he is still a total hunk.
Also why would Obamacare pay for facial reconstruction of a mass murderer in the first place? Plothole.
Speaking of which, I am dismayed that Dumont seems to be falling in love with him. Which leads me to think she is simply bad at her job. She is so screwed.
Which happened to the kid on the bus and the old pedo who worked at the group home is why you should never, ever antagonize strangers, especially ones that seem mentally unstable. We can chalk the kid on the bus' death up to a Darwin Award, but the coach? How is it he doesn't know exactly who Billy is? His name has been plastered all over the news. If he had picked up a newspaper once in awhile, he'd know to tread lightly and might even still be alive.
I love Mahoney, but I think he's a little too self-righteous for his own good. That is why I loved the look on his face when Madani called his bluff. He has a pretty stellar reputation due to his association with Daredevil, and she was mean enough to remind him that her shooting him makes him look incompetent too. If Mahoney had a weaker reputation, maybe he'd let the chips fall where they may. But he might become a laughingstock if that got out. Excellent poker move by Madani.
But can I also say that Madani DOES suck at her job? It's bad enough she shoots the poor guy. But she starts screaming at him as if it's his fault before she even knows if he is okay. That is a rant you make to the fool AFTER they dust themselves off, not the second they are just shot.
Do you know what was cool? When Amy talks about Frank not knowing what it was like to see everyone he cared about die, he lets her believe that. It deeply pains him to remember right then what she just made him, but right now? This is HER trauma, and Frank does not decide to make it about himself, or some sort of grief contest. Which is really cool. What I especially like is that once Amy finds out his backstory, she actually appreciates the fact that he did not throw that in her face in that moment. Which was very cool.
I also like that Frank lets her hit him. She needed to, and he let her. He isn't always cool about things like that (as seen later in the season).
I love the moment where Amy, a cute white girl, tells an ethnic computer clerk that he was being racist by mentioning Arabian bazaars. If somebody gets accused of racism, I have normally found it's a white person making the accusation against a person of color, and I have also found that usually the white person actually knows deep down it isn't true, and is trying to make the person they accuse of that feel bad and defensive on purpose. That was a perfect example of that, especially considering she was defending the race that he probably belonged to. The confused and annoyed look her gave her said everything. This is probably not the first person he has met who has done this. But it's STILL always awkward. Always.
Interesting episode, but for an episode about Jigsaw, it's a little weird that I enjoyed the Jigsaw parts (or pieces, if you would) less than everything else. ***1/2.
The Punisher "One-Eyed Jacks"
Good three-card-monty tips here. Best one: Don't play. Frank's suggestion to be the dealer is also acceptable.
I really dislike this new soldier (Jake) we met in the group that Dumont is trying to help. He's not only presumptuous about what Mabari has been through, but he actually wants to help Billy Russo, and knew who he was the entire time. Honestly? I am not on-board the idea of the show creating an army of psychopathic ex-soldiers creating chaos rather than dealing with their pain. Then again, this is not a show afraid to court controversy. But I don't have to like it.
It IS to Curtis' credit that he refuses to postpone the group to talk to Dinah. His explanation was awesome too.
Ah, Turk Barrett. My Marvel Netflix Constant. For the record, just in case I was willing to entertain the idea that Frank had really changed, he threatens to kill Turk for making a phone call. Whether he would actually do it is an open question, but it's the fact that I don't know which is why Frank sucks.
Amy is turning out to be a little more useful than I imagined. I do not object to her "stealing" from Mabari the way Frank does. Mabari is going to give them a hard time either way, and now they can afford the good pizza. That shut Frank right up.
Are the photos really just of dudes kissing? Because if Pilgrim's flock is willing to kill SO many people over that, not only am I right that Pilgrim's values are messed up, but it also means he and his Church are both evil and crazy. Again, this is not the show afraid to court controversy.
Enjoyable episode I suppose, but there were some things that got on my nerves. ***.
The Punisher "Nakazat"
"Call me old-fashioned, but I don't work for Russians." Love it. Love everything about it.
I love Amy convincing Frank to set the building on-fire instead. That was so great. Although that was one of the few guys I wouldn't have objected to Frank killing.
Amy getting Frank to think about his daughter is so painful for him. And yet, I think this is the precise stuff he needs to hear. This is probably why he was so uncharacteristically apologetic and meek when she threatened to leave. On some very real level he needs her more than she needs him.
I still can't believe this whole thing is to do with pictures of men kissing. It's SO stupid of a thing for this amount of people to wind up dead for.
I am unsurprised Pilgrim killed the Russian, but I love how the Russian reasoned Frank into not killing him by talking about his daughter, and asking him not to shoot him in the face. That specific request (which I believe Frank would have granted had he changed his mind about sparing him) just makes me hate Pilgrim even more.
"Ratpunk". Another clear sign to me that the Marvel Netflix shows were originally designed to someday be syndicated on basic cable. They would be dropping the occasional f-bomb if they weren't.
As far as I am concerned, Dumont took far too long to close the door on a peeping Billy. Their fight devolving into a kiss didn't surprise me for that reason.
Cool episode. ***1/2.
The Punisher "One Bad Day"
I'm with Billy: I like Lillian, excuse me, LILLY-ANN, too. She cray.
Why don't I ever see other criminals training for heists in genre shows? It strikes me as a smart move.
I like the idea of Meredith being offended that a stranger on the street told her to smile. That IS kind of weird, but it's one of those things that strikes me as very unusual to take note of. As far as I'm concerned it MAY have actually happened to Madani. Perhaps it was so inconsequential to her that she never bothered to remember it.
Dumont is SO messed up. I don't see how any person like that could have pass their license to become a psychiatrist.
It's interesting that she sees Billy leaving as him using her. I get how she could think that as a woman the day after, but Billy's idea that he's protecting her is probably closer to the truth. She herself noted that she lied to investigators, and is now on the hook for whatever he does. The only way that isn't true is if he splits, and she never sees him again, and he tells no-one of her involvement. This either ends that way, or with her in jail. And I agree with Billy making the choice he did, even if there is some morning after regret on her end. And of course it turns out it won't stick. That kind of toxicity does not break that easily.
Speaking of which, I could tell this episode was written by a woman. Forget how awesome Lillian is for a moment, the stuff at the beginning of Madani having to answer those embarrassing questions about her sex life being recorded while having a bullet in her skull is something I think a woman would be more likely to write than a man. If Russo and Madani's genders had been reversed, there would not be as much shame or embarrassment attached to the mistake, because men being dumb about sex is expected, and "boys will be boys" after all. Even though she is being questioned by two women, the judgments are still there, and in fact maybe even more-so than they would be by a potentially embarrassed man. When they ask the questions they do, she realizes that her falling for Billy is actually unacceptable and foolish. And her actress said that with every painful pause and humiliated expression on her face. Everything was quite well done in this regard.
I love the CSI who keep fangirling Madani. At some point she does it so blatantly that Madani is forced to acknowledge it, But after that level of embarrassment we witnessed, it's nice to know there are some women in law enforcement out there who actually think she is awesome. And she's 30! So much fun.
It's interesting that Frank's torture doesn't move Jake. What does is Curtis telling him Billy killed Frank's entire family, and then shot Curtis when he got in his way. This is not the "brother" anyone should feel the need to protect. And that's really hard to argue with.
I like Curtis being amused when Frank tells him he isn't his only one-legged black friend. But he's your favorite, right, Frank?
Bad day. Good episode. You do you, Lillian. ****1/2.
The Punisher "My Brother's Keeper"
On a very real level I understand why Krista comforted Billy by telling him she loved him when he attacked her. If it was me it would have been a calculation to stop him from killing me. And I know it would have worked, which is why I would have said that. What bothers me is that I think she means it. Which is messed up. If it's me, I fix him a nice bowl of soup, lay him down under the covers, and run off to the police station and then the battered woman's shelter that very night. The fact that this plan of action doesn't seem to occur to a psychiatrist again tells me she is very bad at her job.
Then again, I don't want to be second guessing the battered woman as to why she stayed. I'm just thinking this is an extreme circumstance that is making me actually question her fear. Most women who refuse to leave abusive men have a couple of kids to worry about, and even if they don't, they are often financially dependent on the guy, and aren't usually married to serial killers. Knowing how many people Billy has killed is the thing that makes me second-guess her fear, even if I shouldn't be doing that. It's not like she wasn't warned about this long before she got herself into this specific mess. She was warned all right.
Frank is an ahole. I don't care if Amy nearly got herself killed by playing around, you don't put a loaded gun to a kid's head for any reason. It's good Curtis was there for damage control, but if he weren't, I wouldn't blame her if she just left after that.
I love Curtis' amused observation that Amy first tries to kill him, and then she wants to feed him. And then her quipping that since she isn't much of a cook, that might not be the huge distinction Curtis thinks it is.
I was disappointed the "Employee of the Month Hostage" turned out to be in on it, but that made me much less sad when he was killed. I hope Frank learns the truth Mahoney figured out soon, so he can stop beating himself up about it.
I get Mahoney's disbelief about Frank's code of honor. But Madani is right to try and make him look at it objectively. Frank's murdered a LOT of people, no? And how many were cops? And you know how many dirty cops there are in the city who are just as bad criminals? That should tell Mahoney something. Think about it, Brett.
Decent episode. But Frank is an ahole. ***.
The Punisher "Fustercluck"
I am a little bit alarmed and amazed at how taken I have become with Floriana Lima's stunning beauty. Maybe I took her for granted because she played a cop on Supergirl. But I'm really having a hard time watching this show without staring at her with my jaw dropping to my chest. It frightens me a little. What I especially hate is that I loathe her character. Her beauty is triggering completely conflicting emotions in me, and I'm starting to fear the lust is winning. Which sucks because Dumont does.
You could offer me $5 million dollars and I would never attempt to take in either the Punisher or a girl he was protecting for exactly the reason the show proved you shouldn't. You'll get your stupid self killed instead. I cannot believe anyone took that bounty seriously to begin with. It's one thing if President Lex Luthor puts a huge bounty on Superman. You're dumb to try for it, but you almost have nothing to lose, because Superman plays by different rules than you do. As much of a longshot as it is, there isn't all that much risk attached to it. The Punisher is like a dude going all in on a poker hand carrying a pair threes, and instead of losing chips, the loser is forced to to play Russian Roulette with six of the gun's chambers already filled with bullets. There is no way to actually win, and even if there was, there is far too much to lose to make it even CLOSE to an acceptable risk. Partly why the Punisher doesn't go up against people as good at this as he is, is that for the most part, those people are smart enough to stay out of his way. In this way, Frank is the 3-card-monty dealer. Advice to these clowns: Don't play.
Fustercluck is a good, basic-cable approved word. I am as amused at it, as Frank is.
Good episode. ****.
The Punisher "The Dark Hearts Of Men"
Wow, Dumont is a monster for figuring that out. Seriously. Now she belongs in jail just as much as Russo does. What is wrong with Madani? How does she keep falling for and trusting these people? Sheesh.
At first I was like "God bless the show for going somewhere the comics refuse to". Doing what Frank does is going to wind up getting a lot of innocent people killed in the crossfire in reality, and this is the first Punisher project I've seen or heard of that takes that reality seriously, even if only for just this episode. The idea that he always ALWAYS hits the correct people is what is known as "cartoon nonsense". It's a bit appalling Marvel seems to think Frank Castle is one of their "realistic" characters as long as they try to portray that. All good, right?
Except the next episode buys it all back. Which makes this show just as bad regarding that idea as anything else. This was a good episode when I watched it. It would have remained one had they been courageous enough to stick the landing.
I object to Amy being absent. We needed to see the immediate fall-out from her being forced to take a life. What disturbs me even more is that we didn't actually see her process it in the next episode either.
Dark episode and ultimately pointless. **.
The Punisher "The Abyss"
Here is an honest question: I get exactly why the show is too chicken to actually have Frank be responsible for those women's deaths. My question is why is Billy? Frank believes he's responsible because he was careless about where he fired his gun. Now those women would actually be dead at Frank's hands had Billy just locked them in the room and led Frank to the area. In fact, it would actually be doing to Frank what Billy wanted to actually happen to him. Why is he not allowing Frank to be the murderer? The women are still dead, except if Frank learns the truth, it's for no good reason whatsoever.
The truth is it's because the show is chicken, and it expects me to swallow that nonsense, and forgive Frank for not pulling the trigger. But this show created a completely convoluted explanation to explain how Frank is actually so wonderful. You know what?
He's not. Because if Billy HADN'T shot those women, they would be just as dead if they had just been locked in the room. The truth is Frank was careless, and not in control of the situation, which is his justification to everyone else for his "missions". He trumpets how careful he is to any nonviolent person who dares question him. This proves that is nonsense. The truth is those women COULD have died by his hands, and the only reason they didn't is a combination of luck, coincidence, and bad writing.
I would have loved and respected the show had they actually shown there are consequences to murdering bad guys, including accidentally murdering good guys. If they had stuck to that moral, I would really have respected the show and the season. Instead they jump the shark in hindsight, which just angers me, and makes me think Marvel refuses to take responsibility for what a horrible character they unleashed on pop culture. I liked this show for its nuanced take. In reality they will not actually explore that controversy because Marvel Comics is headed by cowards. Maybe Joss Whedon SHOULD be in charge of Marvel after all. He has famously said that if he were, he'd kill off the Punisher. Seeing how gutless both Marvel and this show is about defending the actions of a careless, sociopathic, first degree serial killer, that would be what is best for Marvel Comics and society in general. I'd even tolerate Age Of Ultron for that. And yes, I know what I just said.
Creepy Ed wanted Karen's pumps? That was a gross joke. Seriously. Ugh.
There is no abyss. Frank is actually perfect, and the world is out to get him, because they don't understand his wondrous, murdering perfection. I understand things perfectly well, however. The Punisher as a franchise is morally bankrupt, and that includes versions such as this one that I otherwise like. And I can't ever full like any version of the character as long as that is true. *.
The Punisher "Collision Course"
Oh my God! That was amazing! I wish the show was always this. That ending killed me dead! Are you kidding me?
Equally great was seeing Amy emerge from the trunk of Pilgrim's car. I was like maybe Frank should be less worried about this girl's safety and more worried about how crazily scary she is.
SO good. I have no idea why the couple of episodes leading up to this needed to be so bad. But this was magnificent. Five stars.
The Punisher "The Whirlwind"
Parts of that I liked. Parts of it I didn't.
Parts I liked:
I like that Frank spared Pilgrim and reunited him with his son. Perversely, this is also something I did NOT like, considering how many crimes Pilgrim committed. But at the end of the day, he wasn't the guy calling the shots and Frank realized he had two very important reasons for doing what he did. I don't think it excuses anything, and were I Frank, I would have had Curtis call Madani to take him in.
I liked the Schulzs' fate. I very much hope all of this comes out in the wash. I agree with Frank that the Senator "seems" decent, but I don't care. He should be ruined for this, whether he knew it was happening or not. It would really make me angry if after all the people who died for something so stupid that the Senator just went on his merry way as if nothing happened. Frank shooting his mother was great though. I don't think Mr. Schulz quite understood what he was dealing with. He and Mrs. Schulz were always going to die, but he might have made it harder for Frank by hiring security. He and his wife always got their way, and got away with their violence and evil, and it didn't occur to them it would ever touch them in that beautiful secluded mansion of theirs. And they are screaming at Frank, and telling him they are going to destroy him, and he has no idea who he is dealing with. They are asking him to kill them by doing that.
Speaking of which, another thing I liked was how Frank killed Billy. Billy is almost hopeful Frank is there to comfort him in his final moments, and Frank simply shoots him dead before he can make an appalling inappropriate apology after all that. It shocked me a bit, and were I Frank, I would have let him finish dying on his own, because he deserved to suffer as much as possible. By ultimately, Frank doesn't want to hear it, and I don't blame him.
I liked the dedication to Stan Lee at the end.
Parts I didn't like:
I hated the tag. What crime were those specific kids (and they were kids, by the way) in the middle of committing when Frank murders them? Out of context, Frank is a total monster. I think the show thinks it is being subversive, but this isn't a group of mob bosses. It some kid gang members who have been lured out of the way on the promise with peace with each other. Am I the only one who objects to people being murdered under those specific circumstances, especially on a Marvel Netflix show? Isn't that the precise reason Luke Cage blamed Cottonmouth for Pops' murder? Parley? Switzerland? It's the exact same principle, and even I liked the rest of the episode, the ending, trying to get the audience to say "Cool!" instead of "Frank sucks" makes me think Cottonmouth should come back to life and throw Frank off the roof.
Silly me, I had been hoping that the last scene of the season would be Frank coming back to Beth, and surprising her and her kid. Instead, they decided against a logical happy ending, and gave us that masturbatory fanservice instead. Which bugs the crap out of me.
I liked that Billy's death made Dumont's threat to Mabari impotent, but I would have liked even more to get Krista's reaction to learning Billy definitely WAS dead. I know the ending already. But part of what was infuriating me about Dumont is her attitude about how Billy was going to magically rescue her, and they would someday ride off together in the sunset. I wanted to witness her eyes getting crushed as she realized no-one was coming for her, and she was going to spend the rest of her weak, pathetic life alone in prison.
For some reason Floriana Lima still looks radiant lying down in a cast with bruises on her cheeks in a hospital bed. Part of me hates her for that.
Frank and Pilgrim's gunfight through the walls sucked. Isn't that the exact same way Frank believes he killed some innocent women? After THAT specific thing, you'd think he'd never do that again, or at least not so soon, and definitely NOT in a residential dwelling. And like the fact that he didn't murder those women himself, the fact that he didn't kill any innocent bystanders in the process here is more coincidental than anything else.
The season had quite a few incredible highs. But all in all, I felt the message faltered at several points, and the series pulled back from what ultimately could have potentially made it a decent take on a dumb concept. I am very glad we still have one season of Jessica Jones left, because this would be a terrible season for Marvel Netflix to leave us on. As it stands, as the probable last episode for the Punisher himself, it is still beyond unsatisfying. Too bad. ***.
