Cinematography:
Christopher FaloonaComposer:
Methodic DoubtCast:
Antony Starr, Ivana Milicevic, Ulrich Thomsen, Frankie Faison, Hoon Lee, Rus Blackwell, Lili Simmons, Matt Servitto, Trieste Kelly Dunn, Steve Coulter (more)Seasons(4) / Episodes(38)
Plots(1)
From Alan Ball, creator/EP of True Blood, this exciting new Cinemax action drama charts the twists and turns that follow Lucas Hood (Antony Starr), an ex-convict who improbably becomes sheriff of a rural, Amish-area town while searching for a woman he last saw 15 years ago, when he gave himself up to police to let her escape after a jewel heist. Living in Banshee under an assumed name, Carrie Hopewell (Ivana Milicevic) is now married to the local DA, has two children (one of whom may be Lucas'), and is trying desperately to keep a low profile – until Lucas arrives to shake up her world and rekindle old passions. Complicating matters is the fact that Banshee is riddled by corruption, with an Amish overlord, Kai Proctor (Ulrich Thomsen), brutally building a local empire of drugs, gambling and graft. With the help of a boxer-turned-barkeeper named Sugar Bates (Frankie Faison), Lucas is able to stay on even footing with Kai and his thugs, and even manages to bring a measure of tough justice to Banshee. But eventually, Lucas' appetite for pulling heists pulls him and Carrie into a dangerous cauldron of duplicity, exacerbated when Mr. Rabbit (Ben Cross), the NY mobster they once ripped off, closes in with vengeance on his mind. (official distributor synopsis)
(more)Reviews of this series by the user Malarkey (4)
It’s been a long time a new series made me as happy as Banshee did. Let’s ignore the fact that at the end of each episode, the protagonist looks like a zombie beaten with an iron rod, only to become the properly coiffed alpha male in the next episode as he was in the beginning of the series. This series portraying a city that has a bit of everything is simply superb. Given the size of the city, there’s a great number of Mafiosos, and the audience will grow fond to each and every one of them. And that’s the great thing about this series. Each character has their place in it. The story gets back to each of them and they each affect the story in some way or other. I don’t care that Antony Starr’s character is basically immortal. Apart from this, everything works perfectly: dialogs, camera, atmosphere, relationships. The first season was a pleasant surprise.
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Season 2 (2014) (S02)
It took me a long time to get back to Banshee. When it first aired, it hit like a bolt of lightning, back when there weren't so many shows vying for attention. What really stood out then was its gritty setting and intense action sequences, and I'm happy to say that the second season kept that momentum going. After all these years, I realized I never finished the series, so I binged it all in one go. I’m hoping I won’t wait as long to dive into the third season.
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Season 3 (2015) (S03)
Season 3 of Banshee is arguably the best and most inventive of the series. The show ramps up the action with plenty of brutal fight scenes and intense moments, featuring some seriously tough characters — whether they’re men or women, everyone here could easily pass as a full-fledged action hero. For me, the standout was Episode 7, where the found footage-style heist scene was absolutely thrilling. The finale is also one of the most intense action-packed episodes the show has delivered.
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Season 4 (2016) (S04)
Season 4 was definitely the weakest of the series, but since it was also the shortest, it was bearable. There are fewer action scenes and gory moments, though the ones that are there still pack a punch. However, there are also some pretty cringeworthy moments — like that arson scene, for example. By the end, I was set on giving it three stars, expecting it to be a letdown. But nostalgia hit hard, and the final episode actually won me over. It was a nice way to wrap up the series.
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