Before you tune into thePunisherspecial, do yourself a favor and watch Jon Bernthal play another kind of destructive force in the acclaimed but underseen HBO series,We Own This City.Jon Bernthal’s career has been a joyto watch. On both television and movies, he brings an intensity few actors can match.
Whether he’s playing an outrageous drug dealer inThe Wolf of Wall Streetor a depressed restaurateur inThe Bear, anytime Bernthal appears on-screen, the scene suddenly brightens. He has the face and the physique of a menace, which is partially why he was cast as Frank Castle in the MCU-setDaredevilandThe Punisherseries.
Bernthal’sPunisher is one of the best versions of the characterthere’s ever been, and Bernthal is still not sure if he’s ever done the character justice. That’s a mistake he intends to fix withthe upcoming untitledPunisherDisney+ special. Before that drops, though,make sure you catch Bernthal in this series.
Jon Bernthal Played Sgt. Wayne Jenkins In We Own This City
Wayne Jenkins Is A Real Former Baltimore Police Officer
Jon Bernthal plays Sgt. Wayne Jenkins in the 2022 HBO miniseries,We Own This City,based on the nonfiction book byBaltimore Sunreporter Justin Fenton. It’s a true story, and Wayne Jenkins is a real figure currently serving 25 years in federal prison for his part in one of the biggest corruption scandals Baltimore has ever seen.
Wayne was the head of the Baltimore Police Department’s Gun Trace Task Force, a task force with little oversight, which resulted in Wayne and his cronies making false arrests, stealing stolen goods and seized money, planting evidence, and much more. He’s as vicious as Frank Castle with none of the heroic aspects.
It’s an astounding performance by Bernthal, who plays Wayne like a muzzled junkyard dog let loose. Every moment he’s on-screen, you may feel the electricity pulsing through the air as you wait to see how he’s going to react to a perceived threat or inconvenience. It’s a frightening but completely absorbing performance.
Every Fan Of The Wire Should Watch We Own This City
We Own This City Was Developed By The Wire Showrunner, David Simon
We Own This Cityis not just one ofthe best miniseries on HBO, it’s one of the best original shows on the streamer. The series has a 93% onRotten Tomatoesand was developed by David Simon and George Pelecanos, the names behindThe Wire, another Baltimore-set crime series.
If you enjoyedThe Wire, you need to drop whatever you’re watching and check out all six episodes ofWe Own This City. It’s almost a postscript for that acclaimed series, and even features many of the same actors. Want to see Marlo Stanfield (Jamie Hector) with a Baltimore police badge? WatchWe Own This City.
