Online Series: The Punisher (season 2 - final season?)

[Jussi]

"Sexy doctor falls for bad guy patient" is the best they could come up with? Such lazy garbage.

She's a 2½ at best.

 

[Backhandbeauty]

I wish Netflix kept stats so I could see how many times i hit the skip ten seconds button during every interaction between the doc and Russo/homeland security chic.

 

[BruinDust]

"Sexy doctor falls for bad guy patient" is the best they could come up with? Such lazy garbage.

I was so obvious from the very first second the Doctor appeared that those two would end up in a relationship before it was all said and done. It was really too obvious.

But the Season overall I liked. 1st season to me was essentially a 13-hour movie, as was this. Rarely does a movie sequel surpass the original, so I'm OK with Season 2 dropping a little bit in quality. It was still highly entertaining. The scene where Billy and his goons got Frank surrounded and their slicing him up when the lights and music come on was crazy. I thought the ending was a little bit aburpt.

I'm sad that is likely the last we see of Jon Bernthal's Punisher. Great casting choice, just the definitive version of that character. Bernthal was born to play the Punisher.

 

[ArchAngel55]

I was so obvious from the very first second the Doctor appeared that those two would end up in a relationship before it was all said and done. It was really too obvious.

But the Season overall I liked. 1st season to me was essentially a 13-hour movie, as was this. Rarely does a movie sequel surpass the original, so I'm OK with Season 2 dropping a little bit in quality. It was still highly entertaining. The scene where Billy and his goons got Frank surrounded and their slicing him up when the lights and music come on was crazy. I thought the ending was a little bit aburpt.

I'm sad that is likely the last we see of Jon Bernthal's Punisher. Great casting choice, just the definitive version of that character. Bernthal was born to play the Punisher.

I really was obvious. Also how cool would it be if there was a movie with a big budget and other characters.

 

[BruinDust]

I really was obvious. Also how cool would it be if there was a movie with a big budget and other characters.

I'd love to see them take this cast (with some new additions) and writing team and bring it to the big screen. I rarely go to the theatre to see movies anymore, but a Punisher movie with Bernthal and Co. I would gladly shell out for.

 

[Burnoutboi]

I just finished. No big binge, just a couple episodes per night to keep it somewhat more fresh. I can agree Russo and Dr.GirlfriendIsCrazy were the weakest parts, but I really liked the rest of the supporting cast. Curtis was very good, as was Mahoney from DD.

And I totally agree that Bernthal could pull this off on the big screen. I'd easily part with cash for that. If it was a two hour slugfest with him and The Kingpin, the better.

 

[ProstheticConscience]

Up to episode 9 now, I think. Can only do one or two of these a day.

The whole show is about enabling sociopaths. No matter what Frank and Billy do (up to and including gruesome premeditated murder) there's no shortage of people to apologize for them and keep them going. The military fetishism is getting old as well. And there's a lot of ugly morals creeping around in this show. The cops and government are infiltrated and untrustworthy so vigilantism is justified no matter how many people get killed, revenge and/or PTSD is always a valid excuse for turning people into dog food with automatic fire, you *always* need a gun...it's very American. Of course, it's set in an America where mass murderers happily skip down the sidewalk in broad daylight and nobody ever calls the cops even if an entire lead mine's worth of bullets are flying through the air...not the best place, frankly.

And goddammit, Billy. You know what the internet is, right? Your rich doctor/enabler girlfriend has a computer, doesn't she? Maybe just google Frank Castle and see if any spark of realization hits you as to why he's not your friend anymore. Dumbass.

 

[jasonleaffan]

Up to episode 9 now, I think. Can only do one or two of these a day.

The whole show is about enabling sociopaths. No matter what Frank and Billy do (up to and including gruesome premeditated murder) there's no shortage of people to apologize for them and keep them going. The military fetishism is getting old as well. And there's a lot of ugly morals creeping around in this show. The cops and government are infiltrated and untrustworthy so vigilantism is justified no matter how many people get killed, revenge and/or PTSD is always a valid excuse for turning people into dog food with automatic fire, you *always* need a gun...it's very American. Of course, it's set in an America where mass murderers happily skip down the sidewalk in broad daylight and nobody ever calls the cops even if an entire lead mine's worth of bullets are flying through the air...not the best place, frankly.

And goddammit, Billy. You know what the internet is, right? Your rich doctor/enabler girlfriend has a computer, doesn't she? Maybe just google Frank Castle and see if any spark of realization hits you as to why he's not your friend anymore. Dumbass.

It's based on a comic book.....

 

[LarKing]

I’m enjoying it so far. Like three episodes in. Is this the last season?

 

[Big Poppa Puck]

The best scene in the whole season was the final one. Overall very underwhelming.

The stuff with the therapist was so annoyingly stupid and obviously from her first moment on screen. There was no reason for that forced love interest.

 

[ProstheticConscience]

Up to episode 12. The therapist stuff is just getting SO stupid.

And you know you're watching an American show where it's perfectly fine and dandy to see people gunned down with their blood splattering every surface...but nobody is allowed to say any naughty words. Sheila Broflofski would be proud.

When you think about it, Billy Russo kicks all kinds of ass over Frank Castle. He rose up from a sexually abused orphan living in a group home to Marine sniper, got out of the military, established his own megabuck security company, entered into a cabal to control the government (or whatever), then went down for a fall, lost his memory and freedom. But after that, he rose back up. He corrupted his therapist to escape from a life sentence, became a gang boss, lived the high life again...and all Frank ever did was be a sniper in the Marines, lose his family and go nuts. He's moped and moaned way more than Billy ever did, and he even killed more people. He's a better person because...? That Amy chick had a point. The Punisher Pity Party is getting old. Oh, he feels so bad because he thinks he killed three women...but nobody in the show seems to mind the ten dead guys he left downstairs. Okay.

Then there's the Amish hitman dude. What's his deal again? Okay, he was an...Aryan Brotherhood guy or something? Is that it? Then he went and caught the Jesus bug and now he's a hitman for God or something? Or old Corbin Bernsen, whose son just can't be gay? Yeah? Uh...okay.

 

[jasonleaffan]

Up to episode 12. The therapist stuff is just getting SO stupid.

And you know you're watching an American show where it's perfectly fine and dandy to see people gunned down with their blood splattering every surface...but nobody is allowed to say any naughty words. Sheila Broflofski would be proud.

When you think about it, Billy Russo kicks all kinds of ass over Frank Castle. He rose up from a sexually abused orphan living in a group home to Marine sniper, got out of the military, established his own megabuck security company, entered into a cabal to control the government (or whatever), then went down for a fall, lost his memory and freedom. But after that, he rose back up. He corrupted his therapist to escape from a life sentence, became a gang boss, lived the high life again...and all Frank ever did was be a sniper in the Marines, lose his family and go nuts. He's moped and moaned way more than Billy ever did, and he even killed more people. He's a better person because...? That Amy chick had a point. The Punisher Pity Party is getting old. Oh, he feels so bad because he thinks he killed three women...but nobody in the show seems to mind the ten dead guys he left downstairs. Okay.

Then there's the Amish hitman dude. What's his deal again? Okay, he was an...Aryan Brotherhood guy or something? Is that it? Then he went and caught the Jesus bug and now he's a hitman for God or something? Or old Corbin Bernsen, whose son just can't be gay? Yeah? Uh...okay.

I'm guessing you've never read a comic book. I'm not going to waste time refuting all your points.

 

[aufheben]

I don't understand how they completely ran out of ideas after a single season.

Spoiler

Not-so-subtle 2018 reboot of The Professional, with season one baggage and movie tropes copy/pasted on top of it. Really, the zealous villain? Billy's girlfriend chucked out a window five minutes after he decides they should dip and live happily ever after...

...shocking. Seriously is there any other device in the history of cinema that says "oh they're f***ed" more unambiguously than a fresh passport? Maybe Arnold Schwarzenegger in a cutoff, or a few oranges.

Also, I get the reasoning for going lighter on Billy's "deformity", but if you're going to redirect towards his inner demons and whatnot, it probably shouldn't be to stuff he could figure out on Google during a smoke break.

I really liked season one, but you can sum up the whole show with: "No, Mr Bond, I expect you to die!"

 

[Syckle78]

Up to episode 12. The therapist stuff is just getting SO stupid.

And you know you're watching an American show where it's perfectly fine and dandy to see people gunned down with their blood splattering every surface...but nobody is allowed to say any naughty words. Sheila Broflofski would be proud.

When you think about it, Billy Russo kicks all kinds of ass over Frank Castle. He rose up from a sexually abused orphan living in a group home to Marine sniper, got out of the military, established his own megabuck security company, entered into a cabal to control the government (or whatever), then went down for a fall, lost his memory and freedom. But after that, he rose back up. He corrupted his therapist to escape from a life sentence, became a gang boss, lived the high life again...and all Frank ever did was be a sniper in the Marines, lose his family and go nuts. He's moped and moaned way more than Billy ever did, and he even killed more people. He's a better person because...? That Amy chick had a point. The Punisher Pity Party is getting old. Oh, he feels so bad because he thinks he killed three women...but nobody in the show seems to mind the ten dead guys he left downstairs. Okay.

Then there's the Amish hitman dude. What's his deal again? Okay, he was an...Aryan Brotherhood guy or something? Is that it? Then he went and caught the Jesus bug and now he's a hitman for God or something? Or old Corbin Bernsen, whose son just can't be gay? Yeah? Uh...okay.

You try way too hard.

 

[MadDevil]

Finished it this weekend and I agree that the Frank/Amy dynamic was probably the best thing about it. The preacher was pretty good too. Everything else was rather weak.

 

[ProstheticConscience]

So finished the season.

Glad they didn't keep the Russo story around with his idiot shrink. Interesting that Madani suddenly forgot about all her secret agent training when she went back to her last "tea time" in the shrink's apartment. The scene on the bridge reminded me a lot of the opening of Deadpool where the Georgia viaduct is reduced to a smoking cinder but the VPD is on one coffee break. There are killer vigilantes on the loose yet still nobody seems to care all that much. Huh. The boss battle between Castle and the preacher reminded me of any Rocky movie where if one out of every ten blows landed were genuine, the guy'd be dead after round three.

While I'm quite aware that suspension of belief is required in shows like this, the onus is on the show to make that happen, not the viewer. Sure, it's a show about The Punisher. I'm aware of that. There have been movies and comic books before this one. Yeah, I can use google as well as anyone else here. I know the premise. But it's up to the show to make me forget that it's ridiculous and it's up to the show to be entertaining enough that I'm willing to overlook things that I can understand intellectually are patently idiotic or unlikely. The good ones can do that, the mediocre ones don't do it enough, and the bad ones just shove it in your face. Deadpool did that. The Daredevil series did that...a bit. The first season got there sometimes...the second...meh. It had moments. The castings good; Jon Bernthal's the best screen Punisher there's been, not that that says much. The supporting cast...ehhhh...not quite so much.

I'm guessing you've never read a comic book. I'm not going to waste time refuting all your points.

You try way too hard.

Your validation is very important to me.

 

[Riggins]

What a disappointing season that was. I would have binged it if it was any good but I watched a bit at a time and finished yesterday.

Bernthal is great in the role but the writing and storyline on this season were a massive letdown. I'll echo that the whole doctor thing with Billy was just awful. It's like they needed to fill time with dialogue and just went with it but turned out both dull and irritating.

The Pilgrim character was cringeworthy too. There was some brief background about his dark past and his family situation yet everything about the character was super shallow. He was in the Boondock Saints mold of trying to justify his violence but it made zero sense.

I'd rather they cut the amnesia storyline and have Jigsaw as a total psychopath bent on revenge as soon as he wakes up. Then have more of him wreaking havoc on the city with his crew and slugging it out with the Punisher. They could have easily worked out a much better secondary villain than Pilgrim.

 

[Warden of the North]

Was the kids backstory every really explained? Did I sleep through some part or did I miss the clues?

I thought the season was pretty good. Enjoyed S1 more I think, but I liked Frank's relationship better with the kid then I did with the hacker guy from S1.

Agreed with everyone else about the Dr. A tired trope that one is.

I hope that the fact Disney wont have R rated material on their service allows Netflix to work out a new agreement to keep making more seasons. I really enjoy Bernthal's Punisher.

 

[EON]

Bernthal is great as the Punisher of course but honestly I thought this season sucked pretty bad after the first 3 episodes. Disappointing, especially after a pretty strong showing from Daredevil in season 3.

 

[LarKing]

The religious guy was pretty lame until the last few seasons. I loved the Russo stuff but didn’t care for the therapist. Bernthal kills it per usual. They should just keep him and daredevil around. The rest is garbage but those two kill everything (pun very intended).

 

[tacogeoff]

Just binged on both seasons in a week and a bit. Overall season 1 was phenomenal. Season 2 was good but its tough to surpass how good the first season was. I was sceptical going into season 1 as I didn't know how well the Punisher would be portrayed but man did Bernthal do justice to the role.
Would love a season 3.

 

[Pranzo Oltranzista]

I think ProsteticConscience and Riggins summed up pretty well my thoughts about the show, so I won't repeat all criticism and focus on some positive: Bernthal needs to stay as the Punisher, he's been great and that character cannot exist through Disney, so please... Also, even though everything related to the Jigsaw was lame, I really enjoyed

Spoiler

his demise, from the phonecall to Curtis to his "last words" cut short.

Season 1 was great. Season 2 only showed Bernthal could play that character even through some weaker scripts and storylines.

 

[Pierce Hawthorne]

Its interesting they haven't cancelled the series yet..

 

[The Nemesis]

Its interesting they haven't cancelled the series yet..

Spoke too soon.

‘The Punisher’ & ‘Jessica Jones’ Canceled By Netflix; Latter’s 3rd Season Still To Air

Interestingly, it seems Netflix has decided to stop pretending they can fool anyone and axed Jessica Jones at the same time, in spite of the fact that the 3rd season has yet to air.

 

[RobBrown4PM]

I still think there was some back door deal between NF and Disney to get their properties back. My theory is that they did it this way so Disney saves face and doesen't look like the evil money grubbing corporation.