The embargo is over and we've seen all thirteen episodes of The Punisher. Join Derek for a quick podcast for our Punisher Season One Spoiler Free Review.

Synopsis for our Punisher Season One Spoiler Free Review

After blasting his way into Season 2 of Daredevil it wasn’t long until Netflix added to their roster of growing Marvel TV shows by announcing The Punisher was getting his own series. Thanks is no small part to the outstanding performance of Jon Bernthal (The Walking Dead, Baby Driver) it was easy to see why Netflix felt so confident that he could carry his own thirteen episode series.

Listen to the Defenders TV Podcast review of The Punisher Episode 1 “3AM” from Friday the 17th of November at defenderstvpodcast.com New episodes will be released every Friday.

The story so far

Frank Castle went on a rampage to take out the gangs involved in the murder of his family. Nicknamed The Punisher, Castle laid waste to The Kitchen Irish, The Dogs of Hell and his former comrade in arms “The Blacksmith” as punishment for the losses he had suffered. At the end of Punisher’s arc on Daredevil we are left with a number of questions. Schoonover, the blacksmith reveals that Frank might have been responsible for the death of his family and Frank finds a memory card tagged with the very familiar name “Micro”.

The New Cast

The new cast is where the Punisher really shines. This is a new phase for Marvel’s shows on Netflix and it feels like it. Stand out performances are in abundance here. Unlike Iron Fist it doesn’t take multiple episodes to understand why the storyline is focused on multiple threads. Ebon Moss-Bachrach as tech genius Micro creates an interesting partnership with Frank. Amber Rose Revah as Homeland Security agent Dinah Madani is a well written, complex doggedly determined character. I’ve always been the defender of Deborah Ann Woll’s Karen Page. She’s used well in The Punisher with some smart use of her history and motivations. Ben Barnes as comic book character Billy Russo brings a great presence to the show. There are other great performances here but I don’t want to spoil any more.

Verdict

While tied to Punisher’s previous exploits in Daredevil season 2 this feels bigger as it should. The exploration of P.T.S.D., politics, shady covert dealings and yes gun violence isn’t new to TV but is new for the Marvel universe. There are times that feel like Homeland, House of Cards and Generation Kill this is a serious show. I was nervous coming into the Punisher that it was going to be dour, preachy or a slog to get through. Thankfully in the hands of showrunner Steve Lightfoot (Best known for Hannibal) it was constantly compelling. The Netflix trademark end of episode cliffhanger absent since before

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