Pilot Review: Banshee

Banshee (Cinemax)
Premiered January 11 at 10pm

I had absolutely no expectations for this show since I had only seen billboard advertisements, and previous popular Cinemax series like “Hunted” and “Strike Back” never appealed to me too much. I was therefore very pleased to see a fully involving first hour with plenty of action and high-octane developments. The car chase in New York City provided an intense start, and that scene in the bar in Banshee with the new sheriff was absolutely terrific, definitely indicative of great potential for this show. I’m excited to see Ulrich Thomsen, the Danish actor who had a great part in the Oscar-winning foreign film “In a Better World,” as Banshee’s local mob boss, Kai Proctor, who, among other things, has a Pennsylvania Dutch father and sexual fantasies involving his people’s dress. Matt Servitto is another fantastic member of the cast, continuing in his trend of playing law enforcement officials, robbed of his opportunity to be promoted to sheriff and jealous of the man who did get the job. The show is, of course, all about the man now know as Lucas Hood, played by New Zealand-born Antony Starr. While he’s hardly the warmest or most talkative person, he’s definitely a superb protagonist, making his mark with his exceptional physical prowess and fearlessness in more than one scene in this premiere. And that doesn’t even address Mr. Rabbit, who it seems possesses some seriously twisted impulses for revenge. Hoon Lee steals all of his scenes as the resourceful Job, and the other connection to Lucas’ old life, Carrie, is portrayed by Ivana Milicevic, fresh off her stint as Diane Desmond on “Vegas.” This show has so many mesmerizing working parts, and it’s enticing on many levels. I’m hooked.

How will it work as a series? This pilot had plenty of extra action because it had to set up the action, but considering that it took a concept that could have been explained away quite easily and made it utterly captivating, I think that this show is definitely going to be worth watching, especially as Mr. Rabbit starts catching up with the new sheriff of Banshee.
How long will it last? I’m having trouble finding ratings reports for this first episode, but it strikes me that this show is exactly the kind of programming that Cinemax wants to airing right now, and I suspect that they’ll invest considerable energy in trying to keep it on the air. A season two renewal wouldn’t surprise me.

Pilot grade: B+