Review: The Punisher doesn't shy away from the human cost of heroics

Placing responsibility and agency as two focal themes of the show, Marvel continues it's winning relationship with mature television adaptations with The Punisher.

Jon Bernthal (perhaps most known for playing the tormented character of Shane on The Walking Dead) gives a staggering performance as Frank Castle: the veteran with nothing left to lose. Frank is, as with any anti-hero, at his core a good man, yet the world and his experiences have made him cold, distant and cut-throat. Yet one of the most masterful nuances of writing in the show is how we repeatedly see how he cannot remain as detatched from events and people around him as he'd like, in the end he has to intervene.  For such a violent show the kill count is lower than most, and each death is felt, each person has some meaning to someone or the weight of taking a life is felt. This isn't to say it's not without it's gore and guts, some scenes are visceral in a Fight Club-esque manner and the fight choreography is unusually good.

Not only this but many of the more traditionally heroic figures in shows are shown as being deeply marked by the conflicts and sacrifices they have encountered. Good or bad, no one comes out unscathed.  This is particularly effective when paired with the dark noir style of filming and acting, particularly during the FBI sections. The sense of violence and the ugliness of discord being oppressive and an ever present threat being kept at bay is wonderfully played throughout the series.

The season was well contained, rarely losing pace without becoming hectic and could stand on it's own as a worthy tribute to this beloved hero. In many ways we have seen Castle's main storylines resolved, yet with such a powerful take on the comic books, I believe it could explore some more interesting themes through Frank's steely eyes before calling curtains. With so much grit and fire, it would be shame to see Frank Castle fade away from our screens as John Constantine did not long ago.