The June 3, 2022 installment of Jacob Schoeneberger’s random entertainment opinions
No matter how many new shows start streaming, I’m still coming back to watch Daredevil. This show is so good; I can’t believe I missed it when it first ran on Netflix. Jake Schoeneberger is kicking his own butt for not watching this sooner.
With that in mind, here are some random thoughts about the entertainment I’m currently consuming.
This Installment’s Edition of Jake Schoeneberger Has Been Living Under a Rock Features: Daredevil
*This will contain spoilers for anyone who hasn’t watched the show yet.*
The third episode of season 2 begins with Daredevil chained up and in the hands of The Punisher. Let’s hope these two can have a dialogue before Punisher does anything rash. An uneasy truce? Is that too much to hope for?
Karen lights into the DA for the screw-up that put Grotto in danger, but the DA pushed back saying they could easily pin the whole mess on the law firm of Nelson and Murdock. There wasn’t much she could do in that situation, but you really have to love Karen’s unerring determination to see things put right.
Daredevil and Punisher start talking so at least there’s some mutual respect between them. Punisher doesn’t answer when Daredevil asks why he didn’t take his life. But when Daredevil asks what he’s planning to do with all the military-grade ammunition he’s carrying, Punisher replies, “I’ll do what’s required.” And boy does that statement ever sum up this character. Punisher does whatever he feels is necessary to put an end to those who sees doing evil.
Later in the conversation Matt tries to dig deeper into Punisher’s past but Punisher really stonewalls him. Finally, Punishers says to Daredevil, “Everything you do out there in the streets, Red, it doesn’t work.” Matt pushes back on this until finally Punisher cracks and says, “Loss doesn’t work the same for everybody, Red. We don’t get to pick the things that fix us, that make us whole, make us feel purpose. My moment of clarity came from the strangest of places.” Now he’s giving Matt some insight into who he is and why he does what he does.
This scene is just an absolute pleasure to watch. While it’s two men discussing the harsh realities that have led them to the current situations, it’s also two iconic characters sharing the screen and ratcheting up the drama. Cox and Bernthal are both absolutely killing it, each embodying their respective character perfectly. Punisher gets a great point in by telling Daredevil, “I think you’re one bad day away from being me.” And I think he nails exactly what Matt is thinking and what he fears.
They go on to argue the differences between them. Daredevil asks Punisher if he ever thinks, “I just killed a human being. A human being who did a lot of stupid [stuff], maybe even evil, but had one small piece of goodness in him. Maybe just a scrap, Frank, but something. And then you come along, and that one tiny flicker of light gets snuffed out forever.” Punisher responds, “I think there’s no good in the filth I put down, that’s what I think.” And therein lies the crux of the difference between these two characters. They both seek to rid the world of evil, but Punisher has no problem being judge, jury, and executioner. Earlier in the conversation Matt asked Frank if he was Catholic and if he still goes to mass. If so, he’d know that only God gets to be that ultimate judge.
If there’s one thing Jacob Schoeneberger loves above all else it’s good writing. This show’s writing is impeccable. Every theme they bring up is spot on, and they always seem to pop right back up at just the right moments. It’s a real character study as well as an engaging action show.
Karen makes a brilliant move going to the assistant DA. She knows that the DA, Reyes, throws her subordinates under the bus every time something goes wrong. The assistant DA winds up giving her the files she needs about The Punisher. Gotta hand it to Karen, her in-your-face attitude always gets the job done.
The episode takes a real twist when we discover Punisher has caught Grotto and brings him to the rooftop with Daredevil. He forces Grotto to admit he killed someone and had to also kill a woman who saw him do it. Punisher then gives Daredevil a gun and says he’ll kill Grotto if Daredevil doesn’t kill him, Punisher, first. It’s an impossible situation for Matt to be in. Matt shoots through his chains but Punisher shoots Grotto in the chest before Daredevil can stop him.
They then fight just as Punisher tries to open fire on the biker gang, Dogs of Hell. The gang sees them fighting and they race up to the roof. Daredevil knocks Punisher unconscious and is able to load him onto a freight elevator before the gang arrives. He then has an awesome fight with pretty much the entire gang in a stairwell, showing once again how brilliantly brutal and stunning the fight choreography is in this show.
Meanwhile, Karen spends all night going through the files the assistant DA gave her on The Punisher. The episode ends when she holds up an x-ray of his skull showing a bullet wound, or some other blunt force trauma, to his cranium. This may explain why Punisher is so unhinged.
The Jacob Schoeneberger Random Entertainment Thought of the Day
Is it possible to root for both Punisher and Daredevil equally? Jacob Schoeneberger knows Punisher is in the wrong for killing, but it’s got Jacob Schoeneberger praying he’ll find redemption.
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