WiC Watches: The Punisher season 2
By Corey Smith
Episode 206: “Nakazat”
“Nakazat” is an interesting episode. Even the episode title, which means “punish” in Russian, is odd considering Frank never actually kills anyone, but rather spends the episode doling out mercy. This episode teeters on the edge of falling into the Marvel Netflix trap of spinning its wheels. It doesn’t quite fall in thanks to some wonderfully shot scenes. So let’s talk about those.
First up, Frank and Amy take the highly unusual route of visiting a child pornography studio to process the blackmail film Amy’s merry band of con artists was paid to take. It’s a strange choice, considering the film shows nothing more than one dude kissing another dude, hardly the kind of thing you couldn’t process at a more respectable place. Anyway, Frank wants to execute the guy running the studio, but Amy stops him. Also, she apparently develop pictures, and we’re off to our next stop.
Amy and Frank have another bonding moment when she asks about Frank’s murdered daughter. Rather than simply bite Amy’s head off, Frank is remarkably open about it. Later, the two kidnap Russian boss Poloznev. It’s very slick.
Frank interrogates Poloznev and discovers the Schultz’s evil master plan. It seems the super-rich duo want to put their son in the White House but don’t want the world finding out he’s gay. Let’s follow along here: super-rich white religious fundamentalists are being blackmailed by Russian crime lords (Poloznev) who hired a troop of con artists (Amy) to obtain photos of their son making out with another man. The Schultz’s don’t take it lying down, so they hire Preacher guy to murder his way across the Northeast. Got it?
Moving on, Frank might show Poloznev mercy, but Preacher man has no such qualms, and murders the Russian mobster after Frank lets him go. Elsewhere, Russo is building up a little gang of followers, which seems a bit like a repeat of the disenfranchised veteran-turned-mad bomber Wilson from season 1, but I’m still digging Ben Barnes’ performance, so I can let it go. We also get the next step in Russo and Dumont’s relationship when they share a violent kiss.
Again, this is an odd episode. It’s shot and acted well, but feels a tad unnecessary to the overall plot. But my biggest problem is with the reveal of the reason for the Preacher’s murder spree. Literally dozens of people are being murdered across America because a gay kiss. This show is set in modern times, isn’t it? It’s hard for me to fathom people caring about that so much it requires a worldwide conspiracy involving Russian gangsters. That’s not the fault of actors like Bernthal or Barnes, who continue to turn in stellar performances, but it does drag down the show.