Jon Bernthal The Punisher

Marvel’s The Punisher: Season 2 Trailer: Dead Man Walking

Bullets Fly and Bodies Drop in the Punisher’s Blood-soaked Trailer

In just over a week, Marvel’s The Punisher: Season 2 will burst onto millions of streamers’ Netflix feeds with the fury of a thousand shotgun blasts. Lest we forget, Netflix is here to remind us with a new trailer packed with bullets, blood, and basket-cases. Take a look:

Here’s the official synopsis:

The highly-anticipated second season of Marvel’s The Punisher hits the road as Frank Castle tries to move on from his past. However Frank can’t leave the vest behind when trouble finds him; bringing him back to his old life with a new mission and a sidekick he never asked for.

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Usually, this is the time I would do a catch-up binge through season one to prepare for the new episodes. But after seeing the way Netflix cancelled Daredevil immediately after releasing its successful third season, I have no incentive to keep up with the series. Netflix cancelled three of its six Marvel series (four if you count The Defenders). It’s a safe bet The Punisher is next on the chopping block.

So, here’s the question to ask oneself: in the era of peak TV, should you give your valuable hours over to a show that will get canned before you can finish your binge? This question would be tougher to answer if The Punisher’s first season was remotely interesting.

Jon Bernthal does a fine job as the tortured vigilante Frank Castle aka The Punisher, but after him, there’s a steep decline in appealing characters. Comic book heroes – or anti-heroes in this case –  are as interesting as their arch-villains. And right now, I can’t even recall who Frank faced-off with on the show. What I do remember is that every time the story cuts away from Frank, it grinds to a halt. The worst offences? The scenes that follow the Homeland Security side-characters Dinah Madani and Sam Stein. They’re as exciting as watching my plump beagle nap.

This version of The Punisher was at his best when he showed up as a side character in Daredevil’s second season. Watching Frank play a righteous antagonist bucking up against Matt Murdoch’s moral values elevated the show to its creative peak and made for some thrilling moments. So far, The Punisher’s plots aren’t compelling enough to mask that its cast of characters’ lack the depth to support a 13-episode season.

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Maybe this show will course correct in season two. But with loads of entertainment options out there right now, why should viewers invest in a so-so series that is effectively dead in the water?

Marvel’s The Punisher: Season 2 launches globally on Netflix on January 18, 2019.



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