Look, pairing up Fisk and Punisher, arguably the two characters who've made the biggest impression on this show, is just a recipe for success. It admittedly wasn't perfect. The plot reasons for them getting together and for Fisk releasing Punisher are vague, convenient, rushed, or all three. It's hard to keep the characterizations for the two characters consistent and still have them plausibly team up with one another, even as a marriage of convenience, and the show ties itself in a few knots trying to make that work. And Jon Bernthal's very naturalistic performance as the wounded-if-determined soldier isn't a perfect tonal match with Vincent D'onofrio's very good but much more mannered and affected take on The Kingpin.
But damn if it isn't captivating to watch the two of them react to each other in that prison. Just seeing Fisk plying his trade in the "big box" is a sight that makes me wish there could have been a mini-movie or something just focusing his Orange Is the New Black-esque adventures. Punisher's scene getting his answers from Dutton (who informs him that the crossfire that resulted in his family's deaths was the result of a police sting), was nicely intense. The ensuing scene where Frank takes out an entire cell block was uncomfortably gory, but it fit with Castle's M.O. and the gore served a solid purpose of elucidating the lengths Punisher will go to in contrast to Matt. And though things got a little overly theatrical at times, the scene where Fisk and Castle went toe-to-toe was absolutely electric, enough to where the somewhat suspect plot elements faded into the background.
Speaking of convenient plot elements, it's quite a coincidence that Karen finds herself with a de facto job at the New York Bulletin just when Matt and Foggy are so much on the outs, and the aftermath of the Castle conviction still so fresh, that Nelson & Murdock is shutting down. Still, it's nice to see Karen be able to continue her dogged investigator routine, and taking over Ben's post at the Bulletin is a nice organic way to make that work. It helps that Ben's editor (a poor man's Paul Giamatti who's endearing from the getgo), is there to be a foil and friend along the way, with Karen pushing back on him just enough to keep it interesting.
Unfortunately, Daredevil is, once again, the least interesting thing on his own show. His fight with Nobu is fine, and there's something quite creepy about the blood farm he uncovers, but his whole breaking off ties so as not to hurt the people he cares about routine is pretty cliche. That said, his is the most minor story in the episode, and since the Punisher/Kingpin stuff soars and the Karen stuff does very well too, the episode overall works quite well.
One of those if you blink you might miss it things, but you could see the Punisher skull symbol appearing in blood on Frank's chest after that fight.. very well done how they snuck that in!
that moment when Frank Castle ran to the inmates screaming and shit, so good.
Wilson Fisk is just the coolest villain.
Wilson Fisk continues to be the best part of this show.
How can anyone like Arrow, Flash or Super Girl when we have this show?
i kept wondering what they were going to do to release punisher and make it sound realistic at the same time (i mean, it's a tv show not a comic book) and i'm glad with what they did.
Oh God lord. Blood everywhere.
This episode was awesome, intense, crazy.
Those men are unstoppable.
the addition of punisher and elektra did so much good for this series! they just added to the already great supporting cast and the great protagonist. also, this series is so batman-coded (only the real ones will notice that). but it's a good thing in this case.
What An Episode ! Fisk The Punisher and hell of fight together with Draedevil and His war Just wow
As we reached the final scene 2x08, army of one man in hallway as spectacular as saying
Shout by Isabel ∞BlockedParentSpoilers2016-03-19T05:18:07Z
Fisk is a son of a bitch.