Marvel's The Punisher Season 2 Review: 6 Ups & 4 Downs

5. Amy & Curtis Make Up For The Lack Of Micro

One of the big changes this season is that there's no place for David Lieberman, aka Micro, despite him being one of the key players alongside Frank Castle in Season 1 (and a crucial character in the comics too).

Lieberman's comic touches and bond with Castle are missed, but the show has a couple of ways of filling that void. One is to give army vet Curtis a beefed-up role, and the other is to pair Castle up with the teenage runaway Amy (Giorgia Whigham). Both work a treat.

Frank and Curtis have a great bond that often doesn't need to be expressed in words: after what they've both been through, they're there for each other, no matter what it takes. There's some wry and dark humour between the two, while it's partially with them - and especially Curtis - we get a solid exploration of PTSD and war veterans struggling to make there way, which is the messaging where Punisher is on its surest footing.

Even better is Frank's relationship with Amy. A street-smart, wise-cracking kid, she makes jokes at Frank's expense and gives the show plenty of humour, but is also crucial to his journey too. She's notably around the same age his daughter would've been, something Frank himself is very aware of, leading to a surprising sweetness to their bond as they look out for each other, and she pushes him to examine just who he is and what he wants to be.