“Remember, Hood, you’re not the sheriff anymore.”
“I never was.”
And thus returns the most badass show on television. The image above is a perfect encapsulation of this show in all its glory, and the fight scene that follows features the show’s typical impeccable camera work and choreography. It’s just all such a thrill to watch unfold, and although I’ll certainly miss these types of scenes after the series concludes, I’m simultaneously glad that Tropper and co. know when they want to end. Like Spartacus–the show that evoked the most similar response in me as this one does–Banshee is intent on going out with a bang, and I look forward to seeing Clay Burton lay waste to the entire world.
Of course, what makes this show special is the fact that it’s not all about the action. The themes and characters explored here are always compelling, and this final season starts off with a twist when we jump ahead two years and find out that Rebecca’s dead (and then we see her dead body again…and again…and again…). I’m disappointed about this because Rebecca was such an intriguing character, but I also understand that this is the perfect event to get Hood back into the fold. The time jump makes even more salient the past vs. the present and how things have changed, and what we realize in the end is that the world moves on. Ghosts of the past may haunt you, but not much outside of your personal bubble comes to a standstill.
The episode explores this idea through Carrie’s and Hood’s post-season 3 actions. Carrie attempts to distract herself by taking apart her home and taking apart people on the streets, whereas Hood isolates himself and wallows in self-pity. These are different coping mechanisms utilized, but they seem to stem from a shared source of pain. Banshee dives into the complexities of the human mind and the ways we respond to loss and tragedy, and it’s all the more brilliant because of it.
Perhaps the most telling scene is when Frankie tells Carrie that the day Hood left was the day she “should’ve stopped looking to him for answers”. The world moves on, but the past still lingers, and there’s this push and pull that takes place in the space in between. Frankie then goes on to say that he sometimes wishes Job isn’t alive, “because if he is, it makes us bigger assholes than we already are.” The actions of one profoundly affect the situations of others, and the consequences that linger in the present can cause deep rifts and considerable internal conflict. Just got to keep fighting on, even if it isn’t all that easy.
GRADE: B+
OTHER THOUGHTS:
-The Calvin-Kurt Bunker conflict feels a tiny bit extraneous at the moment, but I’m sure it’ll grow more compelling as the season moves on. Calvin is an extremely interesting presence, someone who can blow at any moment (the scene in which he stabs his boss is disturbingly awesome). I’m looking forward to seeing his story play out.
-No Eliza Dushku yet, but we do get Ana Ayora as Deputy Nina Cruz. Also, it’s Erik King (Doakes) as the therapist, and we lose David Harbour when Dalton gets a bullet in the forehead.
-Not entirely sure on regular coverage yet, but I will without a doubt be back for the final few episodes.
Photo credit: Banshee, Cinemax
Polar Bears Watch TV 
Just watched this and can’t help but feel a bit disappointed that Rebecca was killed the way she was. I guess she will still be in the show via flashbacks, but I found her arc very compelling and I was hoping she would play a bigger (more alive!) role in the endgame. Oh well. Will see how it goes. Hoping when all is said and done it will feel like a good choice. Enjoyed the episode otherwise. I really missed these characters (and the fights!) and am looking forward to uncovering more of the missing two years and where this brings us next in the present.