The Punisher: 10 Ways It Saves Netflix's Marvel Universe

7. The Mid-Season Lull Is Less Noticeable

As is the case with all Netflix shows, The Punisher experiences a mid-season lull. For all its merits, it's just as true that it could've been condensed into a slick, enjoyable and riveting eight episode run. Something would have to give, obviously, but we would've been left with a more cohesive season of TV as a result.

That said, The Punisher's mid-season crisis isn't half as bad as other Netflix Originals have been. That might be down to the fact it's slow to get going, as opposed to those other series that largely managed to hit the ground running right from the off, but even its padding feels less intrusive than said programs.

There's substance to it, and while the mystery does take a brief hit (particularly around episode six), it's not particularly disengaging.

Sure, it's padding, but - as far as padding does go - it's good. You'd rather the show continued with the conspiracy and the wider mystery at hand, but if we are going to have superfluous mid-season fluff, it helps for it to be good.