Jon Bernthal, left, stars in The Punisher.

By Derek Henriquez

I think the biggest problem with The Punisher, season 2, is that it does not connect to the rest of the Marvel Universe. You will not see any references to the Infinity War in this season, if you were looking for it. However, there aren’t any connections to anything else Marvel here either.

There is no reference to Daredevil, Jessica Parker, or any other show. Actually, I think the show suffers the most because the show doesn’t even follow much if its comic origins either. There are a few easter eggs in this season, but it doesn’t follow a lot of what I was looking for in a Punisher show.

The biggest nod to the comic past is that Frank Castle, still goes by “Pete,” as in Peter Castiglione, a pseudonym he’s used several times over in the show. It stems from Frank’s original Italian family name, which was later Americanized to Castle. It also serves as a good way for him to have an alias, so that Castle can remain dead, and keep the heat off him.

Agent Madani, is back, after surviving her gunshot wound to the head, from another character who has returned from season one, Billy Russo. She has recovered physically but not mentally and she seems like she is on the edge for most of this season. I guess she has a lot to work out. Billy Russo is also dealing with his mental health, but he is also horribly scarred across his face because of what Castle did to him at the end of the last season.

The show is definitely worth watching, especially if you are a Punisher fan, or just a Marvel buff. However, it does seem to be all by itself in the universe of Marvel. It doesn’t connect to other stories which is the Marvel trademark. Also, the show has been cancelled. So, it looks like The Punisher may have died for real this time.