What I’m Watching: Banshee

Banshee: Season 4, Episode 6 “Only One Way a Dogfight Ends” (B+)

It definitely doesn’t feel like this show is only two short hours away from signing off for good, but still it manages to get even bleaker and more disturbing with a woman showing up to the sheriff’s station and setting herself on fire and Carrie’s home being shot up by armed assassins who nearly killed her daughter. Declan is being established as a true villain representing the worst of what Banshee breeds, somehow even more horrifying because of his demonic obsession. Knocking Brock out and then taunting him before disappearing was oddly intimate, but it makes things much more worrisome since he obviously isn’t afraid to show his face. Much more problematic is the fact that he currently has Veronica tied up in his basement and Lucas is very far behind. Cutting between Lucas having sex with Veronica in the present and remembering moments of passion with Siobhan was very effective, and she really is a perfect fit for him, unapologetically explaining her drug habit and prying into his past without giving him much sympathy. I’m not what Kurt standing up to his brother is going to do, but that’s one storyline that’s primed to explode, with Proctor somehow on the good side even though all signs point to him having ordered the hit on Carrie since the loyally buyable Deputy Cruz was one of the armed intruders. Both Deva and Job defended themselves impressively, and I’m sure that Carrie has some formidable revenge planned.