After seeing Jon Bernthal's gripping performance as the Punisher in Daredevil Season 2, I was really looking forward to this series and seeing more of Frank Castle. While this show is still part of the Marvel Netflix Universe, it isn't dependent on the tie-in references and tries to do its own thing. (With the exception of Karen Page cropping up from time to time)
Castle has taken out the gangs he was hunting in Daredevil Season 2, seemingly putting an end to his personal vendetta, or so he thinks... The ghosts of his past have come back to haunt him when the circumstances of a past military mission in Kandahar become an issue, with former adversaries wanting Castle dead.
Assisted with a former NSA analyst turned hacker laying low from the authorities, Castle tries to lay waste to those trying to wrong him.
The supporting cast includes Dinah Madani, played by Amber Rose Revah, a high-ranking Homeland Security agent hoping to uncover the ambiguity of the Kandahar case and Ben Barnes as Billy Russo, a former marine and friend of Castle's, running his own independent military outfit. As well as that, there's a subplot involving a young war veteran riddled with PTSD, conflicted with his inner battle after being reacquainted with society. The narratives interleave in their own respective ways, giving the show extra layers.
With the subject matter of this show being slightly controversial in relation to its display of excessive violence and gun use, resulting in a promotional panel being cancelled because of the Las Vegas shootings, there's no doubt that this show may trigger some people. Aside from that, this show paints a gritty portrait of a trauma-stricken war vet, stigmatized by his actions as a vigilante.
Jon Bernthal is fantastic as the Punisher, showing us numerous layers to the character, en par with his performance in Daredevil. Ultimately I'm not sure how they're going to expand on Frank Castle's journey in future series but from what we're shown here, the Punisher is a worthy addition to the Marvel Netflix collection.
With the overtones of political unrest and gun control, the Punisher adds a level of realism to it, as opposed to the other Marvel Netflix shows. As an Irishman, I don't exactly have a deep knowledge of military history but I'm interested to see the reaction of actual war veterans; whether they find this show accurate or insulting.
The one drawback is the length of the series. Much like some of the other Marvel shows, it has a tendency to drag. For me personally, the PTSD soldier subplot felt a lot like the Sgt. Simpson subplot in Jessica Jones: unnecessary filler. Apart from that, the Punisher is a great character study of Frank Castle. If only we didn't have to see the same flashbacks over and over again...
Castle has taken out the gangs he was hunting in Daredevil Season 2, seemingly putting an end to his personal vendetta, or so he thinks... The ghosts of his past have come back to haunt him when the circumstances of a past military mission in Kandahar become an issue, with former adversaries wanting Castle dead.
Assisted with a former NSA analyst turned hacker laying low from the authorities, Castle tries to lay waste to those trying to wrong him.
The supporting cast includes Dinah Madani, played by Amber Rose Revah, a high-ranking Homeland Security agent hoping to uncover the ambiguity of the Kandahar case and Ben Barnes as Billy Russo, a former marine and friend of Castle's, running his own independent military outfit. As well as that, there's a subplot involving a young war veteran riddled with PTSD, conflicted with his inner battle after being reacquainted with society. The narratives interleave in their own respective ways, giving the show extra layers.
With the subject matter of this show being slightly controversial in relation to its display of excessive violence and gun use, resulting in a promotional panel being cancelled because of the Las Vegas shootings, there's no doubt that this show may trigger some people. Aside from that, this show paints a gritty portrait of a trauma-stricken war vet, stigmatized by his actions as a vigilante.
Jon Bernthal is fantastic as the Punisher, showing us numerous layers to the character, en par with his performance in Daredevil. Ultimately I'm not sure how they're going to expand on Frank Castle's journey in future series but from what we're shown here, the Punisher is a worthy addition to the Marvel Netflix collection.
With the overtones of political unrest and gun control, the Punisher adds a level of realism to it, as opposed to the other Marvel Netflix shows. As an Irishman, I don't exactly have a deep knowledge of military history but I'm interested to see the reaction of actual war veterans; whether they find this show accurate or insulting.
The one drawback is the length of the series. Much like some of the other Marvel shows, it has a tendency to drag. For me personally, the PTSD soldier subplot felt a lot like the Sgt. Simpson subplot in Jessica Jones: unnecessary filler. Apart from that, the Punisher is a great character study of Frank Castle. If only we didn't have to see the same flashbacks over and over again...