I’m watching the first episode right now and it’s pretty good. I’m not sure how high to have my hopes. I liked Punisher: War Zone, but didn’t think Frank Castle was all that interesting in his Daredevil S2 appearances.
Still, if they commit to the intensity and violence, it could be interesting.
Anyone else watching?
We’re up to Episode 8. First thought? It’s a hell of a lot better than <i>Iron Fist</i>, LOL. Its message rings loud and clear and I find it interesting how it’s playing out amongst the story lines.
I didn’t really pay attention to Season 2 of Daredevil so my knowledge of Punisher was shaky until a couple of episode. Blatant violence does that to me.
I think his relationship with Lieberman is quite interesting – it’s one of these begrudging “Yeah, I guess we’re partners” but it becomes clear how much they need each other. I love how Punisher checks in with Lieberman’s wife and kids. I just hope he doesn’t do anything stupid to ruin it because those kids need a strong male presence. I don’t know how I feel about Madani and Stein – I don’t trust her, I like him, and I don’t see things ending well for both. I’m very concerned about Louis, now that he killed Mr. Redneck who never served in Vietnam, surprise, surprise. Very telling he ran off when the police cuffed Louis in front of the courthouse.
There’s more I can add but I don’t want to spoil everying, LOL.
Holy cow, there is some seriously brutal stuff in this show. After all of the acrobatic martial arts of the previous Netflix Marvel shows, it’s a bit of a shift to watch stuff like a man’s face being beaten to a pulp by a boot. My wife usually likes to watch these with me after I’ve binged them, but I’m guessing she’ll bow out after the first episode on this one.
Overall, I thought it was pretty well done, on par with the others (and better than Iron Fist, of course). The plot was a little too predictable for my tastes, but I think the show accomplishes what it set out to do, and it definitely has some intense scenes. Although I’m not a Punisher devotee, my guess is that it will satisfy those who’ve been craving a “real” Punisher offering.
It’s just popped up on Netflix here in the UK, and I’ve watched the first two episodes. It’s OK so far.
I’m guessing there’s some history to this given it’s a Marvel property, and I’m wondering if there’s some background I should know about? Unspoilery if possible?
I’ve no knowledge whatsoever of the various comics that have been made into films recently, if that’s any guide.
I’ve seen the first two episodes, and so far I’m not impressed. The Punisher works best as black comedy. This version takes itself too seriously.
The scene cutting the arrow out was…difficult.
Netflix-wise, both Punisher and Karen Page (the journalist) appeared in Season 2 of Daredevil. Karen used to work for Daredevil’s alter ego, left, and became a reporter.
One thing about Netflix Marvel – the shows may be separate entities but there are characters and plotlines which interweave through one or more superheroes. For instance, the Night Nurse doesn’t appear in Punisher but she does appear in other shows.
Frank Castle has no superpowers. He’s a badass ex Marine who excels at tactics, strategy, and has such a single minded focus that it scares the crap out of his targets. He has a reputation for it. His own family was gunned down during a picnic at a playground as retaliation for a drug deal gone bad. He’s been avenging their deaths ever since. Think of him as the ultimate vigilante.
To be clear: In the comics Frank returned from a tour in Vietnam. He went for a picnic with his family and stumbled into a mob hit. The killers gunned down him and his family as witnesses. Frank survived.
The two episodes of the TV series I’ve seen seem to indicate that it was a setup to get Frank. I’m sure more will be revealed.
Here’s a brief lineup of the cast of characters with backstories
I’m in no way, shape, nor form enough of a Marvel fan to know every single character and their backstories. I do like looking up stuff, though.
Most of the way through it and so far this series has very little punishing going on. Burning his skull vest in the first 5 minutes was a bad sign.
Still seems to clear the incredibly low bar of being the best Marvel series on Netflix so far.
First episode was generic as hell. Played like a TNT crime drama TV show, right down to the generic Noo Yokah construction crew small time criminals and the generic good kid doing something uncharacteristically bad to fit in with the douche crew.
These Netflix shows need a new formula because they have all been the same. 13 episodes:
1-3 establish the hero with an unnecessarily long backstory arc and severely limiting the “super” aspect of the internally conflicted hero.
3-6 hero finds a purpose. Villain rolls out complicated plan putting hero in do or die situation.
7-9 cameo/onboarding of new guest hero but also showing off minimal superness
10-12 wrap up season arc with desperate last ditch attempt by hero
13 finale with some major relationship shakeup and hint of next season villain.
Tired.
My only real gripe with the Netflix Marvel shows is their insistence on the same number of eps, whether or not they have enough story. Iron Fist would have worked with half as many episodes, and Luke Cage was long by a couple.
As for Punisher, it was as good as, say, Daredevil season 2 or Jessica Jones, and I’d say it was about 1 episode over (we didn’t need an entire ep for Billy). I liked the low-key tie-ins to the rest of the Marvelverse, like their cop friend from Daredevil being the detective assigned the hotel shooting, or Turk being the guy Frank tried to steal guns from. I was surprised Patty wasn’t the radio host.
We finished it last night.
Daredevil was more brutal.
Punisher is indeed much, much bloodier. Literally.
I like antiheroes, especially those who don’t have superpowers like Jessica or Punisher. I enjoy seeing what very flawed, very human antiheroes are like – how they think, what motivates them, what scares them, etc. There’s something relatable about them on some level.
I felt all that with Jessica. Punisher, not as much as I wanted. I don’t know if that’s more on the character than Jon Bernthal or vice versa. Yes, we know his motivations early on, but the violence which ensues just keeps getting more brutal and bloody: The character becomes primarily a killing machine and little else. Daredevil fell into the same hole here and there. Maybe it’s a Marvel thing, I don’t know.
I really liked Punisher’s appearance in *Daredevil *and I have been looking forward to this series. Finished the last ep today. I liked it a lot. Among the Marvel/Netflix series, I’d rank it below the two Daredevil seasons, and about even with Jessica Jones. Definitely better than Luke Cage or Iron Fist.
In addition to Bernthal as Frank, I liked many of the other characters. “Micro” and his wife I thought were really interesting characters and well-acted. The villain Billy was a good match for Frank, evil but practical and mostly competent. The Dinah/Billy relationship added some complexity to the story. I also enjoyed some of the more minor characters that were played by well-known actors like C. Thomas Howell, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, and Shohreh Aghdashloo.
I thought the Frank/Micro team-up worked well and having their backstories tied together was a good idea. We knew Frank wasn’t going to have a 'happy ending, but Micro was able to be reunited with his family. The stuff with the young veteran with PTSD could have been dropped, but it brought Karen back into the picture, so I don’t have a problem with it.
Jessica Jones has superhuman strength.
epbrown01:
I’m guessing that this is Netflix’s insistence rather than Marvel’s, since the two Agent Carter series and the Inhumans series were of lesser lengths.
Actually, I’ve got another gripe - I wish they’d drop the sex scenes. Rather than being organic or adding to the characters, there’s a quality of “Und now is the time on Sprockets when we dance!” obligatory quality to most of them. Dinah and Billy were so boring I actually fast-forwarded. Hell, Frank and Karen had more chemistry lying in a restaurant after an explosion.
I am liking that he got revenge for his family’s death in the opening of the show and was basically done with the serial killing. I thought this might be the revenge story. Perhaps it will be and I’m not far enough to realize it, but it isn’t so far.
Being the best Marvel series on Netflix so far.
“Doctor, this woman has been in a terrible car crash.”
“Quick, nurse, we need to bind her boobs with bandage, miracle bra style. Make sure they really pop.”
“Yes doctor.”
Agreed. They just feel so damn forced.