Go like a soldier
Full Spoilers Following for Marvel’s The Punisher: “Virtue of the Vicious.”Make sure to keep up with all of our Marvel's The Punisher binge here.
“Virtue of the Vicious” plays with time, in order to show differing points of view on Frank’s actions at the hotel. The use of going back and recalling past events from multiple perspectives is nothing new in the world of television. When done well, it can add an extra layer of drama and suspense as the viewer looks for hidden clues in each flashback.
In this instance, the effect is wasted on what was otherwise an enjoyable outing of Marvel’s The Punisher. Lewis should have been the main focal point of the story instead of the time jumps, which can be disorienting.
Lewis’ tale has been a tragic one, that ended too soon. His purpose for this season remains unclear since he died around people he hardly knew. The show has spent so much time developing Lewis’ character around his father and Curtis that it felt wrong to have them absent when he died. Even his reciting of one of the Barrack-Room Ballads by Rudyard Kipling (The Jungle Book) fails to heighten the moment. There’s just too much going on.
When you add time jumps, multiple points of view, and high-octane action scenes featuring Frank Castle, there just isn’t enough space for Lewis to get a proper sendoff. Daniel Webber did a wonderful job with the time he was given, but in the end, it feels like a missed opportunity.
The writers are persistent when it comes to the issue of gun control. There’s no denying that it’s a topic of controversy right now, but the hammering away on the issue is getting tiresome. The story has already done a great job of showcasing what trauma can do to someone, but those one-on-one talks with the senator were overt and superfluous.
Lewis may not have had the best of endings, but there were some memorable moments within all the chaos. When the episode slowed down, like the scene featuring Madani, Castle, and Billy, the tension was palpable. Sure, Madani was safe and unharmed in the present, but that didn’t take away from the suspense in the stairwell. We’ve learned a lot about these characters over the past 10 episodes, so it was great to finally have them all in one space for a little while.
The Punisher, if nothing else, is a great action movie spread out over thirteen-hours. Frank’s heroism throughout the episode was fun to watch. His adventures feel a lot like a video game. Where he’s going level to level, getting shot repeatedly, picks up a health pack, and continues on. As exciting as these spectacles can be, it’s those few quiet moments where the show really shines, like his time in the elevator with Karen.
Karen has felt out of place for most of the season, until now. The way she was used (minus all the gun control talk) was effective. She really is one of the few people Frank can call family. Her farewell in the elevator appears to be a sign that Karen’s role this season is done. While she still feels like she’s anchoring Frank to the rest of the Netflix superheroes, it was nice to see them get a proper goodbye.
“Virtue of the Vicious” was close to a “Frank-less” episode. Most of the story was about how others perceive him. The series suffers when Frank and David aren’t around. Many of the supporting cast members are strong on their own, but they aren’t the foundation that holds the show together. It would have been nice to get David’s perspective on all of the hotel madness, even though he wasn’t there. With only three episodes remaining, there’s sure to be plenty of Frank and David coming up.
The Verdict
“Virtue of the Vicious” had too much going on for its own good. There were a few memorable scenes, but Frank was treated more like a video character than a real person, which took away from some of the episode’s more emotional moments.
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