THE PUNISHER Star Jon Bernthal Seemingly Bids Farewell To Frank Castle With Instagram Post
Although Netflix hasn't officially cancelled The Punisher yet, the show is not expected to be renewed for a third season, & star Jon Bernthal has now taken to social media to bid farewell to the character.
Well, it looks like The Punisher season 2 was indeed Frank Castle's last ride on Netflix.
While the streaming giant hasn't officially announced the show's cancellation, star Jon Bernthal has taken to Instagram to share what appears to be a heartfelt goodbye to the ultra-violent vigilante, thanking the fans as well as the men and women of the Armed Forces.
With Bernthal posting this, it probably won't be very long before Marvel or Netflix makes an official announcement. We don't know what the future holds for The Punisher, but it would be a real shame if Bernthal didn't get to arm-up and don that signature skull logo again.
We'll keep you guys updated, but in the meantime you can check out a season 2 spoiler breakdown below.
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A Normal Life
As season 2 begins, Frank Castle is attempting to live a (relatively) normal life, and even seems... happy? At the very least, he's content to sit at a bar and have a few beers while listening to some music and flirting with the bartender (Beth, played by Alexa Davalos).
But, this being The Punisher, that doesn't last long.
After spending the night with Beth and striking up a genuine connection with her, Castle is forced to revert to his violent ways to protect a teenager (Giorgia Whigham) who's on the run from some very dangerous people. "Pete" then lays waste to an entire bar full of goons in the first of what will turn out to be many bloody fight sequences.
Pieces Of The Jigsaw
Billy Russo (Ben Barnes) was not exactly stable before Castle carved his face up, but now he's completely unhinged - and his mental state is not aided by daily visits from Agent Dinah Madani (Amber Rose Revah), who believes his amnesia is a ruse.
Unable to remember his heinous actions leading up to his hospitalization, Russo attempts to work through his issues with sympathetic shrink Krista (Floriana Lima), but when she pushes him to far something snaps and "Jigsaw" takes her hostage in order to make his escape.
Assault On Larkville Sheriff's Department
By far the best episode of season 2 pays homage to John Carpenter's Assault on Precinct 13, as Castle, Amy and an ill-equipped Sheriff's Department are forced to defend the station from John Pilgrim (Josh Stewart) and his well-armed forces.
When things look bleak for our heroes, Frank convinces the Sheriff to turn him loose with some firepower and proceeds to wipe out most of the bad guys before Pilgrim gets the drop on him. However, before he can take the shot, Medani arrives with the cavalry.
The Russian(s)
Dinah hopes to convince Frank to track down and eliminate Russo, so she brings him and Amy to New York and sets them up in her apartment - but Castle is determined to find out who's hunting his young friend first.
After discovering that the Russian mob are involved, Frank pays them a visit in a gym and we are treated to what is arguably the most brutal scrap of the season.
One particularly huge henchman - who is most likely a nod to Punisher villain The Russian - almost gets the better of Castle, but he uses a dumbbell to practically cave his face in. Nasty!
Russo's Army
Billy eventually makes his way to Krista's apartment, and it soon becomes clear that there's something between them. While hiding out at her place, he overhears Krista's session with another patient, who also happens to be a part of Curtis' (Jason R. Moore) veteran PTSD support group.
Russo decides to befriend the guy in a bar, and ultimately enlists him and some of his ex army buddies to join him to form a new criminal gang. Unfortunately, their antics make it easier for Frank to track them down, and Russo finally comes face-to-face with the skull that's been haunting his nightmares.
The Setup
Once Russo finds out why his old friend is desperately trying to kill him, he slips even further into madness and begins to see himself as the wronged party. Jigsaw lures Frank and Curtis to one of his gang's regular parties, and ambushes The Punisher when he enters the building.
Frank ultimately manages to fight his way through and opens fire on Billy, accidentally killing three innocent women... or so he believed. In an attempt to take Castle down to his level, Russo actually murdered the girls beforehand and planted their bodies.
With the help of Amy, Dinah and a cameoing Karen Page, Frank learns the truth and escapes from the hospital.
Jigsaw Vs. Dinah
Dinah becomes suspicious when talking to Krista on the phone, and confronts her at her place. After a vicious fight, Madani manages to push the good doctor through the window. Russo, who had decided to give us his crusade and settle down with Krista, sees her broken body on the sidewalk and spots his old flame looking down from the window.
Dinah has just enough time to find her gun and she puts two rounds in Russo's belly right before he gets his hands around her throat. A third shot through the shoulder puts Billy down, but Medani also loses consciousness.
The Exchange
After a shootout with Frank, Pilgrim manages to capture Amy and agrees to exchange her for the son of the very powerful people that are trying to silence our heroes, Anderson and Eliza Schultz (Corbin Bernsen and Annette O'Toole). Unfortunately, Curtis decides to release The Senator, leaving Castle with no hostage.
Frank appeals to Pilgrim's better nature and convinces him to let Amy go and turn the gun on him. When he finds out that Schultz is gone, Pilgrim grows angry, giving Frank the opportunity to disarm his enemy.
Both men then kick seven shades out of each other, but just as Frank is about to land the killing blow, Pilgrim asks him not to hurt his sons, who are being held by The Schultzs.
Bye Bye Billy
After being double-crossed by a shady surgeon, a gravely wounded Russo makes his way to the building where Curtis holds his meetings and calls his old friend, asking him to "be a brother once more" and stay with him while he dies.
A former brother of Billy's does show up, but it ain't Curtis!
As Russo sees Frank walk through the door he seems thankful for the opportunity to apologize for his actions, but before the words can leave his lips, Castle puts him out of his misery with two slugs to the chest.
A fitting end for Jigsaw? Well, he certainly had it coming.
Amy's Revenge
As The Schultzs consider what to do about Pilgrim and news of their son's sexual orientation getting out, Amy walks in and points a gun at their heads, swearing vengeance for her murdered friends. Eliza makes a grab for a knife but gets a bullet through the head for her trouble as Castle joins the party.
The pair then give Anderson a choice: Kill himself, or live with all of their crimes being exposed. As Frank and Amy leave we hear a shot, as Pilgrim and his sons stand in the driveway.
It seems The Punisher is capable of showing mercy after all.
Goodbyes
Amy decides to start a new life in Florida and follow her dreams of diving for lost treasure (it is actually a thing), so Frank gives her some money and the two share an emotional farewell before she hops on her bus. Amy turns for a final look, but Castle is nowhere to be seen.
At this point, you may have expected Frank to return to that bar and settle down with Beth, right? Not a chance!
The Punisher
We then jump forward three months, as Frank gets a call from Dinah who is now working for The CIA. She offers Castle a job, but he tells her he already has one, before grabbing his tools of the trade and heading into a warehouse.
Inside, two rival gangs are about to square off, but they're interrupted by The Punisher decked out in his signature skull vest and leather coat combo. Castle tells his victims that he'll "dance" with them, before opening fire.
Is this the last time we'll see this incarnation of The Punisher? Let's hope not, because that was a killer final shot!