For the past four years, Netflix has been providing its viewers with a vast amount of Marvel shows. A couple of weeks ago, season two of “The Punisher” was released. Similar to season one, the reviews between critics and audiences are divided with the former being mixed and the latter praising it.
In terms of where I fall under, I found “The Punisher” season two to be yet another great addition to the Marvel Netflix universe.
The second season takes place almost a year after the events of the first, following Frank Castle as he travels the country alone – living a new life with a different identity. While traveling to Michigan, Frank notices a young woman being targeted by a group of people.
When Frank decides to save her, he realizes that she is wanted by a highly trained organization who is willing to do anything to kill her. While this is going on, other characters have arcs that continue from the first season, and it all intertwines together as the season goes along.
The majority of the Netflix Marvel Shows have 13 episodes in every season and “The Punisher” season 2 is no exception. This season takes the same slow burn approach that the first season took, and while there are critics and viewers who take issue with that, I personally did not mind it at all.
I have no problem with a slow burn series as long as I am invested in the plot and characters, and in the case of this season I certainly was. What some people may call dull or boring is actually a focus on the character of Frank and all of the trauma and chaos he has gone through.
We also see other characters’ struggles and obstacles that they endure on a daily basis. I’d much rather have a show that focuses more on character and drama, rather than a show that would have Punisher be in a gunfight in every episode.
Even though the show has more drama than violence, there is still plenty of graphic violence to be found in the season. There are several fight scenes in particular that are tough to watch. What makes it both hard to watch and look away from is the way these action scenes are filmed.
There are two certain scenes in this season, one involving a bar and one involving a prison, which are absolutely intense and incredibly well filmed. What makes the scenes even more intense are the stakes that are involved. It’s hard to tell who will survive or what the overall outcome will be.
Ben Barnes gives a menacing performance as Jigsaw in Netflix’s “The Punisher.” Photo courtesy of Netflix
The performances from the entire cast are nothing short of fantastic. Once again Jon Bernthal as the titular character is perfect for this role. He embraces the character so well and at times it is as if I was not seeing the character, but I was watching footage of a real Frank having these conversations and dilemmas.
There are certain other arcs he has in this season that allow him to shine more in his performance. Other actors in this season include Ben Barnes, Amber Rose Revah and Josh Stewart. Not only are these performances top notch, but the characters are so interesting. Stewart in particular as the villain is intense and terrifying.
From all the superhero shows that I have seen, “The Punisher” is hands down the most underrated one. Not only does it contain great performances, brutal violence and compelling storytelling, it solidifies the fact that Netflix has been killing it with their Marvel shows.
Many of these shows have been cancelled, and I sincerely hope “The Punisher” doesn’t follow. If you have Netflix and are into the superhero genre, I highly recommend checking this series out.
