Kandahar (episode)

Kandahar is the third episode of the first season of the television series The Punisher.
==Synopsis==
Frank skips the subtlety while interrogating Micro. Brutal memories of secret missions shed light on Frank's past.
==Plot==
Micro wakes up to find himself naked and restrained to a chair with zip-ties. Castle starts to interrogate him until a three-minute countdown starts. Micro reveals that it is a fail-safe system – if the countdown reaches zero, then it would trigger explosives in the building that would kill them. He needs to enter a code and a retinal scan.
In a flashback to the year prior, Micro talks about the disc he received with his wife, Sarah. Micro feels that he needs to do something about the content, while Sarah is worried about what would happen if he fails to follow protocol. In the end, Micro watches disc and see footage of the murder of Ahmad Zubair, then he uses an anonymous email account to send the recording to Dinah Madani. Later, while in traffic with his family, Micro sees federal agents closing on the car. He runs, and is followed to the river by the team led by Carson Wolf. While Sarah watches, Wolf begins insisting that Micro has a weapon when he doesn't, and shoots him in the chest. Micro falls into the river. However, the bullet struck the cellphone in his shirt pocket, saving him.
Billy Russo stops by Curtis Hoyle's support group with a donation. Hoyle believes that Russo should attend the group so that the other veterans can see what can be achieved by former military members in civilian life. Russo, on the other hand, wants Hoyle to join him at Anvil, considering him the best corpsman he ever served with.
At the hideout, Castle continues to interrogate Micro. In flashback to two years prior, Castle and Russo are shown in Afghanistan receiving a briefing from unnamed civilian agent, known as Agent Orange, and Ray Schoonover. They have been handpicked to join Operation Cerberus, an elite squad of soldiers drawn from various units. Later, Castle and Russo meet their new teammate, Gunner Henderson.
At the veteran support meeting, Lewis Wilson talks about a friendly-fire incident. O'Connor gives him a pamphlet about the NRA and the constitutional right to bear arms. At Wilson Residence, he is having trouble sleeping. When his father enters the room, Wilson draws a gun and fires, narrowly missing his father.
At the hideout, the timer starts again. Castle calls Micro's bluff – he has searched the building and found no evidence of explosives. Micro relents and says the timer will actually broadcast surveillance footage from the lair to the media proving that Castle is alive.
In Kandahar, Zubair is captured by Cerberus Squad. Orange brutally tortures him to learn who else knows about the operation. Zubair swears that nobody besides him knows. Orange orders Castle to shot Zubair in the head and bury him in an unmarked grave. Castle digs the bullet out of Zubair, while Henderson begins to express doubts about the mission while burying the dead police officer.
Hoyle and Russo visit Castle's grave and drink to his memory. Russo expresses regret that Castle did not ask for help when he avenged his family. Hoyle mentions something that Castle had said to him recently; Russo picks up on it, but Hoyle brushes it off as a conversation they had after Hoyle lost his leg.
Madani and her mother talk about the eventual death of Wolf and Madani's promotion. Later, at the Homeland Security Headquarters, Sam Stein gives Madani evidence that Wolf had $30 million in off-shore bank accounts. Madani asks Stein to sit on the information as she doesn't trust anyone.
At the hideout, Castle lets Micro reset the countdown. However, Micro uses the distraction to inject Castle with heroin and he collapses. When he comes around, Micro tries to convince him that they need to team up.
In Kandahar, Castle receives a surprise – his wife Maria has obtained Bruce Springsteen tickets for them for when Castle returns home on leave. Castle and his team are briefed on a mission by Schoonover and Orange. Castle thinks it is a trap from the start but his fears are disregarded. The mission goes to hell – Schoonover loses his arm and the team is pinned down. Castle goes into a rage and clears the exit allowing them to withdraw. As the team is being treated in the medical tent, Orange only wants to know if they killed their target. Castle furiously attacks Orange, leaving him blind in one eye. As Russo calms down Castle, he tells him that he is getting out – and that Castle should too.
Micro tells Castle that operation is totally off the books. No record of it exists, meaning that it was not approved by United States Congress and therefore illegal. Castle agrees to work with Micro on one condition – the targets are all killed, with no exception or pleads for a trial, which Micro agrees to.
==Cast==
Main Cast:
*Jon Bernthal as Frank Castle/Punisher / Frank Castle / Frank Castle
*Ebon Moss-Bachrach as David Lieberman/Micro
*Ben Barnes as Billy Russo
*Amber Rose Revah as Dinah Madani
*Daniel Webber as Lewis Wilson
*Paul Schulze as William Rawlins/Agent Orange
*Jason R. Moore as Curtis Hoyle
*Michael Nathanson as Sam Stein
*Jaime Ray Newman as Sarah Lieberman
Guest Stars:
*Shohreh Aghdashloo as Farah Madani
*C. Thomas Howell as SAC Carson Wolf
*Ripley Sobo as Leo Lieberman
*Kobi Frumer as Zach Lieberman
*Clancy Brown as Major Ray Schoonover
*Tim Guinee as Clay Wilson
*Kelli Barrett as Maria Castle
*Jeb Kreager as Gunner Henderson
*Delaney Williams as O'Connor
*Jordan Mahome as Isaac Lange
*Shezi Sardar as Ahmad Zubair
*Benjamin Hey! as SWAT Officer
*Ludovic Coutaud as Halloween Market Customer (uncredited)
==Appearances==
===Locations===
*New York City, New York
**Micro's Hideout
**Homeland Security Headquarters
**St. John's Evangelical Lutheran Church
**Wilson Residence
**Madani Residence
**Lieberman Residence (flashback)
**Castle Residence (dream)
*Kandahar, Afghanistan (flashback)
**Cerberus Squad Compound (flashback)
*Silicon Valley, California (mentioned)
* (mentioned)
===Events===
*Cerberus Concealment Conspiracy (flashback)
**Attack on David Lieberman (flashback)
**Attack on Carson Wolf (mentioned)
**Massacre at Central Park (mentioned)
*Operation Cerberus (flashback)
**Assassination of Ahmad Zubair (flashback)
**Ambush in Kandahar (flashback)
*Chase of Micro (mentioned)
*Frank Castle's War (mentioned)
* (mentioned)
===Items===
*O'Harren's Scotch Whisky
*Cyborgs and Barbie Dolls: Feminism, Popular Culture and the Posthuman Body
*William Rawlins' Leather Gloves (flashback)
* (flashback)
* (flashback)
*N-1 starfighter (toy)
===Concepts===
*Dreams
===Creatures===
*Cats (mentioned)
*Dogs (mentioned)
* (mentioned)
===Vehicles===
*
* (mentioned)
===Organizations===
*United States Department of Homeland Security
*Anvil
*New York Veteran Support Group
*Cerberus Squad (flashback)
*CIA (flashback)
** (mentioned)
*Afghan Insurgents (flashback)
*Afghan National Police (flashback)
*NSA (mentioned)
*United States Navy SEALs (mentioned)
*United States Marine Corps (mentioned)
** (mentioned)
*United States Congress (mentioned)
*New York City Police Department (mentioned)
*FBI (mentioned)
* (mentioned)
* (mentioned)
* (logo)
* (mentioned)
===Mentioned===
*Jack Kimber
*Lisa Castle
*Frank Castle, Jr.
*
*
*
*Bruce Springsteen
*
*
*
==Music==
Song title 	Artist 	Location(s)
Hiding Evidence 	Tyler Bates 	(Flashback) Frank Castle digs a bullet out of Ahmad Zubair's corpse.
Bar 61 	Rise & Grind 	(Flashback) In Kandahar, Frank Castle receives a birthday card from his wife with tickets to a Bruce Springsteen concert. Castle suggests to Billy Russo that he should think about settling down.
Wish It Was True	The White Buffalo	(Flashback) Frank Castle gets shot during a fire fight, then takes out several insurgents with his fists.
Rampage 	Tyler Bates 	(Flashback) Frank Castle goes on a shooting rampage to clear a building in Kandahar.
==Trivia==
*Billy Russo is reading by in the bunker scene. Ben Barnes played in the 2009 film .
*The words on the scrabble board in the tent in Kandahar are: die, tits, swarm, armor, fubar, murderous, intent.
==References==
==External Links==
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Category:The Punisher Episodes