The Punisher

Starring: Jon Bernthal (26 episodes), Amber Rose Revah (26 episodes), Ben Barnes (26 episodes), Jason R. Moore (17 episodes), Ebon Moss-Bachrach (12 episodes), Floriana Lima (12 episodes), Josh Stewart (11 episodes), Giorgia Whigham (11 episodes), Jaime Ray Newman (9 episodes), Kobi Frumer (9 episodes), Paul Schulze (8 episodes), Michael Nathanson (8 episodes), Royce Johnson (8 episodes), Tony Plana (8 episodes), Ripley Sobo (8 episodes), Daniel Webber (7 episodes), Kelli Barrett (7 episodes), Deborah Ann Woll (5 episodes), Jordan Mahome (5 episodes), Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio (4 episodes), Shohreh Aghdashloo (4 episodes), Corbin Bernsen (4 episodes), Jordan Dean (4 episodes), Annette O'Toole (4 episodes), Aidan Pierce Brennan (4 episodes), Nicolette Pierini (4 episodes), C. Thomas Howell (3 episodes), Allie McCulloch (3 episodes), Geoffrey Cantor (2 episodes), Rob Morgan (2 episodes), Michael Pemberton (2 episodes), Clancy Brown (1 episode)
Directed by: Jim O'Hanlon (3 episodes), Jeremy Webb (3 episodes), Jet Wilkinson (2 episodes), Andy Goddard (2 episodes), Tom Shankland (2 episodes), Kevin Hooks (1 episode), Marc Jobst (1 episode), Stephen Surjik (1 episode)
Rating: TV-MA
Genre: Action, Adventure
2017-2019

Seasons Seen:
Tim: 1 - 2

Summary: Frank Castle (Jon Bernthal) has his world shattered when his family is murdered. He becomes the vigilante The Punisher and seeks vengeance.

Review:
Tim: The Punisher hasn't had the greatest track record in Hollywood. I don't even want to acknowledge the 1989 Dolph Lundgren version. I enjoyed both Thomas Jane and the 2004 version, but I acknowledge that film had it's flaws, including some bizarre location changes to the typical story. 2008's version with Ray Stevenson in the lead was an unmitigated disaster. So, it's with great surprise and excitement to find that Netflix's "The Punisher" is by far the best version of Frank Castle we've ever gotten. The series feels true to the character, is grounded and gritty, but not without its lighthearted moments. Out of the 5 Marvel/Netflix shows, this one comes in just behind "Daredevil", although to be frank (pun intended), "Daredevil" was more uneven than this one. That show also benefited from Castle's presence for one of its seasons. We (unfortunately) only got two seasons of this series, but both were quite effective.

You have to give an immense amount of credit to Jon Bernthal for portraying Frank Castle so effectively. He gives an absolutely pitch perfect performance. Frank is deadly, dangerous, and always teeters on the edge of being completely unhinged. He is capable of immense acts of brutality and routinely commits a series of grisly crimes. And yet, we also have to identify with and care about him. We need to see his personal pain that fuels his vengeance. This is such a fine line to walk. Jane never got the grittiness right, Stevenson never mastered the softer, likeable side to Frank. Bernthal expertly balances both. It's a testament to him that he had to shine in a supporting role first in "Daredevil" and did that so well that they spun him off into his own series, which more than stood on its own. Bernthal is the ideal Frank Castle. My only regret is he only got to play him for two seasons (plus the role on "Daredevil"). It's my sincere hope that they find some way to continue him in the broader MCU.

I have to say, I never really liked Amber Rose Revah as Madani. She was a major character here, appearing in every episode. I thought she was okay and did a serviceable job, but she didn't do anything really impressive in 26 episodes. I'm not sure if it was just her odd stare or the little mannerisms that didn't work, but it always felt like an odd performance. It's strange that she was so strongly featured when it felt like dozens of actresses could have done a better job. It was great to have Ben Barnes here. At first, I wasn't convinced of his performance as Billy Russo, but he impressed throughout his two season arc. He became increasingly important to the overall series. Although I never quite loved him, he worked really well. Jason R. Moore added a nice supporting turn, as did Ebon Moss-Bachrach in season one (he was missed in season two). Floriana Lima was okay, although her many scenes with Revah didn't do her any favors. Josh Stewart was mesmerizing as John Pilgrim. Giorgia Whigham was incredible- she was the perfect pairing opposite Bernthal and she truly shined in her role. She was one of the best parts of season two. Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio is always going to make whatever she's in better, so it was great getting to see her here. As a whole, this cast might have been more up-and-down than some others and had fewer breakout supporting players, but it still worked effectively.

The series did a good job of embracing the darker aspects of Frank Castle. There's definitely a good bit of violence, some of it depicted in fairly graphic fashion. However, I also thought it did a good job of not overtly glorifying that violence. Sure, we're supposed to cheer Frank when he goes into killing mode, but it didn't always feel gratuitous. There was certainly some time spent ruminating on the downside of such violence, the retribution, the guilt. It doesn't mean people can't criticize this series (a show like this will always be open to attacks), but I thought it at least attempted to tell a more nuanced story.

This series did a great job with the action scenes. "Iron Fist" was a failure for many reasons, but one was that the action never felt compelling. That's not a problem here. There's so many intense, exciting sequences throughout the two seasons. There's a lot of character building as well, but the action is definitely enjoyable. I thought the season two episode of Frank and others trapped inside a police station was an especially excellent example.

I was a big fan of "The Punisher" and I'm sorry that it was canceled. While I wasn't overly sad about the end of "Iron Fist", "Luke Cage", or "Jessica Jones", "Daredevil" and "The Punisher" will be missed. Still, even without knowing about Bernthal's future in the MCU, I feel so thankful we finally got the definitive version of Frank Castle. I'll always picture Bernthal in this role, as he did a masterful job with this fascinating, brutal character.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: N/A



If You Enjoyed This Series, We Recommend: Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, Iron Fist