Frank and Amy find out what Pilgrim wants from her. At the same time, Billy makes his moves, and Pilgrim hits the unclean city.
We’re back with episode six of The Punisher’s second season, “Nakazat.” Spoilers ahead.
1. Not a typical trip to one-hour photo.
So, when Amy said she was being pursued because she was carrying film, she wasn’t speaking figuratively. She had some bonafide old-school film, needed to develop it to find out what Pilgrim and friends wanted to kill her for.
But, it’s 2019. Getting film developed quickly and discreetly is a tall order. So, they raid a “studio.” I have no idea what those places are called, and don’t want it in my search history. It’s a spot where you can get photos of just about anything taken and then developed for a price. This setup leads to a couple of darkly humorous moments, but more importantly, a critical character moment for Frank.
Frank wants to kill the photographer. It’s evident that the man has aided and abetted creating child pornography and all the other crimes that go with it. So, he’s the kind of man Frank kills. But, Amy talks him out of it. That’s big and foreshadows a change for the Punisher.
2.”Kids are a weakness.”
Amy and Frank are developing a relationship that’s hard to put a label on. The good news is the show is reveling in the ambiguity. We don’t need another buddy or odd couple action series. Frank often seems like a father figure, but Amy is already her own person. She doesn’t need a role model or protector. At the same time, she’s provided Frank with emotional support and insight a few times, too.
They have a moment outside a girl’s school in New York City, and it leads to the awkward line above. Frank is talking strategy, while Amy is trying to reach him. It looks like she fails. But did she?
After asking Poloznev about his daughter, Frank spares him. It’s obvious that this is a direct effect of Amy’s influence. Is Frank turning the corner from agent of vengeance to anti-hero? Is there a difference?
3. The secret in the photos.
So, the secret that Pilgrim has killed a string of people to protect is that the Schultz’s son, a U.S. Senator with presidential aspirations, is gay. I avoided reading anything about the series before I started watching it, so this came as a surprise to me. After five episodes of prostitution, pedophilia, human trafficking, and rampant violence, we learn that the Schultz’s secret shouldn’t be a secret at all:
Poloznev: “There’s only one problem. David prefers the company of men.”
Frank: “So what?”
4. A Deadshot easter egg?
Billy goes drinking with Curtis’ therapy group. He rallies them to the cause of stealing one of the men’s repossessed cars from a towing service. The scene serves as another opportunity to see Billy lose control. But it also appears to be a chance for him to build a team of disgruntled veterans. What will he use them for?
But it also may have had a rare Punisher easter egg.
I apologize for this image being out of a focus, but is that logo a Deadshot reference? Or is this wishful thinking on my part?
5. The Dumont sub-plot gets worse.
“You have poor impulse control,” Dumont tells Billy. This is the doctor’s deep insight into the serial murderer she’s been hiding in her apartment. But if that clunker wasn’t bad enough, there was more. They went there.
Billy assaults Krista, pushing her across a table and grabbing her face. She stabs him with a letter opener. Then…they kiss. It’s a scene that would have seemed awkward and corny in a daytime soap. I suppose this was inevitable, but I was hoping the writers might take a different tack. Is it too late to wish for some kind of a surprise here?
That’s five thoughts for “Nakazat.” What are yours? Let us know in the comments!
