maplemood | Entries tagged with tv: the punisher

I binged through most of the first season last night (seasons 1 & 2 are free to watch on Amazon Prime, and at the rate I'm going I'll probably cave and buy seasons 3 & 4), and what can I say, guys? It's so good. SO GOOD. ( some smallish spoilers )

Oh, and also: I can't help thinking of how perfect a Banshee-style Punisher AU would be? Both shows even have the "I'm already dead" line, and Frank impersonating a cop isn't the most unbelievable scenario ever. I can actually picture Sarah having a Carrie-esque backstory (which would explain some of the kinda-maybe sexual tension she has with Frank) and David as the hacker, obviously (not that he could replace Job; nobody can). Leo's way too cautious and responsible to get into Deva-style shenanigans, but Amy's just reckless enough that she might. Curt would obviously run the bar and help Frank with his impersonation, and Karen does share some similarities with Siobhan. It all fits together surprisingly perfectly.

ETA: I've already poked around a bit, and there's barely any fic for this show, let alone fic focused on the characters I'd love to find fic focused on. Which...how did this show end up with such a tiny fandom?! It really is so, so good.

1.) Apparently we'll be getting more snow tomorrow? It's more than cold enough, and I wouldn't mind, even though that would probably mean having to slog through some online classes.

2.) I finished The War That Saved My Life, one of the books recced to me during the Snowflake Challenge, a week or two ago and absolutely loved it; it's historical fiction set during WWII, featuring two neglected city kids sent out to the country and their depressive, prickly, extremely practical and very loving caretaker. It also does not have a depressing ending, despite being a Newbery Honor book, and there's a sequel that I'll hopefully get to sooner rather than later. Next on my list is Beyond the Bright Sea, which

theuncertainhour recommended--more middle grade historical fiction! It sounds pretty much tailor-made to my interests, too, so I'm pretty excited.

3.) Frank & Amy! They're still on my mind. Not that I'm ever a hard sell on found family relationships, but something about this one hooked in and still hasn't let me go. I've already rewatched a bunch of their scenes together, and I should probably just go ahead and rewatch the entire season while I'm at it.

4.) Kind of related to 3.)--I may have gone ahead and bought the first and only season of Mob City off Amazon Prime. At this point I'm ridiculously anxious about the possibility of a third season for The Punisher (even though there's really no reason to be anxious, since it seems like there's a 99-100% chance that Netflix will cancel), so why not distract myself with another short-lived show starring Jon Bernthal? I've actually wanted to watch this one for a few years now--it looks brutal and twisty, and one season isn't a huge time commitment.

I blew through the new episodes of The Punisher over the weekend. No huge spoilers, or even really an actual review, but I loved almost everything and whoever came up with the Frank & Amy relationship must have tapped into my brain waves at some point, because they're EXACTLY the kind of surrogate-dad-and-daughter duo I love--both are damaged in their own ways, and both are (sometimes very) resentful of each other, but as they learn to work together they also learn to love each other, and it's just wonderful. I could read about a million fics focused just on them, though the little bit of Karen & Amy interaction was also great, and the Frank/Karen scenes were, as always, achy and perfect.

In all likelihood I won't be able to sit down and start s2 of The Punisher until sometime this evening--which is not, in the grand scheme of things or at all, a long time to wait, but I'm already starting to see spoilers popping up on Tumblr and just...how much longer can I take the suspense?

...really should have been my last fic of 2018, but since I was absolutely unable to get a story to gel for the LONGEST time (I had something like three false starts, one of them over 1,000 words), I ended up having to ask for an extension and finally got my Kastle Christmas fic posted on AO3 yesterday. At this point, I'm mostly just grateful that it's done and that my recipient and the exchange mod were both so understanding and patient. Like all my fics (shippy fics especially, for some reason) I'm not completely sure that I nailed it, but writing these two always takes me to some interesting places, and I love their dynamic so very much.

took my crown of thorns (Daredevil, The Punisher): He crops up in her dreams like he’s been doing almost since the first time they met in the hospital room, behind the line of tape—the murky, slow-moving dreams that always leave an ache stuck deep in the pit of Karen’s gut.

Also! We've finally got a release date for s2 of The Punisher (and it's coming up fast)! As much as I love all the Netflix Marvel shows, The Punisher is probably the one most tailored to my interests--found family! A complicated, tense, not-quite romance! Ridiculous amounts of hurt/comfort! Jon Bernthal! I'm really, really excited and at least somewhat hopeful that it might get picked up for a third series, since it's really way too dark to pop on Disney's new streaming service...emphasis on somewhat hopeful, but who knows?

Current Mood: relieved

...is in the first post of 2018. This pleases me.

I've gotten pretty bad about posting links to my fic here, mostly because they start to feel repetitive after a while, but I decided to spotlight this one super quickly because it was my first story written for a Secret Santa Exchange (Kastle Christmas over on Tumblr), and also the first story featuring this pairing that I've managed to finish. Like with all my fics, they're still parts of this one that I'm not 100% sure of, but my recipient liked it, and that's what really counts. (Plus, all in all, I'm ridiculously relieved to know that I can write shippy fics, at least under the right circumstances.)

Title: you know i can't just let you be
Fandom: The Punisher (2017)
Rating: Teen & Up
Relationships: Karen Page/Frank Castle
Summary: “Lie still,” he growls.

“I’m doing my best here,” Karen grits out. “But you’re no Clara Barton.”

[Or, Frank and Karen have an old argument that, this time, turns into something new.]

I also got a wonderful gift: this gorgeous playlist, which includes, among other great songs, an acoustic version of"Colors" by Halsey which is just perfect for Frank and Karen.

Current Mood: accomplished

Thanksgiving Break starts on Monday, yay! I've got two long projects to finish over the week, so less yay, but having a couple days free of any other deadlines makes all the difference. One's a UDL lesson plan and the other's the final paper for my Bible as Literature course; they'll both be tricky but at least not boring.

The Punisher! My sister and I knocked out the first six (?) episodes last night. It's turning out to be an unexpectedly great show for gen relationships, what with Frank's friendship with Micro, and his friendship with Micro's family, and his memories of his own family. Plus I'm sensing the start of something interesting between him and Agent Madani. Karen's only made three appearances so far. They've all been wonderful, though I can't get over the feeling that something happened between them, post season 2 of Daredevil, that we haven't gotten the chance to see yet. They seem so much closer from the get go. It's a little weird.

Bit of wacky history I picked up: apparently there was a pretty strong Mafia presence in parts of West Virginia during Prohibition? I haven't found much to read up on, besides this very short Wikipedia entry and two other short articles. It fascinates me, though, because I've lived in West Virginia since I was five years old (admittedly a couple hours away from Clarksburg and Fairmont, the two cities this group operated out of) and never heard anything about this. Too bad I can't find a book (or at least a few more articles); I'd love to learn more.

Current Mood: curious

Yesterday Google's fall equinox doodle warmed me to the bottom of my Beatrix-Potter-loving, Brambly-Hedge-obsessed heart. Too bad the weather around here hasn't changed since August. It is supposed to cool down a little some time next week (or is it the week after next week?), though, so there's that.

Today I also headed over to the library for the first time since classes started. Checked out The Likeness by Tana French and Into the Wilderness by Sara Donati; realistically I might not have the time to finish either of them but I'd like to at least give The Likeness my best shot. It's one of the two Dublin Murder Squad books that I haven't read yet, and the one with the strangest (in the best way) plot. Plus, I've been dying for some non-assigned reading since Monday. Fourth week of the semester is when things start to get seriously stressful--I did sneak some writing in, anyway, but I've fallen totally off the wagon when it comes to reading.

Speaking of writing, I'm going to do my level best to finish the latest Pete fic this weekend. I've got...maybe four or so pages to go? Not completely sure, but I'm down to the final stretch and everyone's been so sweet and patient and I just need to get this thing done. And then move on to the story. Even if I don't finish it, I'd like to at least get the bulk of the last major scene done so I'll only have a few loose ends to tie up come Monday.

The only other even slightly interesting thing I did this week was baking London Fog shortbread. I used this recipe and bypassed a couple steps (didn't bother chilling the cookies once I'd cut them out) but they turned out very good. I'm not a huge fan of Earl Gray on its own, but I love it in shortbread. So I spent Friday evening baking shortbread, then eating shortbread in front of Call the Midwife with my sister. Not a bad way to start the weekend.

And, last but not least, we finally have a trailer for The Punisher! I'm trying to stay a little skeptical, just so I won't build it up to some impossible ideal, especially when it comes to Frank and Karen...but I'm so, so excited. I hope this ends up being good. I really do.

Watch on YouTube