Banshee (2013–2016) User Reviews (535)

My favorite guilty pleasure

[gogoschka-1 · 8/10 · 8 August 2014]

Every once in a while a show comes along that catches you completely off guard; you only want to check out the pilot because you've read a comment or two on IMDb comparing it to some other show you kinda like – and BOOM: you're blown away. That's what happened to me with 'Banshee'.

It's amazing this show hasn't found a bigger audience. It has its fans, sure, but as far as the amount of steady viewers is concerned, it's nowhere near playing in the big leagues – yet. When I started to watch the first episode, I expected a decent, but low budget 'neo-noir' crime show with some sexy women and a few good shoot-outs. What I got instead is high-octane pulp cinema that gets your heart pumpin' with adrenalin from the first second, and an opening chase/shoot-out that wouldn't have to hide behind any mega-budget action production Hollywood has churned out recently.

Needless to say, I was hooked. This show is raw, gritty, brutal and over-the-top; it's got everything most action films lack these days – and it's absolutely NOT PG-13. Granted, it's pulpy, trashy, sometimes even down-right ridiculous – but I loved every minute of it so far. The production values are among the best I've seen on TV and the cast is fantastic. Up until now, every episode felt like an injection of pure testosterone (and let's be honest: sometimes, that's just what the doctor ordered). My favorite guilty pleasure at the moment. 8 stars out 10.

Favorite films: http://www.IMDb.com/list/mkjOKvqlSBs/

Lesser-known Masterpieces: http://www.imdb.com/list/ls070242495/

Favorite Low-Budget and B-movies: http://www.imdb.com/list/ls054808375/

Favorite TV-Shows reviewed: http://www.imdb.com/list/ls075552387/

Hooked from 1st episode

[davidnewell-1 · 9/10 · 20 July 2021]

What a great show to watch Has it all Job was a great character and scene stealer

Was good that they limited it to just 4 seasons rather than try and endlessly put bad seasons in.

'Skinamax' indeed!

[info-80807 · 7/10 · 25 September 2022]

This show has few culturally redeeming qualities: but it sure is fun to watch.

The plot is absurd, the violence and sex are excessive, and disbelief is completely suspended. But, I really enjoy it.

And, bear with me, there is some good acting. Sure, most of it is way way over the top. But there are some well done moments. Frankie Faison & Hoon Lee really shine. Even pretty boy Antony Starr gets some good lines.

I give a lot of credit to the show runners for putting - and keeping - this series together. If you like this, check out 'Warrior'.

Note: there are scenes that are a millimeter from soft-core porn. I'd caution against watching this on a fight, or near anyone for that matter :)

Loved It

[Rob1331 · 10/10 · 16 September 2023]

The best way to describe Banshee is that it is just a flat out awesome show and a must watch! It's become one of my favorite shows of all-time. Everything about this show is excellent, the acting, writing, directing, production, cinematography, etc are all as good as it gets. I can not overstate just how good this show really is. It's one of the rare shows where every season is just as good as the others. It's about a recently paroled thief as he witnesses and then takes over the identity of a Sheriff in Banshee, Pa. Named Lucas Hood, and where his former girlfriend and partner now lives under a fake identity herself and has started a family. It follows Lucas as he tries to reunite with his girlfriend, keep his secret identity as the Sheriff and do that job well and also resume his life as a thief. He does all that will hunted by gangsters he betrayed before he went to prison and their mob boss (who also happens to be his old partner/girlfriends father). As I have already said, this has become one of my favorite shows ever and will probably be one of yours to!

Underrated!

[Supermanfan-13 · 10/10 · 17 March 2020]

Banshee is absolutely, without a doubt, one of the best shows ever created! I really can't say enough about this amazing show that hasn't already been said. I know people say this about a ton of different shows but Banshee really is one of the most underrated shows ever! I absolutely LOVE this show so if you haven't seen it yet do yourself a favor and go watch it, and if you've already seen it go watch it again!

Almost everthing you've read or heard is true

[ninja-turtle · 10/10 · 17 February 2019]

The story is unbelievable. The action, fights (some of the best choreographed fights ever in any medium), sex, language are all WAY over the top, sometimes to the point of ridiculousness. But that is what set this show apart from anything else on television and what makes it so worth watching. Is it for everyone? Probably not. But the characters...the good ones and the bad ones (and most of the main ones are a little of both) are all outstanding as are the actors that portray them. I watched Banshee from the first airing and it instantly became one of my favorite shows ever and at the end of each episode I couldn't wait for the next. If you are a fan of 80's & 90's action movies then this is a show you need to watch.

The best action show no one is watching

[Meatball_McGee · 10/10 · 16 January 2015]

Banshee has recently started its third season, yet if you search for online reviews of the show from the major entertainment sites, you'll find almost none. Which is a crying shame, because for any one who loves good action shows, Banshee is a must watch. There's a reason, despite being on a premium channel not many people watch, that Banshee has lasted this long. And that reason is sheer awesome badassery.

First off, being a premium show (and a Cinemax one at that), Banshee is chock full of gratuitous nudity and sex (which, not to sound dirty, is of pretty high quality). And there is typically at least one crazy violent scene per episode. So if neither of those are your cup of tea, maybe you should skip this show. But if you like or don't mind either of those things, you'll find amazing gun-battles, even more amazing hand-to-hand fight scenes, and some cool, gritty characters.

The plot is a tough pill to swallow early on in the first season--a hotshot thief just happens to get the opportunity to masquerade as a small town sheriff in Amish country--and you pretty much have to resign yourself to the fact that nearly every female character on the show will sleep with the protagonist at one point or another at the point of bordering on the absurd. But after the first few episodes and the benefit of suspension of disbelief, the show becomes incredibly addictive, and you end up really caring about these characters. Stand outs include the mysterious protagonist; Kai, the Amish crime boss; the criminally underused deputies who both aid and are suspicious of the protagonist; and Job, our hero's cross- dressing confidant.

What makes Banshee stand out are the little things--the subtle changes to the opening credits in each episode. The epilogue scenes of each episode. The incredibly well-choreographed hand- to-hand fight scenes. The foreshadowing of developments to come.

If you're a fan of shows like Justified, and True Blood, and Sons of Anarchy, then you'll love Banshee. Cinemax is well worth the subscription just to watch this show (plus you get other awesome shows like Strike Back and The Knick, but that's beyond the scope of this interview). Do yourself a favor and start watching this show immediately.

Worth the commitment. Wow.

[Chi-Town-2 · 10/10 · 22 March 2020]

Masterpiece of a series. It's important to get thru the first 4 episodes. Those didn't grab me, initially. (I appreciated them later on 2nd and 3rd viewings).

There are characters, and scenes, and quite a few episodes, that stack up with some of the best in television history. And I'm 50, and have watched TONS of stuff. Epic. With a lot of fizz and sizzle along the way.

Doesn't take itself too seriously, yet can be completely engrossing at times. At least half of the actors in this are highly outstanding, and completely dedicated to their performance.

Highly recommended.

Hidden Gem

[moleymank · 10/10 · 17 October 2021]

This series sticks in my memory even though I saw it last year I think .. Such an intriguing intelligent series .. a lot of character layers and extremely well written storylines I remember watching being drawn into the story and just wanting to watch another and another episode.. I think I watched all seasons back to back pretty much over about a month .. A very unique and interesting series that I could definitely recommend and would like to watch it over again!!

I can see what they were going for, but...

[Sankari_Suomi · 6/10 · 7 September 2019]

Started watching this last week. I've nearly finished season 1, and so far it's... pretty OK.

The acting is definitely on the scenery-chewing side. But that doesn't bother me as much as the dreadful inconsistencies and other nonsense.

* hero gets the crap kicked out of him every second episode... but that's OK because he has the healing powers of Wolverine, and bounces back with a mild scratch or two just 24 hours later

* hero enters town with the primary goal of shagging everything with two legs and a couple of X chromosomes; every woman in town is delighted to oblige (even the wife of a guy he just killed) and if things continue like this he'll end up shagging all the men as well

* hero regularly swears his undying love to heroine, but gleefully bones any available woman within 500 metres

* heroine insists she's 'not the same person', and 'everything is different'; claims undying love to her husband, but sleeps with the hero at every opportunity, while swearing black and blue that she's no longer in love with him

* heroine has the muscle tone of a guinea pig and is built like a middle aged housewife on cocaine... but that's OK because she has the strength of Juggernaut, soaks up damage like the Hulk, and easily takes down men twice her size

* heroine receives wound that is clearly fatal; is found 30 minutes later by hero, who takes her to hospital, where a doctor proclaims that she's bleeding out(?!) which makes no sense at all, since (a) she wasn't bleeding out 30 minutes ago, and (b) if you're bleeding out you'll literally be dead in minutes, so she should be dead by now anyway

* naughty Amish girl has a endless supply of money from... somewhere(?!) that allows her to purchase lingerie, mainstream clothing & cosmetics (all of which she is perfectly familiar with, for no obvious reason); somehow gets away with wearing full makeup openly in her own father's house on the regular, while he pretends not to notice; is sleeping with half the men in town but nobody ever mentions it; gets kicked out of home after dad finds a couple of lipsticks in a handbag (LOL)

* the Amish in this series have no idea what they're doing; none of them are capable of anything that resembles real life agriculture; in one scene a guy is plowing a field of grass(?!); in another scene one guy is hacking vaguely at a field of weeds with a scythe, while another chops the ground with a mattock(?!); no crops are visible at any time, I don't even know what season they're supposed to be in; the whole thing is all over the shop

The antagonists are a bunch of thugs from the more repulsive elements of the primitive barbarians that inhabit Eastern Europe (they're supposed to be Ukrainian, apparently) but the accents in this show are all over the place, which is not surprising when you discover...

...the female Ukrainian is played by a Croatian, the Amish boss man is played by a Dane, the Ukrainian boss man is played by an English guy, his Ukrainian sidekick is played by a Greek, the Native American tribal chief is played by a Filipino/Chinese/Spanish guy from Hawaii, his son is played by an African-American from North Carolina, and the Native American boss woman is played by a Columbian/Cuban from California.

I could go on and on.

The idea is good, and the show has its merits, but I'll need to see a lot of improvement in season 2 to keep me interested.

Utterly ridiculous. Thoroughly entertaining.

[garry-anderton · 8/10 · 7 December 2023]

This is not a show based in reality. It's beyond silly. But that's OK. It knows what it is and just turns it all up to 11. The sex scenes are basically soft porn, and there seems to be at least one in every episode. Each episode is basically a setup for Hood getting into a fight where he gets his ass kicked but ultimately wins, and also has some girl drag him into bed for some graphic sexy time. But the characters are likeable and well acted, and the constant parade of bad guys getting their well deserved beating from our hero is undeniably satisfying. It's all very dopey, but extremely enjoyable.

love this show

[george8808 · 7/10 · 4 February 2013]

I don't agree with some of these harsh reviews - I find it to be an EXCELLENT series, with the genius touch of Alan Ball (6 Feet Under, True Blood) - yes, there are some imperfections, but the 4 leads work great: the hero, Antony Starr, is cool and tough, the babe, Ivana Milicevic, is SMOKIN' hot, and a legitimate actress, the Pennsylvania Dutch mob boss, Ulrich Thomsen, is uniquely menacing, and the bartender buddy, Frankie Faison, gets the job done as usual. The supporting cast are also excellent (deputies, thugs, etc). The pace is snappy, the plot moves nicely and with suspense,the action is brutal, and I'm definitely hooked on it.

This Show is so Bad.

[nickflit · 1/10 · 26 April 2018]

This is such low brow garbage, I can't believe I made it through two seasons.

Boobs and Violence. Rinse and Repeat. That's the show in a nutshell.

I rented it based off the rave reviews, but quickly questioned how anyone could like this show. It appeals to the lowest common denominator who like boobs and violence in place of a coherent story.

At first I tried to find entertainment in how laughably absurd the whole premise was, and started to think the high ratings were because it was a parody of over the top, completely unrealistic movies and television shows, and it was being enjoyed because of that.

After two seasons of recycling the same story though, the luster of just how bad this show was wore off, and it somehow got progressively worse.

Besides the aimless plot that seems to repeat itself each season, everything in the show is about as unrealistic as it gets.

Despite how awful the writing is, the acting is even worse. All the women are supermodels in the show, and all the guys are martial arts experts. Everyone's an alcoholic in the show, always drinking and making bad decisions that go along with that, but none seem to be sporting beer bellies or showing the obvious signs of alcoholism.

The main character "Lucas Hood," is a half leprechaun midget with a serious Napoleon complex that gets into all sorts of extremely unrealistic situations.

The worse character and worst actor/actress is the actress that plays "Carrie." All she does is mope around whining about her chaotic self created situation. She is definitely the most depressing character in a show since "Eeyore" from "Winnie the Pooh."

I was surprised to see Cinemax is even still around. After watching this show I'm even more shocked.

If you liked Transformers, but crave more boobs and violence this is your show!

Late to the party but loving it!

[brandon-weidner · 9/10 · 14 February 2020]

Came here after so many people on the The Boys appreciations threads were raving about Anthony ("Homelander") Starr's other show.

Loved every minute of Banshee

[Hammexxx · 10/10 · 25 September 2019]

Loved the concept Loved the story lines Loved the acting

Recommended - great to binge on.

F$%king Great show

[NotRocketScienceReviews · 9/10 · 9 February 2022]

Sometimes a predictable plot with good action, violence sex and nudity is all you need. And this show provides it. Not every shown has to be overwhelming deep and confusing.

well this is embarrassing

[A_Different_Drummer · 10/10 · 7 November 2014]

I am watching the series in sequence, just started the second season, and I have been reviewing individual episodes in the IMDb because frankly they are some of the most amazing episodes I have ever seen in mainstream TV.

I thought I had already done a summary review of the series but then found I had not. Oops.

OK, for the record, the acting is superb, the casting is superb, the scripts are to die for, and even the direction is in a class by itself (just finished s02e02 and the opening sequence did a match-cut of two parallel story lines with a wonderful sultry audio track over the top).

The assumed identity theme is brilliant. The idea of writing not one but two supervillains into the story and letting the audience try to figure out which one is worse -- brilliant. This series is brilliant.

But the ones to watch are Jonathan Tropper and David Schickler who are relatively fresh to the game and I predict will be at the edge of their craft for years to come.

These guys are off the chain. The seem to instinctively know how far they can push the viewer's sensibilities without causing blowback. That simple feat is not so simple and is possibly the key, the secret, to successful TV.

As I write this, most of the shows I follow have already gone slightly bonkers (LONGMIRE and JUSTIFIED pop to mind) but so far Banshee is holding up.

Astonishing entertainment.

-------

Update Feb 2015: I'm a critic. My job is to report on the extraordinary. I am halfway through Season 2 and this series has me gob-smacked. Shickler and Tropper, who seem to have very few credits on IMDb outside of this series, are astonishing. Appearing as if out of nowhere, this series has individual episodes as good as or better than some of the product JJ ABRAMs is currently doing. And Abrams, who is a God in Hollywood -- one year he did both the Star Trek and the Star Wars films simultaneously(!) -- has had years to perfect his craft, plus, he can pick up the phone and bring in the Nolan Bros if he wants to. Shickler and Tropper in Banshee are showing us an instant and total mastery of writing, direction, casting, and -- my favorite -- a grasp of how important it is to keep the viewer "connected" from week to week. This "underdog" series is extraordinary in every sense of the word.

---- update June 2016 ----

Going to miss this show. I will even miss the titles and the credits, that's how good it is. As the (former) top rated Cinemax show, Banshee joins the rarified air of shows like Dick Van Dyke and Seinfeld, shows that VOLUNTARILY took themselves off the air because they felt they had given their all to the fans. Good news? The producers and even the stars can cut their own ticket in Hollywood for whatever they want to do next. Buy the boxed set, lock yourself in a closet and binge-watch. You will not be disappointed.

Absolutely gripping !!

[tomholland-57494 · 10/10 · 31 July 2018]

This was one of the best shows on tv and was so under-rated !!! Great plot , great characters , mysterious , violent and sexy ! It was so addictive , every episode had you on the edge of your seat ! I get why it ended after 4 series as it did complete the plot but it's such a shame it ended !!

Most underrated show of all time

[FeastMode · 9/10 · 14 December 2023]

That's no exaggeration. This show is basically unknown to anyone. I have come across one single other person who has seen this show before (aside from the 25+ people who heard about it from me, with nearly every opinion being extremely positive.)

How is a show with this little popularity one of the best shows ever made? I love it so much. The story is amazing and never gets stagnant, constantly moving with major plot points in every episode. The fight scenes are intimate and brutal. The music is fantastic. The characters are awesome. The villains are beastly.

The entire show is filled with intensity and intrigue. I ate it all up. A top 5 all-time show for me.

Seasonal ratings: 10, 9, 9, 8.5.

(Seasons 1-3: 3 viewings, Season 4: 2 viewings, 12/13/2023)

Give Hoon Lee an award

[ghanima_atrieadies · 7/10 · 27 November 2022]

Came here after watching Warrior, for me, this is a so so show. It's not perfect and it has its moments however...give all the awards to Hoon Lee.

Job is the reason I kept the show going. Very well written character that I just can't get enough of. Hoon Lee knocks that character out of the park and I love it.

Overall the show is interesting if not repetitive, unrealistic, and over the top. A few glaring inaccuracies, namely reservations In Pennsylvania (a state which has none) but it is interesting enough to keep you engaged. Several episodes are flat out fantastic so turn your brain off and enjoy it.

The best show, ever made.

[pbkydynft · 10/10 · 19 October 2023]

This is for those who love Dexter and Ray Donovan. One of the best shows ever made. I was so sad when they stopped making it but, I respect the decision. They left an incredible legacy. Banshee stopped being made when it needed to stop.

It was perfect the way it was and making more could have hurt the image.

It's the best show. It is underrated and hardly advertised. I found it out from my cousin, if not him... I would have not known.

Now I tell everyone about it.

I wish there were more shows like these, our main character is an incredible actor. It's funny how every show that's so successful follows the same main character vibe - a bit of a psychopath.

Personally ,I think,It's the best TV show ever!

[tchitouniaram · 6/10 · 15 January 2020]

Personally ,I think,It's the best TV show ever! Action and violence over the top,just how I like it)Story is improbable ,but extremely enjoyable nevertheless.Very,very,very well done!!!Wish they wood continue It for several more seasons...

Keep it real

[greekmuse · 4/10 · 2 March 2013]

The first two things I tell my clients are: keep it real and assume the audience is smart. What does 'real' mean? It depends on the genre but generally it means believable as in, "oh yeah, that could have happened" within the confines of the story, year/era and place.

So here we have a guy who just got out of prison. The first thing he does is go to a bar, have sex with the waitress and steal a car. OK so far. But then he drives it - a conspicuous muscle car - into Manhattan, smashes up a salon, gets back in the car, puts the pedal to the metal because there's bad guy after him, gets smashed up, runs away (really bad acting here), gets shot at, a double-decker comes out of nowhere and flips over, he gets shot at again at an even closer range but doesn't get hit, the gunman (who looks like his twin brother) stops shooting for some reason, he then steals a motorcycle just as it's pulling into a parking spot and gets away while the owner gets shot. Meanwhile not a single cop to be seen, in Manhattan, in a city with 35,000 cops.

All of this took place in 6 minutes of the first episode. And that's as far as I got.

Ridiculous fun.

[sogoodlooking · 8/10 · 11 August 2022]

Sex, drugs, the Amish, stolen identities, lost love, organized crime, disorganized crime, Native Americans and corrupt casinos, fistfights with a hundred punches--any one of which in real life would put the combatants in hospital... nothing is too much for this lunatic series that never takes its foot off the accelerator.

Shameless fun, and we can only envy writers commissioned to stop at absolutely nothing to pique our interests or perversely curious natures. One of those times when excess succeeds.

And Lili Simmons.

Watch this show.

[Georgefogg · 10/10 · 18 December 2020]

Watch Anthony Star before he became Homelander. Banshee may be the greatest TV show ever made. The scene where Hood beats the hell out of the UFC champ will have you hooked.