I'd read early reviews, with some critics saying the show is unevenly paced and a bit on the slow side. Not sure what they were watching, or even smoking. This season is every bit as good as the first and, in some ways, better.
Yes, Steve Lightfoot and company do take some time settings things up, establishing Frank Castle as a man floating through life and, ultimately, waiting for the right thing to send him back into battle. And they do a great job of it. I appreciated the warmup, liked his budding romance with the hot bartender, and then clapped my hands with childish glee once the bloodshed began at the end of episode one.
There's a couple of congruent storylines at play here, one involving a group of paramilitary religious nuts let by John Pilgrim, and the return of Billy Barnes, AKA Jigsaw. This does create a divide between gritty action show and comic-book drama. But we're watching a gritty action show based on a comic book, so if you've got a problem with that, then why are you watching?
Things do pause a bit at the mid point, when Frank returns to New York, and some other MCU supporting players are brought into play. Suffice to say, The Punisher does get back to work, and it is good.
Jon Bernthal IS The Punisher. No one else can, or should, play him. This season is all about The Punisher coming to terms with being this killing machine who seeks out wrongs, even thriving on it. Watching Frank Castle realize this is who he is, and accept it, makes for a fun ride.
I liked his relationship with Rachel, or should I say "Rachel," as played by Giorgia Whigham. She's basically the catalyst for everything Frank experiences this season, and they have a good back and forth.
And yes, the action and fight scenes are first rate. Marvel and Netflix know what they're doing in this department.
All in all, this is a highly satisfying season of television, and I look forward to more of Bernthal and The Punisher when the show moves to Disney's streaming service (hint, hint). A Good!
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