SPOILERS: THE PUNISHER Season 1, Episode 1 Review: Does Marvel's Latest Netflix Show Live Up To The Hype?

SPOILERS: THE PUNISHER Season 1, Episode 1 Review: Does Marvel's Latest Netflix Show Live Up To The Hype?

Marvel's The Punisher has finally been released, but can the show live up to the awesomeness of its mind-blowing trailers? It certainly gets off to a solid start. Episode 1 SPOILERS past the jump...

Review Opinion
By jph152 - Nov 17, 2017 02:11 PM EST
Filed Under: The Punisher

There's only so much you can gather from a show's first episode. Personally, I've found that Marvel's Netflix shows have generally gotten off to great starts, only to drag on a bit too long near the end. So going into episode 1 of The Punisher, I was just hoping to get a sense of the tone. From what I've seen, the tone is right on the money.


The Punisher is different from any other Marvel hero, and it's debatable if the term “hero” can even be applied to Frank Castle. He's violent like Deadpool, but you won't find him cracking jokes while going about his bloody business. The Punisher is stoic and tactical. He's a man on a mission, and that's exactly what the show's cold open tells us.


We get to see Castle run over some wounded bikers, choke a guy with his own tie, and blow the brains out of a Mexican drug lord from a sniper's perch on the other side of the border. And while none of this is portrayed as fun, popcorn action, watching the Punisher do what he does best his still super engaging.


After finishing off the men he deems responsible for his family's death, Frank retires from his punishing duties and finds a job where he can productively use his rage. His coworkers don't think twice about their quiet, sledgehammer-swinging colleague, and that's exactly what Frank wants—to be left alone. However, Frank can only stick to himself for so long, as he ends up saving Donny, a naive but well-intentioned construction worker, after he botches a robbery with his nasty coworkers.


And while Frank does the heroic thing and saves Donny, he also brutally murders the guys trying to kill him. And while that’s what the Punisher does best, it was still a bit disturbing to see how much rage Frank has in him. In killing those three people, Frank further confirms what the guy in the airport bathroom told him right before he died. Killing people won’t bring back what was taken from Frank, and it doesn’t seem to even make him feel better. But at this point, that doesn’t matter to Frank, it’s just what he does.


Also in this episode, we get hints towards a military conspiracy that will likely be the main plot of this season. The Homeland Security scenes made me a bit worried that this storyline is going to feel unfulfilling since every scene with Frank was great and the others weren’t nearly as good. However, once the Punisher gets brought into this plot, the story should come together nicely.


What did you think of episode 1? Have you already binged the whole season? Comment below!


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MrPositive
MrPositive - 11/17/2017, 3:38 PM
Im having a great time with the show
XelCorp
XelCorp - 11/17/2017, 3:39 PM
III had a good home but I left.,, I had a good home but I lefft... the bomb made me deaf
ElJefe
ElJefe - 11/17/2017, 3:46 PM
No stars?? I have to read??

Sigh.
jph152
jph152 - 11/17/2017, 5:05 PM
@ElJefe - lol
MrDandy
MrDandy - 11/17/2017, 4:15 PM
Two episodes in and it is fantastic. Wish I could binge more but I have to work! BOOOO HISSS!
Mercwitham0uth
Mercwitham0uth - 11/17/2017, 4:18 PM
I'm just about to start episode 4 and so far it's been damn good. Makes me glad I stocked up on Punisher comics at Fan Expo Vancouver last week.
GhostDog
GhostDog - 11/17/2017, 4:19 PM
Wait until you get to the second half of the show....

Episode 11
MrPositive
MrPositive - 11/17/2017, 4:23 PM
@BlackBeltJones - wait the second half is good too?
jph152
jph152 - 11/17/2017, 5:05 PM
@BlackBeltJones - oh man, I can't wait
LukeCage2155
LukeCage2155 - 11/17/2017, 10:47 PM
@BlackBeltJones - Hell Yeah!!!
Toecutter
Toecutter - 11/17/2017, 4:49 PM
I like it. I like it a lot.
GhostDog
GhostDog - 11/17/2017, 5:16 PM
Last 10 minutes of episode 12......

THE PUNISHER AT HIS MOST DEPRAVED. MY GOD!!!
Darriann
Darriann - 11/17/2017, 5:36 PM
Finished episode 2.I'll have to wait until tomorrow to watch more.So far though,it is pretty good.
BlackPhillip
BlackPhillip - 11/17/2017, 5:49 PM
Really good show. It's up there with DD seasons 1 &2, and JJ.
Buscema
Buscema - 11/17/2017, 7:05 PM
Binging it rightnow. Had to take a break to come here and tell y'all how awesome this show is !!
AdamX
AdamX - 11/17/2017, 9:16 PM
Officer Muhoney became a dumbass
MrDandy
MrDandy - 11/17/2017, 9:41 PM
Just finished episode 3. Legit if it keeps it's momentum and doesn't fall off like Luke Cage, this may be in the running with Daredevil and Jessica Jones for one of the best seasons from Netflix/Marvel
Buscema
Buscema - 11/17/2017, 9:53 PM
Just finished Punisher season one. This is the best Marvel Netflix show hands down.
1.Punisher
2.DD season 1
3.DD season 2
4.JJ
5.LC
6.Defenders
7.Iron Fist
LukeCage2155
LukeCage2155 - 11/17/2017, 10:43 PM
The Punisher awesome show watch the entire series in one day all the episodes where epic.

No Spoilers for me.
LukeCage2155
LukeCage2155 - 11/17/2017, 10:45 PM
Also I disagree with the critics Punisher was epic, marvel, amazing show!!!
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