All good things must come to an end, and so too shall the hit Cinemax show Banshee, which heads into its fourth and final season on April 1st…
By Michael Stets — Staff Writer
For three straight years executive producer Greg Yaitanes and co-creator Jonathan Tropper have delivered an incredibly unique show that is unapologetically drenched in sex, wonton violence, and over-the-top action, yet at the same time its layered in depth, character development and stylized drama. One minute you are watching with a wry smile fully expecting a character to break the fourth wall and wink at you. The next your mouth is agape in shock because a scene just evoked an emotional stir that punched you in the stomach.
Whatever happens within the walls of this Amish town in Pennsylvania, it somehow always makes sense.
If you committed to watching the show after learning that Banshee is indeed in an Amish town in Pennsylvania, where a master thief fresh out of the clink assumes the identity of a dead sheriff, then chances are you’ve stayed the course the last three seasons and gotten to know Lucas Hood (Antony Starr), and his nearest and dearest. That would be a motley crew which consists of Job the cross-dressing computer hacker, Sugar the former boxer/ex-con and owner of the local watering hole, and Carrie, who is Hood’s ex-lover and actually the first to live in Banshee under a false pretense.
Hood serves as the Sheriff by the seat of his pants–while under the suspicious eye of his deputy–and his no nonsense brand of justice is more suitable to for the late 1800’s than it is for present day. Last season he was up to his old dirty tricks by getting the old crew back together and adding Sugar to the mix to take down Camp Genoa in a daring heist. But with Job getting kidnapped and Gordon getting killed, that may have been their last big job together.
Let’s not forget the many villains that have tried to take Hood out along the way, like the crazed Ukrainian gangster Rabbit, who was also the father of his former frame (Yep, that’s the crazy kind of fun the show has been built upon. Banshee gonna Banshee as I always say). The list of antagonists has never ceased to entertain, but at the top would be the resident big bad and local Amish criminal mastermind, Kai Proctor (Ulrich Thomsen).
Wherever Hood goes hell follows with him and well, people usually die, sometimes those who are closest to him, like his girlfriend Siobhan, who had her neck snapped right in front of him last season. This town does not discriminate. Its an equal-opportunity killer and it keeps score over all just the same. One wrong move will usually come back to bite you or end your life.
In many ways Banshee is a modern day western just dressed in a much different setting. Hood fits the bill as the man with no name and he is certainly an enigma if there ever was one. With every season we’ve been fed more and more pieces to try and complete the puzzle on his mysterious past that we’ve only scratched the surface of.
Left within the remnants of last season’s finale lie many questions and new potential story lines for the final season. And with that we will take a closer look at what may be in store for Season four.
Where We Left Off
The season three finale, “We all pay eventually,” ended in a fire fight at Camp Genoa, where Hood, along with the help of Mayor Gordon Hopewell, attempted to free Carrie (Ivana Milicevic), Sugar (Frankie Faison) and Job (Hoon Lee), who were being held hostage by General Stowe, the man they stole millions of dollars from.
Carrie killed Stowe, and Hood and Gordon took out the rest of his mercenaries, but Gordon would get shot in the process and die in Carrie’s arms. While that was going on, Leo, Stowe’s right hand man, shot Job, threw him over his shoulder, boarded a helicopter and took off as Hood, Carrie and Sugar watched helplessly.
Deputy Brock Lotus (Matt Servito) got word of what happened and when he confronted Hood, the Sheriff placed his badge and a letter of resignation on the desk. This happened once before, and Brock made sure to tell Hood as he walked out of the Cadi, that he wouldn’t give it back to him a second time. Later on when Hood walked out of The Forge, Proctor was sitting and waiting for him and said, “being the Sheriff never really suited you.”
What Lies in Store for This Season?
Brace yourselves for this one folks: Kai Proctor is now the Mayor of Banshee. Apparently Gordon Hopewell’s death opened up a spot and somehow Proctor is now the head honcho. An interesting juxtaposition with Hood now being on the outside of the law, while Proctor is in charge of the town. The two have tried to kill each other off several times now, will they finally reach a truce?
A new wrinkle on Hood’s mysterious past was revealed last season during a flashback scene where a man named Dalton (David Harbour) was recruiting Hood to an elite and top secret military outfit. It was there that we learned the background of why Hood is such a bad ass killer. Fat Au did call Hood “Soldier Boy” at the end of Season 2, but we had to wait a full season to find out why. Will we learn more by the end of Season four. I’d say yes, but will we ever learn Hood’s real name and identity? That remains to be seen.
The Aryan Brotherhood found its way into Banshee last season with Kurt Bunker (Tom Pelphrey) leaving his racist ways behind to become the newest deputy in town. That of course, didn’t sit well with his brother Calvin, who is the man in charge of all the Neo-Nazi heathens. Kurt was last seen getting held down while his brother was torching off his old brotherhood tattoos. Bunker is a bit of a hot head and we saw glimpses of his temper in season three. You can expect some violence to erupt with this story line for certain.
Brock is finally the Sheriff of Banshee, a job he always wanted. But how will he handle Proctor being the Mayor? Will he be able to handle trouble with the department’s biggest weapon, Lucas Hood, no longer on the force? The development of Brock in the last two seasons has been one of the biggest highlights of Banshee and Servito has been outstanding every step of the way.
Carrie is having trouble coping with the death of Gordon. In the trailer she can be seen acting out in violent fashion and also talking to a therapist. Let’s not forget that Hood and Carrie were once together and also have a daughter, who along with Hood, just recently learned of their relation.
Last but certainly not least is Proctor’s troublesome niece, Rebecca Simmons (Lili Simmons) who started a war with the Black Beards over her uncle’s MDMA distribution during last season. Proctor had to gain the alliance of the Salvadorans to take out the Black Beards after Rebecca’s interference. She will continue to be unpredictable and dangerous while still getting her sea legs inside the criminal underbelly.
New Cast Members
In a town laced with dire consequences and everlasting repercussions, no one is ever truly safe. Last season Banshee said goodbye to the sexy but deadly Native American assassin, Nola Longshadow (Odette Annable), Mayor Gordon Hopewell (Rus Blackwell), the head of the Red Bones Indian gang, Chayton Littlestone (Geno Segers), and Deputy Siobhan Kelly (Trieste Kelly Dunn).
But rest assured, the powers that be behind Banshee have brought in some fresh faces for the final hurrah.
Eliza Dushku will play FBI agent, Veronica Dawson. Aya Ayora will play Deputy Nina Cruz, who is planted by Proctor to serve as an insider and keep him abreast of what’s going on with the Banshee Sheriff’s Department. And lastly, Casey LaBow will play Maggie Bunker, wife of Clay Bunker.
Who is the New Villain?
With General Stowe and Chayton Littlestone being dispatched of last season and Kai Proctor now serving as Mayor, surely there will be a new villain/antagonist for Hood and the town to go up against right? Well, the preview trailers have indicated that a serial killer is on the loose in Banshee. We’ve always been introduced to the villains in each season thus far. Now, we will be introduced to their victims first. A cool and unusual twist that should shake things up a bit.
There you have it Fanshees. It all begins on Friday at 10 p.m. ET on Cinemax. Nerdcore Movement will, of course, be providing you with recaps for the full eight-episode arc. Below is a Season 4 preview trailer to hold you over until the action starts later tonight.
