Ep 6. The Judas Goat

Frank Castle, now going by the name of Pete Castiglione, is working as a construction worker in Queens, New York City. He meets up with Donny Chavez, a coworker who rats out his other colleagues for taking bribes from the contractors. Castle finds himself getting dragged into Chavez's mess when he finds out that the latter is being targeted by the masked gang leader, Billy Russo.

Meanwhile, Homeland Security Agent Dinah Madani is given the cold shoulder by her superiors when she tries to reveal that there are people within her agency who are promoting the drug trade. Her colleague, Sam Stein, believes her, and she offers to reopen the case on the murder of her partner, Ahmad Zubair, with his help.

Castle, on the other hand, visits Micro, who is still hiding and running away from his family. Micro is trying to track down the group who kidnapped his wife, Sarah, and Castle decides to take matters into his own hands. To get to his target, Castle becomes the Judas goat, a bait for the group to label Micro as the traitor that he is not.

The Judas Goat highlights a different side of Castle's character, where he is put into a situation where he is not necessarily the hunter, but he is still making use of his skills to eliminate his enemies. In this episode, he is a man who is still conflicted about his previous life as the Punisher and his desire to live a quiet life. His new friends, however, are forcing him out of his comfort zone and bringing out the vigilante in him.

This episode brings up the theme of trust within several relationships, whether it be between Castle and Chavez, or Madani and Stein. Castle's relationship with Micro is also called into question, as he decides to go behind his back and accomplish things on his own. This episode also touches on topics such as corruption within law enforcement agencies and how it affects the officers who are trying to do the right thing.

The Judas Goat is an episode that sets up for the rest of the season, with Castle's story arc slowly shifting from a man trying to escape his past, to a man who has to confront his demons to complete his mission. The episode builds on tension and suspense, with the stakes getting higher as we see Castle engaging in cat-and-mouse games with his enemies.

All in all, The Judas Goat delivers a tightly-packed episode that highlights the strengths of the characters as they face new challenges and hurdles. It's an episode that sets up the rest of the season, paving the way for a more intense and action-packed storyline for both Frank Castle and Agent Madani.