Episode Title: “Little Fish”
Writer: Jonathan Tropper
Director: Greg Yaitanes
Previously on “Banshee:”
Episode1.10 “A Mixture of Madness”
“Hypnotically gruesome.” That’s how Antony Starr, who plays “Lucas Hood,” described “Banshee” and it’s a pretty accurate statement. However, this season two premiere actually feels a little tame.
“Little Fish,” a reference by new baddie, Agent Jim Racine (played by perennial TV villain, Zeljko Ivanek), to the small town woes of Banshee’s Sheriff’s department, resets things somewhat. Obsessed with finding “Rabbit,” Racine sends Agent Xavier packing and puts the pressure on Carrie (Ivana Milicevic) to give up her father’s whereabouts. Considering the fact that she put a couple bullets in him, Carrie is just as invested in capturing the elusive Rabbit as Racine is.
Though he arrives in Banshee with a chip on his shoulder and a complete dismissal of the non-smoking policy of every building he enters, Racine lets the Banshee Sheriff’s department off easy. His interest in Hood goes as far as Rabbit’s zealous attempt to kill the sheriff. The seasoned fed knows Hood and his crew are probably giving him a bunch of B.S. about what happened with Rabbit and his men, but he also knows there’s no point in wasting time on it.
On the one hand, Racine’s course of action is a pleasant surprise, as Sheriff Hood already has plenty of enemies to contend with, including Rabbit, who according to Racine, is still alive (the fed later pays Rabbit’s priest brother a visit on the job to let him know he’s coming for both of them) and Amish gangster, Kai Proctor. At the same time, some exciting developments from the season finale remain unaddressed. In particular, the YouTube video of Hood taking on MMA fighter, Damien Sanchez, which the real Sheriff Hood’s son came across in the finale. As for the real Hood’s remains, Job (Hoon Lee) and Sugar (Frankie Faison) manage to steal them back from the coroner, which seems a little too easy.
While some of Hood’s headaches from last season may have gone away, Carrie’s outing as the daughter of a Ukrainian gangster has caused some major upheaval within her family. Husband and D.A. Gordon Hopewell (Rus Blackwell) has no plans to bail his wife out of her the mess she’s in with Racine and he’s tapped Deputy Brock Lotus (Matt Servitto) to keep an eye on Sheriff Hood, whom Carrie denies having an affair with, under oath.
As for Carrie’s daughter, Deva (Ryann Shane), she’s following in mom’s footsteps, boosting a pair of earrings at the mall and then threatening the security guard who collared her with a false sexual harassment claim. It’s bad behavior, for sure, but considering all the craziness that goes on in Banshee, it’s nothing to blink an eye at. Also getting up to no good is Kai Proctor’s niece, Rebecca (Lili Simmons) who after further consideration, chooses traipsing around her uncle’s mansion in revealing underwear over living on her family’s Amish farm.
In the midst of some serious federal heat and plenty of personal conflict, Hood and his thieving friends decide to hit one of the Kinaho Moon Casino’s armored trucks. The heist is initially successful, but the crew’s escape is derailed when casino head, Alex Longshadow’s sister, Nola (Odette Annable) tails the gang on a motorcycle and starts firing away. Later, Hood returns to the scene in the capacity of sheriff to investigate. but Alex Longshadow (Anthony Ruivivar) claims no knowledge of the shooter’s identity.
The events of last season lead to a definite shift in alliances and relationships as “Banshee” heads into this second outing, but there’s no real urgency to Hood’s situation, at least as far as he sees it. While Job thinks it’s long past time he and his pal left town, Hood can’t leave Carrie, as she’s all he’s ever known. At the same time, that doesn’t stop him from sleeping with Nola, who propositions him at Sugar’s bar.
Maybe it’s that shows like “Dexter” and “Breaking Bad” were so good at playing the “secret identity” card that makes Lucas Hood’s situation feel less intense, despite how nuts it is. Also, “Banshee” is a very different kind of show, which is definitely a good thing. Gritty, violent and pulpy, “Banshee” is indeed “hypnotically gruesome.” And this premiere sets the scene for a season that should live up to those words.
