‘Banshee’ Season 3 Preview – Old Habits Die Hard

Get ready for ‘Banshee’ season 3 before the show returns to Cinemax on Friday night…

By Michael Stets — Staff Writer

A year has passed and on January 9, 2015 at 10PM ET, Cinemax will bring us back inside the town of Banshee. You know, the Amish burg in Pennsylvania, where a former master thief has assumed the identity of a dead sheriff. And like death riding on the pale horse, hell has followed with him.
That resident law man goes by the name he inherited, Lucas Hood, as we still—after two seasons—do not know his real one. His mysterious past has blended in nicely with his new surroundings, a town filled with skeletons in every closet, secrets, lies and deceit.

“Old habits die hard,” is the tag line for Season Three and that rings true for many that dwell inside of Banshee. They are all guilty from different types of sins and also doomed to repeat them.

Hood, of course, was on his way to find his old-flame Anna at the start of season one after finishing his prison sentence. He would find out the women he loves had become Carrie Hopewell under an assumed identity and is married to Bansee’s D.A. Gordon Hopewell. In two seasons, Hood, along with old nemesis Rabbit—the man he betrayed who was responsible for his 15-year prison term—and local kingpin Kai Proctor, have managed to turn Banshee upside down with violence and death and blood-soaked chaos.

Hood doesn’t have to go it alone, as he has Deputies Brock Lotus and Siobhan Kelly at his side to handle the resident bad guys. For his shady criminal activity, Hood has Carrie, their old computer-hacking, cross-dressing accomplice Job, and his new friend and moral compass, Sugar Bates. A former pro-boxer and ex-con, Bates has seen a thing or two in his day and the two have had many a meaningful conversation at his watering hole, “The Forge.” Job once worked with Hood and Carrie and has left New York to be closer to his friends and keep watch over them.

Lead writer Jonathan Tropper and director/showrunner Greg Yaitannes have really created a unique show that is unlike any other on cable television. The show is at times noir thriller and at other times a Leone western with Tarantino attitude. It never takes itself too seriously with gratuitous sex and violence, but the witty dialogue can send a moral message as easy at breaks through the screen to wink at you. One week it can be a guilty pleasure, the other a compelling drama.

Tropper and Yaitannes know what they have with Banshee and just what to do with it. They know when to push and when to say when, bringing forth a perfect balance of story and action. Each character has a purpose in the town and his/her own mythology. The underlying message over the first two seasons is that there is a consequence for one’s actions and often a deadly repercussion that follows. Hood and the other main characters have all faced or discussed their choices in life and the demons that haunt them.

Let’s take a look back at how Season 2 concluded and what lies in store for some of the central characters of Banshee in Season 3.

Lucas Hood

When we last saw Hood (Antony Star), he and Carrie managed to dispatch of her father, the Ukrainian gangster Rabbit. His death put an end to years upon years of looking over their shoulders. But, Hoods in-town enemy, Kai Proctor was released from prison soon after. Hood set up Proctor to get arrested on a gun charge, but a key witness and informant, a stripper named Juliet, was murdered by Proctor’s right-hand man, Clay Burton. The charges didn’t stick, and Proctor was set free.

Meanwhile, the Chief of the Kinaho tribe, Alex Longshadow, was going to team up with Hood to rid Banshee of Proctor, but Proctor’s niece Rebecca murdered him after a steamy bout of seduction to protect her uncle.There will be plenty of repercussions from the Chief’s death, mainly his sister, Nola Longshadow, who is an extremely dangerous adversary. Then there is Chayton Littlestone, a mountain of a Native-American man, who is the leader of the Redbones gang on the Kinaho reservation. He has no regard for law or for life and will no doubt, be storming into Banshee with some nasty intentions. Hood has already tangled with both and will assuredly be crossing paths with them once again in Season 3.

Another big angle in the life of Hood, is his budding romance with deputy Siobhan Kelly. He will always have a history and feelings for Carrie, but he seemed to realize that a life with her could never happen, so he has allowed Siobhan into his heart. The deputy already cares deeply for Hood, but has grown suspicious (who hasn’t) of who he really is and what he is up to outside of policing the town of Banshee. While Hood is comfortable with Carrie, Sugar and Job knowing all about him, that will not fly with Siobhan and could be a potential problem.

Oh yeah, and the other small problem that Deva—Carrie and Gordon’s daughter—has found out that he is her biological father. A bomb Carrie dropped on his lap last season.

Carrie

Carrie (Ivana Milicevic) was getting along fine until Hood came back for her. Since then she has been tormented by her past that she believed was left behind. With Rabbit finally gone—something she longed for despite the fact that he was her father (she did double cross him along with Hood, he just let her escape and took the rap for the failed jewel heist)—she doesn’t have to look over her shoulder anymore either.

To put it simply, Carrie has gone through it. She was forced to deal with her husband and family finding out about her past life as a criminal and thief, had to serve 30 days in prison for her role in the shootout at the end of Season One and nearly lost her son Max, who has a breathing illness which requires a nebulizer. She took part in a robbery with Job to raise money for a surgery that her son desperately needs. And has put her life on the line several times for Hood, because she is guilt ridden that he served 15 years in prison for her, when she could’ve been caught along with him, had he not prevented that from happening.

She will return to a happy life with her husband, D.A. Gordon Hopewell, daughter Deva and son Max, but how long until she gets the itch for some criminal activity? She jumped back into action a few times last season and will definitely long for a good adrenaline rush. In one of the trailers for Season 3, she is seen working at the Miles diner, how long do you think that lasts. She, of course, still has feelings for Hood, as that will be a flame that always burns, but she just knows how to keep them in control better than he does. And for the time being they will go there separate ways. Just don’t expect that to last for the whole season.

Kai Proctor

Proctor (Ulrich Thomsen) returned home from prison and he will be looking to exact revenge on Hood. The Banshee resident criminal kingpin was livid when Hood found a way to get him locked up and vowed then to make him pay for it. Proctor has also had his run-ins with the Kinaho tribe like Proctor and has survived a failed murder attempt in his own house by the tribe. Proctor once had an agreement with the now deceased Alex Longshadow and the casino on the Kinaho reservation was a viable source of income for him. With George Hunter, likely to take over as new chief, it is likely that Proctor will have to look elsewhere. Keep in mind Nola Longshadow and Chayton Littlestone do not know who killed the chief, so there may be more trouble heading Proctor’s way.

It isn’t so much good versus evil as it is, alpha versus alpha, in regards to Proctor and Hood. The town is just not big enough for the both of them. I’ve pointed this out in past episode recaps, but their existence is really very reminiscent of Dalton and Brad Wesley from the movie Road House.

Rebecca Bowman

Once an abiding and devout Amish family member, Rebecca (Lili Simmons), like her uncle Kai, has turned her back on the family and joined the criminal enterprise. While she showed she was rebellious of her former life by being promiscuous and sneaking out to The Forge before sleeping with Hood in Season One, she was very apprehensive about living under her uncle’s roof after seeing the activities that he is a part of, mainly murder among other things.

Kai let her press the remote to blow up the building being built to expand the Kinaho’s casino, which also killed the mayor who was inside to break her criminal cherry and when she murdered Alex Longshadow after achieving orgasm from him going down on her, we know now that she has accepted her new role in life.

As far as Hood goes, he did rescue her from being kidnapped by the Longshadows, which would explain why she remained silent after seeing Hood after he broke into Proctor’s house, where he discovered the hidden weaponry that led to her uncle’s arrest. Their relationship is fine at the present day, although the darker the depths she achieves, she may not continue to have a soft spot for the sheriff.

In the trailer she is accompanied by Proctor’s associate psychopath, Clay Burton, blowing up a car. I expect we will see more of her handy work this coming season as she continues down a dark and deadly path.

Brock Lotus

Lotus (Matt Servito) was set to become the new sheriff until Hood strolled into town, so everyone in the town, especially Hood, can understand his bitterness. That being said, he is fiercely loyal to the badge and do whatever is necessary to enforce the law. He believes in what is right and what is best for the town. The deputy has also proved his loyalty several times, most notably in the epic shootout with Rabbit’s henchmen in the Season One finale and last season’s scrap with a crew of Aryans.

Lotus is a great cop with a keens sense and he caught on to Hood being a fraud from day one. He noticed he didn’t really know procedure, paperwork details and when Hood put a beating on the local townies, Lotus knew his combat skills suggested he was more than he let on. The deputy also did some snooping in Hood’s apartment above The Forge, on D.A. Hopewell’s urging. Expect Lotus do continue to keep a watchful eye on Hood, while still being the best cop he can be.

Chayton Littlestone

Littlestone (Gene Segers) resides on the Kinaho reservation and is the leader of the Redbones gang. By the way, he is a gargantuan-sized Indian who gives zero f**cks, and has complete and utter contempt for law enforcement. Littlestone is known for being a dangerous man and the Redbones gang took out a Banshee cruiser and successfully freed him from custody. Littlestone isn’t just brawn, as evidenced when he nearly beat Hood to death on the reservation. He is also very smart and will often preach to others about Native American history and what will become of those who stand against him and he will also break into creepy chants. He was last seen snapping someone’s neck in an illegal underground fight. He received a call about the death of Alex Longshadow and will be making his way to Banshee to get to the bottom of it, one body at a time if that is what it takes.

Nola Longshadow

The sister of the deceased Alex Longshadow, Nola (Odette Anable), has never liked any of the politics of the Kinaho tribe and often frowned upon the former chief’s business arrangements with Proctor. She is fiercely loyal to the tribe and is a deadly assassin on top of her sultry appeal. She has a gun fight with the Banshee police department under her belt and also beat up Hood pretty good when he went to free Rebecca—who she chloroformed and kidnapped—from being held hostage in an on-going battle between Proctor and the Longshadows last season. Not to mention, she slept with Hood before either one knew each other’s identity.

Gordan Hopewell

The Banshee DA had a lot on his plate last season. And while he spent most of his time away from his family at the Savoy Gentlemen’s Club, self medicating with bourbon and lap dances due to learning the true identity of his wife and subsequently seeing her head to prison, his family is now once again intact. It is not sitting well with him however, that his wife has history with Hood and that Deva is his biological father. He already has a hard on for the sheriff, this will obviously not make anything better. Expect Hopewell to continue to lean on Lotus to find any info he possibly can on Hood to discover, what all of us are trying to discover, his real name and true identity.

Where Tropper and Yaitanes take the narrative this year is anybody’s guess, but from the looks of things they have upped the ante once again in the action, carnage and casualty department. Fight choreographer Marcus Young will likely do the same with the stunts and fight scenes, which are always creative and well-thought out. And the actors have shined throughout seasons one and two, and will most likely be given material to sink their teeth into and shine once again.

If the first two seasons have been any indication, then there will be plenty of twists, turns and surprises to go along with great music selection and over-the-top sex and violence for the guilty pleasure seekers who have satiated their collective appetites on Friday nights. And, of course, the introduction of a new villain now that Rabbit is gone should be headed our way too.

The action returns tonight on Cinemax at 10PM ET. NerdcoreMovement.com will have you covered with episode recaps every week for the duration of Season Three. Talk to all you #Fanshees soon.