Wow ! Banshee’s latest episode, "Tribal" was absolutely outstanding. It was one of the best hour on television I’ve ever watched in my entire life. It was so intense, so brutal and so real.
I’d have never expected Banshee to get this brilliant when it first aired. It’s crazy and amazing how much this show has evolved and improved over its three seasons, and it’s only the half of the third season. The acting, the writing, the directing, everything has been getting really better.
This season is definitively the best. We have reached the half of the season and it really feels like a whole season has passed. So much has happened since the season has started, the last two episodes felt like penultimate episodes and "Tribal" totally felt like a season finale. So much happened, it kept me on edge for the whole hour.
The action of "Tribal" mostly took place inside the Cadi, having all the characters trapped and under attacked was a great idea from the writers. It gave pure and crazy action scenes with real tension and also, it gave more insights on many characters and on their relationships. Of course, there was Hood and Siobhan, but also Alison and Bunker, were particularly touching.
The first shooting against the Cadi was totally crazy. It felt so real, bullets flew from everything, the noise was deafening. They were lucky not to be shot during the attack, Kurt’s bullet in his shoulder didn’t look that threatening. The radios were fried, Hood locked down the Cadi so Chayton and his men couldn’t get in. They soon understood Chayton was after Raven, for killing his young brother and Proctor, for well everything Proctor did…
Hood was really great in that scene, first telling Chayton to fuck off, showing he wasn’t afraid of him and his gunned men ; and then when he said they had to stick together. He might not be a real sheriff but he knows damn well how to survive and to protect people, he totally proved it during “Tribal”.... until the end, but let’s not get your tissues right now, I’ll get to that later.
The second attack on the Cadi, after the lights went out, was even crazier, and more bloody. The tension was so high inside the Cadi before the shooting, everyone feeling trap, with no way to contact the state police. Then, Chayton and his men were shooting with their big gun against the Cadi’s gates. Proctor’s lawyer tried to get his client out of his jail cell, he was a real devoted lawyer, putting his client’s priorities over his. He ultimately gave his life for Proctor, getting shot in the head while trying to open the cell. Kai always picks the right people to work with him.
Poor ADA Alison was in shock watching Proctor's lawyer head exploded, that was understandable but she made a terrible mistake: leaning against another prison cell. The prisoner tried to strangle her and she was about do die when Proctor killed him and saved her. It’s always a good idea to save the ADA’s life when she will be prosecuted you. She’ll sure remember she owns you her life. And Alison was so great in that episode, it would have been a shame to watch her die like that.
I very much enjoyed Alison and Bunker’s interaction during “Tribal”. First, after being hit in the back, Bunker revealed his sexy big muscles and mostly Nazi tattoos all over his torso. I loved Alison, and also Brock’s face when they saw it. They clearly didn’t expect it.
I was happy to see Bunker back, Tom Pelphrey is so good at playing this taciturn character, there is something quite touching in his voice and his eyes. He really gives something powerful to Bunker's character. And he is damn sexy.
Bunker and Alison were both very touching when they shared their past. Alison revealed when she was 16, she witnessed her father being violently beaten and put into a coma by racists. So, she didn’t believe in Bunker’s redemption. In her mind, a man can’t change this radically. He had all this hate against people, so much hate he had to tattoo it everywhere on himself, so all that hate had to be a part of him. It was such a powerful speech she gave, and so true.
Bunker’s answer and revelation was also very touching. He never was a Nazi, or a racist actually. He was a young and impressionable kid, who was beaten by his father. So, when he met a skinhead who took care of him and made him feel special, he became one of them. It wasn’t any excuse for what he used to be, but it made it more comprehensible and actually more believable he could actually change. He never has strong racist convictions.
Alison didn’t excuse him, but she did save his life when some of Chayton’s men attacked them in the basement. It was a very powerful scene, first because I feared for a second Bunker would die and it would have broken my heart and then because it was actually Alison, the black woman who never shot a gun before who saved his life. She didn’t excuse him but she didn’t let her hate prevent her from saving his life.
One of the other interaction I’ve enjoyed from Tribal was of rouse Hood and Siobhan, but also Hood and Proctor. After beating the crap out of him last week and put him in jail, because he thought he was leaving, Hood had to team up with Kai and it was explosive ! So great.
First, when Kai was still in his cell, he reminded Hood he once saved him in that same Cadi from gunned men, but Hood wasn’t going to give Proctor to Chayton anyways. He wants him to pay for what he did, not just be killed by an angry cruel murderer. Hood and Proctor teamed up to prevent Chayton from getting in, using a car to open the gate of the Cadi. Chayton and his men were really willing to do anything to get in and they were very ressourceful (and the Cadi was a terrible place, not secure at all).
I loved Hood and Proctor’s lines about not having a problem tonight, that was so cool. They are both such great characters, great antagonists. and yet someway similar characters. They killed some of Chayton’s men and Hood blew the car off so the Cadi was safe for some more minutes…. until they got attacked in the basement, where Alison saved Bunker’s life. It was clear they needed to get out and get some help because they couldn’t stay in the same way any longer. Chayton would finally get inside the Cadi and a blood bath was likely to happen in that case.
Brock and Siobhan's speeches to Hood sure pushed him into making his decision, to leave the Cadi and seek help himself. But Proctor stopped him. He would do it. Before leaving, his possible last words to Hood were excellent. Guess, they will have unfinished business. I was actually afraid for a moment Kai would die, especially after those gunshots and then nothing… But they couldn't kill off Proctor off screen like that.
It was really hard to wait, until he finally reappeared, in his mother’s room, discovering her body. She was dying during the whole attack on the Cadi, Kai couldn’t be with her during her last moments… I’m sure he will make Chayton pay for this. And he won’t be the only one wanting to make Chayton pay for what he did. We all want him to suffer, after he has made us, and mostly Hood, suffer so much in “Tribal”. Chayton put an end to one the most beautiful, sincere and touching relationships of the show. It was so cruel and painful, especially after everything that happened, to watch Siobhan die at his hands.
I was very surprised when Siobhan finally learnt the truth about Hood. I didn’t know what to expect, I was sure she won’t turn him in because she always had deep feelings for him and she had acknowledged his strength and aptitude despite not being a real cop.
Of course, she was angry for being lied to. I loved their lines in the basement, trying to put back the lights on, and he asked her to trust him. Her line “do you have any idea how ridiculous that sounds” and Hood’s anwser “yes” were brilliant. But, everything that Hood did, especially in "Tribal", has showed how great he is as a leader, as a sheriff, even if he doesn’t always respect the law. He is the right man to protect Banshee.
Hood and Siobhan's scene in his office was one of the best scenes of Banshee. Antony Starr never felt so real, and so touching. I’d have never expected him to make him cry just with his eyes and his trembling voice. He was so perfect, showing Hood’s vulnerability at the thought of losing Siobhan. His sincerity broke my heart, especially when he said, about getting to know everything about himself "if you want to… you will”. And it worked on Siobhan too. I was so thrilled and happy they could find an understatement and they could go on someway. I was a bit jealous she got to know Hood’s real name and we didn’t I must say.
HOOD AND Siobhan
And that was what alarmed me even more. First, she knew about Hood's being a fake and now she gets to know his real name. I feared now they had come to a reunion, she would be taken away from him. Because Hood is a doomed character, he never gets what he wants but he always keeps on fighting for it. That’s what makes him a great character. So, when Raven decided to come to term with Chayton by showing up the hole in the Cadi's gates and got shot by an arrow in no tim and Siobhan ran towards him and jumped on him to save, I was so stressed. The whole scene was in slow motion, it made me even more terrified Siobhan would take that second arrow in the head. I was so relieved when they both feel down, and only Raven was still hurt. What a stupid idea he had btw. Chayton is a warrior, of course he had to shot him, he never wanted to talk with Raven.
Siobhan put Raven in a safe place and made the fatal mistake of giving him her gun. And then, all hell broke loose. When Siobhan walked down to the basement, she noticed one of the prisoner was missing from his cell, so she took a big knife to defend herself and got attacked by the prisoner. Her fight was absolutely thrilling and great. She was so bad ass, slice the man's balls. I was so proud of her, so happy she killed the man so when Chayton appeared behind her, walking silently towards her, I totally panicked. The music was even more stressful. I think I had my hand on my mouth during the whole scene. I could not do anything else to watch my screen and just think “do not kill her”.
And then Banshee broke my heart. Hood walked on Chayton strangling Siobhan. It was so heart breaking to watch Hood helpless, watching the woman he loves about to be killed and Siohban begging for her life. Banshee never has been so cruel and cold. That silence after the horrible sound of Siobhan's neck breaking was perfect. It was so shocking, I think I just froze for some time. The silence was only broken by the sirens of the state police, arriving too late. Hood rushing towards her body and Antony Starr finished breaking my heart into pieces. Antony Starr never has been so great in Banshee.
I still can't believe Siobhan is dead. Sure, it was kind of expected ever since she knew about Hood's real identity, it was hard to keep her alive. Sharing Hood's secret would have changed a lot about the show, Hood's relationship with her and with his crew never would have been the same. Now, she is dead, Hood will be changed forever.
Have you recovered from “Tribal” yet ? What are you thinking ? Hit the comments !
Notes :
- Hood hired Bunker right away, I loved it. He always this ability to react very fast.
- “We don’t have emergency lights !” What a terrible place that Cadi.
- Brock and Hood’s talk was very intense. Loved Brock’s face when Hood asked for his badge. He didn’t see it coming. But, now Siobhan was murdered, that will change their dynamic again. Still, Brock’s line “everything you touched turns to blood” to Hood was very and sadly accurate.
- Rebecca’s hallucinations with her dead grandmother were scary right ? Something is so wrong in that young lady’s head.
- So no Carrie and no Job… Rewatching the episode, I wish that Job would have came and killed that motherfucker before he could have broken Siobhan’s neck… I missed you so much Job.
- How crazy amazing Antony Starr was in that episode. He has really improved his acting skills since the first season, and that final image of him sitting and so angery and torn was so strong. I’m amazed how many emotions he can give just with his body and his eyes.
- Goodbye Trieste Kelly Dunn, I will miss you very much on Banshee... I hope we'll see Siobhan again in some flashbacks...
