'Marvel's The Punisher' - "Home" Episode 12 Recap

The penultimate episode of Marvel's The Punisher, "Home", finds Frank Castle officially turning himself over to Agent Madani and cooperating with her investigation. In exchange, she is going to help Frank and David rescue the Liebermans.

The plan is for Frank and David to turn themselves in to Anvil in exchange for the release of Sarah and Zach. During the exchange, Madani's team shows up and there's a flurry of back and forth gunfire. In the madness, Frank is taken, Sarah and Zach make it to safety, but poor David Lieberman takes a stray bullet right to the chest, cutting short his family reunion before it ever really started.

Frank is taken to Micro's hideout where Billy and Rawlins torture him so that he might help them delete every trace of evidence Micro had on Operation Cerberus. Frank just sits there and takes the brutal beatings that Rawlins inflicts upon him. Billy even confronts his former friend to confess that he knew about the hit on the Castle family before it happened. Jon Bernthal does an amazing job displaying Frank's true heartbreak over Billy's devastating betrayal. Frank slips in and out of consciousness during Rawlins' beatings, falling into dream sequences featuring his wife, Maria. Maria calls for Frank to join her, drawing him closer to death, but Frank pulls away. There's still fight left in him.

When Micro's self destruct countdown clock begins, Billy allows Frank to use the computer to disarm it. This in actuality secretly turns on the hideout's cameras, recording everything that's taking place inside it. When Rawlins begins to try to act superior and put Billy down, Billy finally gets fed up and releases Frank from his binds. Frank attacks like a wild beast, stabbing Rawlins repeatedly in the chest, laying into his face with several punches, and even gauging Rawlins' eyes out just to add insult to injury. Billy watches on as Frank completes this brutal act of revenge and then collapses onto the floor due to blood loss.

Billy is not the only one watching Frank. It turns out, David's shooting was all part of a plan orchestrated by him, Frank, and Madani. The gunshot was actually just part of his vest, done to trick Anvil into leaving him behind for dead. Now that he was officially alive, David gets to finally reunite with his entire family. It's an incredibly joyous moment, but one that is short-lived, as David must then assist Madani in rescuing Frank. David, Madani, and a team of homeland security agents swarm the hideout, but Billy manages to somehow evade them. David rushes to his dying friend, begging him to live. In Frank's dreams, Maria continues to call him to join her in death. But Frank can't join her, deciding to come to and fight for his life. Frank Castle lives, but so does Billy Russo. That's some serious unfinished business to take care of in the finale.

And that was "Home". Probably one of the best, if not the best, episodes of the entire season. Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!