We’re at the end of The Punisher’s second season. “The Whirlwind” is the last episode of both the season and the series. Let’s dive right into five thoughts on the end of Netflix’s version of Frank Castle. Since this is the end of the series, there are plenty of spoilers ahead.
1. The epic battle you’ve been waiting for.
It took 13 episodes, but we finally saw not one, but two showdowns between Frank Castle and John Pilgrim. It’s almost as if the series’ creators felt obligated to compensate for making us wait an entire season to see them square off. It was worth the wait. The first battle illustrated the differences between the two men. Frank is a juggernaut, charging into the (wrong) room to start the fight, and then jumping through a bullet-riddled wall. Pilgrim is more of a hunter. He rented both rooms, using one as a buffer in case someone did try to attack him. He also made it possible for Frank to jump through the wall by spraying it with an array of small arms fire.
The second battle highlights their similarities when they face off in a grudge match. Of course, the grudge might be more believable if the men had spent more time on the screen together. Still, it’s a brutal battle that’s inventive in the ways the two men come up with to hurt each other while maintaining a grim sense of humor.
But the choreography in this episode went a long way in selling the action. Frank charges through doors and a wall, into an elevator, and onto the hood of a car. In the elevator, he takes down three police officers in a brilliantly filmed fight with three (or more?) different points of view. It’s the best fight we’ve seen since the battle in the gym back in the fifth episode of this season.
2. Full of sound and fury, and in the end…
It’s satisfying when a villain gets what’s coming to him. We cheered when Hans Gruber fell off Nakatomi Tower. We clapped when Inigo Montoya stabbed Count Rugen. We raved as Scar plunged off of Pride Rock. We breathed a sigh of relief as Frank Castle put a couple of rounds in Billy Russo before he could start pontificating about how much they have in common.
It was Madani that fatally wounded Billy, but we’re robbed of a satisfying conclusion to her story. Instead of Madani being the person to finally put Billy out of our misery, we get her surprise resurrection at the beginning of the episode. Then, Billy limps to a basement so Frank can shoot him before he goes off on another rant. The only satisfying aspect of Billy’s end is that it’s the end this time.
3. Dinah and Krista.
“Are you here to gloat?” Krista asked as Madani entered her hospital room. Yes, Krista. Yes, she is.
4. Curtis is still the real hero.
Curtis is left alone with David Schultz, and the young senator appeals to his better nature. The appeal works because Curtis is the best man on the show. Curtis saves the Senator, and in so doing saves himself, and arguably Frank.
The show spent a lot of time comparing Frank with Billy, but what about Frank and Curtis? If it makes sense to compare him to the man that killed his family, why not to a man that’s devastated when he shoots in self-defense? He went through the same experiences as both Castle and Russo and then dedicated his left to helping his fellow veterans. “The Punisher” would have benefited from more focus on Curtis Hoyle, especially when you consider the wasted time and squandered opportunities.
5. A season of missed opportunities.
It’s there’s a theme that ties together “The Punisher’s” second season, it’s wasted chances and inexplicable pacing. The story of John Pilgrim and the Schultz family was an engaging tale of betrayal, abuse of power, and greed that wrapped up with a satisfying end. But, rather than let it play out throughout the season, “The Punisher” crammed into the last three episodes. Even then, it fought for attention with an anticlimactic conclusion to the Billy Russo’s story that dominated the middle of the season.
Continued belowEliza and Anderson Schultz played masterfully by Annette O’Toole and Corbin Bernsen, were excellent villains from the beginning of the season. But what started like a decision to only give us tiny tidbits of information about them turned into a decision to neglect their story until the end. It wasn’t clear just how much in the dark their son was until Frank kidnapped him. Only in this episode did we see how quickly the Schultzes were ready to sacrifice Pilgrim and use his children as hostages.
Pilgrim and the Schultzes aren’t the only examples of these missed chances and missing characters. Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio made a powerful appearance up as Deputy CIA Director Marion James. She briefly acts as a mentor to Madani, which set the scene for her to switch from the FBI to the CIA. But, rather than continue to guide the young agent, she disappeared. Moreover, where was Rafi Hernandez when Madani resigned?
One of the recurring criticisms of the Marvel Netflix series is that they’ve been too long. What could have been done in eight or ten episodes was dragged out into 13. It’s hard to tell if “The Punisher’s” second season was too long or not. Maybe better editing to make the two storylines looked more balanced would have helped. Maybe a few more scenes with Frank and Pilgrim (and a little bit less Billy) would have made the difference. Maybe, as several reviewers have remarked before, being limited to ten episodes would have given the show more of a sense of urgency.
That wraps up season two of “The Punisher” and marks the end of the series, barring a rescue by Disney. What are your thoughts? Let us know below!
