Marvel's The Punisher: What Does The Ending Really Mean?
The Punisher is still missing a few pieces.
Having dropped on Netflix just over a week ago, a lot of viewers will have already binged their way through Marvel's The Punisher.
Picking up the story of Frank Castle after his introduction in Daredevil, the show sees Frank dive deep into a CIA conspiracy that goes back to his army days and forces him to revisit old demons and reopen past wounds.
To accomplish this he joins forces with David 'Micro' Lieberman, and butts heads with Agent Dinah Madani, who is after the same thing but by a different means. It's the basis for a solid story, with Jon Bernthal once again giving a towering performance as The Punisher, and one that confirms him as the definitive version of the character.
Where the series really comes together, though, is in its final run of episodes. Everything before that more or less worked, but there were the typical moments of Netflix drift and a story stretched thin. The final third, however, brings all the threads and characters together in propulsive, explosive fashion. The end is intense, thrilling, and also quietly powerful - but what does it all really mean? Let's take a look, with full spoilers for the show.