ragingteapot

There comes those TV shows where both the critics, and more importantly the people (the majority audience) agree on a great show, such as Game of Thrones.

And then comes a show that is overwhelmingly loved by the public, but slammed by the critics. This is one of those shows. IMDb 9.1 (at time of writing), Metacritic 54 vs 8.4 (public).

I had zero expectations for The Punisher. I watched it because some early public reviews, both on IMDb and Netflix said it was great, and I always trust public reviews over critics with their conceited opinions.

I was fortunate to have no expectations, because where others may have found the first few episodes boring, I was transfixed, binge watching at home until the early hours, and then on the train to and from work.

It's hard to believe this is a Marvel show. The entire cast is fantastic, but Jon Bernthal stands out as a convincing and likable Frank Castle, AKA The Punisher. I also think the villain was great, I won't say who, but will say pretending to be a great person and then turning out to be a monster is chilling to watch.

Do what most of us did, don't listen to the critics, just watch it and see if you like it as much as the 21,000+ people that voted it to 9.1.

Onto Season 4 and the show is starting to slow down.

The question as whether you should watch this show really depends on your endurance when it comes to story arcs. Most TV series present a full story in each episode but also address the overall plot.

Outcast does kinda have a story per episode but I feel the story arc has to much influence in some episodes. I found episode 2 incredibly boring, using an entire episode for a back story felt to much. Episode 3 felt unresolved and episode 4 feels as though it's exploring multiple facets of the overall story plot. Episode 1 was fantastic, but setting expectations that high can backfire, which I'm hoping the writers and director will avoid.

Kind of reminds me of a grown up, less engaging version of American Gothic.

What the show does do right is bringing strong characters into the story, the protagonist is borderline catatonic at times but equally demonstrates strength at key moments. His mentor and sidekick, in my opinion, holds the entire show together.

I won't reveal any of the story, except to say it handles demonic folklore very well and presents an interesting twist on the concept. The scary scenes are actually scary and everything is done with taste and style, never over done.

Worth watching the first episode, it's good, so you won't regret it - you can then watch episode 2 and decide if you want to continue, kinda chalk 'n cheese.

I watch this show on the train on the way home from the city (London) and consistently embarrass myself when I 'lol' in a relatively quiet carriage.

This is not normally my cup of tea, but the downright blatant comedy has me in stitches. It's the kind of jokes you have with your very close friends but probably wouldn't say in the office, if you're conservative.

I watched the show because it was featured and now I use it to cheer myself up before I get home everyday. The characters compliment each other incredibly well and I'm a sucker for transatlantic relationships, I think the dynamic of English vs American is interesting when written well, many of the myths Americans have of the English and vice versa are dispelled.

Essential viewing, I hope Amazon do themselves a favour (favor) and market this show a little more aggressively, I think with the right marketing this show will become a massive hit.