*Spoilers found within recap*
As we learned from “New York’s Finest,” apparently Frank (Jon Bernthal) has a bullet sized wound in his skull. Karen (Deborah Ann Woll), who discovered this, tries to get Matt (Charlie Cox) and Foggy (Elden Henson) to see that there is more to the Punisher than one would believe, and that he possibly may be insane because of his injury. Matt and Foggy decide to approach this angle, but put things on hold as all three of them head to Grotto’s funeral. It’s a sad thing to see that they are the only people in attendance.
Despite one Irish mobster being laid to rest, it seems to be that more members are coming forth, and they are out for Frank. Apparently he’s taken some money from them as well, so it’s clear they aren’t going to play nice.
Post Grotto’s funeral, Karen seeks answers about Frank in the hospital he was cared for in while recovering from the shot to the head. In the course of things, she gets an address, and, being the nosy person she is, breaks into Frank’s house. Come on, Karen, you know better! In any case, she sees a family photo, so apparently there is even more to The Punisher’s history. She sees remnants of toys, keepsakes, and other items all over the house, including a Golden Book, titled “One Batch, Two Batch.” Keep that in mind.
We shift focus from Frank’s house to Frank himself, as he’s sitting on a bench, watching a carousel. Not creepy, whatsoever, right? As the park closes down, Frank is quietly ambushed by the Irish mob, and while he puts up a fight, he ultimately loses consciousness due to some hardcore tasering.
Frank wakes up in an isolated underground room of some sorts, being prepped for torture of course. He’s punched in the face, has a hole drilled in his foot, but still he proves that he’s a man that formidable. Thankfully, he has back up, as Daredevil comes to his rescue, and we finally have the team up we’ve been dying to see all season. Also, as Frank hides behind a coffin door for protection, he times his attack, using the rhymes of “One Batch, Two Batch” to count down his movements. However, every time he tries to permanently end a mobster, Daredevil counter attacks Frank’s severely violent nature in a comedic but stylishly choreographed manner.
When the dust clears, Matt brings Frank above ground, and Frank states he’s just done. He’s not kidding-he’s a bloody mess. Daredevil states that help is on the way, and Frank doesn’t budge. The Punisher begins to slowly tell Matt a tale of his daughter, pre and post war, referencing her love for “One Batch, Two Batch” in the process, which Matt overheard Frank saying during the recent fight.
The story that Frank tells is extremely sad, and it makes the character we’ve seen thus far even more three dimensional. The fact that he’s also telling this tale slumped in front of a tombstone is even more appropriate, and not that far off from a panel one would see in a comic. The speech given by Bernthal is 100% captivating, and might even draw tears from you if you let it. Hard to feel bad for a cold blooded killer, yes, but knowing what Frank has been through sort of helps you mentally understand why he is who he is.
Frank is taken away to be cared for by medics, but ultimately, he’s going to be locked up. As the cops overlook the situation, Daredevil tells “on the scene” officer (and friend of Foggy’s) Brett (Royce Johnson) that the police need to report that they found Frank, not the devil of hell’s kitchen. It will help the cops gain further respect that they brought in an extremely violent vigilante. Makes sense.
Foggy, Matt, and Karen all celebrate the arrest of Frank in a their bar of choice, Josie’s. Everything seems to be going great-Matt and Karen even share a passionate kiss in the pouring rain. Matt smiles all the way home, and on cloud 9, he enters into his place, grabbing a drink. However, the joy of life quickly ends as he senses an intruder; his ex girlfriend, Elektra (Elodie Yung). Oh boy.
“Penny and Dime” unfortunately seems to bring about the end of the Punisher as the bad ass vigilante that the show introduced to, as the rest of the season will most likely make him less involved. This is disappointing, as his role in the series kept things moving at a steady pace, and his dynamic with Daredevil was extremely interesting. His quiet confession to Matt near the conclusion of this episode gives the character an appropriate send off, even if just temporary. The speech is just downright engaging to watch, and, as a counterpart to “New York’s Finest,” makes you long for more from Jon Bernthal’s Frank Castle as soon as the credits roll. But we move on. You’re up, Elektra.
Rating: 9/10
Daredevil is currently streaming on Netflix
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Logan J. Fowler is a senior writer and video game editor on Pop-Break.com. He contributes his thoughts every week for Trailer Tuesday and ABC’s The Goldbergs.” Logan’s “kid at heart” nature has led to his discussion about pop culture that many geeks love to talk about, including superheroes, Super Mario Bros., Pixar, and Muppets, among other things. In addition, one of his first pieces for the site, “Top Ten Comic Book Movies,” was picked as a “Freshly Pressed” piece by WordPress and remains one of the site’s most well-read articles. Many of Logan’s friends have said that he moonlights as Spider-Man but this is so not true. Wait, are those police sirens I’m hearing?! Gotta go! -thwipp-
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