While the previous entry into Netflix’s Punisher cannon seemed to hint that a wobble back into the first season’s issues seemed imminent, we find that episode 7 manages to regain its balance just in time to fly through the halfway point with a certain sense of style. However, while we get plot progression, character beats and even a welcome (and very overdue) return of that iconic skull emblem, I still can’t shake the feeling that the season is in danger of coming off the rails due to its twin plots.
While the conundrum of Billy Russo is obviously a long standing issue that’s existed since season 1, the fact that Frank and the gang also have that secondary plot spearheaded by pious hitman, John Pilgrim means that the show – and Frank – have to choose which to pick. Can the writers managed to blend the two threads into one, organic superplot, or will they – wait, what’s that, oh they’re just going to temporarily ditch one outright? Oh, OK then…
Flashbacks to Agent Madani as she recovered in hospital after her Billy-inflicted gunshot wound to the head reveal the deals she had to male with CIA honcho Marion James in order help everyone save face and it still proves to be a tough pill to swallow for someone as devoted to the truth as she is. Yes, admitting her culpability may mean that Frank Castle kept his anonymity and the CIA avoided a black eye by covering up all the shady shit Rawlins was responsible for, but it meant that she had to choke down a shit sandwich that she can still taste to this day. This is all coming back up because she’s finding herself once again trapped in a moral stalemate that sees her and Curtis standing by a watching Frank torture the crap out of one of Russo’s new crew who are planning to pull a bank robbery the next day. One minute she’s being swayed by Castle reminding her that Billy doesn’t deserve to live, the next her conscience is making her try and call her living, breathing blunt instrument off for her own piece of mind. However, when the guy finally breaks thanks to a kind word from Curtis, both he and Frank speed off to finish the job.
Meanwhile, Russo is still determined he’s going to get back some self respect and confidence by leaving his relationship his Dr. Dumont (which has turned sexual) and assembling a crew of similarly minded war vets to stage an armed robbery of a payday loan business. However, while the gang get some static from the the tough old bird who owns the place, they eventually make their score and dash out to their getaway cars only to run into possibly the most blood curdling thing they could possibly hope to see.
Standing in their way, a bloody skull design emblazoned on his chest, is the Punisher in all his seething glory and after he bellows Russo’s name, all Hell breaks loose.
While One Bad Day manages to lead the season away from the familiar storytelling issues that tend to plague the Neflix shows, there’s still a sense that the writers have allowed themselves to write the show into a bit of a narrative muddle. While the Amy storyline that’s seen John Pilgrim get ever closer to his prey has been progressing nicely, the fact that the long running Billy Russo storyline needs addressing has suddenly hijacked the show, yanking it’s focus rather violently from one thread to another. While some more elegant writing could have possibly kept both plots on the boil in a way that could have benefited everyone, the episode instead pulls focus completely, meaning that Amy – one of the season’s main characters – doesn’t even appear in the episode at all. The result is a weirdly disjointed feeling that takes a character who was incredibly vital one episode, and then completely absent the next which unavoidably leads to a massive loss of momentum on that side of the series.
In comparison, while a showdown between the Punisher and Jigsaw should come with a season and a half of expectation behind it, it’s weird that the show has decided to frame it primarily through the prism of Madani’s guilt. That’s not to say that Amber Rose Revah couldn’t use the screen time to delve deeper into the strain hanging with the Punisher is placing on her already fluctuating conscience and the actor embraces it hungrily; but not only does it continue to present us with a seemingly capable and highly professional woman who has been consistently two steps behind the plot for around twenty, consecutive episodes, she’s not even around when Frank finally makes his move.
Also using the lack of Amy or Pilgrim to get his acting steps in, Ben Barnes seems strangely relieved to finally taking his damaged villain on the road and roping together a gang to throw some of that damage somewhere else. But anyone hoping that we’re finally going to see “Jigsaw” finally embrace his comic book heritage might be a bit disappointed that the show isn’t willing to take off Russo’s bad guy training wheels just yet. Sure, Billy’s more than ready to get his buds together to knock over a place for cash, but he’s woefully unprepared for when his amnesia addled brain us first temporarily stonewalled by a determined manager who remain stubbornly unimpressed even when Russo starts waving a grenade around – and when Frank turns up, forget it.
However, while the sight of Billy turning to jelly at the sight of that skull insignia shows that he’s not quite ready to accept his antagonist flowers, it still proves that there’s no problems that exist that can’t be instantly rectified by having Jon Bernthal rock up in full costume and start bellowing someone’s name. Seeing Frank in his iconic getup may be getting increasingly rare in his Netflix show, but it still packs the required punch when he finally breaks it out to achieve the acquired effect. Watching him strip out of his jacket to reveal that flakjacket almost feels like a perverse parody of Clark Kent pulling open his shirt to reveal the Superman emblem and it’s gratifying to see that the show still knows how to present Castle’s murderous alter ego when he’s fully in character. Frank may have the capacity – no matter how dismissive – to debate the merits of snuffing out criminal scum with those that are having second thoughts, but the Punisher is still 100% full ahead when it comes to swift, decisive action.
While witnessing Frank throwing himself into battle as he leads with his infamous insignia is still the kick it’s always been, it still feels like it could be a black-clad band-aid to try and hold two separate plot lines together that can’t seem to co-exist. While the character has fallen foul I this before when his story was bizarrely shoved to the side in favour of Elektra in Daredevil season 2, hopefully the writers can manage to hold everything together as we head into the second half.
🌟🌟🌟🌟
We Have Issues 