Crucially, Banshee is by no means Ball's singular vision. The series was created (and is mostly written) by newcomers Jonathan Tropper (One Last Thing Before I Go, Everything Changes) and David Schickler, even if the pilot does carry a stamp undeniably similar to shows that also bear the Executive Producer's name. Ball is famous for exploring the darker side of the American psyche with a large helping of humor, sex and violence and Banshee's pilot follows suit (not badly tailored) delivering a thoroughly enjoyable entrance into the series.
The main narrative revolves around a briefly nameless ex-convict played by Antony Starr who, after being released from a lengthy stint in prison, heads off in search of his old partner/love interest and his share of the loot from the job that got him pinched. The dialogue-free introduction tells us everything we need to know about his grey knight character; by no means an angel, having a quick shag and boosting another car, however, like many noir protagonists, the man soon to be known as Lucas Hood clearly has a code. He's a shady guy who lives in an even shadier world. His search lands him in the town with which the series shares its name. Before too long, the man, along with a local barkeep and former boxing champ named Sugar Bates (Frankie Faison, The Wire), is embroiled in a shootout that claims the lives of two thugs belonging to local crime lord Kai Proctor (Ulrich Thomsen, Fringe) and the town’s soon-to-be new sheriff.
As it turns out, Proctor’s influence in Banshee is so great that the town’s incredibly young mayor hired a new lawman from the other side of the country, sight unseen, so as to limit the possibility of corruption. Once Starr’s character discovers this information, he immediately assumes Hood’s identity and, with that, it would seem the series is off and running. Early on, it’s clear that Banshee is content to play within the well-trodden confines this sort of narrative works in. For the most part, all the familiar tropes are in place. Hood’s ex-partner, played by Ivana Milicevic (Le Chiffre’s girlfriend in Casino Royale), is also operating under an assumed identity. She’s now Carrie Hopewell, a housewife with two kids, who just so happens to be married to Banshee’s D.A., Gordon Hopewell (Rus Blackwell, Ten). She also secretly trains with the ferocity of a UFC fighter. There’s also the larger mystery of the job that landed our main character in prison, and, apparently, has a very dangerous individual by the name of Mr. Rabbit (Ben Cross) sending a vaguely Eastern European-looking hitman to cause all sorts of commotion in an effort to eradicate the thief. It's like Walking Tall and A History of Violence rolled into one which not only allows for a lot of action but also, structurally, two solid foundations to build the rest Banshee on going forward.
That is, without a doubt, a lot of heavy lifting for a pilot episode to have to undertake, and for the most part, Banshee manages to get all the important plot aspects across – which means that, with any luck, there’ll be more time to discover what it is that’s making these characters tick as the series progresses. Right now, the pilot has merely established a dark tone and a fairly dense plot. This certainly isn’t a bad thing, especially if the audience is intrigued by what they’ve seen so far. Chances are, between the brief cinematic rush of the bus sequence, the pulpy excess of the fight scenes and the gratuitous glimpses of pay cable’s X-factor (so graphic, you might feel the need to check your own ID), there’ll be something in this first hour to at least keep the target audience interested.
The trouble is, with all the attention given to the plot, there never really feels as though any proper development is granted any of the characters. Certainly, there is a superficial knowledge of who these people are – which is really what should be expected of a pilot episode – but beyond simply serving the narrative, their motivations feel somewhat scant and overly typical. A career criminal assuming the identity of a slain lawman in a town seemingly overrun by the corruption of an crime lord with ties to the Amish community is intriguing stuff, but, so far, there is little indication that that move is anything more than a clever set up. Aside from Starr's tough-talking, private-eye archetype, the rest of the cast were left to make the most of the limited material they were given. The material wasn't bad, it's just that so much time was devoted to 'Lucas Hood' that not many or the many supporting roles felt particularly memorable.
Frankie Faison had perhaps the most time as Sugar and handled it with ease, creating a confident that we can all trust while Milicevic and Thomsen also made the most of their brief appearances; the latter running the town like a feudal kingdom and turning those who offend him into puppy kibble — literally. Also making an impression is Lili Simmons as Rebecca Bowman, the Amish girl who is chaste by day and likes to be chased at night; and transvestite Job (Hoon Lee), a club owning, computer hacking and by all accounts underground super spy. Matt Servitto, best known for playing an FBI agent on The Sopranos, shines as bitter Deputy Brock Lotus who questions his new boss’ methods.
As for the rest of the large ensemble, they all seem fine and it was nice touch the way that the title sequence (it changes every week) not only played up the tone but also delivered pictorial insights into each of the supporting players. Did you notice the boxing gloves? The football? I wonder if there was a hint into what caused the scars on attractive police officer (and possible sexual competitor to Milicevic's tied-up love interest)? Lastly, even though Ryann Shane's performance and storyline as the troubled daughter seems cliche, the implied progression of her character is pretty interesting.
While the mystery of Hood’s motivations – given the conflict between his past and newfound position – definitely keeps Banshee intriguing, it might have served the series better had it offered up a clearer sense of how the tricky morality of its character’s situation was meant to be perceived. As we’ve seen in high quality dramas like Mad Men and Breaking Bad, there’s a rich story to be mined from the simple concept of assuming another identity – or in the remaking one’s self. Right now, we are left unsure of just what our nameless protagonist’s intentions are. We don’t need the curtain pulled back entirely, but some inkling that he is either intent on pursuing his ex-lover, or merely interested in hiding from Mr. Rabbit, would be appreciated. Additionally, there is the larger question of how he plans to use his position as sheriff. Is it for nefarious means, or does being on the other side of the law hold some unforeseen attraction to him?
Ultimately, Banshee is a ludicrous series and knows it. It consists of one silly scene after another, all pitched at that super-hard-boiled, faux-noir level characteristic of so many graphic novels set in the underworld: so humorless that it’s kind of funny. A man gets shot through the hand in close-up, and you can see the rest of the room through the wound. The opening chase ends with an overturned double-decker bus roaring toward Hood like that train in Inception, but Hood escapes unscathed, and this event, which would be an international sensation in our reality, is presented here as just another crazy thing that happened in New York City. Hood is less a character than a presence: Clint Eastwood’s Man With No Name by way of Lee Marvin in Point Blank, a walking scowl with hints of pain and longing in his eyes. (Starr is an amazing physical presence, by the way; he’s got a great angry walk, and he poses in doors and windows nearly as well as Daniel Craig.) There will be points in the first couple of episodes when you will want to turn Banshee off because it isn’t rising to the level of its promise. It’s an arty-trashy macho B movie in TV-series form, good but not good enough. And yet intends to keep you watching because the show is more brazenly cinematic than most, and because you will need to know the characters’ secrets.
Such mystery is undoubtedly a powerful narrative tool, but the portions Banshee leaves blank may have served the story better, early on, had there been some indication as to what this new Lucas Hood was at least capable of. Right now, all we have are a few cursory examples of his fighting prowess and some idea of his underworld connections. Still, as somewhat convoluted as the plot feels right now, there’s plenty of opportunity to be had. The questions surrounding Hood’s purpose; the stranglehold Proctor has over the town; and the ominous threat of Mr. Rabbit and his henchmen are all plusses that will likely work well in contrast to the more contrived aspects that the series has put in place. Watching the first hour of Banshee, you get the feeling that due to the sheer weight of the initial setup, it’s going to take some time before things really get moving. If the series can better establish the objective of the characters in the next few episodes, then this may prove to be another fun ride for Cinemax.
Oh, and a banshee is a female fairy who begins to wail if someone is about to die and, although originally a Gaelic legend, it's a figure also prominent in American folklore. Seems thematically appropriate for the series about a man not only returning to his dangerous past but building plenty of new enemies along the way. I wonder if Milicevic's Anna, sorry, Carrie, is the one wailing? If nothing else, she still fantasizes about having sex with Hood even as her husband is going down on her, so hey!
Television Series: Banshee (S01E01)
Release Date: January 2013
Actress: Ivana Milicevic & Wendy Michelle
Video Clip Credit: DeepAtSea
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