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

1. Jon Bernthal IS The Punisher

Speaking of The Punisher, it'd be remiss not to highlight just how astoundingly good Jon Bernthal is in the role. There's a good argument for his being the best leading performance in all of the Netflix Marvel shows, and he's once again incredible here.

Bernthal perfectly captures The Punisher as a force of nature: he's a raging, frothing, animalistic brute in the action sequences, literally roaring into fights and displaying not even the faintest flicker of remorse. He takes punishment of his own, and Bernthal conveys his injuries, but also the sense that he absolutely will not be beaten.

Even more impressive, though, is how Bernthal plays it in the quiet moments. In the times when he lets his guard down with Amy, and we see the sadness and grief in his eyes. In the moments when he cracks a joke, displaying a knack for some pitch black comedic timing. And in those instants just before and after the explosions of rage, when you see the internal struggle between Frank Castle and The Punisher. Bernthal delivers everything the character should be and then some.