The Punisher Season 2 review – Mr T’s take
Review: If you’ve watched Liam Neeson’s Taken or season 1 of The Punisher, you probably already know the plot of season 2 as well. It’s more of the same drill. Frank’s brunette romantic interest gets shot, and he steps in to save another blonde woman. Earlier it was Karen; now it’s Amy. To be absolutely fair, the writers were probably handicapped in the wake of the cancellations of Luke Cage, Iron Fist and Daredevil despite a stellar season 3. That probably explains why Alexa Davalos never makes a comeback in the later episodes. Nonetheless, there are far too many coincidences and plot holes to ignore here, so I have to mention it.
In all the Marvel Netflix shows, but especially The Punisher, the NYPD appears to be perpetually clueless. In both seasons, a law enforcement officer gets involved in a car crash, but miraculously escapes unharmed. Jon Bernthal looks like he was born to play The Punisher and he’s beautifully complemented by Jason Moore’s Curtis Hoyle, Frank’s buddy from the war. Though Billy Russo’s face more or less remains the same and hence is technically a copout, Ben Barnes is quite convincing as Jigsaw, alternating between crazy and a master strategist. Coming to the new characters, Amy appears to be an exact copy of Karen Page from Daredevil season 2. The secondary antagonist John Pilgrim is a textbook example of a cardboard character. The backstory of psychiatrist Krista Dumont feels both lame and unoriginal considering the fact that we have a Harley Quinn.
However, the fight scenes are beautifully choreographed, and the bloodshed appears very real. Action fans are going to love this one. I must confess that this show is kind of a guilty pleasure of mine, but from a reviewer’s lens, I would rate it a 3/5.
Who should watch this: For both comic books and action series lovers, The Punisher should be on the top of your list. Bollywood lovers who enjoy Rohit Shetty and the recent Salman Khan films will really enjoy this show, to be honest. You’ll probably also like films like the Die Hard Series, Kill Bill Duology and Taken. Also don’t miss Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, Iron Fist and The Defenders.