Every morning I look for 'em, Bill. I look for 'em but then I remember. It's gonna be the same for you. When you look at your ugly, mangled face, you're gonna remember what you did. You'll remember, Bill. You're gonna remember me!Punisher to Billy Russo
Memento Mori is the thirteenth and final episode of the first season of the television series The Punisher.
Synopsis
As the authorities close in, an exhausted but unbroken Frank vows to put an end to the war that has consumed his life.
Plot
Micro and Dinah Madani bring severely injured and unconscious Frank Castle to Madani's house where she asks her parents for help. Hamid Madani goes ahead to give Castle medical attention, while Farah Madani is worried that they might be breaking the law by bringing him in. Castle is in the critical state but Hamid manages to save his life, to Micro and Madani's relief. Meanwhile, a wounded Billy Russo takes shelter at Anvil Headquarters, however, Homeland Security agents arrive to apprehend him. Russo then kills every agent sent after him and escapes, blowing up the building in the process.
Homeland Security and CIA examine the aftermath of William Rawlins' encounter with Castle at Micro's Hideout, while Marion James and Rafael Hernandez see Rawlins' corpse getting recovered. James inquires about Madani who went missing with Castle, but Hernandez does not answer her questions. Castle recovers from his injuries and asks Madani about Russo, to which she admits that he managed to get away. Micro gives him money so he could leave New York City, but Castle still wants to finish what they started. He thanks Madani for what she had done for him and she warns Castle that the law enforcement will not stop hunting for him, so he should disappear as soon as possible.
Madani gets summoned at a meeting with James and Hernandez who confront her on letting Castle walk free, but she turns it around on James and her responsibility for what Rawlins had done. Madani says that Castle risked his life to provide them with evidence they needed to bring Rawlins' corruption into light, pointing at a footage from Micro's hideout he gave them. Hernandez asks her about Castle's whereabouts, so Madani claims that she took him into custody and he escaped, which Hernandez does not find convincing. Madani insists that she did the right thing by doing what she could to bring Rawlins and suggests that maybe Castle and Micro telling their story officially in custody might be a good thing, which James agrees with.
Lieberman reunites with his family at the Homeland Security safehouse and Sarah tells him how worried she was about him this whole time. He remarks that they might need a couple of days of readjustment after everything that transpired in their family, but Sarah is not amused. She asks him about Castle and Lieberman assures her that he is alive but should be gone now. Later, while Lieberman plays cards with Zach and Leo, Sarah takes him to the bathroom and has sex with him.
Russo sneaks into Curtis Hoyle's apartment, stealing his gun while he is asleep, and talks to him. Hoyle is aware that the authorities are after him and Russo tells him that he has scores to settle. He is not happy about the fact that Castle had tried to kill him and Hoyle had been lying to him for so long, but Hoyle tells Russo that he did enough bad things himself. Going to pick some coffee, Russo threatens Hoyle and demands to tell him where Castle is, but soon realizes that it was all a trap and takes cover. The next moment, Punisher shoots at him from outside with a sniper rifle but Russo gets out of the way and manages to wound Hoyle in his shoulder.
Hoyle calls Punisher and gives the phone to Russo so the two could talk, and Punisher tells him that they should end this all between them, promising to let him go if he lets Hoyle live. As a gesture of trust, Punisher offers him to choose how they should settle their score and Russo tells him to meet him at night where it all started, at Central Park. He then walks away and lets Hoyle to call an ambulance, while Punisher recalls his last trip to the park with his wife, children, and Russo, before his family was killed. As Punisher arrives at Central Park, Madani tracks down his location with the tracker she planted on him and goes there as well, ignoring Hernandez's orders.
Punisher moves in closer to the carousel, before Russo reaches out to him and tells him that he's got hostages and they will die soon. Punisher and Russo then engage in a gunfight, during which Russo takes a bullet to his face, which leads to him threatening to kill the hostages unless Punisher comes out unarmed. He complies and Russo prepares to finish him off, however, he gets distracted by Madani sneaking on him, and shoots her. Punisher uses his chance and overpowers Russo in a close combat, before mangling his face with shards of a broken mirror. Bleeding and disfigured Russo begs to be killed, but Punisher remarks that death would not be enough after everything Russo took away from him. Punisher proceeds to repeatedly smash Russo's face against the mirror, so he would remember him every time he looks on what remains at his face.
Punisher then liberates Russo's hostages and stays with injured Madani until the authorities arrive and take all three of them to the hospital, where Madani recovers from a headshot and Castle is taken into custody James and Hernandez tell Castle that the country owes him a debt and that CIA and Homeland Security changed the narrative to make Russo and Lewis Wilson the only suspects in recent incidents, so Castle can walk free. Castle is surprised that they would not just kill him, and Hernandez says that Madani wanted them to do right by him. Castle also gets informed that Russo is currently in a coma and the doctors are unsure if he ever wakes up or remembers anything, and Madani hopes that he does remember.
Castle drives Liebrman to his family house, now that Homeland Security had him cleared, although he is slightly anxious about returning to his previous life. Lieberman invites him to their dinner but Castle says that he cannot do that and leaves Lieberman to it. Sarah asks him where is Castle and would he join them for dinner, but by that time, he is already gone. Castle then meets with Hoyle and joins the veteran support group, opening up about his past trauma of the war and confesses that he is scared of what happens after the gunfire stops.
Cast
Main Cast:
- Jon Bernthal as Frank Castle/Punisher
- Ebon Moss-Bachrach as David Lieberman/Micro
- Ben Barnes as Billy Russo
- Amber Rose Revah as Dinah Madani
- Jason R. Moore as Curtis Hoyle
- Jaime Ray Newman as Sarah Lieberman
Guest Stars:
- Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio as Deputy Director Marion James
- Shohreh Aghdashloo as Farah Madani
- Tony Plana as Director Rafael Hernandez
- Houshang Touzie as Doctor Hamid Madani
- Ripley Sobo as Leo Lieberman
- Kobi Frumer as Zach Lieberman
- Kelli Barrett as Maria Castle
- Aidan Pierce Brennan as Frank Castle, Jr.
- Nicolette Pierini as Lisa Castle
- Josh Caras as Carl
- Sabrina Reitman as Hayley
- Yadira Correa as Cop
- Stan Lee as Captain Irving Forbush (uncredited)
- Justin Michael Woods as Army Veteran (uncredited)
Appearances
Locations
- New York City, New York
- Afghanistan (mentioned)
Events
- Ambush on Billy Russo
- Attack on Curtis Hoyle
- Duel at the Central Park Carousel
- Cerberus Concealment Conspiracy (mentioned)
- Massacre at Central Park (flashback)
- Capture of Frank Castle (footage)
- Operation Cerberus (mentioned)
- Kidnapping of Curtis Hoyle (mentioned)
Items
Vehicles
- Frank Castle's Van (mentioned)
Creatures
- Horses (depiction)
Organizations
- United States Department of Homeland Security
- CIA
- Anvil
- New York Veteran Support Group
- New York City Police Department
- United States Marine Corps (mentioned)
Mentioned
Music
| Song title | Artist | Location(s) |
|---|---|---|
| Penthouse Pauper | Creedence Clearwater Revival | Billy Russo uses his pilfered police radio to take out everyone in his path as he heads out of the building and triggers an explosion. |
| Blue Danube Waltz | Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra | As Frank Castle approaches the carousel, it suddenly starts up and Castle spots the two concession employees tied to the horses. Billy Russo and Castle face off on the carousel. |
| No More War To Fight | Tyler Bates | At Curtis Hoyle's support group, Frank Castle talks about not knowing what comes next. |
Awards
- This episode was nominated for a Golden Reel Award for Outstanding Achievement in Sound Editing – Episodic Short Form – Effects / Foley.
Trivia
- The title of the episode translates into "remember you will die". It is a common latin phrase in pop culture.
- The final scene of the episode features Frank Castle at Curtis Hoyle's veterans group, finally talking. Showrunner Steve Lightfoot noted of the scene to EW when asked "what went into the choice to cap the season with him delivering a monologue about his fear of having a war to fight?".
References
External Links
| Season One | 3 AM • Two Dead Men • Kandahar • Resupply • Gunner • The Judas Goat • Crosshairs • Cold Steel • Front Toward Enemy • Virtue of the Vicious • Danger Close • Home • Memento Mori |
| Season Two | Roadhouse Blues • Fight or Flight • Trouble the Water • Scar Tissue • One-Eyed Jacks • Nakazat • One Bad Day • My Brother's Keeper • Flustercluck • The Dark Hearts of Men • The Abyss • Collision Course • The Whirlwind |