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The embargo is over and we’ve seen all thirteen episodes of The Punisher. Join Derek for a quick podcast for our Punisher Season One Spoiler Free Review.

Synopsis for our Punisher Season One Spoiler Free Review

After blasting his way into Season 2 of Daredevil it wasn’t long until Netflix added to their roster of growing Marvel TV shows by announcing The Punisher  was getting his own series. Thanks is no small part to the outstanding performance of Jon Bernthal (The Walking Dead, Baby Driver) it was easy to see why Netflix felt so confident that he could carry his own thirteen episode series.

Listen to the Defenders TV Podcast review of The Punisher Episode 1 “3AM” from Friday the 17th of November at defenderstvpodcast.com New episodes will be released every Friday.

The story so far

Frank Castle went on a rampage to take out the gangs involved in the murder of his family. Nicknamed The Punisher, Castle laid waste to The Kitchen Irish, The Dogs of Hell and his former comrade in arms “The Blacksmith” as punishment for the losses he had suffered.  At the end of Punisher’s arc on Daredevil we are left with a number of questions. Schoonover, the blacksmith reveals that Frank might have been responsible for the death of his family and Frank finds a memory card tagged with the very familiar name “Micro”.

The New Cast

The new cast is where the Punisher really shines. This is a new phase for Marvel’s shows on Netflix and it feels like it. Stand out performances are in abundance here. Unlike Iron Fist it doesn’t take multiple episodes to understand why the storyline is focused on multiple threads. Ebon Moss-Bachrach as tech genius Micro creates an interesting partnership with Frank. Amber Rose Revah as Homeland Security agent Dinah Madani is a well written, complex doggedly determined character. I’ve always been the defender of Deborah Ann Woll’s Karen Page. She’s used well in The Punisher with some smart use of her history and motivations. Ben Barnes as comic book character Billy Russo brings a great presence to the show. There are other great performances here but I don’t want to spoil any more.

Verdict

While tied to Punisher’s previous exploits in Daredevil season 2 this feels bigger as it should. The exploration of P.T.S.D., politics, shady covert dealings and yes gun violence isn’t new to TV but is new for the Marvel universe. There are times that feel like Homeland, House of Cards and Generation Kill this is a serious show. I was nervous coming into the Punisher that it was going to be dour, preachy or a slog to get through. Thankfully in the hands of showrunner Steve Lightfoot (Best known for Hannibal) it was constantly compelling. The Netflix trademark end of episode cliffhanger absent since before Luke Cage is back here and I constantly wanted just one more episode. While never boring the show does move into thoughtful contemplation at times. Episode one shows us what the show could have been in the hands of someone else but from episode two the series pivots into a much more complex show. Overall Marvel and Netflix first collaboration on a non powered hero is well worth a watch. Join us for our episode by episode reviews over on our podcast at defenderstvpodast.com/itunes or choose any of your favourite podcast players from the links on our website at defenderstvpodcast.com. Episode one is recorded and will be released as soon as The Punisher is released on Netflix this Friday the 17th of November.

Thanks so much for listening to our Punisher Season One Spoiler Free Review we love to hear from listeners about your thoughts on all of our podcasts so please send yours to feedback@defenderstvpodcast.com join us on facebook at Facebook.com/groups/defenderstvpodcast or follow us on Twitter @defenderscast and you can now record your thoughts for the podcast directly from our website defenderstvpodcast.com by clicking the “Send Voicemail” button. We will return on the 17th of November with our day of release review of Netflix Marvel’s The Punisher Episode One 3 AM

Thanks for listening

John, Chris and Derek

Defenders TV Podcast

Date recorded: 10/11/2017
Date published: 13/11/2017
MP3, 9.36 mins, 96kbps, 6.7 MB

All images and audio clips are copyright of their copyright holders no infringement is intended. The music for this episode “Intro” from the Spell Breaker E.P. by Tri-Tachyon is licensed under an Attribution License.