TV Series: Banshee Season 3

After the (final) death of Mr. Rabbit at the end of the second season, this season's main theme is a war between Kai Proctor and the Redbone faction of the Kinaho tribe. As is to be expected, Sheriff Lucas Hood is caught in the middle. Chayton Littlefellow wants revenge for the murder of Alex Longshadow. He blames Kai for the murder, but it was actually Kai's niece Rebecca acting independently. She's developed a taste for murder that's so vicious that she even shocks Kai.

The season opens with the Banshee Police Department taking revenge for the murder of Deputy Emmett at the end of the last season. The white supremacist Hondo thinks he's going to be arrested and boasts that he'll be acquitted, but they execute him. Significantly, Deputy Brock fires the first bullet, even though he usually insists on doing things by the book. Then Deputy Siobhan fires, and Sheriff Lucas Hood waits until last.

In my first post about "Banshee" I said that Lucas Hood's real name is John Smith. I have to take that back. When he was arrested in New York he refused to give his real name, and he called himself John Smith. That was the name he used in prison, but the name was just as fake as Lucas Hood. Maybe even faker. As Lucas Hood he at least has a falsified driver's license with his name on it. As John Smith he had no proof of identity.

I can't begin to describe the level of violence in "Banshee". Alex Longshadow's sister Nola comes to Kai Proctor's mansion to assassinate him. After attacking Kai's servant, Clay Burton, with a tomahawk there's a long fight. Burton manages to kill her. That's a pity, because she was one of my favourite characters. There are many secrets in her past that probably won't be revealed now. All we know is that she used to be a heroin addict, but Chayton helped her overcome her addiction. I'm more interested in knowing what she did while she was away from the reservation.

Deputy Emmett's replacement is Billy Raven, a native of the Kinaho tribe. This leads to tensions in the tribal war. He's repeatedly called a traitor because he "takes orders from a white man".

Another new deputy is Kurt Bunker, a reformed white supremacist. He hasn't been able to remove his tattoos. Everyone judges him by his appearance. Wouldn't you? Never mind the other tattoos, he should just remove the swastika from his cheek. The other tattoos are hidden by his uniform.

Another new character is Aimee King, a member of the Kinaho Police Department. She's actually the only member, apart from her boss who prefers not to do anything. She's friends with Chayton, even though she disagrees with his goals. Chayton's ultimate goal is to drive the white men off the Indian land that they've been occupying for 500 years. Getting rid of Kai Proctor (the most powerful man in Banshee) is just the first step.

I should have mentioned Sugar Bates before. He was Lucas Hood's first friend in Banshee, and he's also his landlord. He was a former boxing champion and an ex-convict. Now he owns a bar on the outskirts of town. He also witnessed the real sheriff getting shot in his bar, so he knows Lucas Hood's secrets.

Lucas finally told Deva that he's her father at the end of the second season. The first father-daughter bonding takes place in the third season. Lucas catches Deva shoplifting, so he tells her what she's doing wrong. She uses this knowledge to perform a successful night-time robbery a few days later. She's not selfish. She steals an expensive computer game that her brother wants.

FBI Special Agent Robert Phillips is the first to discover that Lucas Hood isn't the real sheriff. Lucas does what he must to keep his secret hidden. Unfortunately, Siobhan reads Phillips' report, which puts a strain on her relationship with Lucas.

Kai Proctor is a complicated man. In his mansion he has a chapel, hidden behind a secret door in his cellar. He never allows anyone else to enter, until he meets Emily Lotus, the woman caring for his sick mother. She's also Deputy Brock's ex-wife. Everyone knows everyone in a small town like Banshee.

The fifth episode is an homage to "Assault on Precinct 13". Kai Proctor has been arrested for assaulting a police officer. (Actually Sheriff Hood hit him first, but let's forget the details). Chayton and the Redbones attack the police station to get him. Lucas gives Kai a gun so that he can help defend the station. It's an incredible siege that lasts for the whole episode.

"Banshee" is unique in so many different ways. It deserved more attention when it was first broadcast. Let's hope people will discover it on Blu-ray.

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