banshee (tv series)

this entry is about banshee, the action series that aired for four seasons between 2013 and 2016.

you find yourself wondering what could possibly happen in this small (and fictional) town called banshee in pennsylvania, but right from the very first episodes the show proves there's no limit to it. the people living in this town where almost everyone knows everyone else should count themselves lucky if they can make it home at the end of the day without getting their faces smashed in. this production, where crimes you couldn't dream up in your wildest imagination come to life, pulls you in like a magnet no matter how hard you try to keep your distance; before you know it, four seasons have flown by like water.

this production, which pushes and even crosses the limits of violence, sex, bloodshed, and cliches, is the kind of show that brings out the dexter inside you and polishes it up. the interesting thing is that while you're criticizing the show's cliches, at a certain point you yourself fall for the charm of those very cliches.

when i started watching the first season, the scenes that hit like a slap and the cliche lines that stuck out here and there had pushed me away from the show, but as i started to bond with the characters, my enjoyment of the production grew too. as a matter of fact, when you evaluate the show independently of its plot and screenplay, you notice it's quite a high-quality piece of work from a cinematic standpoint, but the story is so dominant and attention-grabbing that its visual and technical success often stays in the background. maybe what really keeps you watching is precisely this technical quality.

on the writing side, the fact that jonathan tropper and david schickler come from novelist backgrounds adds serious depth to the story. and we shouldn't forget the contribution of alan ball in the producer's chair.

despite all the criticisms, the logical flaws, and the at-times over-the-top storytelling, thanks to its strong performances, high tension, and gripping story it's turned out to be one of those productions that deserves to be watched.

what follows counts as a spoiler...

--spoiler--
the show's plot begins with an unnamed diamond thief, fresh out after serving 15 years in prison, taking on the identity of the newly killed sheriff and becoming the sheriff of the town of banshee in pennsylvania. this man, who comes to town to find his ex-girlfriend and partner in crime anastasia, is forced to confront his past all over again. anastasia, meanwhile, is living a quiet family life under a new identity, but the ghosts of the past, the dangerous mob boss mr. rabbit in particular, won't stop chasing them.

another important figure in town is kai proctor, the powerful crime boss who left the amish community. in the story you also witness the crimes of various groups, like a biker gang, a native american group, and a nazi community. the fake sheriff lucas hood tries to enforce the law by his own methods on one hand, while carrying the burden of his crime-filled past on the other.

in this show, which gives me the feeling i'm watching a modern lucky luke story, i think the character i empathized with most was lucas hood; justice sometimes isn't served through laws, and hood is a character who proves this nicely. i think the side characters are handled with a lot of care too. in fact, after a while you become knowledgeable enough about each of them to do a long, drawn-out character analysis. watch out; at a certain point you might start to feel like one of the natives of this small, bloody town yourself.
--spoiler--