Thursday, May 12, 2016

What I’m Watching: Banshee

Banshee: Season 4, Episode 5 “A Little Late to Grow a Pair” (B+)

Somehow, this show continues to get darker and darker as it goes, showing the true evils of humanity within the small geographical area that is Banshee. Frederick Weller’s cult killer is a different kind of villain than we’ve seen so far on this show, one interested in indiscriminate violence because of a delusion that he’s doing something he’s supposed to rather than motivated merely by a desire for money, power, or revenge. Brock calling him a freak on television hardly seems like it will help, and I’m not sure what this show is trying to prove or say by literally giving him horns on his forehead so that he’s physically deformed. Randall’s first act after getting out of prison was a particularly brutal one, and it’s a wonder that Calvin lasted the whole episode before putting down his twisted father-in-law. This is a sort of “Silence of the Lambs” situation where the murderous neo-Nazi isn’t the bad guy since he’s not ritually killing people or ripping them in half. Proctor, on the other hand, is becoming less and less sympathetic, cutting off all possibility of commerce and livelihood for his Amish family when they show up demanding Rebecca’s body back, a cruel action that only hurts them and doesn’t benefit him aside from bolstering his pride. It’s fascinating to see Veronica and Lucas bond as they both dive deep into the underground seediness of Banshee, and I think they’re very close to finding the truth and unearthing even more terrible things going on in their town.

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