The Punisher Season 2, Episode 12: "Collision Course" Review
We have arrived at the penultimate episode of season two.
By M.T. Bates
Mahoney really is a buzzkill in season two of The Punisher, but he has kind of taken on this ironic, plucky comic relief role in a way. The cold open rips you a new one, backed by some music from Marilyn Manson, which is wholly appropriate. Sadly, somehow, Frank is even worse off. How that is even possible at this point is beyond me, but this is Frank Castle we are talking about. If this were a video game, he would be one of those overpowered character classes that incorporates all the best aspects of a tank, damage dealer, and rogue, making him virtually impossible to kill. Yeah, I went there.
John Pilgrim is another one who just won’t stay down. He’s like the Energizer Bunny of destruction, but as swiftly as he comes in, he swiftly gets knocked back out again. Seriously, why wasn’t he the main focus all season? I am going to hammer this home every damn episode at this point. The best part of this is that his story just keeps getting better. Him not being the focal point all season was a missed opportunity.
Frank is ready to end this and makes his final move in a power play as Pilgrim steps into a bit of luck. This just makes things messy in the end, for damn near everyone still involved at this point, and now that David Schultz is involved, you better believe this heat is going to get even hotter.
Amy makes her own power move in an attempt to also put an end to all this. Her growth has been a sight to watch all season and has been one of the most enjoyable developments. Madani, on the other hand, is still trying to put a cap on her story and that leads her back to Krista.
Madani has known what was going on there, ever since their late night pow-wow a few episodes back, but now she is sure. She has been a great constant for two seasons and shows like this need that kind of character. She finally realizes she has to cross that line and veer into, dare I say, Punisher territory.
The end result is a shocking showdown of ironic poetic justice. Satisfying to its core, it is quite a way to end the penultimate episode of season two. If we had episodes like this all season, this would have been a season for all time, but I guess better late than never works too.
The Good
Madani crossing into Punisher-like territory put a poetic cap on her story arc throughout this season. It has also been fun to watch Amy develop into the character she is now.
The Not-So-Good
More John Pilgrim could have made this season so much better than it ended up being. This intriguing villain should have been utilized much more.
8.0/10
Well, here we are. It looks like each of our story arcs are on a collision course heading into the finale. Several characters have crossed lines this season and the consequences of these actions are set to play out very soon. This is gearing up to be a high-stakes finale.
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