Spoilers ahead for The Punisher Season 2. It’s hard to imagine anyone wanting to be on Billy Russo’s side after his involvement in killing Frank Castle’s family and nearly taking out Agent Madani last season. And, the idea of him actually surviving a gut-wrenching beating at the hands of The Punisher only to rise again with a crew under his command is even more unbelievable. But, The Punisher Season 2 managed to make both things happen with Billy assuming his comic persona Jigsaw and forming a complex bond with his therapist. Dr. Krista Dumont is not in The Punisher comics but she plays a vital role in pushing Billy towards revenge.
She starts off as a compassionate and extremely patient advocate for Billy, who is still in a hospital and mentally unstable. Krista has been carefully monitoring his progress with frequent evaluations in hopes of helping Billy piece together his broken past memories so he can control his emotional outbursts and anxiety. It makes sense for her to see Billy in a different light compared to Agent Madani because their relationship is strictly professional and it’s her duty to focus solely on his mental and emotional health.
But, that professional line becomes blurred when Billy escapes the hospital and shows up at Krista’s front door. They begin a sexual relationship and she eventually opens up about her tragic backstory with her deceased ex-military father who, like Billy, suffered from PTSD and nearly killed her after a heated argument with her mother.
Cara Howe/Netflix
He grabbed young Krista and jumped out a window in hopes of killing them both, however, he was the only person who died. Krista survived despite crushing many of her bones and still regrets that no one could never help her father. It's what led her into her profession, drives her own fears, and fuels her determination to somehow guide Billy towards a path of revenge and redemption.
Krista’s overall relationship with Billy/Jigsaw is hauntingly similar to Harley Quinn, a former psychologist who fell in love with her patient the Joker and later became his lover and accomplice, per DC Comics. No, Krista isn’t donning face paint and a supervillain uniform, but she’s definitely Billy’s delusional hypewoman who coldly helps him concoct a plan to take down Frank Castle, even though she knows the truth behind their feud. And, despite Billy insisting several times that he doesn’t want to ruin her life and career, she’s willing to risk it all to fill the void of loneliness in her life.
Cara Howe/Netflix
It’s a bizarre and intense “romance” that makes her lose all logic and everything she worked hard to build.
Jigsaw and Krista’s storyline shows how a person can lose themselves while trying to save someone who, quite frankly, has no intentions on changing their behavior. The tragic ending between the pair was expected (Billy had to die this season TBH) but it would be interesting to see where Krista Dumont goes next, especially if The Punisher gets to come back for a third round.
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