Network: Cinemax
Episodes: 38 (hour)
Seasons: Four
TV show dates: January 11, 2013 — May 20, 2016
Series status: Ended
Performers include: Antony Starr, Ivana Milicevic, Ulrich Thomsen, Frankie Faison, Hoon Lee, Rus Blackwell, Matt Servitto, Demetrius Grosse, Trieste Kelly Dunn, Ryann Shane, Daniel Ross Owens, Lili Simmons, and Ben Cross.
TV show description:
This dramatic TV series is set in a small town in Pennsylvania Amish country. It revolves around an ex-con and master thief who assumes the identity of the murdered sheriff of Banshee, Pennsylvania. He imposes his own brand of justice and also continues his criminal activities, even as he’s hunted by the shadowy gangsters he betrayed years earlier.
The show begins as a man (Antony Starr) leaves prison with nothing but the shirt on his back. He makes his way into town, has sex with a local bartender and steals a car. He arrives in Manhattan to see an old acquaintance, a cross-dressing hair stylist and genius computer hacker named Job (Hoon Lee). Before leaving, he forces Job to give up an address. The man is then chased and shot at by a Ukrainian mobster through the New York City streets. He escapes, steals a motorcycle, and rides into the town of Banshee, PA.
In Banshee, he sits at a local bar and shares a drink with the bartender; an ex-con, ally, and former prizefighter named Sugar Bates (Frankie Faison). Two men walk into the bar looking to rob it, but Lucas Hood, the newly-arrived sheriff-to-be, has other ideas. Following as altercation, the thieves and the sheriff are all killed. While disposing of the bodies with Sugar, the man takes a call on Lucas’s phone and decides to his assume his identity.
The new Lucas visits the home of Carrie Hopewell (Ivana Milicevic), the wife of the town’s district attorney, a former marine named Gordon Hopewell (Rus Blackwell). Lucas and Carrie, whom he calls Ana, share a past from the life she had before arriving in Banshee. Ana was once a notorious jewel thief, but now lives in Banshee under an assumed identity with a husband and children who know nothing of her past.
Lucas wants his cut of the diamonds they stole from a ruthless Ukrainian gangster named “Mr. Rabbit” (Ben Cross). Rabbit has been searching for the thieves for 15 years and continues to do so. She pleads with him to just leave her and her family alone, including her rebellious teenage daughter, Deva Hopewell (Ryann Shane).
Lucas has Job hack into law enforcement databases to verify his cover. He meets with Dan Kendall (Daniel Ross Owens), the town’s young mayor, and is introduced to the sheriff’s deputies. Surly by nature, Brock Lotus (Matt Servitto) is the department’s longest-serving deputy and resents Lucas for getting the job he wanted. Siobhan Kelly (Trieste Kelly Dunn) has put her painful past behind her to become a cop and Emmett Yawners (Demetrius Grosse) is a strong, devoutly Christian man who can kick ass when he needs to.
While making rounds with Brock, Lucas springs to action when he sees a group of local thugs, the Moody boys, beating up a group of Amish men. Kai Proctor (Ulrich Thomsen), the man who controls all of Banshee’s criminal enterprises and most of its legal ones, arrives and puts a halt to the fight. He forces Cole Moody to apologize to one of the Amish men, who happens to be Kai’s estranged father. Later, in Proctor’s slaughterhouse, he savagely beats Cole.
Episode #38 — Requiem
Proctor faces off with Calvin and the Brotherhood outside his home. He has a secret weapon: Senator Mitchum, a leader in the Brotherhood’s national ranks. The Senator reminds Calvin and his cohorts that the Brotherhood goes far beyond Banshee, Pennsylvania. He instructs them to make Proctor’s drug delivery their “first and only priority,” installing a new leader over Calvin.
Before heading off to college, Deva confides in Lucas, saying with everything that has happened, she doubts she’ll thrive in a place as “normal” as college. Lucas assures her that she has time to figure everything out, adding that now he’ll always know where to find her and promising that he will always find her.
After questioning Lilith at the Banshee Sheriff’s Department, Dawson tells Lucas that she thinks someone else murdered Rebecca and made it look like one of Declan’s kills. On a hunch, they go search Proctor’s property, discovering a secret basement in the tool shed. There is blood residue, and Lucas finds Rebecca’s necklace. He rushes off without Dawson in search of Proctor.
Bunker gets a call from Carrie, informing him that Proctor’s trade with the Colombian Cartel is about to go down. Brock overhears the phone call and demands to be let in on the vigilante-style bust.
At the Banshee airport, Proctor meets with Cartel member Loera to hand off the drugs. The deal comes to a sudden halt when Proctor opens the truck carrying his supply, only to find Carrie and Job in the vehicle. When Loera moves to shoot them, Brock fires an RPG Missile at the truck, sending the drug stash up in flames. Carrie, Job and Brock escape, and after killing Loera and his men, Proctor and Burton speed away from the scene as well.
As Proctor and Burton drive towards Banshee, Lucas barrels his car into them, sending Proctor’s vehicle tumbling off the road. Burton is knocked unconscious by the fall, leaving Proctor unprotected. When Lucas accuses him of the murder, Proctor is genuinely shocked. It dawns on both men that the only other person who could possibly be responsible is Burton. When Lucas turns to look for Burton, he finds only a pair of glasses.
Burton appears suddenly and launches an attack on Lucas. Outclassed in the fight, Lucas wins by sheer force of will and anger. He breaks Burton’s back before placing him in front of Proctor and walking away. Burton confesses that he killed Rebecca because she was destroying Proctor’s empire. As Burton weeps, Proctor breaks his neck.
Calvin finds Bunker and Maggie together outside of Brock’s house. Sending Maggie inside, Bunker threatens to shoot Calvin but can’t bring himself to do it. The two brothers go at each other, fighting tooth and nail. Bunker is able to get the upper hand and leaves Calvin beaten on the ground. Unwilling to call a truce, Calvin threatens that the Brotherhood will make sure Bunker and Maggie suffer. Pushed to the edge, Bunker shoots his brother dead.
Dawson seeks Lucas out to say goodbye. Before heading out of town, she leaves an FBI report in Lucas’ room—his file.
Back at the Banshee Sheriff’s Department, Brock sits Bunker down to discuss the future of law enforcement in the town. Recognizing that Bunker isn’t willing to be fully honest with him about how Calvin died, Brock tells Bunker that they need to be able to trust each other going forward.
Cartel forces descend on Proctor’s home in retaliation for his failed drug deal with Loera, and Proctor meets them in his driveway, an AR-15 in hand.
Lucas finds Carrie at her home and tells her that he’s planning to hit the road. He asks if she wants to come with him, but he already knows her answer: Max is coming home and she’s going to stay in Banshee. The two embrace and share a final kiss before he says goodbye.
Lucas sits with Sugar for a final drink. Also at the bar, Job tells the two men that he’s “gettin’ while the gettin’s good.” He has a parting gift for Sugar – a bag full of money for Sugar’s retirement.
Lucas gets on the motorcycle he first drove into Banshee and rides past the “Welcome to Banshee” sign out onto the open road. (Courtesy Cinemax.)
First aired: May 20, 2016.
What do you think? Do you like the Banshee TV series? Do you think it should have ended with season four? Would you have watched a fifth season?
Great show, as close to actual life as it gets. Crying shame it was canceled. Nothing else like it on the tube. Bring it back
I loved this show as well and wish they would bring it back as well!