I suggest this show to everyone. Brutal, Dark and just perfect. Everyone should watch this. If you loved him in the second season of DareDevil, you will love him even more in his own show. So much story and a lot of action and chaos. Really wish he could have been apart of The Defenders, but it's still great.
14 Reviews
This is pretty good
averagepingu1 September 2018
Great start
Calicodreamin20 March 2021
A great start to the series, setting up the vibe and the characters. I like the decision to start the series after the punisher has avenged his family. Sets up the series for an interesting dynamic. Great acting, love the performance by Jon Bernthal.
Violent, Yet Limited...
lassegalsgaard-4528427 February 2018
Warning: Spoilers
So, it shouldn't be a secret that one of the best things to come out from the second season of "Daredevil" was Jon Bernthal's ruthless incarnation of Frank Castle. Fans of the original comicbook character had long been waiting for the definite screen version of him, and who would have ever imagined that it would come in the form of Shane from "The Walking Dead." He was an awesome part of another great show, and he managed to steal the spotlight from some other great secondary characters; to the point where it was only a question of time before he would get his own show. Now he has, and it's Steve Lightfoot who is the head of the show. This is a writer who has done some work on shows that I love like "Hannibal." It thrills me to the bone to say that he has done it once again with "The Punisher," because if the first episode is any indication, this is going to be an awesome and very violent television show.
The episode starts off with an awesome opening scene where we get to see Frank finally get his revenge over the final gang members involved in the death of his family. I did not expect the show to finish off that storyline so early, as I thought it would be the main plot of the show. However, since it isn't, I can only assume that Lightfoot managed to come up with another interesting premise that he felt more passionate about. Either way, I'm happy that he didn't just pass by everything that was set up by the end of "Daredevil," and that he paid it off in this awesome opening sequence.
One thing about the opening that made me afraid was that Frank was going to go on living without having to think back on his past. But, from the very beginning of this episode, it became clear that Frank is still not over the loss of his family, and neither should he be. It was his driving force in "Daredevil," so it would only make sense if it was going to play a part in his development this time around. And even though Frank didn't do that much in this episode, he had a lot of great development through a small amount of scenes. I loved to see his interactions with one of his former associates who knows that he isn't dead. I'm excited to see how Frank is as the leading man, and this episode did a good job of setting him up as exactly that.
I am very happy that the show takes time to focus on the veterans. It shows that Frank isn't the only one who suffered some things while overseas, but that there are many other people who are in his situation. There was a great scene at a meeting for veterans, and I found it to be very emotional and touching, as well as being a great fit for this show.
As I mentioned before, Frank doesn't really do that much in this episode. However, there comes a point in the episode where everything turns and Frank has to go back and become a little bit violent again. That part of the episode was by far a highlight for me, as this is the character that I remember and love from the comicbooks. It made sense for me that he wasn't that guy throughout the entire episode as the story didn't call for that, but to see him crack skulls and kill four people with a giant sledgehammer at the end, was so much fun, even though it shouldn't be. However, that is what the show promised us, so I'm glad they are delivering on that promise.
I will say, even though I loved the introduction of the supporting characters, I hate the trope of the 'douchebag boss' or the 'douchebag co-workers.' For the co-workers, it worked, but I don't see a point in making the police captain being a douchebag. Who knows? Maybe that will be explained or used in an upcoming episode.
The episode starts off with an awesome opening scene where we get to see Frank finally get his revenge over the final gang members involved in the death of his family. I did not expect the show to finish off that storyline so early, as I thought it would be the main plot of the show. However, since it isn't, I can only assume that Lightfoot managed to come up with another interesting premise that he felt more passionate about. Either way, I'm happy that he didn't just pass by everything that was set up by the end of "Daredevil," and that he paid it off in this awesome opening sequence.
One thing about the opening that made me afraid was that Frank was going to go on living without having to think back on his past. But, from the very beginning of this episode, it became clear that Frank is still not over the loss of his family, and neither should he be. It was his driving force in "Daredevil," so it would only make sense if it was going to play a part in his development this time around. And even though Frank didn't do that much in this episode, he had a lot of great development through a small amount of scenes. I loved to see his interactions with one of his former associates who knows that he isn't dead. I'm excited to see how Frank is as the leading man, and this episode did a good job of setting him up as exactly that.
I am very happy that the show takes time to focus on the veterans. It shows that Frank isn't the only one who suffered some things while overseas, but that there are many other people who are in his situation. There was a great scene at a meeting for veterans, and I found it to be very emotional and touching, as well as being a great fit for this show.
As I mentioned before, Frank doesn't really do that much in this episode. However, there comes a point in the episode where everything turns and Frank has to go back and become a little bit violent again. That part of the episode was by far a highlight for me, as this is the character that I remember and love from the comicbooks. It made sense for me that he wasn't that guy throughout the entire episode as the story didn't call for that, but to see him crack skulls and kill four people with a giant sledgehammer at the end, was so much fun, even though it shouldn't be. However, that is what the show promised us, so I'm glad they are delivering on that promise.
I will say, even though I loved the introduction of the supporting characters, I hate the trope of the 'douchebag boss' or the 'douchebag co-workers.' For the co-workers, it worked, but I don't see a point in making the police captain being a douchebag. Who knows? Maybe that will be explained or used in an upcoming episode.
A good start
randyfromscream20 November 2017
This episode is really good like the acting is not over the top and it's realistic to believe. Since I'm a fan of Thomas Janes Punisher, John Berthial did a really good job like he's tied with Thomas Jane and is better than Ray Stevensons. The story to this episode flow really smooth and good concept. I thought about reviewing the episode first than review the T.V show. One of the best time so go ahead, watch it.
Enjoyed that a lot
mkayseryan23 December 2021
war is peace
incrediblevampireprince18 November 2017
Warning: Spoilers
Jon Bernthal is the one . Period :) incredible acting , definitely above daredevil's version of PUNISH-HER ( because IMDb would not allow to type in one word ) ( laughs) this episode is outstanding as pilot and excellent start to the series :) most gruesome marvel can get :) i hope he gets a standalone series of movies <3 it would be so cool to watch , yet 12 episodes to discover , i could only imagine it to be awesome :) its there in top 250 TV series , so yeah , need not say more :) 9/10 ( for this episode ) P. S DC FAN BOY IN MOVIE UNIVERSE, MARVEL FAN IN TV UNIVERSE. War is peace.
Nothing not to enjoy
Leofwine_draca18 February 2022
Something of a standalone episode that serves as a fitting introduction to the show. We get a sub-plot that's wrapped up by the end of the episode and some beautifully violent action sequences to boot. Nothing not to enjoy here!
A Very Average Start to the Season Saved only by Jon Bernthal
CatcHing-firE28 November 2017
Warning: Spoilers
If this is how The Punisher ends up playing out for the rest of the season then this will be a very tedious and non-stimulating experience.
Let me just say that this episode, and I will assume this show, hangs by only on the shoulders of Jon Bernthal. Ever since seeing him as Shane on The Walking Dead I have had a lot of respect for the actor in being able to bring intensity and emotional resonance to any character he plays.
Therefore the first 20 minutes or so do keep your attention due to mostly focusing on Frank Castle himself.
However, soon as we start being introduced to the rest of the cast is where the problems become very apparent.
First of all, none of the characters introduced are memorable. Having finished the episode about an hour ago I cannot remember the name of a single character who was introduced.
Not only that but the case they're trying to make the central focus of this show so far has no intrigue whatsoever and is buried behind bureaucratic talk that is there only for the purpose of eating up the running time of the episode.
Usually with these shows, and Netflix's Marvel shows have started out that way, every show has a certain visual style to it, whether it's the action, or the music.
The Punisher so far seems to have none of that, with even the title theme and visuals not leaving much of an impression. Usually I would watch the intro to most shows on Netflix as you can take in the prologue and get hyped for what's to come in the episode but with this title card there doesn't seem like much of a reward for sitting through it.
The action as well, besides being brutal has no thought out choreography to it.
The couple of songs themselves that you do hear could have been replaced by a score instead which would have been much more effective and hopefully memorable.
The acting is okay but is definitely not helped by an awful script. Case in point, the bad guys from Castle's day job are as cliché as you can get. They don't even reflect the real life intelligence of common criminals.
The main problem with the show so far however is the lack of a central villain to really drive The Punisher to act. Any medium about a hero is only as good as it's villain and by the end of the episode there is still not one to be found. If this continues it's going to become a real problem, especially over a full 13 episodes as killing off mounds of replaceable bad guys will become tiring really fast.
I'm still going to give a couple more episodes of The Punisher a go, hopefully it becomes more focused and introduces some real threats for Frank Castle to deal with, because if this show continues at the same rate it's going to end up being a snooze that you would need to be pretty drunk for to be able to sit through.
Overall, I give this episode a 6/10, solely for Jon Bernthal's magnetic performance.
Let me just say that this episode, and I will assume this show, hangs by only on the shoulders of Jon Bernthal. Ever since seeing him as Shane on The Walking Dead I have had a lot of respect for the actor in being able to bring intensity and emotional resonance to any character he plays.
Therefore the first 20 minutes or so do keep your attention due to mostly focusing on Frank Castle himself.
However, soon as we start being introduced to the rest of the cast is where the problems become very apparent.
First of all, none of the characters introduced are memorable. Having finished the episode about an hour ago I cannot remember the name of a single character who was introduced.
Not only that but the case they're trying to make the central focus of this show so far has no intrigue whatsoever and is buried behind bureaucratic talk that is there only for the purpose of eating up the running time of the episode.
Usually with these shows, and Netflix's Marvel shows have started out that way, every show has a certain visual style to it, whether it's the action, or the music.
The Punisher so far seems to have none of that, with even the title theme and visuals not leaving much of an impression. Usually I would watch the intro to most shows on Netflix as you can take in the prologue and get hyped for what's to come in the episode but with this title card there doesn't seem like much of a reward for sitting through it.
The action as well, besides being brutal has no thought out choreography to it.
The couple of songs themselves that you do hear could have been replaced by a score instead which would have been much more effective and hopefully memorable.
The acting is okay but is definitely not helped by an awful script. Case in point, the bad guys from Castle's day job are as cliché as you can get. They don't even reflect the real life intelligence of common criminals.
The main problem with the show so far however is the lack of a central villain to really drive The Punisher to act. Any medium about a hero is only as good as it's villain and by the end of the episode there is still not one to be found. If this continues it's going to become a real problem, especially over a full 13 episodes as killing off mounds of replaceable bad guys will become tiring really fast.
I'm still going to give a couple more episodes of The Punisher a go, hopefully it becomes more focused and introduces some real threats for Frank Castle to deal with, because if this show continues at the same rate it's going to end up being a snooze that you would need to be pretty drunk for to be able to sit through.
Overall, I give this episode a 6/10, solely for Jon Bernthal's magnetic performance.
Episode 1
bobcobb3012 December 2017
Warning: Spoilers
I see a lot of reviews praising the show for its speed, but I didn't see it here. We did get a great moment of justice in the end, and it a scene that felt reminiscent of Taken, but this was a big let down for me. I am waiting for this show to take the Marvel series to the next level, but without the super powers and the hero's journey I am not sure this show is equipped to do it.
Frank walking around in daylight is a little too absurd to be believed, but that's such a small part of my complaints.
Frank walking around in daylight is a little too absurd to be believed, but that's such a small part of my complaints.
Overwrought, already dated style, simplistic
jeffdstockton17 June 2021
Giving The Punisher a try... and hoping it gets better - and deserves all these high ratings.
Bernthal is reasonably compelling, and I WANT to like this series, based on The Accountant and other work. Howerever, so far (first three episodes), it's just incredibly shallow and overwrought in the 'acting' and writing. Rip-off of West Wing/ Aaron Sorkin dialogue in one group therapy scene shows me how vacuous the writing is, and how inexperienced. Disappointing.
Yeah right, it's a comic book, but except for those who swim only in the most shallow puddles, The Punisher (so far) is grade school drivel. NOTHING is unexpected, other than the occasional profoundly stupid mistake by our antihero.
No insight whatsoever informs the writing (production, creativity, etc) of the series. It's supposed to be about military special ops/ espionage, etc, but this crap is all little boys' fantasy. So, it depends on faux irony & pathos, and simplistic action and VERY bad stage fighting, rather than interesting storylines.
Maybe it gets better, but I suspect that Netflix and producers are rewarded enough by all the viewer reviews, so there's no incentive to make a more intelligent action series. Too bad.
Bernthal is reasonably compelling, and I WANT to like this series, based on The Accountant and other work. Howerever, so far (first three episodes), it's just incredibly shallow and overwrought in the 'acting' and writing. Rip-off of West Wing/ Aaron Sorkin dialogue in one group therapy scene shows me how vacuous the writing is, and how inexperienced. Disappointing.
Yeah right, it's a comic book, but except for those who swim only in the most shallow puddles, The Punisher (so far) is grade school drivel. NOTHING is unexpected, other than the occasional profoundly stupid mistake by our antihero.
No insight whatsoever informs the writing (production, creativity, etc) of the series. It's supposed to be about military special ops/ espionage, etc, but this crap is all little boys' fantasy. So, it depends on faux irony & pathos, and simplistic action and VERY bad stage fighting, rather than interesting storylines.
Maybe it gets better, but I suspect that Netflix and producers are rewarded enough by all the viewer reviews, so there's no incentive to make a more intelligent action series. Too bad.
From awkward beginnings . . .
Mr-Fusion24 January 2018
Warning: Spoilers
Not really what I expected. And whether that's a bad thing remains to be seen.
Far from the blistering intro that Frank Castle received on "DareDevil", this series has a much more contemplative opening. As soon as he's finished cutting down the mob that had his family killed, Castle settles into an hour of brooding and getting himself lost in his demolition job. He also gets dragged into the aftermath of a poker game holdup, which is where we see his inner conflict on display. Jon Bernthal is ideal for this role, and I enjoyed the acting here; but on the other hand, the pacing's off, resulting in a series opener that can sometimes be a chore to get through. I don't need constant gunfights, but I'm also genuinely curious as to where the show is going from here; which isn't obvious at this point.
6/10
Far from the blistering intro that Frank Castle received on "DareDevil", this series has a much more contemplative opening. As soon as he's finished cutting down the mob that had his family killed, Castle settles into an hour of brooding and getting himself lost in his demolition job. He also gets dragged into the aftermath of a poker game holdup, which is where we see his inner conflict on display. Jon Bernthal is ideal for this role, and I enjoyed the acting here; but on the other hand, the pacing's off, resulting in a series opener that can sometimes be a chore to get through. I don't need constant gunfights, but I'm also genuinely curious as to where the show is going from here; which isn't obvious at this point.
6/10
Overrated, not that great.
pavlomir8 October 2022
I watched a movie once called "The Punisher" it was okay, a good movie. As series it fails to impress. They did it like they have done every other TV show out there about violence or crime.
I liked the struggle of the main character, alto I wondered the whole episode if I by accident clicked at season 2 episode 1, not season 1. As someone not familiar with the story you will be left in the dark, very slow uncovering. You will watch it and wonder what they talk about, nonsense. Everything including the Puhisher was good, everything not around the Punisher (the Fed or whatever) was boring, boilerplate TV show bs.
I liked the struggle of the main character, alto I wondered the whole episode if I by accident clicked at season 2 episode 1, not season 1. As someone not familiar with the story you will be left in the dark, very slow uncovering. You will watch it and wonder what they talk about, nonsense. Everything including the Puhisher was good, everything not around the Punisher (the Fed or whatever) was boring, boilerplate TV show bs.
Lay Off the Flashbacks
Warin_West-El8 April 2023
Warning: Spoilers
I'm unfamiliar with this character. So I had an open mind going in. I decided to write a review, just so I could say: LAY OFF THE FLASHBACKS ALREADY.
We get it, the hero has a past. Show that to me one time and it's fine. Show it to me OVER and OVER and I begin to suspect you're trying to fill in screen time instead of telling a story.
Since it's the very first episode, I'll reserve judgment. Jon Bernthal plays a likeable Frank Castle. None of the other characters are developed enough to critique.
Is it violent? Well come on, it's called "The Punisher." What did you expect? The first episode wasn't nearly as gory as it could have been.
I'm waiting to see what happens.
We get it, the hero has a past. Show that to me one time and it's fine. Show it to me OVER and OVER and I begin to suspect you're trying to fill in screen time instead of telling a story.
Since it's the very first episode, I'll reserve judgment. Jon Bernthal plays a likeable Frank Castle. None of the other characters are developed enough to critique.
Is it violent? Well come on, it's called "The Punisher." What did you expect? The first episode wasn't nearly as gory as it could have been.
I'm waiting to see what happens.
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