Banshee TV show on Cinemax. Pictured: Antony Starr. Credit: Gregory Shummon/Cinemax.
What are you going to do, now? The Banshee TV series finale, “Requiem,” airs tonight, on Cinemax. Showrunner Jonathan Tropper, who created the show with David Schickler, talks about why they made the decision to end the show after four seasons, leaving Banshee effectively cancelled by its creative team.
Banshee stars Antony Starr as Lucas Hood, who is back in town after a couple of years, where there is a serial killer on the prowl. The Banshee TV show cast also includes Ivana Miličević, Ulrich Thomsen, Frankie Faison, Hoon Lee, Matt Servitto, Ryann Shane, Lili Simmons, Tom Pelphrey, Eliza Dushku, Casey LaBow, Chris Coy, and Ana Ayora.
Banshee TV show on Cinemax. Pictured: Tom Pelphrey, Matt Servitto. Credit: Gregory Shummon/Cinemax.
Here is what Tropper tells Collider, about the decision to end the Banshee after this fourth and final season:
What made four seasons the right end point for this show, and what made eight episodes the right number for this season? Is that just what you needed to tell this particular story?
TROPPER: The fourth season being the last season was a combination of factors. I was always upset when shows I loved stuck around too long and starting generating extra plot. Once we ended Season 3 and Lucas Hood was basically no longer the sheriff, the premise of the show was about a fake sheriff, so going on for many more seasons, it would have been ridiculous for him to become the sheriff again. The town itself might have had plenty of stories to tell, but it felt like the story of Lucas Hood was coming to an end. All the pitches we came up with, for how to extend that, felt like, “Well, maybe that’s cool, but that’s a different show.” The move to Lucas’ post-sheriff life was the beginning of the end. It was the beginning of the conclusion, and trying to have a conclusion for two seasons, it felt like we would lose some of the immediacy of the storytelling. And ending with eight episodes was really a financial decision. We have a finite amount of money. To have done ten episodes at that budget, we would not have been able to deliver the action we wanted to deliver, and we wouldn’t have been able to deliver the depth of episodes that we’re accustomed to doing. So, we decided to do eight episodes and make them really rich.
[…]
Banshee TV show on Cinemax. Pictured: Eliza Dushku. Credit: Gregory Shummon/Cinemax.
Looking back on the run of the series and everything you were able to accomplish with it, what are you most proud of?
TROPPER: I’m just proud that we got a show on the air when there was no precedent for this kind of show. We pitched a show that didn’t resemble any other show, and then we executed the show in a way that it didn’t resemble any other show. On paper, this show sounded pretty insane. We somehow convinced the guys at Cinemax to let us do it, and they let us do it without really messing with it. We had a show that, in a million years, couldn’t show up on a broadcast network, and hadn’t even shown up on any of the premium networks. In the four years since, you do see a lot of other shows like that starting to happen, but I really do think that we put the kind of show on the air, with the cinematic storytelling and action that we were doing, and the kind of heightened pulp, that really carved its own niche and hadn’t been on the air before. I’m really proud of that. I don’t think I could have even done the show that I’m doing now for Cinemax, if Banshee hadn’t come first.
Banshee TV show on Cinemax. Pictured: Ivana MIlicevic. Credit: Gregory Shummon/Cinemax.
Here is the Cinemax description of the Banshee TV series finale, “Requiem.” Watch a preview, below.
Episode #38 (season 4, episode 8): “Requiem” (series finale)
Debut: FRIDAY, MAY 20 (10:00-11:00 p.m.)
Other CINEMAX playdates: May 20 (11:00 p.m., midnight), 21 (9:00 p.m., 12:20 a.m.), 22 (4:30 p.m.), 23 (8:00 p.m., 12:35 a.m.), 24 (2:25 a.m.), 25 (9:00 p.m.) and 29 (11:15 p.m.)
Resolved to leave Banshee, Lucas learns that the murder case he thought was finally closed may in fact be opening again. After a tense faceoff with Calvin and the Brotherhood, Proctor looks to finalize his deal with the Colombians. Carrie takes aim at one final act of vengeance. Brock demands allegiance from Bunker (Tom Pelphrey) as Banshee braces for an uncertain future.
Written by Jonathan Tropper; directed by Ole Christian Madsen.
BANSHEE was created by Jonathan Tropper and David Schickler; executive producers, Alan Ball, Greg Yaitanes, Jonathan Tropper, Peter Macdissi, Adam Targum, Ole Christian Madsen; producer, Robert F. Phillips.
What do you think? Are you a fan of the Banshee TV show? Is it ending at the right time, or do you wish Banshee had been renewed for a fifth season? How do you want the Banshee TV series finale to end?
Please please please please please please please please please we want another series WTF even the end wasn’t the end
Please we beg (me and my family) for more seasions atleast let us see Hood and Carrie and their daughter together as one family. Please,they have been through a lot,just that.
We definitely need more seasons of Banshee excellent series loved it
Another season!
Im corneil from south africa I really love this series with all my heart and its really heartbreaking to have found out that the executive producer is ending the series
We need banshee season 5 plzz…
Banshee season 5 !!! YES PLEASE !!!!!
I dnt want it to end! LONG LIVE LUCAS HOOD! PLEASE BRING IT BACK OR MAKE A SPIN OFF!
I want bansheeee
Wait, what?.. There was some sort of discussion about NOT ending it – after the big, bold, red letters: 1) CINEMAX PRESENTS, 2) THE FINAL SEASON
Screenshots:
1) i.imgur.com/O5RXLZm.png
&
2) i.imgur.com/1pXnIXc.png
o.0
I am absolutely mortified that Banshee has come to an end. This was hands down THE BEST series on tv EVER! There has never been anything like it… What a show!!! The final episode was absolutely insane… true Banshee style! Truly sad all the way over here in South Africa.
A lot of people tripping about this mediocre show… It’s partly the reason why we’ve not had so many great shows, in the past.
Let me guess, for example, what you might think about the AWESOMENESS called Travelers (2016- ) and or The OA (2016), heh.
This show was my life! So disappointed it had to end! I literally cried throughout episode 8. What an amazing 4 seasons though, all the way in South Africa.
Are you sure you weren’t crying, when cringing: every time there’s a oh-so-obviously-fake digital gunshot; or, for example, at the beginning of Season 2 – when she’s blasting holes through everything, coming with the motorbike and when they pack up in the vehicle to escape from her and she sprays the automatic at them, from -like- 10 meters away, not a single shot hits anywhere.
(It’s -much- worse than many Chuck Norris scenes used to be – only more ‘polished’ due to the equipment used… It, literally, makes you sick – although it’s, kinda, hard to see it. :))
*err, seems like I can’t edit: the bullet and gun physics, just, completely change in that final shot – to suit the (stupid) plot idea: bullets bounce off, or something, disappear – instead of killing them all – because 5-10 seconds prior to the ending shot, that same gun was spraying bullets through everything, blah.
Yes we get it.
This was an easy no-brainer fastpaced action series and it saddens me it ended. When I want more depth and realism I’ll watch different series.
It makes no sense to me why you need to overanalyse. Just take this series as is and if you dont like it dont watch it.
Who is this nostromov person why are you so negative and jealous whatever you editing dude no one will support nor watch it get a life bro if u dont like it keep it to yourself
I think this is one of the nest shows I’ve ever seen… So pitty it was not renewed for a 5th season, even when Hood wasn’t the sherrif anymore the story was still fantastic… and would have been fantastic if they continued… I think if they continued about Banshee itself it also still would be a great show… Much love from the Netherlands
Best*
This show was one of the best series I have ever watched on TV. I personally do not think that it has run its course, and it would be quite possible for another series to be made – but then, of course, once that one ends we would want another one !!!!!!! The story-line and the acting were excellent.
Fantastic show, I’ve loved every episode , so sad it’s ended , if that’s it for banshee , get out there and do something else , quick