‘The Punisher’ Recap: ‘Scar Tissue’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

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​I think what I’ve always enjoyed when it comes to watching shows or movies that are based upon comic book characters, is that somewhere along the line, a particular sequel or episode does a fine job of reminding you precisely why you found yourself drawn to the character in the first place. And I make mention of that today, simply due to the fact that the next episode of The Punisher, ‘Scar Tissue’, was able to take my mind down that particular memory lane. For when I first picked up a comic involving Frank Castle’s adventures as The Punisher, I have to admit that I was outright blown away.
 
For I was introduced to a man who was deeply haunted by the demons of his past, and as a middle schooler, I had never seen a story like this before. Nor did I fully understand how people could be impacted by their past in this manner, and all of those elements held my attention and I pressed on, reading more of his adventures as the years rolled on, and what instantly me reminded of the day I picked up that first issue, was the sheer fact that everyone’s respective demons were on display in this tale, and that made for a fascinating story wherein everyone tried to catch their breath unsuccessfully since their harrowing pasts continued to gnaw at their souls.
 
For example, Rachel (or rather, Amy, as she finally revealed in this tale), simply couldn’t shake the horrible moments filled with murder that she left behind before meeting up with Frank and it was fascinating to see her finally reveal her outright fear of what the Pilgrim might have planned for her and the peace that she found in discovering that Frank is the Punisher and that he will in fact protect her at all costs and she wasn’t alone in dealing with fears that were generated by the past. Since Madani took the time to explain how the whole mess from last season left her transformed and jittery and remorseful since neither she nor Frank were able to properly finish the job because of their ties to Billy and well, what I appreciated about this segment of the story, is that it didn’t offer any easy answers or philosophical notions. It was just the characters expressing their pain and emotions in the raw and this extended beyond the good guys.
 
After all, Billy Russo is on the loose and this episode took the time to catch up with him, and the demons swimming around in his head. Because Billy was beginning to put some things together in that mess of a brain, to the point where visited a man that once tormented him as kid. Not for revenge, but to try and gain his identity and memory back by confronting a face from the past and well…this went as poorly as one might expect. For Arthur, the man that haunted Billy in what seems like another lifetime, triggered something in the back of Billy’s mind, prompting him to unleash years of pent up rage and well…what’s scary about this particular moment, is the sheer fact that Billy is slowly starting to recall his past and everything that broke him in life and that makes him supremely dangerous to both Madani and Frank…
 
Either way, this was just another fascinating episode. Because for the first time in the course of the series, Frank faced some real, long-term consequences for his desire to see Billy suffer over anything else and it was fascinating to see his friends point out that Frank’s vendetta may cause more harm than good. But more importantly, it was incredible to see everyone in this episode reflect upon their trauma since traditionally, characters in a hero show shed their pain with minimal effort, so to see lasting damage here adds a devastating sense of realism to this tale, and at this point, I’m quite curious to see how everything is going to come together down the line since there are now two key plot-lines brewing behind the scenes and really, the only way to find out what comes next, is to buckle down and continue along. So, if you’ll excuse, it’s time to hit play on the next episode and see what surprises await me. Until next time. 

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