What I’m Watching: Banshee (Season Finale)

Banshee: Season 1, Episode 10 “A Mixture of Madness” (A-)

This episode was all kinds of awesome, and it makes me want season two right away. I realized earlier this week that this currently ranks as my most anticipated show of the week, a testament to its quality and appeal. This episode reached new violent heights that seemed previously impossible, due mostly to the brutal choking of the assassin sent to kill Kai and the shooting of one of Rabbit’s henchmen in the leg. There simply is no one quite as cool under pressure as Lucas, who managed to survive the predicament he was left in at the end of the previous episode thanks to some timely interference by Kai, then defiantly handed Brock the sheriff’s badge before turning himself in to Rabbit to save Max. Carrie comes in a close second for that description, of course, and it’s clear that she wowed the police in her presence when she took down multiple henchmen in mere seconds. The sight of Carrie, Job, Sugar, and the cops running in guns hot to save Lucas was terrific, and it truly was an epic battle. Brock getting shot will likely give him a newfound kinship with Lucas, who was admittedly in much worse shape. Rabbit’s death was quick and in many ways appropriately unmemorable, and now Lucas and Carrie will have to deal with the FBI looking into them and the body with a hole in the hand they just unearthed. Kai has now enlisted Rebecca into the business by having her push the button that detonated the building, and I’m eager to see what comes next. Alex may be Kai’s nemesis, but his sister should prove a formidable foe too. I liked her response to Alex feeling violated by the delivery to her door, and I think she’ll have a greater role to play next season. It’s always a great idea to start a finale of any sort with a relevant flashback, and seeing Lucas bond with Anastasia Griffith’s social worker was superb, right up until the moment where she creepily delivered Rabbit’s message for him. This has been a stellar first season, and I can’t wait to see what comes next.

Season grade: A-
Season MVP: Ulrich Thomsen as Kai