Liam Hoofe reviews the fifth episode Marvel’s The Punisher…
Free from the shackles of an overarching storyline, The Punisher has felt like a breath of fresh air for Netflix’s Marvel Universe. The show has been able to explore many different themes and introduce loads of interesting characters, without the worry of having to build up to something bigger. The season’s fifth episode, ‘Gunner’, is yet another stellar outing from the show.
The relationship between Frank and Micro has been the best thing about the show in its opening episodes and that continued to be the case with ‘Gunner’. Once again, this episode, Frank decided to pay a visit to his friend’s family but this time, the end results were different. When Micro’s son approach Frank, it gives the impression that Frank was reminded of what he had lost, a big moment for the character that may change the face of the duo’s relationship. Up to this point, Frank has been visiting Micro’s family almost to tease him, but this episode made it clear that the exchanges are having a bigger effect on Micro than he initially let on. It also explored the theme of fatherhood and the way many families with fathers who go off to battle are left feeling abandoned. A shot at the end of the episode, highlighting the disappointment on the children’s faces, was one of the episode’s most subtle and affecting moments.
A great thing about the show, though, is the surprising amount of humour it has been able to inject into proceedings and Frank and Micro, especially, have really managed to nail this. The two had plenty of numerous exchanges in this episode, and the road trip storyline played really nicely into their chalk and cheese dynamic.
The episode was far from all fun and games, though, as the duo set out to find the man responsible for filming the incident in Kandahar. This is where the episode’s titular character comes into play. Gunner, who we were briefly introduced to in episode 3, worked alongside Frank for that mission and, being a man of God, realised that what they were doing was wrong. Once Frank has found him, though, the two had little to reconnect as they were ambushed by a group of soldiers, leading to the episode’s best sequence.
The shootout scene in the woods was a masterclass in directing action; operating mostly from a first-person perspective, this was one of the best-choreographed scenes in the Marvel/Netflix history. The show has not been afraid of highlighting the brutal violence of this type of combat and this episode was no exception, highlighting every shooting or stab wound. This is what makes The Punisher feel like its own show. Away from the pressures of having to fit a bigger narrative, the show has really managed to create its own tone, and it’s one that suits the character perfectly.
The episode also revealed the identity of the mysterious Agent Orange. Williams Rawlins made his first appearance in episode 3 and he reappeared this episode, just with one eye missing thanks to Frank punching him in the face. The show has still not made clear who its chief antagonist is, so you can safely bet on Rawlins taking that role for the next few episodes at least. Marvel does have a habit of shifting that halfway through a season, though, so don’t be surprised if he isn’t dealt with fairly efficiently.
After playing such a huge role in the last episode, detective Madani took a back seat once again this episode, spending time deciding how to deal with the revelation concerning Frank. Her relationship with Billy Russo is interesting though, and it could end up being that which sees Frank’s former best friend turn on him towards the end of the season.
Finally, another character who made another appearance this episode was Karen. She and Frank spent a little bit of time together and Karen asked Frank what he planned to do once this was all over. I really enjoy seeing these two on-screen together, and they share a very natural chemistry, here’s hoping that the two can finally get it on before the season is out.
‘Gunner’ was yet another great episode of The Punisher, making the series five for five in terms of quality so far. Marvel’s past few seasons have had a habit of shifting gear, and as a result, falling apart around the midpoint of the season, let’s just hope The Punisher doesn’t fall into that trap.
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