'The Punisher' Episode 13: 'Memento Mori'

 At looong last, we wrap up the first season of this series.  It's had its ups and downs and this episode is, fittingly enough, a mixed bag.

There's a lot of great character moments to be had.  While Frank and Micro don't share too many scenes together, the ones they do make an impact.  The two have clearly become quite tight.  Even though it seems like Micro's story is done and he is free to ride off into the metaphorical sunset happily reunited with his family, I kind of hope they find a way to keep him in the fold for the second season.  The two play very well off each other and it was a consistent highlight throughout the season.

The confrontation that ensues when Billy brings Curtis into the fold is also a major highlight.  As is the case with Frank, the dialogue between the two shows that Russo still holds their "band of brothers" bond in high regard.  Despite holding the man at gunpoint, Russo acknowledges that he really has no quarrel with Curtis and is quite reasonable given the circumstances.

It's a shame we didn't get to see more of these three together.  It would have had to be through flashbacks for narrative purposes, but it still would have been great to see more of it.  Speaking of more flashbacks, this episode gives us one that shows that Billy was something of an honorary uncle to the Castle kids and was a close friend to the whole family.  It's a great scene, but there should have been more of that throughout the season.  I think it would have given even more weight to the conflict between the two.

I'm not sure what was making Russo so unhinged.  He never went full Rawlins, but it was clear that his mind was getting away from him.  The shot to his cheek seems a little flimsy as far as motivation goes.  There is the fact that Curtis knew that Frank was still alive.  On the one hand, Billy does say that another brother betrayed him, but the way the line was delivered it seemed more comedic than anything else. It does give Russo some wiggle room to be more overtly villainous as the episode reaches its final stages, but it was strange.

Also strange was the opening sequences.  Billy goes on a killing spree to escape the cops.  It's done somewhat well, especially considering Billy is so nonchalant about headshotting multiple cops.  The slow motion walk away as he blows up the building behind him was a bit much, though. 

Frank's medical treatment was also a bit of a stretch.  After the severe wounds that he suffered, Madani's parents are able to bring him back with surprisingly little trouble.  I remind you, they're not at a hospital at this point, but Madani's house.  They just happened to have what they needed.  I'm not sure how else you could have done it, but that seemed ridiculous to me.

As for the long awaited showdown between Russo and Castle, it's pretty well done.  The carousel thing seems out of place at first, more like a Joker thing, but given Frank's history it makes sense.  Billy isn't going for "carnivals are creepy", but dredging up painful memories for Frank to throw him off his game.  Seems to work pretty well too from what we see. 

The confrontation itself is also pretty intense.  The gunfight didn't impress too much,though Russo does avert Stormtrooper marksmanship by actually hitting Frank a couple of times.  Frank launching mortar shells to draw out his enemy was also a small highlight.  The subsequent look on Billy's face as he hears them launch is pretty priceless.

Where the climax really kicks into high gear is when the two ditch the guns and put up their dukes.  It's a well choreographed fight and Billy holds his own very well.  It makes for a brutal and exciting final fight.  Honestly, you could have taken the teen hostages out of the equation and it still would have had plenty of tension to spare.  

It would have been a shame to kill off Russo just when he found his grove as an adversary. Thankfully, the episode splits the difference and leaves him in a coma.  This way the writers can decide that his story is  done if they want to do something else next season, or they can bring him back to keep the rivalry alive.

The episode ends with Frank going to a support group meeting and revealing that he's scared of the prospect of not having a war to fight.

It's funny, I thought that was going to be the driving force of this season's arc.  It seemed like Frank had gotten his vengeance and we were going to see him find a new reason to keep fighting.  Instead, the plot kind of backpedaled and brought back the conspiracy so that Frank could remain focused on avenging his family.  It was one of the weaker aspects of the season as a whole.

In some ways, I get why the line is a wham moment.  Frank is the type who needs a target.  I'm sure a lot of vets have a similar mindset when coming back. The problem is that this is the MCU; there's plenty of things to fight.  Even if there are no more ninjas, Hydra has a knack for popping up and I'm pretty sure Thanos is on the horizon; to say nothing of that whole "Endgame" war for Earth.  There are a whole lot of aliens coming so I'm sure Frank'll be just fine.  Even if he stayed street level, it isn't like there's any shortage of criminals.  Of course, with the CIA agreeing to let him go back to his old alias, donning the vigilante attire might not be the best move; we'll have to see how the second season plays this. 

Before that, though, we have a few other seasons to watch.  Up next, I believe, is the second season of Luke Cage; I'm looking forward to getting into that.  There's still quite a bit of Netflix MCU to cover, and it should have been covered already, but progress on getting caught up is being made.  This is one to check off the list.

Click here to become a Swagbucks member

Click here to become an E-Poll member

The Punisher episode 12: 'Home'

Thus, we come to the penultimate episode of the show's first season.  I figured we'd get the big showdown and the last episode would be sort of a denouement.  Instead, we get a starter showdown, but all is not wrapped up quite yet.

While the show has benefited from a strong cast from the get go, they really shine here.  The Lieberman family reunion is amusingly awkward, but still fairly powerful in its own right.  The fact that they have to watch Micro "die" again a few minutes later certainly doesn't help matters.  Everything works out for them pretty well, all things considered, but there are probably going to be some awkward nights at the dinner table going forward.

As a result, however, Frank ends up getting captured by Billy and Rawlins. Even though, Frank spends most of the episode tied to a chair, he still gets some standout scenes.  His conversation with Russo when he first wakes up is one of the episode's major highlights.  It's clear that Bill still has some degree of loyalty to Frank, and while he won't hesitate to do what needs to be done, his talk about regretting the way things turned out seemed legit.  Conversely, the history only acts as fuel for Frank's hatred.  

Rawlins is also in rare form, as the sight of Frank up close seems to have driven him completely insane.  The actor is hamming it up something fierce, but it is still chilling.    The drastic turn contributes to it, but even putting that aside, it's still pretty creepy.

Rawlins' raving loon does contrast nicely with Russo's more no nonsense approach to the matter.  The disparity becomes clear when the two have achieved their goal.  Russo wants to end Frank quick and be done with it, but Rawlins is enjoying the torture session too much and insists that it continue unabated.  The two were never really simpatico, but seeing the two diverge the way they did was interesting to watch.

While the episode is more dialogue driven, it does give you some Frank Castle bad-assery, as he dispatches Rawlins in a particularly gruesome display.  Considering that Frank has done quite a bit up to this point, it says something that this still manages to leave an impression.  It's glorious, but also horrifying.  It's a good thing Micro's kids didn't see that, they'd never want to get within 10 yards of him again. 

It's been a long road, but we're finally coming to the end of the season.  While the final confrontation with Russo looms, a part of me hopes he lives to fight another day.  It seems like the conflict between the two is finding its groove and I want to see more of it.  We'll see how things will play out, though.  

Click here to become an E-Poll member

Click here to become a Swagbucks member

Click here to join our Patreon campaign

'The Punisher' Episode 10: 'Virtue of the Vicious'

Lewis continues to wage his war by setting the pro-gun control senator from the last episode in his crosshairs.

Rather than pick up where the last left off, this jumps to the resolution and then proceeds to describe what happened via interviews and flashbacks.  It's a little disorienting at first, especially if it has been a while since you sat down to watch the show, but once you get the hang of it, the structure actually works out very well.

Sadly, a lot of Lewis' nuance is gone for most of the episode. He spends a majority of it nonchalantly headshotting random personnel and holding Karen hostage.

Thankfully, this is somewhat mitigated by the final standoff and the dialogue Frank has as he's trying to talk Lewis down.  The episode doesn't really have time to analyze Lewis, Frank, or their similarities and differences in great detail, but at least they weren't completely forgotten.

The tragic nature of Lewis' arc is brought to an abrupt, but still somewhat poignant end.  It was nice to see that degree of sympathy was still shown at his last moments.  Some reviews I read weren't too crazy about the opening scene where he tries to set a man's pet birds free after killing said man,but I thought it was a nice reminder that even in his crazed state, he's not pure evil.

It was also nice to see Frank and Karen's connection shine.  The two clearly get each other and care a great deal for one another. Both are able to say a lot with few words and it makes for some great scenes between the two.

Speaking of great scenes, the episode delivers on the action front. There are plenty of shootouts and explosions to keep the tension up.  Frank himself also shines.  Not only does he get to show off his badassery more than once, but he does so whilst taking quite a bit of punishment himself.  It shows just how much willpower the guy has when he has a need to get something done.

While the episode does wrap up the Lewis subplot, it also advances the main plot quite a bit.  Both Frank and Madani know about Russo's nefarious exploits.  The guy does try to deflect and use his charm (which the episode shows he has in spades while talking to Karen) but it is too little too late.  With only a few episodes left in the season and the show's side plot being wrapped up, it'll be interesting to see how things play out.

As noted, this episode does pick up where the last one left off.  At the same time, I thought it worked rather well as a stand alone.  Sure, Lewis' motivations were established in the last episode, but you can still watch this and pick up on that over the course of the episode. Said self containment also helps if you've been away a while and are just jumping back in.

All in all, this was a solid outing.  Both from a technical and from a casual viewer's standpoint, this episode worked well and brought a healthy dose of everything to the table. 

Click here to join our Patreon campaign

Click here to become a Swagbucks member

Click here to become an E-Poll member

'The Punisher' Episode 9: 'Front Toward Enemy'

Up until now, Lewis' subplot has been very compartmentalized from the show's main arc regarding Frank's quest to expose the military conspiracy surrounding Kandahar.  This episode, at long last, brings the two together in a fast, but very effective collision.

The former vet's mental instability hits an all time high as he wages his own war against the system. He sets off a series of bombs at government buildings, as well as the Bulletin, the newspaper where Karen Page works.

Not only does this give us another always welcome appearance from Deborah Ann Woll, but it pisses Frank off and puts the two in direct conflict.

Not surprisingly, the episode draws parallels between Lewis and Frank.  Both have similar backgrounds and both see themselves as taking matters into their own hands to right perceived wrongs.  Karen and even Lewis himself acknowledge the similarity at different points throughout the episode.

Like Jessica Jones did in the second season with her own dark mirror antagonist, Frank doesn't take kindly to the comparison and is adamant that the two are nothing alike.  Oddly enough, the best counter he can come up with is that he faces his enemies head on, where Lewis hides behind bombs.  Looking at it from a warrior standpoint, you can see the point that Frank is trying to make, but from an everyday joe/jane standpoint, that's a little flimsy.

Having the episode make the issue of gun control  a plot point was an odd choice.  It's topical, sure, and you can see how it would fit given Frank's usual MO, but the fact that Lewis was a bomber kind of undercuts the relevance.  The episode itself hangs a lampshade on this fact at one point.

To the episode's credit, it doesn't become too heavy handed and preachy in either side's favor.  There are parts where Lewis does start to feel like he's being reduced to a straw political figure, but overall, I think both viewpoints were presented pretty fairly.  The radio debate scene may have been a little on the nose, but it could have ended up much worse, remember that episode of "Arrow" that tried to do it? Yeah.

While there's no "ticking clock", this was one of the season's more exhilarating episodes.  It never felt like it dragged and I think it pulls you closer to the edge of your seat much more than prior episodes have.

Even with that perk, the episode still did a great job depicting character. Frank shined, Karen got some great moments.  Curtis is also able to do a lot with the fairly small amount of screen time that he has.  His effort to help Lewis ends up being in vain, but it was still a solid effort.  He also got a great fight scene and some character developing time with Frank.

Nadani spends most of the episode in a heroic BSOD following Sam's death.  It's probably the closest thing the episode comes to padding, but it's a logical inclusion.  It makes for a nice epilogue to Sam's story, you can't help but sympathize with her as she's grappling with grief and a dash of survivor's guilt, and we get to see Nadani snap out of it and decide to continue her quest to reveal the truth.

Speaking of reveal, that last sequence sure was a doozy.  It's now known to the general public that Frank is alive and well.  This does work in Nadani's favor to some extent, but it is still hardly a good thing.

I thoroughly enjoyed this episode.  Not only did it benefit from prior episodes' development, but it works pretty well as a "one and done".  Admittedly, Lewis is still out there, though perhaps starting on a turn for the better; but it still stands on its own quite well.  Hopefully, the final few episodes can keep the momentum going.  It would be a shame to let this energy boost go to waste.

Click here to become a Swagbucks member

Click here to join our Patreon campaign

'The Punisher' Episode 8: 'Cold Steel'

As we move closer to season's end, the plot takes a brief hiatus to focus on character development.  It works pretty well, though I can't help but feel like there are things here that should have happened earlier.

The main crux of the plot focuses on the quasi-love triangle between Frank- Sarah, Micro's wife, and Micro himself.  Sarah plants a kiss on Frank after a couple of glasses of wine and some nice conversation.  It doesn't go much further than that, but it is enough to vex Frank's partner in conspiracy busting.

Scenes where Frank and Micro just talk always work quite well and this is no different.  Both reminisce about their lost loves whilst taking good-natured potshots at each other.  Micro even shows Frank his genitals....it makes sense in context...sort of?

The episode doesn't dwell too much on it.  Even Micro himself is rather understanding given the circumstances, but at the same time, he can't just entirely shrug it off either.  The episode managed to pull off a believable response to the apparent transgression.

On other fronts, Madani uses the bug to set up a trap and try to lure out the people who planted it there.  It does work, though despite an intense gunfight, there's not much to show for it.  Credit where it's due, Madani's team held their own.  I was expecting Russo's mercs to wipe the floor with them, but both sides took their licks. 

Random note, there's a huge shootout and Frank Castle never picks up a gun.  Instead, we see Frank entirely in chummy, everyday mode and Bernthal pulls it off.  I think that's one thing that the MCU has done really well.  Frank could easily be a one-note, ultra-violent thug (something Micro's potshots frequently center on), but Bernthal gives the character more depth and allows you to connect with him more.  The results speak for themselves as he has gotten nothing but universal praise on multiple occasions.

Similarly, Ben Barnes came out strong in this episode.  Russo may not be one of the more memorable villains in the MCU (even just within the confines of the Netflix branch,) but his picture is becoming a bit clearer.  We get a dose of backstory that explains his desire for money, we see his ruthlessness become more apparent, but we also see that he too has layers.  He still holds his friendship with Frank in high regard and laments the fact that circumstances are leading them to face off against each other.  He is also reluctant to endanger Madani,  While both parties play off their relationship as nothing more than friends with benefits, it seems his feelings go deeper than that.

Even with that, though, he seems to have no qualms about helping her wash off the blood of her partner, who he had just killed.  It's a quick scene, but it is a pretty disturbing one nonetheless and even if it isn't cliffhanger material, it is a hell of a note to end the episode on.

All in all, what this episode did, it did well.  As said before, I don't know if it's placed very well in the narrative. However, as you're watching it, you'll definitely appreciate what it does bring to the table. 

Click here to become a Swagbucks member


Click here to join our Patreon campaign

'The Punisher' Episode 7: 'Crosshairs

With Q4 just a stone's throw away, a long list of things left on this year's to do list, and a possible recession on the horizon; it's time to kick things into high gear.  With that, let's dive back into "The Punisher".  It's been more than a while since I last talked about this series.  As a result, some details are rather hazy for me.

I was still able to mostly follow what was happening, but I did need to go back and refresh my own memory.  I knew that Lewis killed a person (that much is made obvious by the opening scenes where he's washing blood off his hands) but the who and the why initially escaped me. I also glossed over who Morty was and how he was connected.  The episode outright states that he knows who "Agent Orange" is and thus gives us all the motivation we need for Frank to bust into his house and try to glean it from him.

There is a bit of a twist, this time around, though.  Where Frank would otherwise just kill people who got in his way, he's less inclined to do the same to soldiers who are just doing their jobs.

When one soldier accosts him as he's leaving the premises, Frank makes a concerted effort to convince the guy to just leave.  It doesn't work and Frank is forced to wound him.  While Frank does lament the situation, he ends the conversation by saying that he's just going to kill everyone next time.  It kind of seems like he missed the point of the whole thing, but at least it was nice to try and give Frank some more nuance and complexity to his approach.

Sadly, the same can't be said for the show's villains.  It turns out that Russo is largely motivated by money and Rawlins aka Agent Orange is after Frank because....Frank emasculated him?   Granted, it's just a theory thrown out by Russo during a conversation, but there's no effort to refute it or provide a more solid reasoning.  It just seems so flimsy.

Conversely, Lewis is a much more compelling character.  He hasn't fallen to "villain" yet, though we do see him building a bomb for some as of yet undetermined purpose, but he has more depth and pathos than either of the show's two "big bads" so far.  He's still off doing his own thing, but I do hope that his character arc crosses paths with the main one at some point.  While his story has still been compelling in its own right, it seems like a waste to just have it off completely independent of the show's main narrative.

On a similar note, Sam and Madani continue to operate on the sidelines.  They are given a small quest, of sorts, as Madani suspects that her office is bugged.  It is.   The plus side is that they know about it, the down side is that they're unsure of what to do now. 

Oddly enough, the idea of using this to their advantage never comes up.  You'd think they'd use this to throw the people listening off track.  Give them false info or make it sound like you know less than you actually do.  If nothing else, start trolling them.  Have debates about whether or not Iron Man is naked under the armor or play some country music.  There are certainly options.

Not surprisingly, this episode suffered from schedule slip.  As a result, it was hard to get too invested in what's happening.  The details of the conspiracy are foggy so I'm just kind of going along just because.  Thankfully, Lewis' arc is present to give the show a bit more umph.  We'll see how things progress from here, as we move closer to the first season's end.

Click here to become a Swagbucks member


Click here to join our Patreon campaign

2019 Docket and Goals

Happy New Year everyone!  It's that time where we try to lay down a plan for what's to come in the next 365 days.  As noted before, a lot of what was supposed to be done in 2018 wasn't.  As such, a good chunk of this year's docket is just carry over, but we'll go through it anyway just for the sake of record.


Stephen King


Back log

Hearts in Atlantis
Castle Rock Season 1
Sleeping Beauties
Strange Weather
The Outsider
On Writing
Secret Windows
The Plant
Dreamcatcher
Black House
Cell (movie)
Mr. Mercedes series
The Dark Tower movie


New additions

Castle Rock Season 2
It part 2
Elevation




Brad Thor

Backlog

Path of the Assassin
State of the Union
Blowback
Takedown


Netflix

Back Log

The Punisher Season 1
Daredevil Season 3
Jessica Jones Season 2

New Additions

Luke Cage Season 2
Iron Fist Season 2
The Punisher Season 2



Legends of Tomorrow


Back Log

Season 3


New additions

Season 4- Once again, I'll have to wait for this to hit Netflix in order to watch it, but the plan is to binge it when it does happen.  It may not be current, but I'm going to make a point of getting through it quickly this time around.



Anime

Back Log

Attack on Titan season 3
Rurouni Kenshin (?)


Archive restoration (?)

Reviewstream

Back Log

Dungeons and Dragons 5th edition rule books
JLA trade paperbacks


The dividend income reports will continue and I will also continue to post the latest episodes of "Let's Get it Right".



Oh, and I, of course, aim to finally finish "The X-Files".


Goals


Savings challenge

I neglected to mention it in the 2018 review, though I did bring it up on Twitter, but this year I completed two savings challenges.  The 52 week "dollar a week" challenge and the "penny a day" challenge.  These were two that I had started back in the day when I was still trying the whole "self employed content creator" thing.  With my new station, I was finally able to put those to an end.

This year I plan on keeping the momentum going by taking on the extension of the first challenge.  It turns out that some people push the weekly challenge to two years.  Rather than stopping at 52, they just keep going, putting aside $53, then $54, then $55 and so on.  For all intents and purposes, I'm doing this challenge twice, as the plan is to move the slated amounts to my primary savings account, as well as the online savings account.


Bring dividend forward income to $400

Right now, my forward income sits at about $70.  I wanted to find a number that was feasible, but still somewhat challenging.  With purchases and DRIP, I think that this meets that criteria.  If I break it before, that's awesome, but right now, that's where I'm setting the goal post.


Max out IRA contribution

When I first opened the IRA, I mentioned that the odds of me doing this were slim.  Truth be told, that's still the case.  This is more of a mental thing.  I figure, if I set my sight on that, it will push me to get as close as I possibly can. Even if I don't hit the goal, I think having this mindset will still be beneficial in the long run.



$300 in Side Hustle

This is something that I haven't really talked about, but I want to add it to the itinerary anyway.  Right now, my main side hustles are Apptrailers, Epoll, and Reviewstream (there's also the Patreon, ad revenue, and the Amazon affiliate links, but they haven't really brought in income so they're side hustles in name only....SHINO.)  Epoll will bring about $60 at best.  App trailers is nice, but if I'm going to pull this off, Reviewstream will have to be a factor.  This should be a motivator for me to write more and make sure I cross that threshold.  Again, I think that this is a goal that's feasible, but will still present something of a challenge.


Car


As of now, I am without vehicle.  It's something I am aiming to remedy.  I've given serious consideration to getting a bike, which is odd as I've only ridden once since elementary school.  It's cheaper, better for the planet, and everything is fairly close by here.  It makes a lot more sense now than it did when I was living in Maryland or Kansas, but I figure I'd still need to get a car at some point.  I'm not looking forward to adding two more monthly expenses to my cash outflow, but if I can knock the car payment out quickly enough, it might not be that bad.


Walk the Year Charity Miles Challenge

I'm a big fan of the Charity Miles app.  I plug it frequently and was even going on daily 4 mile walks for a while.  I haven't been doing a good job as of late and I'm hoping that this will get me back on the horse.

Fun fact, we're one day in and, because I didn't walk today, I'm already behind schedule.  Auspicious.


Read 26 books

I noted before that I got no reading done.  I really want to amend for that this year.  I know that 52 books is the average, but I figure that starting small will work out better.  There's another reason I only have this many books coming into play, the next goal.


Read 26 graphic novels/trade paperbacks

I've been trying to get back into comics lately.  Rather than go back to the individual issues, I want to shift my collection to trades so that I can show them off on a bookshelf.  Rather than argue about whether these count as books, I'm putting them in their own separate category so that I can get the best of both worlds.


Swagbucks

I had heard that this was a great side hustle, but it hasn't really panned out for me.  The site brings my computer to a crawl (my laptop is a little on the old side,) which means I only log in when I have to.  As that hasn't worked, I want to try to put it to use in order to up my philanthropic game.  You can donate points to different causes and organizations.  Since I have the account anyway, I figure this will at least put the account to better use than it has up until now.  As the point cost isn't as high as the other rewards, I'll be able to "cash in" more frequently.



3 year goal

Oh, we're going beyond just the year.  I want to try to think in the long term, and as such I've got some goals that go beyond.

For this one, I want to bring my forward income to $6,000 a year.  This will bring my dividend income to Spoony's Patreon income level. It's important that I hit this goal as soon as feasibly possible.   I have my reasons.

It sounds lofty, but I'd like to think that I can pull this one off.





5 year goals


House

I've only ever been a renter, but the idea of being a homeowner has really grown on me.  That down payment scares the crap out of me, but I figure with enough prep time, I can take it.


3x Salary Saved for Retirement

Back in January, MarketWatch posted an article stating that, by the age of 35, you should have twice your annual income tucked away for retirement. Millenials....did not take kindly to this information.  While it was mathematically impossible for me to hit this goal after discovering it, I did resolve to hit the next marker, which is having 3 times your annual income tucked away by 40.

Funny thing is, I'm quite confident that I can pull this off.  Technically, I am still behind, but I have been viewing these past few months as a "head start".  I'm maxing out the 401k and pumping money into the IRA, both of which will generate increasing amounts of income as time goes on.  Add to that the fact that my birthday is in March and that gives me three more months before the 5 year challenge technically even starts.

Now, you might be asking where the stock portfolio fits.  It does and doesn't come into play as far as my retirement is concerned.  The dividends are designed to help finance and carry me through my golden years, but I'm not counting the portfolio into the overall total.  I could use market value, but that's way too fickle a beast.  As such, I'm viewing it as its own thing that is only tangential to the overall goal.


I'll admit that this is a lot, but I'm confident and fired up.  2019 is going to be huge.  2018 had its perks, but this is where I push myself to my limit, and then break past it.

'The Punisher' Episode 6: 'The Judas Goat'

With Frank on the mend after the events of the preceding episode, this one turns from action and focuses more on quiet, character moments.  There are times where that's a detriment and it makes the Netflix shows feel like they're moving at a slow pace, but it works out rather well here.

The episode has more than a few scenes where characters are conversing at a table and it still manages to keep you engaged.  A good chunk of credit for that goes to the cast, who all present their characters as likable.  Where previous episodes had Frank and Micro constantly busting each other's chops, this one has them start to connect and have a real conversation. 

Billy Russo also gets a strong turn as we see him reinforce the bond that exists between fellow soldiers.  Like Micro, he too gets to have a heart to heart with Frank and it's another one of the episode's highlight scenes.  Barnes and Bernthal play well off each other and Russo's offer to help Frank seems genuine.   It just makes the episode's last minute reveal that much more poignant, though also somewhat intriguing.

Lewis also gets a prominent subplot, as his Vietnam vet buddy is revealed to be a fake.  In the wake of everything else that has gone wrong in his life as of late, he doesn't take it too well.  The ensuing skirmish ends rather brutally and shows that Curtis' instincts were right.  How this plays into the main arc has yet to be revealed.  Who knows, he might never cross paths with Frank and his role could just be to illustrate how Frank's story could have easily ended differently.  .

While this was a slower, quieter affair; this episode is starts to bring disparate plot threads together.  It should pay off as we move into the second half of the season.

Click here to become a Swagbucks member


Click here to join our Patreon campaign

'The Punisher' Episode 5: 'Gunner'

This episode manages to not only follow up on the events of last episode, but also shifts its focus back to the larger arc that makes up the season's focus.

Madani now has a lead as she knows that Frank is alive.  Of course, there are a myriad of reasons why she can't tell anyone.  It does give her a reason to bring Karen Page in for questioning.

This was a bonus for several reasons.  I've already praised Woll, and she's as good as always here.  It also allows for some nods to the events of other shows.  The biggest perk, however, is seeing an inquisitive journalist with a potential scoop go up against a federal agent attempting an interrogation.  It was an interesting setup as both parties try to fish for information, but sadly, the scene doesn't live up to its potential.  It isn't long before Karen more or less acquiesces.  She lies, of course, but there could have been more back and forth with that one.  Also, Karen's not a good liar.  It seems obvious that she's covering.  I don't know if Madani knows this and is just playing along, but I'd hope so.  There were some pretty obvious tells there that a seasoned agent should have picked up on. 

This also prompts Page to meet up with Frank one more time.  It's a much stronger scene with quite a bit of emotional power behind it.  Karen sympathizes with Frank, but doesn't want any more bodies piling up.  She even asks the question of what Frank plans to do after, which he doesn't seem to have an answer for.  As such, she pitches using an alternate strategy: letting the truth come out either by talking to Madani or letting Karen run a story and exposing what happened through the press.  She did make some good points, but Frank isn't convinced.  Still, points for trying. 

Frank, meanwhile attempts to track down the guy who filmed the execution back in Kandahar.  Like the AVClub, I'm not sure why it took them this long to think of it.  Frank is able to instantly identify who the cameraman is too.  If his memory were foggy due to the passage of time, maybe they could've made it more believable, but as is, it's just strange. 

Despite the cameraman (the titular "Gunner" who ironically seems to prefer a bow and arrow) taking great efforts to stay hidden, it seems like everybody does a pretty easy job of finding him.  It makes for a convenient action beat as a squad of troops are deployed to take the two out.

I'm torn on the "First person shooter" thing that the climax used.  On the one hand, I wasn't digging it.  Credit to the show for justifying it to some extent (the troops are wearing cameras on their helmets) but at the same time, I don't know if the show did enough with it.  We would occasionally jump to the POV shot, but then jump out again.  Considering Frank and Gunner's guerilla tactics, seeing it from first person could have been a cool, immersive trick.  On the other hand, if they had done more, viewers might have complained that they didn't get to see enough of Frank in action. It's a double edged sword.

It was kind of surprising to see Frank killing the soldiers the same way he would a gang of criminals.  You'd think that being innocent and fellow troops, that Frank would at least try to incapacitate them in a nonlethal fashion.  Such was not the case.   

In addition to action, the episode does provide some strong character moments.  The bickering between Frank and Micro is fun, but the more family oriented scenes are some of the real stand outs.  It was nice to see Frank bonding with Leo.  It makes the later scene where he unintentionally stands the family up rather sad, as everybody was anticipating his company.  With everything going on, I kind of forgot about that plot point, but it made for a nice emotional sucker punch when it did come up.

All in all, this was a decent episode.  It still seems like its trying to pick up momentum and find its focus, but that could feeling could also be due to my sporadic viewing of the show.  I've been mulling doing a rewatch of the MCU from the beginning.  If I do that, perhaps a more "binge"esque strategy would work better for a show like this, we'll see how things play out.  In any event, we're coming up on the season's halfway point so things should start to get interesting. 

You Can Get Free Gift Cards For Shopping, Searching and Discovering What's Online at Swagbucks.com
















Click here to join our Patreon campaign

'The Punisher' Episode 4: 'Resupply'

So, yeah, it's been a while since we've discussed "The Punisher" and I figured it was time to get back on the ball here.  I kind of remember what was happening.  I was worried that I was going to have a hard time keeping up, but this episode is largely self contained and doesn't really have any connection to the overall plot.

The episode keeps it simple, as both Frank and Homeland Security are gunning for a cache of weapons (see what I did there?) that are being transported by a crime syndicate.

At first I wasn't sure if this was some plot thread that carried over and was some piece of the puzzle. It occurred to me later that Frank Castle could just want the guns because he's Frank Castle.  The episode's title reinforces this and it works well enough, so it doesn't really matter either way.

Having the two parties go after the same target could be seen as a contrived coincidence, but it works as it gives the episode focus, even though we're following three groups of characters over the course of the episode.

The third group focuses on Curtis Hoyle and his attempt to help rehabilitate one of the suffering vets in his group.  It's not going well.  The guy's built a foxhole in his backyard and is eager to go back out into the field.  He even goes so far as to attempt to sign on with a private military group.  It might've worked had Curtis not torpedoed the effort.

My first thought was that the guy could get a non-combat centric job in the organization.  You know, split the difference.  Billy actually does bring up this idea, but Lewis is dismissive.  You'd think that Billy would point out that there are other jobs besides "janitor" that could be done here, but that idea never comes up.   Between his declining mental state and his newfound grudges against two of the recurring supporting characters, I don't see this guy remaining a good guy for much longer.  It doesn't seem to be a question of if he'll crack, but when. 

I don't doubt that this story will have ramifications later on, but right now it does seem a bit peripheral.  Still, it'll be interesting to see how the show ties it all together.

In the meantime, we get to see Frank rough up criminals.  The more impressive showing is obviously his showdown with the car thieves, but he does get to interrogate Turk in the show's opening scene.  It was an unexpected appearance, but it worked and I found it entertaining. 

It's odd how Turk keeps running afoul of the Netflix MCU vigilantes.  He's like the mirror of Claire Temple.  Where she runs into them and becomes friends, he seems to have a rockier go of it.  Still, he lives to see another day, so his charm seemed to have worked to some extent. 

It was good to get back to this show.  The characters are all entertaining and the cast continues to shine.  Having this be a "one and done" worked for me, but it also gives viewers a break from the "myth arc" and focus on Frank facing off against criminals.  There wasn't much in the way of plot advancement, but there was quite a bit of character progression.  Lewis, Madani, and Micro are all changed by the episode's end.  It should allow for interesting progression as we move deeper into the season.

Click here to join our Patreon campaign

'The Punisher' Episode 3: 'Kandahar'

While the main plot hook for the episode centers on Frank's interrogation of Micro, it's the episode's flashbacks that provide the more memorable material for the episode.

The interrogation itself was very strange.  At no point does Frank actually try to get any information.  I get that he'd be skeptical of what Micro is yammering about, but it seems counter-productive.  Jack Bauer roughed people up, but he also made it clear what he wanted.  While both are pretty savage in their methods, the latter still seems like the more logical approach.

Where Micro acted as the antagonist in the previous episode, here he tries to present himself as an ally.  Suffice it to say, Frank's skeptical.  Judging by what we see, it's quite possible, but at the same time, he could be playing a longer game.

We see that Micro is pretty clever in his own right, using patience, preparation, and deception to eventually turn the tables on his captor.  It was a pretty great moment both for the character and the episode overall.

The episode also gives us a more in depth look into his back story.  We knew the jist, but seeing it unfold resonated a lot more than being fed plot points in dialogue.

The same goes for Frank.  This episode gives us the biggest look at Frank's time as a marine to date and it is definitely to the episode's benefit.  Not only do we get to see a happier and more easygoing Frank bantering with his fellow soldiers and gushing over the fact that his wife got him Springsteen tickets, but its made clear that Frank's rage predates the death of his family.  That certainly didn't help, but his experience oversees seems to be the bigger factor in regards to his turn into "the punisher".

On the flip side, we also see Frank at his most brutal in his own take on the now trademark "hallway fight".  Preceding scenes usually did it in one long shot, but this one jumps around.  It makes it a bit more disorienting.  A part of me kind of wishes they had stuck to "the oner", but I can see how this approach fits.  It also helps the scene stand out after so many similar scenes of the main character taking on dozens of mooks in rapid succession.

It was nice to see Clancy Brown reprise his role as Schoonover.  He's always solid and it helps connect to what was established on "Daredevil".  Just like Micro's flashbacks flesh out what was established in dialogue, so too do Frank's scenes depict what Schoonover talked about when he was brought to the stand during the trial.

It was good to get back into this show and the episode ends with the plot moving into its next phase.  Frank now has a new list of people to target and he's not going to stop until they're all dead.  It might be tougher than taking out the crime bosses he had targeted previously, but Frank himself is not one to be underestimated. 

Click here to join our Patreon campaign

Site Update: 2018 Docket

It's a new year, which means that, like last year, it's time to lay out the itinerary for what's to come.  Oh man, remember me saying that I would have a new post up every day of the year? Ha, I wasn't even close.  I won't be making that promise this year, though I would like to attempt it (and maybe even succeed) at some point down the line, maybe 2020?  We'll see.  At the very least, I would like to try and at least surpass the content bar that I set in the previous year.  Will I follow through?  That remains to be seen, as of now, though.  These are the things that I plan on covering in the next 365 days.


Stephen King

As of the writing of this post, I am working my way through "Hearts in Atlantis".  I also still have to discuss Stephen King's recent collaboration with his son, Owen, "Sleeping Beauties".  Speaking of Stephen King's sons, Joe Hill released a collection of novellas, "Strange Weather" that bears examination, so look forward to that.  Papa King also has a new book coming out called "The Outsiders" later on in the year. 

Progressing through the bibliography, I'm hoping to cover "On Writing", "Secret Windows", "The Plant", "Dreamcatcher", and "Black House".

On the movie front, "Cell" still sits in my Netflix queue.  I also have the first part of "It" as well as "The Dark Tower" to watch and review.  I recently read that the latter might also have a TV series attached, so hopefully that comes to light. 

I still need to watch "Mr. Mercedes".  Hopefully, that hits Netflix, Hulu, or DVD at some point in the near future.  If there is a second season, it will likely be delayed like its predecessor.  It's a shame that they aren't making it more widely available.

Speaking of Hulu, "Castle Rock" is slated to land in the next year.  I haven't followed the development too closely, but that should be an interesting watch. 




Brad Thor


I recently added another author to the site's content review roster.  I dove into Brad Thor's library with his debut, "Lions of Lucerne".  It should come as no surprise, then, that I aim to continue to progress onward through his library as well. 

Following "Lions", we have "Path of the Assassin", "State of the Union", "Blowback", and "Takedown". 

Thor is releasing a new book, "Spymaster" in the summer, but I will likely wait until I hit that point in the chronology before reading it.  I should (hopefully anyway) be up to speed by the time his 2019 book comes out, so it's a minor setback in the grand scheme of things.


Netflix


Continuing the tradition, my write ups for Marvel's "The Punisher" have succumbed to schedule slip.  Naturally, I will try to finish it as soon as possible, though.  Also in the MCU realm, the third season of "Daredevil is set to land, as is the second season of "Jessica Jones". 

Yes, much like "Daredevil", the write ups for that show will start with season 2.  On the plus side, all 4 defenders will be represented in the label list, so that will be good; especially if "The Defenders" does end up getting a second season. 




Anime


"Dragon Ball Super" continues.  I've been doing a decent job of keeping up with it and that won't be stopping any time soon.

The third season of "Attack on Titan" is set to air in the middle of this year.  I was hoping to cover the second season as it aired, but the schedule didn't permit it.  As I'm all caught up now, it should be a lot easier this time around.

I'd also like to dive back into "Rurouni Kenshin".  Alas, I'll likely have to start over.  Not only do I not remember what was happening, but there were a lot of articles lost in the Examiner shut down that I will have to re-do in order to keep everything complete.  It'll be a pain to go through, but I think it will be worth it in the long run.  It'll also eventually give me something to write about consistently to help fill in the gaps.

I could potentially add another series to the roster, though I'd have to browse around a bit.  I said that I would do this last year and nothing came of it, so I'd understand if you're skeptical, but hope springs eternal, right? 



Legends of Tomorrow


I discussed this in one of my Patreon updates, but I might as well say again that I have been unable to keep up with the CW shows as of late due to changing circumstances.  As such, I will be waiting for this year's batch of episodes to hit Netflix.  When that day does come, I will continue my write ups on that show.  It's a bit of a pain, but we do what we can with what we have. 



Archive Restoration


As it is, the site's backlog is mostly full of dead links.  I'm hoping to begin remedying that in the months to come.  It does mean doing a lot of work that was already done, but there it is.  I started doing re-writes for "Death Note", and you can see the articles for the first half of the show in my "mega-post", though I still have quite a bit to go through. 

The backlog covers all manner of things: movies, comics, anime.  It should give me a good variety.  I do try to put more emphasis on new content, but I think filling in the archive will be good overall.  Doing this will also facilitate more new content like episodes of "Rurouni Kenshin" that went unwatched and diving back into the "Dark Tower" comics.




Reviewstream

Normally, I've shied away from going into too much detail on upcoming content for this particular site as it was always more spur of the moment.  I'd see a movie and decide to write a review for it.  Some times, I saw a movie that I thought I would review, but found that it didn't give me a whole lot on which to comment.  It makes it difficult to lay down a projected list of what's to come.

This time around, though, I'm taking a different approach and have come up with some things that I plan on writing about. 

You might recall that I had written reviews for the first two JLA trade paperback collections.  My original intent was to go through the whole run, but it got pushed to the back burner.  While I won't go so far as to say that I'll finish, I do want to cover what I can and at least knock a few more trades out.

I'm also diving into the fifth edition of "Dungeons and Dragons".  I had written some articles on the "Essentials" material, but talking about the newer and more relevant content will be beneficial.  I did rather enjoy doing those articles, so it should be a good bit of fun.  I am kind of curious to look at the newest edition in more detail. 




So, there you go.  That's the 2018 plan.  It's definitely more in depth than last year's, but I think that's a good thing.  Oddly enough, I also think that this is more doable than the "post every day of the year" idea I threw out before.  We'll see how things go though.  Maybe on December 31, I can start doing retrospectives that assess what I thought I was going to do and what I did do.  We'll cross that bridge when we come to it. 






Click here to join our Patreon campaign

'The Punisher' Episode 2: 'Two Dead Men'

After reviewing a movie starring Thomas Jane, it's only fitting that we return to "The Punisher".  Oddly enough, this episode has no real connections to the one that preceded it.  You could argue that it is in keeping with the comic format, but one would still expect some mention of the workers' deaths.

On the plus side, it does a better job of setting up the show's general plot, as Frank learns that there was more to the death of his family than he originally thought.  Considering the last episode seemed to close the book on that, it's odd to reopen it so quickly.  It would have been interesting to see Frank's arc move beyond that motivation or, at the very least, they should have held off on that reveal until later on.  It's still early in the show, though, so we'll just have to see where it goes.

I'm not sure about the conspiracy angle.  It seems like the circumstances for Frank's origin are becoming needlessly convoluted.  We already had one cover-up to mask the botched sting operation.  I don't know why we're throwing another one into the mix.  Maybe later reveals will make this all gel better, but right now, it seems out of place.

Still, the pros far outweigh the cons, as the episode continues to build up the show's momentum.  We still have plenty of great character moments, Frank and Karen's reunion being a major one.  We also have solid action as Frank faces off against Madina's boss, Carson Wolf.

You wouldn't think this would be much of a fight, but you gotta hand it to the man, he held his own.  It wasn't quite as even as Frank's bouts with Daredevil, but Wolf still got plenty of good hits in.

Frank's main conflict, however, is with a hacker by the name of "Micro".  The latter manages to discover that Frank is still alive and informs him of this.  It's still not clear why he does this, but for now we get to see a bit of a cat and mouse game between the two.

In fact, this is what pushes Frank to contact Karen, as she has resources that allow him to find out who "Micro" is.  I do think it was a bit too easy on that end.  Karen does a little off screen digging and is able to hand Frank a name.  The episode does make up for it by allowing the bond established in "Daredevil" to shine.  In any event, Karen is a great character, and Woll has consistently done a great job in her portrayal, so her presence is a benefit regardless.

On a similar note, Bernthal is still fantastic.  The show is allowing him to show Frank's many layers and Bernthal is able to nail all of them.  Whether it's a scene showing Frank's softer side, his more haunted and aloof side, or the straight up ass kicker; he pulls it off and even has little trouble transitioning from one to the other within the same scene.

I was unsure about Micro.  He worked well here, but I wasn't sure he had enough to act as the show's primary villain.  Considering how the episode ends, it doesn't seem like this is going to be the case, though, so we'll see where his story arc takes us.  For that matter, we'll have to see who ends up being the main antagonist.

Overall, this was a solid follow up.  It sets the stage for the show's arc, while also being a fairly stand alone episode at least in so far as Frank has caught the antagonist who had been hounding him for the entirety of the episode.  I have a feeling that the next episode will have some major revelations as Micro and Frank have their first face to face chat.  It should make for an interesting watch.

Click here to join our Patreon campaign

'The Punisher' Episode 1: '3 AM'

On Friday, Netflix released the next chapter in its branch of the ongoing story of the Marvel Cinematic Universe with "The Punisher".

Judging by the preview, I wasn't sure if this was going to be a sequel or prequel.  Judging by this episode, it looks to be a bit of both.  We are given a more in depth look into Frank's pre-tragedy life via flashback, with more focus on the family, but we also pick up where the second season of "Daredevil" left off.

If you're wondering why Frank was never considered when the Defenders were embarking on the war for New York, this gives you an answer; he wasn't there.  It seems Frank's quest for vengeance brought him all over the country.  He even takes down criminals who managed to cross the border into Mexico.  It's pretty impressive for a "street level" vigilante/hero.

Rather than spend the whole season chronicling Frank's desire for vengeance against those who killed his family, the episode's prologue wraps that aspect up, with Frank having killed everyone connected to said incident.

This allows him to close the book on the "punisher" concept.  Where Frank's war in the comics is much akin to Batman's in that it never ends, this iteration is taking cues from Nolan's interpretation where there was a clear endgame and the moniker was a temporary measure.  It does give Frank an arc as we see him attempt to live a more peaceful life before being dragged back in by circumstances around him.

It was interesting to see Frank try to adjust to living a normal life.  He's operating under an assumed name working a construction job.  On the plus side, using a sledgehammer to tear down walls does give him a nice outlet for his rage and frustration, but his coworkers are jackasses who seem to give him crap for no discernible reason.

It's sad to see Frank not really standing up for himself, but it is a testament to his restraint and shows that he is able to focus his violent tendencies on criminals.  Of course, this just makes it all the more satisfying, when said jackasses become criminals and he is able to cut loose and dish out some payback in the manner that we have come to expect from Frank Castle.

It makes for an exciting finish to the episode.  The fact that the whole scene is set to a Tom Waits song was a pleasant surprise. 

Barring that, the episode is largely dialogue driven, which is par for the course with the Netflix shows.  It actually works well here.  The conversations are well written and have a point.  It doesn't feel like the script is just spinning wheels to pad out the run time. 

The characters all get off to a good start in terms of development.  Some of the dialogue was a bit heavy handed (see Madani's boss), but by and large scenes were fairly balanced and didn't feel like the writer was lecturing you about a certain issue. 

The closest it ever came was with the vet claiming that the white Christian patriots were oppressed.  Oddly enough, some of his dialogue did stand out for other reasons.  I did get a kick about his talk about an oncoming war for the city (psst, you kind of missed it, buddy) and his talk about the role soldiers play took on an interesting angle given that this is a world populated with superheroes and vigilantes.  I don't know if the show will explore that, as it likely wants to be its own self contained thing, but we'll see. 

Overall, this was a solid start to the series.  Bernthal continues to do a great job in the role and allowing him more screen time has certainly paid dividends so far.  I'm looking forward to seeing where the show goes from here.

Click here to join our Patreon campaign