The Punisher S01E02 "Two Dead Men" Recap

Frank Castle rides on a ferry and remember when he took a similar trip with his kids. He heads to a local diner and orders some breakfast before the waitress gets a call on the diner phone that's for him. The caller is from a man who calls himself Micro that wants his help. He knows Castle by name and that he's pretending to be dead. He had previously left a disk at Frank's house and says they can meet eventually. Frank leaves quickly hoping to track down whomever this Micro person is. He is quick to determine where he believes Micro was calling him from but open getting to that particular rooftop Micro is already gone, having only left behind a phone on which he can reach him.

Frank later watches the disk that Micro had sent of a man being interrogated by military men. The man pleads that he isn't a terrorist but the interrogator threatens him that his family will be killed if he doesn't stop talking. The interrogator is the only one that can speak the man's language and he gives the order to the other men to execute the man.

Frank visits Curt to tell him that a man named Micro is coming after him and wants to know if he has let anything slip regarding Frank and the fact that he is still alive. Meanwhile, Madani is still investigating her former partner's death, as she has received the same interrogation tape that Frank had been watching.

Frank tracks down Karen Page to ask for her help regarding Micro. She is able to help him determine that Micro's true identity is David Lieberman. David used to work as an NSA analyst but was supposed to be arrested for criminal activities before apparently being killed during his attempted arrest. The story of his death was never circulated in the media because Madani's boss Carson Wolf made it his personal responsibility to shut it down.

Frank tracks down David's wife Sarah and interjects himself into her life by getting 'accidentally' hit by her car when she was driving up. When her garage door doesn't work he volunteers to work on it, leaving David horrified as he watches their interactions through surveillance cameras he has set up throughout the property. Sarah and Frank (who is still using his 'Pete' alias when meeting her) bond over the loss of their loved ones and because of the kindness with which Frank offers to help her with some repairs.

Later, Frank tracks down Wolf and breaks into his home. He badly beats him and ties him up to demand that Wolf confess to his involvement in Lieberman's apparent death. He wants to know who he was involved with, believing him to be connected to Schoonover's heroin ring which Wolf denies. Wolf manages to get free from being tied up and grabs Frank's gun to get the upper hand. He recognises Frank once he removes his mask and says this will be the death that sticks. Wolf first reveals that Frank's family was killed merely to hide the fact that Frank was the only target all along. Frank attacks Wolf once more as the gun is revealed to be empty and Frank snaps his neck.

Madani meets Billy Russo, who served alongside Frank when they were deployed overseas. Billy now runs a private military contractor firm called Anvil. Madani wants to determine whether Billy was involved in the heroin smuggling operation and invites him out for drinks to try to find answers. Billy flirts and answers her questions before she is called away to investigate Wolf's murder.

Frank finally turns the phone David gave him back on and is quickly tracked by him. Frank pulls some power moves to remind David that he won't be ordered around. He agrees to meet him but only under his own terms. He sends David from one location to another that eventually leads to Curt delivering him a message at his own false grave. Once David returns to his hideout, Frank confronts him there and knocks him out, prepared to interrogate him regarding his activities.

The Punisher is available for streaming on Netflix.