Liam Hoofe reviews the season finale of Marvel’s The Punisher…
Well, here we are. After 12 episodes, we finally arrive at the grand finale of The Punisher, and after a show that has been consistently great so far, I’m pleased to tell you that the finale also manages to deliver in a big way.
After the brutal antics of the previous episode, it is quite surprising that ‘Memento Mori’ decides to spend more of its time focusing on the future – partly setting up the show’s second season, but also taking a look at the change a lot of the characters have experienced throughout the first one.
Before we get to that, though, we have the final battle between Frank and Russo to take a look at. Ben Barnes’ has been nothing short of excellent as Billy Russo this season and, in my opinion, he is right up there with Wilson Fisk and Killgrave as the best villains Marvel has portrayed on TV. What has made him work so well, is that he feels incredibly well developed. Russo is not the result of one bad incident, he is the result of a lifetime of neglect and struggle. This is highlighted perfectly in a flashback where we see Russo spending time with the Castle family at the park. It is, of course, chilling to watch Russo hugging the children when he knows their fates, but it is the conversation between Frank and Russo about Billy the Kid that really highlights their worldviews, and their differences. It was an incredibly subtle moment, which, for a show about a man who is out to kill anyone who wrongs him, we’ve seen a surprising amount of this season.
It is at that same park that Frank and Russo finally come face to face in ‘Memento Mori.’ The battle between the two is as brutal as you’d expect, with Frank finally disarming his former friend and grinding his face against a broken mirror. It’s a brutal moment, and for those who know The Punisher stories well, the birth of the villain known as ‘Jigsaw.’
The main question this episode asks, though, is what will happen when the violence stops? It is something that the show has addressed on numerous occasions, going all the way back to the first episode. In episode one of the show, Frank had a new life for himself but trouble just seemed to follow him everywhere, and he was still unable to wrestle his demons. At the end of this episode, Frank joined Curtis’ support group, and admitted finally, that he needed help. It was a powerful moment to end the season with, one that really shows the progress his character has made since that very first episode, where he was living in a John Wick inspired self-imposed exile.
David, who I’ve referred to as Micro throughout these reviews, seems to have finally gotten his family life back on track but the questions that have plagued Frank will no doubt plague him as well. He is a man who has now been exposed to the war, will he be able to adapt back to normal life, or will he find himself drawn back to the fight in the same way Frank is. I’ve loved the duo’s relationship and it has been one of the reason’s The Punisher has really worked for me, so hopefully, David will return for the second season.
One man certain to return for the next season is Russo, though, and towards the end of the episode, we were told that he may have suffered some extreme memory less from the trauma he has suffered. When he inevitable emerges from his coma as Jigsaw, expect him to be a lot more twisted than what he has been this season.
And so, after 13 episodes, and 13 days of writing these reviews, The Punisher comes to a close, and what a season it has been. I had my doubts concerning the show initially, but it blew them out of the water. The Punisher was a nice return to form for Marvel, giving us a socially conscious, character-driven drama that also featured plenty of excellent fight sequences and its fair share of graphic violence. While there may still be controversy surrounding some of the show’s topics, The Punisher, in my opinion, is hands down the best superhero TV show of 2017.
What did you think of The Punisher Season One? Let us know in the comments below, and let Liam know on Twitter, here- @liamhoofe
Originally published November 29, 2017. Updated April 19, 2018.
