After three episodes of almost non-stop action, The Punisher’s season two takes a little bit of a break in chapter four. But after only a short pause, a chance to catch our breath, “Scar Tissue” puts the hammer down again.
Let’s dive into five thoughts about The Punisher’s “Scar Tissue.” Be advised: spoilers ahead.
1. Frank isn’t even close to healed.
“He killed everybody I ever cared about. How do you think that feels?” Rachel nearly shouts at Frank. He can’t answer. All he can do is look at her before he talks about how to survive and how to fight.
Later, Rachel discovers the truth about who Frank is and how he got revenge for the death of his family. “Did it make you feel better?” she asks. “Sometimes,” is all Frank can say. Then he tries to change the subject.
This scene, juxtaposed with Billy visit his stickball coach (see below) was a punch to the gut.
2. Madani is out of control.
Madani brought Frank and Rachel back to New York City. Am FBI Special Agent in Charge brought a man that was given a new identity and told to disappear back to the city and put him up in her apartment. She also brought along the unidentified minor he was traveling with. Madani picked Frank up in an official helicopter at the crime scene where he shot a dozen or more men — several of them fatally. We join her the next morning when she is lying to her boss about, well, just about everything.
But then, when Frank offers to take care of Billy “his way,” Madani refuses. She insists that she’s going to bring him to justice the right way. Really? There’s still a line somewhere she won’t cross?
Later, she accidentally puts two rounds into a police officer’s Kevlar vest after he startles her at a crime scene. She blusters her way out of the incident, even though it’s clear she’s so tightly wound she shouldn’t carry a gun.
I get it. This is The Punisher, a show about killing folks that need killing. I need to suspend my disbelief, just like I did for the blind ninjas, steel-skinned guy, and chi-assisted fists, swords, and guns. But I can’t help but think that Madani’s unraveling is particularly acute and it needs to either have some consequences or a resolution. If it doesn’t this version of the Punisher might end up feeling like the other two. (Or is it three?)
Did you notice Madani’s bedroom door when Rachel closed and locked it? It has two flush-mounted deadbolts. On an inside door! Madani is suffering.
3. Rachel fronts, and then crashes.
Rachel mocks Madani and her apartment, saying it looks like the home of a “psycho.” It feels like more of her teenage tough girl facade, but it made me wonder if she had a point, too. The apartment is spotless, almost like Madani is afraid to spend too much time there.
Rachel accepts Frank’s recommendation and takes the bedroom. She spends a few moments going through Madani’s things, flipping through a collection of nearly-identical suits hanging in the closet. I wonder we’re supposed to make of this shot? That Madani has no life? That she’s a career-first woman that doesn’t care how she looks? I immediately thought of Steve Jobs assertion that he wore the same clothes every day, so he didn’t have to waste time thinking about what to wear every day. Good for you, Madani!
After Rachel cleans herself up, the past few days finally take their toll. We finally see not just what happened to her, but that she’s human. She hides under the bed and falls asleep crying.
I said earlier that I hoped Frank and Rachel’s relationship would be more than just a vehicle for wisecracks. When she tells Frank her story, and he tells her a little of his, we do get more.
4. Billy’s slow recovery.
When Billy encounters the jerk in the opening scene, he seems to be slowly waking up. As the guy taunts him, we see flashes of memories from his break out. Even after a few viewings, I’m not sure if they are there for Billy or us. Something about the sequence felt detached.
Continued belowLater the memories are more precise, and it looks like Billy is gradually waking up. He has vast gaps in his memory, but bits and pieces are returning. I still found some of the scenes confusing and inconsistent. I don’t know if that was by design or not.
Billy heads to the home of a stickball coach that abused him when he was a little boy. They share coffee in an uncomfortable scene that is delightfully sad and creepy. Thomas G. Waites (not the singer) is the perfect combination of pathetic and disturbing. You almost feel sorry for him. Almost, but not entirely. At the same time, Ben Barnes finally finds a believable balance between Billy’s confusion and menace. When the coach loses his temper and yells, he cowers like a little boy. But eventually, the taunts goad Billy into action.
Billy kills two men in this episode. Both murders are off camera, leaving them to our imagination. I found this pleasantly surprising.
5. Paging Dr. Harley Dumont?
After killing the coach, Billy shows up at Dr. Dumont’s door. She lets him in. He asks her if it’s possible for him to “be the best version of himself” again. Her answer is to put down her phone instead of calling the police. I nearly threw my beverage at the TV.
Barnes’ performances in this scene and the flashback that’s part of it are outstanding. You can feel his anger, confusion, and shame as he struggles to remember who he is, and he dislikes the answers. The cinematography in the flashback is especially compelling, with fast cuts as Billy rocks in his chair.
But it’s tied together by the doctor-falling-for-her-patient trope. I don’t like where it’s going. My only hope is a prop that quickly flew by in the background. Dr. Dumont has the flag that the military gives to family members of soldiers killed in action on her mantel. Maybe this will take us in a slightly less obvious direction?
That’s it for “Scar Tissue.” What are your thoughts? Let us know below, in the comments!
