Unbeknownst to Frank, Madani has been keeping an eye on Billy Russo, who has been recovering from the injuries Frank gave him last season, though according to the doctor/ psychologist who has been treating him for months, Krista Dumont, Russo has no memories of what happened to him, or what he did, barely remembering anything past his army days. He wears a mask to cover his scarred face, has just started to recover his physical strength, and is plagued by nightmares of a skull and the pain of his injury, though he has no idea what happened, though the “official” report is that he sustained said facial injuries while being arrested by Madani.
Agent Madani herself has recovered from the gunshot wound to the head she received from Russo, but she is clearly traumatized, drinking a lot more, and obsessed with Russo, and not believing for a minute that he has amnesia, believing him to be faking the whole thing for sympathy and to be given an easier sentence. She visits the man every day to check on him, despite being told by Dumont it is not healthy and ordered to stay away by her superiors, who say Russo is no longer her jurisdiction.
The Sheriff, meanwhile, has problems of his own dealing with Frank and Rachel as he cannot figure out who Frank is due to his clean prints (courtesy of the Department of Homeland Security last season). After hearing Rachel’s sob story of how she is only a college student who was abducted by Frank and pulled into this war, the Sheriff now knows she herself is a criminal with multiple identities across many states, and cannot trust her either. Only person he can ID is the other woman, who was ex-military, and she warns them all to give themselves up to Pilgrim and his men because he will burn their station to the ground to get Frank and the girl.
The Sheriff balks at the idea, but reconsiders when he loses power, cell-coverage, and land-line phones. He tries to send a deputy for help, but the man is shot while trying to drive off, and they realize Pilgrim’s men have surrounded the station, hiding in the surrounding trees. They lay siege to the station, sending bullets through all the windows, and though the station is well-armed, the Sheriff only has 2 healthy deputies left. One of the prisoners is the brother of the deputy that was shot and was only in on a public intoxication charge, so he gladly joins the fight.
When Pilgrim’s men storm the station, Rachael grabs the keys and frees Castle, allowing the Punisher to push back the first wave of mercenaries, and give the Sheriff and his men time to regroup. The deputies are not happy to have Frank on their side, still believing him to be a murderer and a criminal, but the Sheriff knows he has little choice, and he opts to trust the man. In the end, Frank heads out alone to deal with the problem, starting by shooting the Molotov cocktail bottle still in the hands of two men approaching the station. The explosion sets both on fire and sets the stage for Frank as he makes his way through the forest, picking off Pilgrim’s men one by one, even as Pilgrim begins to track Frank preparing for the kill.
Just as Frank finishes off the last man and Pilgrim lines up for his shot on Frank, a helicopter light shines down, ruining Pilgrim’s shot. We see it is Madani in a DOH helicopter come for Frank, and Pilgrim flees. It seems Russo escaped, using the empathy of Dumont and his returning strength to his advantage. Madani wants Frank to deal with the situation. Frank says they have to take Rachel with them, and when Rachel asks where they are going, Frank and Madani both answer “New York.”
Not a bad opening for Season 2, definitely went a long way toward reminding us about all of the major characters from Season 1 (minus Karen Page, who it seems will not have as big a role this season), and letting us see that Frank, in a way, needs a battle to fight. Rachel did point out that he chose to jump in an helped her and he determined how the original bar fight went down. It all seems to be pointing toward a seasonal theme asking whether Frank has any choice in being ‘The Punisher’ or if it is just who he is/ needs to be.
I am definitely intrigued, I like the new villain, and his odd, creepy, slightly religious bend, and I am looking forward to seeing who Rachel really is and why these people are after her. See you back here soon for the next review!
