He succeeded in taking down Rawlins, but now Frank Castle is in a tight spot after Russo had to leave him for dead.
The final episode of this season begins with Madani and Micro rushing Frank to Madani's parents' home, urging her father to help. Despite her mothers disapproval, her father notes that sometimes freedom fighters are labeled criminals, and saves Frank from a punctured lung. Russo has since made it to his apartment and patched his bullet wound, and despite police arriving, he effortlessly eliminates them all and blows up the apartment. Now conscious, Frank learns of Russo's escape and, despite Micro giving him money stolen from criminals and a warning from Madani, is still set on revenge. Madani gives a report on what happened to Rafi and Hernandez, saying Frank overpowered her and escape, but the two note how obviously false this is, as Frank was critically injured at the time. Despite them pressuring her to give the true account, Madani refuses to budge, stating accusations can be dangerous, such as ones she could make about Rawlins. Unlike Frank, Micro attempts to return to normality, reunited with his family at a safehouse, though his wife has a hard time dealing with him repeatedly disappearing. In an attempt to find Frank, Russo has gone to Curtis, who wakes up with his gun missing and Russo maintaining a civilized rage. Russo allows him to put on his prosthetic leg and make coffee, asking how long Curtis has been lying to him and demanding to know where Frank is. Reaching for his coffee, Russo realizes there is a problem and dives out of the way of a sniper bullet from Frank, simultaneously clipping Curtis' shoulder with a pistol shot. Frank calls Curtis and tells him to put Russo on. Curtis slides the phone to Russo, who commands Frank to eject his magazine and round. The two agree to meet at Midnight at Frank's "painted ponies," and Russo tells Curtis to call an ambulance before leaving. In a flashback to the carousel where Frank's family died, we see them having a day with Russo. Amidst light riffing, one moment hints at Russo's rage as Lisa Castle jokes about his being an orphan but claiming to be named after Billy the Kid. In another sign, he and Frank agree it is horrible that the Kid was betrayed by his friend for fame and money. Back with the Lieberman family, we see things steadily improve as Micro plays cards with the kids. Finally accepting his return, Sarah leads him away to have sex. We head to the carousel, where Russo takes two young workers hostage. Frank, arriving later that night, sends the location to Madani, who immediately heads out. A gunfight ensues, resulting in a leg wound for Frank and a shot to the cheek to Russo as the carousel spins the foes and the hostages. Hitting his boiling point after having his face damaged, Russo threatens to shoot the hostages. Frank willingly comes out unarmed and is shot repeatedly in the chest. While Russo taunts Frank, Madani arrives and takes a shot, but he manages to turn and shoot her in the head. Frank takes the opportunity to body slam Russo, and the two engage in some impressive hand-to-hand combat. The two go back and forth, with Russo finally injuring Frank by using both his combat knife and the hidden blade on his wrist. For fans of the comics who have been waiting for Russo to physically become his literary counterpart, this climactic episode gives a satisfying conclusion. With this fight finally taking place, a lot of emotions are raging. Given the history between the two and what Frank learned this season, it's not surprising that the combat gets as violent as possible. Despite everything he's done throughout the season, it's also interesting to see how Russo sticks to his honor. In the scene with Curtis, Russo sticks to his word despite having numerous opportunities to kill Curtis. Though Frank is able to trick Russo initially upon approaching the carousel, it is also noteworthy how impressive Russo is tactically and physically. In his first scene for the episode, we see him take down numerous police officers, all without doing more than walking and firing single shots from his silenced gun. Not as much happens with Micro in this episode, though it is clear he and Frank have developed a brotherly bond and it is still nice to see how his family life heals. While not entirely believable, the speed at which they accept him back gives a warm feeling. Madani is key throughout the episode, continuing her typical defiant nature, not willing to compromise what she believes is right. Along with how she saves Frank's life at the start of the episode, she's the reason he is able to continue his mission less impeded, since she doesn't give him up. One aspect of the episode that did make me roll my eyes, to be honest, came from Curtis and Russo. At different points, both of them say that Russo and Frank aren't too different. It feels like as long as Western media has made a hero vs. evil story, there has been the "classic" phrase "you're not so different, you and I." Even Dr. Evil of Austin Powers made fun of this back in the 90's, saying it to Austin and then mentioning it in the third film. It doesn't ruin the episode, but it's a cliché that I, for one, am sick of hearing. It's tired, and overused, and a lame, on-the-nose way of saying two characters are meant to be mirrors of each other. Regardless, the episode is a great end to the Punisher's first violent season, and I can't wait to see what Frank Castle brings to the table in season 2.
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AuthorI love the entertainment side of things. Video games, tv shows, superheroes and movies are my passion and I'd love to get the news out for things I enjoy. My contact page has links to my social media, so if you enjoy what I have to say, likes, shares, comments, and follows are always greatly appreciated! Archives
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