1.3 Meet the New Boss First though, it was dishing out plot twists before we’d even got to those impressive opening credits. A note on this title sequence is that the snapshots that make it up are now even easier to appreciate as we get to know Banshee’s range of characters. They relate to certain things about them. It now makes sense when Ivana Milicevic’s name is accompanied by a shot of a Coney Island fairground, thanks to this week’s opening scene. Unsure of whether we’re in the past or present to begin with, Milicevic’s Ana, looking more than a little Black Widow, kicks some ass against the mysterious Mr. Rabbit’s goons. Locating the man himself reveals some details of their relationship – walks on Coney Island – and that Rabbit is no longer interested in just the diamonds he’s owed. He wants Lucas Hood. Ana’s not caving that easily though and with a nice nod to Jurassic Park (“Clever girl”) injects Rabbit with a sleeping agent to make her getaway, but not before dropping the whispered bombshell of “Goodbye daddy.” Back in small town Pennsylvania, Banshee’s casino is welcoming MMA fighter Damian Sanchez for a bout that will bring in some much needed dollar to the out of date establishment, and for the man responsible. No prizes for guessing that man is Kai Proctor. This is emphasised as a big deal for Proctor and he’s keen to make Sanchez feel welcome. He’s even “made some improvements to your bedroom” in Sanchez’s trailer. Yep, it’s an improvement of the naked, female variety. This is Banshee, after all. Sheriff Lucas Hood is also a man with fighting on his mind. Taking a break from the flashbacks that send him running through the Banshee woodland like a demented squirrel, he’s reminiscing about a rough bout of fisticuffs he had in prison. First however, there’s the fall out from last episode’s rave and unfortunate death of the local senator’s son. There’s an uncomfortable moment between Lucas and the senator here. It’s blink-and-you’ll-miss-it but this could be something that will grow in future episodes. After that encounter, Lucas needs to blow off some of the sexual tension so it’s a good thing he runs into Rebecca again. Getting a few more lines than she did in episode two, Lili Simmon’s Rebecca Bowman is temptation personified. She is the Mara demon of Banshee, and so far Hood hasn’t been able to deflect her charms. He might start to think twice once he finds out who she’s closely related to. In the second, big, family related twist of the week, Bowman is revealed to be Kai Proctor’s niece. The scene in which Proctor tries to chastise his sister’s daughter for her distinctly non-Amish behaviour is the first time we’ve seen Proctor seem like he actually cares about another human being since the brief, one-sided conversation between him and his father in episode one. This is a little more in depth though and adds another string to the bow of Ulrich Thomsen’s performance. Rebecca seems all too aware of the hypocrisy she encounters from her uncle, and his persuasions that she should respect her upbringing are twisted back upon him. “Why don’t you just admit that you like being bad?” she asks him before there’s a hint of something rather inappropriate between them. In an episode that is not short on great character one-to-ones, this is a fine scene. It builds on the idea that Proctor may feel some kind of guilt towards his heritage and Lili Simmons makes good on the idea presented last week that Rebecca could become one of Banshee’s most interesting characters. Meanwhile, Damian Sanchez is making himself at home in Banshee and entertaining local waitress Chloe in his trailer. Things take a turn for the worse though in a scene which pulls no punches. The hospitalisation of Chloe by Sanchez is a frightening scene. The transformation of Sanchez into a cold blooded animal is terrifying and includes an image that sears itself on to the brain. Earlier during their post-barbecue conversation, Ana told Lucas that “He used to be kind”. Lucas responded that fifteen years inside would knock that out of anyone. Now, looking at the devastation Sanchez has visited upon Chloe and Hood’s reaction to it, Ana’s face tells us that, in his own unique way, Lucas is finding that kindness again. Riled by Sanchez’s manager’s assumption that the Sheriff will laugh off a case of rape and battery, Hood delivers another of Banshee’s quotable lines, telling the man “You need to go somewhere I can’t see you, and stay there,” – a line so cool, I actually employed it myself the other day when dealing with a daughter who was refusing to get dressed. It may seem unlikely that a small town Sheriff would fight a celebrity refusing arrest in front of a room full of people, but as I said earlier, this is Banshee, after all. If you thought the bar room brawl during episode one was brutal, it was nothing compared to Hood’s impromptu main event with Damian Sanchez. Bloody and crazily violent, this was Banshee not for the faint of heart. UFC and pro wrestling fans would have enjoyed this scene a lot. I’m unashamedly a huge wrestling fan and let out a small squeal of glee when Hood slapped on The Undertaker’s hell’s gate, triangle choke hold. Banshee closes week three with the scene we’ve been building to since the beginning. No more pretending, cards on the table time between Lucas Hood and Kai Proctor. In a tense stand off, Proctor tells Hood in no uncertain terms that he should be afraid of him, like everyone else in Banshee. Hood rejects Proctor’s now honest attempts to bribe him. Deep down Lucas knows that Ana wants the, perhaps not honourable man, but the one who does the right thing and that is Hood’s priority. Taking down Proctor will just be a bonus. Episode three of Banshee missed some of the show’s best characters – there was no sign of Deputy Brock Lotus or Job this week – but it was another cracking edition. Lili Simmon’s Rebecca was built up and proved she’s going to be around for much more than T and A. There were great turns throughout from Ivana Milicevic and Ulrich Thomsen and Anthony Starr is continuing to lead the show very well. The writing and dialogue was well paced and snappy, something we’re becoming used to with this show and the use of violence, as brutal as it was, didn’t seem for glorification value in the slightest. So Banshee assembled its pieces by the end of this episode. The stage is set, the board has been laid out. It’s time to play the game. Read James’ review of the previous episode, The Rave, here.
