Banshee: We Were All Someone Else Yesterday review

This Banshee review contains spoilers.

Following on the heels of the outstanding “Tribal,” tonight’s episode, the bittersweet “We Were All Someone Else Yesterday,” swings for the fences.  It’s a eulogy for lives lost and lives ruined by a simple twist of fate. What if Hood, fresh out of prison, was simply passing through, and Banshee was nothing more than a town in his rearview mirror?

In the aftermath of Siobhan’s death, it’s all Hood can do to avoid succumbing to an all-encompassing grief. It’s not a parlor game for him, this idyllic reimagining; it’s a lifeline. A lingering wistfulness permeates an otherwise quiet town in this alternate timeline. Carrie’s life isn’t upended—her family remains intact. And Deputy Siobhan is just another friendly face. Yes, “we were all someone yesterday” is exactly right. I much prefer this to Brock’s equally canny assessment that everything Hood touches turns to blood.

But tomorrow is another day.

In reality, Hood is numb with grief and burdened by regret. This is driven home by his visit to Siobhan’s trailer. Her last meal, mostly unfinished, was nothing special—but it’s enough to push Hood over the edge. Brock seems to think vengeance is the last thing on the sheriff’s mind, but the opposite is true. There’s work still be done; avenging Siobhan’s death is low-hanging fruit, the obvious path for upstanding men. Brock is certainly up for catching Chayton, but that’s not good enough for Hood.

Job proves himself to be a true friend tonight, the sort of friend who will stand by you at your worst, when your soul is blackened with malice, your heart corrupted by thoughts of retribution. He knows Hood is a lost soul who’s had his heart broken one too many times. Luckily, Job isn’t scared by the darkness lurking beneath Hood’s naked grief. And, luckily for us, Hoon Lee always shines, and tonight, in an emotionally heavy episode, his snarky effervescence is especially welcome. Job’s may be in it for the long haul with Hood, but he still has his eyes on the prize, namely the Camp Genoa heist.

As for Chayton, killing him in his sleep isn’t good enough for Hood. Nor, I suspect, would it be cathartic enough for viewers. But this isn’t meant to be a battle royale (Burton’s showdown with Nola set the bar pretty high as far as these things go). One does not simply dispatch a big bad like Chayton Littlestone in his sleep. No, you make him bleed first, and make him suffer. What you don’t do, though, is let him escape into the woods. But that’s exactly what happens. The good news is we at home still have at least one more major showdown between Chayton and Hood to look forward to down the road.

Some closing thoughts:

All is still not well between Gordon and Deva. He’s trying to find common ground with his troubled daughter. They’ve done nothing wrong, though Carrie’s lies make them feel otherwise. Just because Carrie has changed (at least in their eyes), doesn’t make them into different people. But Gordon’s message doesn’t sink in, and Deva has a knack for finding trouble.  I’m not sure what the future has in store for her, but her current path can’t lead anywhere good.

Kai Proctor finds solace in Emily Lotus’s arms, as we knew he would. But there are bigger ramifications to this budding romance. Rebecca does not handle rejection well, and her uncle seems to have turned against his niece. But much of this is Rebecca’s own doing, and would still have happened if Emily had never entered Kai’s life. Long story short, Rebecca is getting too big for her britches. She has a taste for power, but as her uncle makes abundantly clear, it’s not hers to wield. In other words, she’s been usurped in both the bedroom and the boardroom.

Who doesn’t like Kurt Bunker, especially after last week’s “Tribal”? The police uniform suits him, but not everyone is impressed, least of all Job, who refers to the reformed skinhead as “Talk, dark and Nazi.”

It’s one thing to masquerade as the sheriff, but it’s quite another to cross the Feds. Ferillo’s threat to have Hood’s badge can’t possibly be an idle one. Sooner or later, the wrong people will finally learn the truth about Hood.

A nitpick of an otherwise great episode: Clearly Banshee is not the safest town in America. Considering that, you’d think recent events—the shootout at the Cadi, the death of a cop, a fugitive on the run—would be the topic of conversation. I suppose bearing witness to such violence month in and month out is old hat to lifelong Banshee residents. It certainly seems to be the case for Emily, who accepts Kai for who he is, warts and all. But as we all know, it’s never a good idea to let your guard down in Banshee.

Huzzah! Banshee was renewed for season 4! This has been a stellar season so far, and last week’s “Tribal” was a true standout. Is it really any surprise that this show gets another chance to wow its loyal fans—and win some new ones?