Danger Close is the eleventh episode of the first season of the television series The Punisher.
Synopsis[]
As danger knocks on Sarah's door, Frank takes his quest for vengeance to the next level with some help from an unexpected ally.
Plot[]
Following the incident at the Royal Hospitality, an injured Frank Castle sits by a trashcan fire, reminiscing of his with Billy Russo after his betrayal. Russo is interviewed by WHiH World News, and he claims that although Castle was once his friend, he will cooperate with the law enforcement to ensure his arrest, which enrages Dinah Madani. Castle returns to the hideout, where Micro patches him up, but Castle confronts him as Micro went to Madani without him. Micro argues that Castle ran off after Lewis Wilson and exposed himself to the authorities, which put their whole operation at risk. Meanwhile, the Lieberman family see the news about Castle, and while Leo is convinced he is not that bad, Zach is furious that he lied.
Madani summons Russo to the Homeland Security Headquarters for an interrogation, trying to make Russo admit that he killed Sam Stein. Unsuccessful, Madani tries to rattle him by asking questions about Kandahar and Operation Cerberus and notices that he was surprised when she mentioned William Rawlins' name. Russo tries to shrug it off, but Madani threatens him that after the hotel incident, Castle is more of a danger to him than he ever was.
Rawlins meets with Marion James to discuss the news about Castle and tells her that he has sensitive information that could inflict a serious damage to the CIA if it comes out. He admitted that the intel he obtained in the Middle East was gained by using unorthodox methods and Castle was a part of it, and although Rawlins believed that he had Castle dead, that was not the case. James is concerned but Rawlins assures her that he can take Castle out quick and clean, insisting that otherwise, James would be affected as well. Although James is furious, Rawlins requests an access to the CIA's surveillance system in New York City to track Castle down.
Reviewing the Russo interrogation, Rafael Hernandez reprimands Madani for mishandling his case, since she created a conflict of interest with him. Madani admits that she made this case personal for her because Russo killed Stein, to which Hernandez orders her to find Castle and Micro, while he will "rattle some cages on his own".
The NYPD officer arrives at the Lieberman Residence after the call from Zach and questions about Castle, so Sarah tries to get him out. The officer then says that both of them must go with him, Sarah realizes that the officer is dangerous and tells Zach to run. Sarah tries to fight the officer, however, his partner captures Zach, so she has no choice but to surrender. Meanwhile, Leo, who was not downstairs, manages to escape from the house.
Castle creates a new skull vest and prepares his weaponry for his fight against Rawlins and Russo, while Micro tries to reason with him about Castle's suicide mission. However, Castle then looks at the video footage at the Lieberman house and finds it empty, so Micro rewinds the footage and witnesses his family being kidnapped. Micro is horrified, while Castle realizes that now that Rawlins has Sarah, his men can find the hideout. Noticing that Leo managed to escape, Castle contacts her and tells her to go to the rendevouz point, while also telling Micro to reveal himself and pick up his daughter. Castle tells him to go to Madani in case he does not show up and stays at the hideout, preparing for a battle.
With Sarah and Zach captured, Russo questions how Rawlins was unaware that Micro is still alive, to which Rawlins replied that he was certain that Carson Wolf killed him. Russo is concerned that they have the Homeland Security and Castle to deal with, and now they resorted to kidnapping women and children, but Rawlins said that he had James on his side, after she allowed him to use the CIA apparatus. Although Rawlins assures him that James does not have his name, Russo points out that Castle knows that he is involved and will not stop until he is dead. Rawlins replies that with Sarah's phone, they can find Castle's hideout, so Russo must send a team to eliminate him, but Russo refuses to go himself.
Hernandez arranges a meeting with James at the Homeland Security, on which he and Madani tell her about Rawlins, his involvement in the Operation Cerberus, and Ahmad Zubair getting killed for investigating it. James tells them that the Homeland Security does not have jurisdiction over CIA agents' conduct on foreign soil but Hernandez informs that Rawlins was involved in deaths of the Homeland agents in the United States. James remarks that regardless of it being true or not, if the information about Rawlins gets out, it would push the U.S. foreign policy decade back and refuses to cooperate.
A group of the Anvil agents enter the Micro's Hideout, while Punisher stealthily takes out some of them without alerting the others. Jack contacts Russo and reports that Castle was not there but they found a computer setup with the looping footage of Zubair's execution and the countdown, but Russo tells him not to touch anything. As Russo realizes it was all a trap, the Punisher activates the explosives he set and launches an attack, killing all Anvil agents at the hideout, leaving Jack the only survivor. He questions Jack about Sarah and Zach and as he does not know anything about their status, Punisher finishes him off and calls Russo. Punisher says that Micro has the information about all of Russo's crimes and sets up an exchange to get Sarah and Zach out of captivity.
James goes to meet Rawlins again, telling him about the meeting with the Homeland Security and the agents' deaths but Rawlins' dimisses his involvement. Rawlins tells her about Russo and explains that after Castle dies, it will be easy to pin both heroin trafficking and the killings on Russo, so the CIA stays clean. James is in shock, but Rawlins tells her that they must push through for the sake of the country, saying that he and James both go down if they do not. James reluctantly agrees to his plan on the condition that Rawlins will resign from the CIA afterwards, otherwise she will hand him over to Homeland herself.
At night, Leo goes to the rendevouz point at the park where she reunites with her father. Micro tells her that they need to go, and when Leo asks about Castle, he promises that they will meet him soon. Micro and Leo then talk to each other while waiting in the van before Castle comes with Madani. Although Madani is still hesitant, she has no choice but to put her trust in Castle and Micro.
Russo and his men come to the Micro's Hideout where they witness the aftermath of a gunfight with the Punisher and seesthe footage with the countdown, knowing that it would only end up bad for him.
Cast[]
| For the full credits, see Danger Close Credits |
Starring[]
- Jon Bernthal as Frank Castle/Punisher
- Ebon Moss-Bachrach as David Lieberman/Micro
- Ben Barnes as Billy Russo
- Amber Rose Revah as Acting SAC Dinah Madani
- Paul Schulze as Director of Covert Operations William Rawlins
- Jaime Ray Newman as Sarah Lieberman
Guest Starring[]
- Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio as Deputy Director Marion James
- Tony Plana as Director Rafael Hernandez
- Ripley Sobo as Leo Lieberman
- Kobi Frumer as Zach Lieberman
- Kelli Barrett as Maria Castle
- Rene Ifrah as Agent Jack
- Stacy-Ann Gooden as News Anchor
Archive Footage and Photos[]
- Shezi Sardar as Ahmad Zubair (footage)
- Nicolette Pierini as Lisa Castle (photo)
- Aidan Pierce Brennan as Frank Castle, Jr. (photo)
- Michael Nathanson as Agent Sam Stein (photo)
Appearances[]
Locations[]
- Earth
- North America
- United States
- New York
- New York City
- Micro's Hideout
- Homeland Security Headquarters
- Lieberman Residence
- Roosevelt Island
- Astoria Park
- WHiH Broadcast Facility (screen)
- Castle Residence (flashback)
- Royal Hospitality (flashback)
- Dinah Madani's Apartment (mentioned)
- Columbia University (mentioned)
- New York City
- New York
- United States
- Asia (flashback)
- Afghanistan (flashback)
- Kandahar (flashback)
- Cerberus Squad Compound (flashback)
- Kandahar (flashback)
- Afghanistan (flashback)
- Rome (mentioned)
- North America
Events[]
- Cerberus Concealment Conspiracy
- Operation Cerberus (flashback)
- Ambush in Kandahar (flashback)
- Assassination of Ahmad Zubair (footage)
- Attack on Stan Ori (mentioned)
- Bombings of New York City (mentioned)
Items[]
Media[]
- The Wild Bunch (mentioned)
Concepts[]
Vehicles[]
Creatures[]
Organizations[]
- United States Department of Homeland Security
- Anvil
- CIA
- WHiH World News
- Cerberus Squad (flashback)
- New York City Police Department (uniform)
- Afghan National Police (mentioned)
- United Nations (mentioned)
- United States Marine Corps (mentioned)
Mentioned Characters[]
- David Lieberman's Grandmother
- Lewis Wilson
- Carla Russo
- Ella James
- Grace James
- Carson Wolf
Music[]
| Song title | Artist | Location(s) |
|---|---|---|
| Fated, Faithful, Fatal | Marilyn Manson | Frank Castle is standing by a trashcan fire in shock at the betrayal of Billy Russo. |
| Heads Will Roll | Tyler Bates | The Punisher begins a large firefight with Anvil agents in Micro’s hideout. |
| Quiet Reflection | Tyler Bates | Billy Russo contemplates the destruction left behind by the Punisher at Micro's hideout. |
Trivia[]
To be added
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 |