my initial reaction to kastle in season two. spoilers below the cut.
pros:
-the writers clearly get kastle. like these aren’t scenes where blah blah nothing is happening. there is call back after call back! it was like watching kastle greatest hits.
-for example: karen takes franks hand with both hands echoing the diner scene convo in DDs2, frank tells her has become the monster calling back karen’s line “they all think you’re a monster but you’re not,” he brings up her being with matt, they have the same lingering almost kiss/almost embrace they did in the elevator scene in TPS, they freaking meet in a hospital room! coming full circle from their first conversation. someone also pointed out karen pulling the fire alarm in their first and last episode. weeep.
-jon and deb are electric to watch. their dialogue and movements are like a danceee.
cons:
-the last scene of season one had frank leaning towards what his life would be like without the war. so when he sees karen and stubbornly says he’s choosing the war... it felt like a cop out. i get the line of progress isn’t always straight but i think they shortchanged frank here. i want to see frank take real steps to recovery. karen saying they could figure it out together while frank refuses her has taken years off my life.
-imo the goodbye isn’t very satisfactory. karen has been leaning the conversation verbally pushing forward for frank while he remains still; finally the scene turns and karen is still while frank physically gets up to go to her. there’s all this buildup and then they are interrupted! once out of the building karen mutters good luck to frank to herself?? KAREN DESERVED THAT HUG AND OR KISS. AND SO DID FRANK FFS.
-karen and frank have always been connected by their experiences of loss, trauma, murder, PURE CHEMISTRY and quest to give justice to others they themselves didn’t receive. karen does this through the law and investigation while frank is more eye for eye. frank does that “ILL SET MYSELF ON FIRE TO KEEP OTHERS WARM” while karen frantically is arguing “YOU DONT HAVE TO THO”. im disappointed there wasn’t any real growth in this department. it’s getting old and both characters deserve better. they really compliment and support each other so much, i wish they writers wanted more of that storyline. im tired of seeing them both suffer to that degree.
-except for the verbal acknowledgement of karen’s feelings for frank, there wasn’t anything we really haven’t seen before. we know these two love each other and we’ve heard these arguments of moving on, peace vs war before. if this is the last time they are together i wished the writers didn’t hold back.
—knowing the punisher is most likely going to be cancelled before watching the season put a real cloud over things for me. if we were getting a season three i’d probably be happy with the scene in E11 and frank quoting karen’s line about not being lonely in E1. BUT knowing this is probably the last time karen or frank will be on screen i’m in varying degrees of disappointment. PLUS hearing jon talk about how if there is a season three he wants more karen is pretty gut-wrenching. the actors on board for exploring their relationship, the writers have good material to give them when they do have scenes... so knowing this is the end is a bummer. WE COULD HAVE HAD IT ALLLLLL
