Banshee: Something Out of the Bible Review

This Banshee review contains spoilers for “Something Out of the Bible.”

Banshee Season 4 Episode 1 

Banshee has always been good about keeping things fresh, working well within noir tropes even as the show turned those very tropes on their heads. The season four opener is no exception, serving up the cold body of a murdered Rebecca Bowman. As far as inciting incidents go, this is a strong one. Her death is not unmourned—not by Lucas Hood, and certainly not by Kai Proctor, her uncle and one-time lover. 

Still, despite such a grim beginning, it’s still good to be back in Banshee. As shocking as Rebecca’s murder is, that two years have passed on the show is likewise jarring. This passage of time has been good to some people, but mostly bad to others. Among those in the latter group is Hood, Banshee’s one-time sheriff who’s now pretty much a recluse living off the grid in a secluded mountain cabin.

As anyone who watches Banshee knows, Hood is the emotional center of this show, though such a dubious honor comes at a price. When we meet up with him, he’s almost unrecognizable beneath a shaggy mop of hair and an even shaggier beard. His outward dishevelment is an apt representation of his bedraggled mental state. Hood cut himself off from the world after one too many things simply would not—or could not—go his way. We know Siobhan’s death took a toll on him. Even Gordon Hopewell’s death in last season’s finale exacted its toll. But it’s losing Job that finally drives Hood over the edge. But more on that in a bit.

Time has also not been kind to Carrie Hopewell, who not only lost her husband, she had her children taken away by Social Services. Now Carrie, who can handle herself in a fight, is now battling the courts and herself to get her children back. Taking down thugs in a back alley to blow off steam might be therapeutic, but it’s actual court-mandated therapy she’s struggling to overcome now. She’s not a broken person, Carrie, but she is far from being whole. Nowthat Hood has finally returned, that may all change.

The last two years have been very kind to Brock Lotus, though. If anyone in Banshee was deserving of a break, it was him. Now, not only is he the sheriff, he’s got a fancy new station to boot—with bulletproof glass that one expects might come in handy later in the season. And it’s Brock who sets season four’s wheels turning, first by accidentally finding Hood in the foothills, and then by informing him of Rebecca’s murder. In another twist, we learn that both Hood and Proctor are persons of interest in the murder investigation. Brock is fearless in this regard, standing toe to toe with Proctor, who is now Banshee’s mayor.

As for Rebecca, there’s no arguing she was a vivacious character, the scent of trouble wafting from her like a cloying perfume. She was a femme fatale of sorts, one who willfully became mixed up in her uncle’s unsavory business practices. So it’s a little bit surprising to learn that Rebecca was kind enough to save Hood after he tried to find booze-soaked resolution from the wrong end of a gun. Were it not for her, Hood would surely be dead.

Which is why Hood is compelled to solve her murder. He may have failed to find Job, but he intends on finding Rebecca’s murderer. As far as inciting incidents go, this is definitely a strong start to Banshee’s fourth and final season. Hood has his work cut out for him, though. He’s no longer the sheriff, which means he’s essentially operating outside the law as he chases down leads. One could argue that he was technically never Banshee’s actual sheriff (Hood himself points this out to Sugar), but at least he had the department’s resources at his disposal. 

Of course, there are plenty of subplots scattered throughout this episode. We know that Kurt Bunker is still with the Banshee PD. We also know that Bunker is sleeping with his brother’s wife. To complicate things even further, we’re reminded that his brother Calvin is a violent white supremacist whose people are working the drug trade for the mayor, who sends the bespectacled Burton along to keep everyone in line. 

“Bible” spends a lot of time setting up the rest of the season, which means it doesn’t quite hold up as a standalone hour, as many of Banshee’s better episodes tend to do. This is not a knock against the show. If anything, I am impatient to learn who murdered Rebecca, and to discover what’s become of Job. I don’t think he’s dead, as Hood fears he might be. Job is too important to the show to go out so ignominiously. 

Some closing thoughts: 

The Bunker brothers are still estranged, but that doesn’t mean the drama is over. Kurt left his hate-mongering behind a long time ago, but the past has a way of catching up to people in Banshee. 

Sugar comments that he hopes Job is dead—otherwise the lot of them are terrible people for allowing their friend to suffer alone for two years. It’s a terrible thought that Hood has likely had himself, many times. Job is resourceful, though. Plus he’s a valuable asset, probably more so alive than dead. Time will tell.

Based on how this season started, I have the feeling we might not be seeing the sword-wielding Morales or his Salvadorans any time soon. Jumps ahead in time are good that way, helping to provide a soft reboot to certain storylines that might not bear fruit.