Friday

The Punisher on Netflix

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I kept reading how amazing The Punisher on Netflix is. And having enjoyed a lot of the Netflix Marvel shows (Luke Cage, Jessica Jones and Iron Fist ... in that order) I decided to give it a chance. I can had never read The Punisher, Punisher War Journal or any of the other Punisher titles that Marvel would publish throughout the 1980s and 90s, so I had no frame of reference when I began to watch The Punisher as a clean slate. And I was not disappointed.

Having no preconceived opinions on the character and the universe, I was able to enjoy the show for what it is. This isn't a spoiler but, the show is really violent. You don't expect a guy called The Punisher to be someone who talks things out.

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The basic story is Frank Castle is a Marine Corp vet (now of deployments in the Middle East, as opposed to the comic book Frank Castle who got his PTSD in the jungles of Vietnam) who after the murder of his family, seeks revenge on all of those who were involved. This happens before the series and is often referenced to. Frank Castle died before the series began, at least that is what the general public is lead to believe.

But he was very much alive, living a low key life as laborer Peter Castiglione. He was waiting to find the last few people on his list. He then learns about a vast conspiracy that involved him, which forces him to come out from the shadows guns a blazing. Seriously.

There is a grittiness and tone that I haven't seen much on TV since the early seasons of Sons of Anarchy. Frank who despite his very violent nature is kind hearted and has a strong sense of morality that drives his every move. Frank is played by Walking Dead alum Jon Bernthal and he makes a seemingly uncomplicated guy, into someone you really care about. The show is really well acted and the other characters are full and as 3 three dimensional as you can get in 13 episodes.
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While this show exists in the main Marvel Cinematic Universe, and The Punisher appeared in episodes of Daredevil season 2, you can watch this show without having seen a second of any of the other shows and not miss a step. Which is what I did not like about The Defenders, since I didn't finish watching Daredevil I was extremely lost.

Not to be too spoilery, but the show ends in a way that there is a perfect setup for a second season, also while wrapping up this story perfectly. I know a show is really worth my time, when I finish binging it and am mad that I have to wait probably a year to see more.

Note: This is a totally independent review, I was not compensated by #Marvel or #Netflix ... but I'm open to working with them.

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