Line #39 Recap/ThePunisher2017S01E13MementoMori


1	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/memento_mori.jpg]]
2	As the authorities close in, an exhausted but unbroken Frank vows to put an end to the war that has consumed his life.
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4	----
5	* AloneWithThePsycho: Curtis wakes up to Billy sitting by his bed, holding his gun.
6	* AndThenWhat: At the end of the episode, Frank tells the support group he's finally worked up the courage to attend that for the first time in his life, he's without a war to fight, and he's honestly scared that he doesn't know how to live without one.
7	* TheAnticipator: Instead of fleeing, Russo goes to Curtis to force Frank's location out of him, only to find that Frank is already staking out Curtis' place with a sniper rifle.
8	* ArmorPiercingQuestion: In the flashback, Frank's daughter asks Billy how he knows that he was named after Billy the kid, since he claimed he was an orphan just before.
9	* AssholeVictim: Even after seeing how brutal Frank's killing of Rawlins is, Director Hernandez says that he can't find much sympathy for the dead man.
10	* BigDamnHeroes: While she takes a bullet in the head for it, Madani's timely arrival gives Frank a few valuable moments, otherwise he would have died.
11	* BilingualDialogue: While talking to Dinah about bringing Frank to the Madanis' apartment, Farah speaks to her daughter in Farsi, while Dinah speaks in English. Then, when Hamid talks to Farah in Farsi, she responds in English.
12	* BlatantLies: Dinah sees right through Marion's bullshit when she claims she didn't know about Rawlins and his criminal activity.
13	* BookEnds:
14	** The final duel between Frank and Billy takes place on the carousel, on the very same fairground where his family died.
15	** A season-long one; Frank started off the series under a new identity, a construction worker named "Pete Castiglione". The CIA gives him back this identity at the end of this episode.
16	* BulletTime: Happens as Frank tries to snipe Russo in Curtis's apartment.
17	* CodeOfHonor: When Billy threatens to kill his hostages if Frank doesn't throw away his knife and gun, Frank's morals nearly get him killed as he complies and leaves himself a sitting duck. He would have died if Madani hadn't showed up.
18	* ColdBloodedTorture: Frank disfigures Russo by dragging his face over a broken carousel mirror, leaving him heavily scarred and driving shards of glass into his face.
19	* CombatBreakdown: The final confrontation between Frank and Russo starts off as a gunfight with both using multiple firearms. Once it gets to the carousel they're down to handguns, then knives and fists, then a broken shard of a mirror.
20	* CoolUncle: Frank's kids saw Billy as this, tragically.
21	* CruelMercy: Frank spares Russo, leaving him to Homeland Security, not before disfiguring the MrFanservice looks [[TheCasanova he was so proud of]].
22	* EarnYourHappyEnding: You might be surprised to see this trope associated with ''The Punisher'', but that's exactly what Frank and Micro get. While Frank is still officially at large, the CIA and Homeland Security have purged his fingerprints and DNA from the country's criminal databases and set him back up with the identity "Pete Castiglione", and he begins attending Curtis's support group, allowing him the chance to begin the road to recovery. Meanwhile, Micro finally gets to go back to his family, allowing them all to finally begin healing.
23	* ExtremeMeleeRevenge: After a long, brutal gunfight that devolves into a fistfight and knifefight, Frank stabs Russo in the abdomen with a shard from the carousel mirror, then grinds his face against it, breaks his arm, and repeatedly slams his face against another mirror, leaving him with shards of glass sticking out of his face.
24	* FacialHorror: It starts with Russo getting a ricochet in the face, after which he spits out the bullet. And several teeth. Later in the fight Frank essentially removes his face with a broken mirror.
25	* FiveSecondForeshadowing: Russo looks up knowingly at Curtis as he realizes Curtis is drawing him into Frank's firing line. A split second later, he's diving to the ground and pulling out his pistol as the first of Frank's bullets comes through the window.
26	* GenreSavvy: Curtis knows if Billy's in his apartment, Frank is probably right outside, so he draws the curtains to give Frank a shot. Billy figures it out about two minutes later and just barely ducks a bullet.
27	* GladToBeAliveSex: Between David and his wife. Understandibly, given that the two haven't seen each other for so long, David doesn't last very long.
28	* HollywoodHealing: After being beaten down so brutally during the last episode, almost dying because of it at the beginning of this episode, Frank shouldn't have been back on his feet being able to confront Billy that quickly.
29	* IdealizedSex: Noticeably averted when David and Susan catch up after over a year without each other. It's awkward, fumbling, half-dressed WallBangHer sex that ends [[SpeedSex when David ejaculates too soon]] -- both find this ActuallyPrettyFunny.
30	* ImprovisedWeapon: As Russo is about to kill him, Frank stabs him with a shard of glass.
31	* IronicEcho: Curt tells Billy that Frank would never betray a brother. A few minutes later, Russo tells Curt that that's what the former intends to force the latter to do.
32	* {{Irony}}: Billy claims he was named after Billy the Kid, who got betrayed by his friend. The situation is reversed in regards to him and Frank.
33	* ItsPersonal: Russo tells Curtis he's beginning to take it personally when Frank tries to snipe him in his apartment.
34	* KickTheDog: Billy sets up the fight on the same place where Frank's family died and even kidnaps and injures two innocent teenagers as leverage.
35	* KnifeFight: Frank and Billy's fight at the fair culminates in them fighting each other with army knives after they both lose their guns.
36	* MoralMyopia: Billy, the guy who betrayed his supposed best friend Frank and had a hand in getting his whole family killed, has the gall to accuse Curtis of betraying him in keeping Frank being alive a secret to him.
37	* MostCommonCardGame: David is playing ''TabletopGame/GoFish'' with his kids before his wife takes him into the next room for nooners.
38	* MythologyGag: In what might be the darkest example for the series, Frank proceeds to ram Russo's head into a mirror on the carousel, leaving him horrifically scarred, but alive. Fans of the comics will know that Billy Russo was a hitman who was horrifically scarred after trying to assassinate Frank for the mob, leading to his comics alias Jigsaw. Those who started with following the MCU will notice a similarity to Brock Rumlow's unwitting metamorphosis into Crossbones at the end of ''Film/CaptainAmericaTheWinterSoldier'' (later confirmed in ''Film/CaptainAmericaCivilWar'').
39	* NearVillainVictory: Billy has Frank dead to rights after forcing him to throw his gun and knife away. He's only kept from killing by Madani showing up, giving Frank the opening he needs. In their fight, he almost wins until Frank stabs him with a shard of glass.
40	* NiceJobBreakingItHero: Madani had a clear shot at the back of Russo's head, but the kid that was being held hostage blurted out "Please, lady...", which alerted Russo to her presence and allowed him to turn and shoot her.
41	* NotSoDifferentRemark:
42	** How Hamid Madani justifies helping Frank, pointing out to his wife that as refugees of the Iranian Revolution, they know that freedom fighters sometimes break the law. Farah Madani points out that they never took sides.
43	** Inevitably Billy claims this with Frank, as they are both {{Blood Knight}}s that no one is going to mourn once they are dead.
44	* NotSoSimilar: As Curtis points out, while Billy and Frank are similar in some aspects, Frank would never betray a brother.
45	* PetTheDog: Billy actually keeps his word and lets Curtis live after Frank agrees to let him walk out.
46	* PillowPistol: Like [[Recap/ThePunisher2017S01E06TheJudasGoat before]], Curtis instinctively reaches for the gun under his pillow when he realizes Russo is in his bedroom, but Russo has already taken the gun.
47	-->'''Billy Russo:''' Looking for this?
48	* PoliticallyIncorrectVillain: Billy dismisses killing Afghans to Curtis as nothing wrong, claiming that ''they always did that among themselves''.
49	* PutDownYourGunAndStepAway: Billy threatens to kill two teenagers if Frank doesn't put down his gun. True to the trope (and against all real-life training), Frank does so, and is shot (in the vest) twice. It is only Madani's appearance that gives Frank an opening to bull rush him.
50	* SequelHook: Russo is the only member of the conspiracy still alive, but he's comatose, with doctors unsure if he will ever regain significant brain function.
51	* ScrewTheRulesImDoingWhatsRight: Hamid Madani towards treating Frank. He knows that even though Frank is a wanted criminal, he is also dying, so "everything else can wait".
52	* ShoutOut: A gunfight on a moving carousel? [[Series/MobCity Not the first time Jon Bernthal's done that]]. [[http://fiphigenie.tumblr.com/post/168054581701/bernthalus-christ-the-punisher-vs-mob-city Even the cinematography is similar]].
53	* SilentCredits: A variation; after the ending at the support group where Castle contemplates what happens after the end of his war, there's a light guitar version of the end theme before changing to the usual credits, as if implying that this moment of peace won't last for long.
54	* TaughtByExperience: Curtis talks a lot about how he's getting old, but he shows what a good vet who knows his team is capable of. He lures Russo out of the bedroom and into the kitchen for [[VillainOverForDinner morning coffee]], then opens the curtains for light, because he knows Frank will be hunting Russo and will be waiting to take his shot.
55	** Unfortunately, this applies to Russo, too, because he catches on at the ''last second'', and manages to avoid Frank's sniper rounds.
56	* TisOnlyABulletInTheBrain: Dinah takes a headshot from Russo, and the hemorrhage from the wound is pretty heavy (even by this show's standards), but she survives, and without any apparent brain damage.
57	* UnflinchingWalk: Russo doesn't even glance at the Anvil headquarters as he makes it explode as he leaves it.
58	* VillainousBreakdown: Russo has one after a stray bullet hits him in the ''cheek''.
59	* WeHaveToGetTheBulletOut: Billy pulls out the bullet Madani put into him during the last episode with pliers. Admittedly it's not far from the surface.
60	* WhereItAllBegan: Russo decides to face down Frank at the carousel where the Castle family was killed.
61	* WouldHurtAChild: Older than your typical child, but Russo kidnaps the teenagers working the carousel, ties them backward to a pair of horses, and slits their wrists.
62	-->'''Russo:''' Tick tock tick tock, that's two more kids are gonna die for you.
63	* WrestlerInAllOfUs: Frank bodyslams Russo during their fight.
64	* YourTerroristsAreOurFreedomFighters: Dinah's father points this out in regards to Frank.
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Context Recap / ThePunisher2017S01E13MementoMori