‘The Punisher’ Recap: ‘My Brother’s Keeper’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

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​If there’s one complaint that I have when it comes to comic book stories and shows as a whole, it’s that they tend to avoid looking at the consequences of their character’s actions, and understandably so. Because seeing a hero make great sacrifices and risk everything to save the day is noble and inspiring in its own right. But what we often forget is that people that are willing to risk it all, regardless of the cost, hurt people along the way, and it’s difficult for any story to shift gears and go from sheer heroics to a narrative where the greater good is doing just fine, but friends and family suffer thanks to the bigger picture that the hero chose over them.
 
I think that’s why I am so supremely fascinated with season two of The Punisher. Because this year’s stories are diving into that kind of conflict on the regular by often showing us the consequences of actions that can be deemed heroic and the next episode in this powerful series, ‘My Brother’s Keeper’, dove deep into such matters since everyone dealt with the fallout of Billy’s brief showdown with Frank…including Billy himself. For in this tale he learned point blank that Frank is the sole reason why he is physically scarred and emotionally broken and after his confrontation with Frank, he did his best to try and understand the confusion and pain that came with seeing someone that felt like family in his heart, hate and despise him and I have to admit, that for a moment I felt a little sorrow for Billy in this tale because this was heartbreaking to watch, but…that moment was brief and fleeting.
 
Because eventually, Billy went back to his malicious ways and is slowly recruiting an army of broken soldiers to take whatever they want and he was able to find time to start that process, because Frank was left stunned in this tale over the fact that he was right back where he started and really, that was the centerpiece of this story. Because the narrative from episode one of this season and on, is that Frank is finally moving forward in life and slowly making peace with his painful past. But we came to learn in this episode, that is simply not the case. For seeing Billy once again, brought every last ugly memory bubbling to the surface, and with that flood of days gone by, came guilt and anger and fury over just about every single step that Frank had taken to arrive at this juncture and sadly, that boiled over as the tale rolled on.
 
For Frank unleashed his fury on everyone and anyone near him, which unfortunately turned out to be Curtis and Amy in this tale and being called out for his sour behavior and the fact that he did indeed act like Russo when it came to his unrestrained anger gave Frank pause, to the point where he disappeared into the night to do a little soul searching and what I appreciate the most about this sequence of events, is that it forced Frank to ponder on the consequences of his actions and what he has become. Because while he may think he is a champion of justice, in the here and the now, he is a volcano of anger, ready to blow, and one has to wonder if deep down, his decision to keep Billy alive is related more to hanging onto his anger and fury over finding peace and well, hopefully his visit to the cemetery, where he took the time to visit his family, will help him find some kind of direction.
 
If anything, this ended up being one powerful episode to say the least and kudos need to be doled out to both Jon Bernthal and Ben Barnes because they were utterly magnificent in this tale. For Billy was at his absolute worst in this story, with his madness on full display and Frank, was equally as terrifying with his temper running rampant and they added incredible gravity and depth to a supremely cerebral story. Either way, I really love the fact that this season is diving into some fascinating material, and I am hoping that the season continues this perfect balance of action and story as we go deeper into this complex mess and this brilliant style of storytelling is making the final showdown between Frank and Billy, a tad unnerving. For when it finally goes down, it’s obviously going to be a costly venture for one or both men, and I’m not sure I’m fully prepared for the kind of heartbreak that will follow it. Until next time.    

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