Duke here.
My Attorney, who just happens to be the purveyor of this website has been pushing for weeks to get me watch a show called “Banshee”.
He told me the plot over the phone in a nutshell while I was walking down the sidewalk in the best city in the world NYC.
I was busy and caught bits and pieces…
– ex-con getting out of prison
– diamond heist went wrong
– Ukrainian gangsters, woman he loves
– identity theft
– Amish town
– and an Albino.
Didn’t think much of the description.
Then he sent me a clip of the Albino prison fight.
Brutal!
How the fuck can all these plot points come together in a cohesive show?
So I got Season 1 & 2,
made myself a Singapore Sling, poured myself a Mezcal, threw on the band Amish Outlaws in the background and hit play.
As I watched it I was transfixed.
It was incredible.
I knew it was going to be good just after the first opening scene with the shot of Antony Starr’s (Lucas Hood) foot coming down on that first step of freedom outside the prison gate. That slight hesitation.
Great film making is in the subtle details. Those who don’t pick up on them have no business watching a show like this.
Subtlety makes a great show. Just that pilot had me speechless.
I wanted more.
After the episode ended, I loaded a new one…
and then another…
then another…
It was crack drama.
After 48 hours (and as of this writing) I’m up to Season 2 E04.
I can say that EVERYONE in this show is great.
The acting, the writing, the character development.
Movies are obsolete. All the good writers are on cable shows.
A couple of things off the top of my head:
I’m a guy and every film guy loves a good fight scene. And “Banshee” does not disappoint.
An ER Doctor could make a good living in Banshee.
Then there’s the women of Banshee:
– Ivana Milicevic
– Trieste Kelly Dunn
– Lili Simmons
– Chelsea Cardwell
Just to name a few.
Every one of them knows who her character is and it comes across perfectly. They pull no punches (well sometimes) as to what they want. And they know what to do to get it.
Let me talk about the elephant in the room, I know you’re all waiting for it … the sex.
Is it prolific…yes.
Is it explicit…yes.
Is it gratuitous…in my opinion no.
C’mon readers, people have sex all the time.
This is a physical show and the sex is physical. Most cases it’s integral to the characters dynamic.
The other characters I like,
– Frankie Faison (Sugar) a great “Obi Wan” to Lucas,
– Hoon Lee (Job) the brains who gets things done, the deputies who have his back and he has there’s becoming a cohesive unit.
I like the tension between Hood and Deputy Kelly.
Again subtleties.
And of course…Ben Cross (Chariots of Fire, Dance with a Stranger) in all his icy glory.
I can go on and on about this show.
But I’m late for E05 and the ice is melting in my Singapore Sling.
Thank God the Mezcal is arm pit warm.
Duke out.