The Punisher: Guns and Moral Clarity

In my recent review of Netflix’s Cobra Kai, I lamented the third season seemed confused about its opinion of violence and whether there are or are not predictable consequences for it. I then recalled another Netflix show, one without even a hint of confusion on its moral stance — The Punisher.

Season one was released in 2017 and in the first week of its release, its moral message, specifically regarding violence and the role of firearms, was noticed by reviewers of all types. However, after seeing it, I found many of the popular reviews of the show baffling. They all seemed to have a similar spin: The Punisher was good, but it missed the opportunity to “make a statement” about guns. These assessments do not hold water.

Message 1: Villains are people, but still need to be stopped

Most of the angry reviewers focused on Lewis Walcott (played by Australian actor Daniel Webber), a war veteran badly afflicted with PTSD. After shooting at his father when awakened from a nightmare, Lewis digs a …