As more post-Banshee therapy, I slapped together a list of my 10 favourite Banshee preciouses. I hope you enjoy my fangirling/tears.
10. Angry Ant Jim Racine
He was a bit of a shit, but I really enjoyed Jim Racine's angry, bitter little mission to fuck things up. And his death was epic. I wish he'd had a little more screentime to poke at Hood a little while longer.
9. Job's BFF Sugar Bates
Sugar is awesome. I love how he took in and supported Hood right from the start. Sugar is obviously an excellent judge of character, and knows that while people like Hood and Job are violent and... gray, morally... they are still the kind of people who can make a difference in world, more than capable of being 'good', whatever 'good' means in the Banshee context... Plus, Sugar and Job: two peas in a pod! A bitchy, grumpy pod.
I also loved that the series ended with Sugar moving on, taking a different path. I had been kinda bummed with a relatively Sugar-less final season, but the respect the character was treated with in the final episode was amazing and the gravitas of his final conversation with Hood was really moving.
8. Thief and Killer Deva Hopewell
Deva had the potential to become just another annoying tv teenager, but her character development has been pretty cool. Her responses to her pretty fucked up family are pretty real. The moment her mother's lifestyle necessitated killing in self-defence was spectacularly done and pretty haunting... One wonders if Carrie/Ana found herself in similar situations early on in her life...
7. All Round Good Guy Emmett Yawners
I was devastated when Emmett died. He was such a good man. Total badass when it came to dealing with those gross-ass Nazis, but a genuinely good, nice Banshee man. His death still stands out for me as one of the most significant traumas of the series.
6. Siobhan 'LOOK OUT BEHIND YOU' Kelly
Siobhan's character introduction is still one of my favourites of the whole series. That scene where she meets Hood while wrangling that smart-ass criminal was hilarious. She had oh-so-many badass moments, and she kept Hood on his toes for sure! Her death was super-traumatic for us all, going down in Banshee history as a fucking cruel death. We were all with Hood, screaming on the floor, cradling our poor Siobhan... *melodramatic flail*
5. Badass Nola Longshadow
I really did not want to like Nola because I have Odette Annable problems... but even I have to admit, she was a total badass. She was more than a little nuts, but some might say her circumstances dictated 'being a little nuts' as the only adequate response. Her showdown with Burton was brilliant, not only as a spectacular fight sequence, but also in terms of her character's impulsiveness and confidence. I wish we could have explored her past a little more, particularly how Chayton factored into her life while she was addicted and abused.
4. Motherfuckin' Job
Do I even have to motherfuckin' explain this one to you bitches?! Job is a brilliant character. Hoon Lee is amazing. There has never been a dull Job moment. Ever. End of discussion.
3. Precious Flower Kurt Bunker
God freakin' lord this precious little ex-Nazi came out of nowhere to pull on my heartstrings. Some of my favourite Banshee scenes centre around him and his struggles with his past. His conversation with Alison Medding in 'Tribal', his gut-wrenching cry to Lotus in 'We All Pay Eventually'... YOU'RE KILLING ME, BUNKER. His conflicts with his brother Calvin have been absolutely gripping, with brilliant performances from Tom Pelphrey and Chris Coy. His final showdown with his brother was gut-wrenching, and I am forever relieved Kurt lived through it.
2. Precious (Allegedly) Lucas Hood
Ah, "Hood". My precious "Hood". You've made me laugh; you've made me cry; you've made me... never mind won't finish that thought moving on... Antony Starr is a New Zealand boy, so I'm pretty proud of the character and series he has helped create here. Hood is extremely complex and Starr has really come into his own through this show. Hood is a wise-ass and a badass. And way smarter than your average brutal crook. I've loved every minute of Hood, even if he has made some frustrating decisions (particularly involving his penis...). Highlights include the events of 'Meet The New Boss', his brutal slaughter of The Albino, and the rollercoaster that was 'A Fixer Of Sorts'. But I also loved his vulnerable moments, like his response to Siobhan's death and Job's kidnapping, as well as his intense conversation with Brock Lotus in 'Truths Other Than The Ones You Tell Yourself' and his final goodbye to Carrie in 'Requiem'. I will miss all of Hood (or whatever his real name is) very dearly.
1. Precious Adorable Murder Bean Clay Burton
While my top 4 characters in this list are actually pretty much on the same level, I will confess Burton has been my numero uno since day one. He at first seemed to be just a brutal guard dog to Proctor (an assumption ol' Nola paid the price for...), but as the seasons have progressed we have had a peek into his complicated past (tortured, in a basement) and peeks into his contribution to Proctor's business (accounting, personnel advice...). Whatever the true nature of Burton's past sufferings (why was he in that basement? Who was torturing him? TELL ME, BANSHEE! TELLLL MEEEEEE!!!!!), he seemed to have channelled his rage into re-paying Proctor for the kindness he showed him in that mystery basement. Burton is... pathologically and brutally loyal to Proctor, even if he doesn't agree with Proctor's decisions (like bringing Rebecca on board). I would love to have seen more exploration of Burton's character, not just in terms of his past (but seriously TELL ME), but his ongoing loyalty to Proctor. Yes, it was revealed that that pathological loyalty led Burton to kill Rebecca to protect his boss, but I think that could have been explored further if they had had another episode or two up their sleeve. Burton's death was devastating; from the brutality of the fight with Hood to the emotionally brutal confession to Proctor... What a horrible, horrible mess...
Burton highlights include ALL THE BURTON. But perhaps specifically, of course the epic and spectacular 'A Fixer Of Sorts' showdown with Nola, the brutal Nazi slaughter of 'Truths Other Than The Ones You Tell Yourself' and the delightfully creepy ice cream eating in 'Innocent Might Be A Bit Of A Stretch'.
Obviously Carrie Hopewell gets an honourable mention. I like Carrie, but never really gots teh feels too much for her. But she is super-badass. Kai Proctor also deserves mention as an awesome character, but sorry dude you made me super-angry sometimes. You got props for saving my precious murder bean, but I revoked those props when you killed him. At least you had the decency to be upset about it though. Chayton Littlestone was also a brilliant nemesis. As was Calvin Bunker, but I'm super-glad he got his just desserts.
So that's my list of fave 'Banshee' peeps. 'Banshee' was a hell of a ride, with a great many brilliant characters. Most will be missed dearly by me, but these 10 will hurt the most...
10. Angry Ant Jim Racine
He was a bit of a shit, but I really enjoyed Jim Racine's angry, bitter little mission to fuck things up. And his death was epic. I wish he'd had a little more screentime to poke at Hood a little while longer.
9. Job's BFF Sugar Bates
Sugar is awesome. I love how he took in and supported Hood right from the start. Sugar is obviously an excellent judge of character, and knows that while people like Hood and Job are violent and... gray, morally... they are still the kind of people who can make a difference in world, more than capable of being 'good', whatever 'good' means in the Banshee context... Plus, Sugar and Job: two peas in a pod! A bitchy, grumpy pod.
I also loved that the series ended with Sugar moving on, taking a different path. I had been kinda bummed with a relatively Sugar-less final season, but the respect the character was treated with in the final episode was amazing and the gravitas of his final conversation with Hood was really moving.
8. Thief and Killer Deva Hopewell
Deva had the potential to become just another annoying tv teenager, but her character development has been pretty cool. Her responses to her pretty fucked up family are pretty real. The moment her mother's lifestyle necessitated killing in self-defence was spectacularly done and pretty haunting... One wonders if Carrie/Ana found herself in similar situations early on in her life...
7. All Round Good Guy Emmett Yawners
I was devastated when Emmett died. He was such a good man. Total badass when it came to dealing with those gross-ass Nazis, but a genuinely good, nice Banshee man. His death still stands out for me as one of the most significant traumas of the series.
6. Siobhan 'LOOK OUT BEHIND YOU' Kelly
Siobhan's character introduction is still one of my favourites of the whole series. That scene where she meets Hood while wrangling that smart-ass criminal was hilarious. She had oh-so-many badass moments, and she kept Hood on his toes for sure! Her death was super-traumatic for us all, going down in Banshee history as a fucking cruel death. We were all with Hood, screaming on the floor, cradling our poor Siobhan... *melodramatic flail*
5. Badass Nola Longshadow
I really did not want to like Nola because I have Odette Annable problems... but even I have to admit, she was a total badass. She was more than a little nuts, but some might say her circumstances dictated 'being a little nuts' as the only adequate response. Her showdown with Burton was brilliant, not only as a spectacular fight sequence, but also in terms of her character's impulsiveness and confidence. I wish we could have explored her past a little more, particularly how Chayton factored into her life while she was addicted and abused.
4. Motherfuckin' Job
Do I even have to motherfuckin' explain this one to you bitches?! Job is a brilliant character. Hoon Lee is amazing. There has never been a dull Job moment. Ever. End of discussion.
3. Precious Flower Kurt Bunker
God freakin' lord this precious little ex-Nazi came out of nowhere to pull on my heartstrings. Some of my favourite Banshee scenes centre around him and his struggles with his past. His conversation with Alison Medding in 'Tribal', his gut-wrenching cry to Lotus in 'We All Pay Eventually'... YOU'RE KILLING ME, BUNKER. His conflicts with his brother Calvin have been absolutely gripping, with brilliant performances from Tom Pelphrey and Chris Coy. His final showdown with his brother was gut-wrenching, and I am forever relieved Kurt lived through it.
2. Precious (Allegedly) Lucas Hood
Ah, "Hood". My precious "Hood". You've made me laugh; you've made me cry; you've made me... never mind won't finish that thought moving on... Antony Starr is a New Zealand boy, so I'm pretty proud of the character and series he has helped create here. Hood is extremely complex and Starr has really come into his own through this show. Hood is a wise-ass and a badass. And way smarter than your average brutal crook. I've loved every minute of Hood, even if he has made some frustrating decisions (particularly involving his penis...). Highlights include the events of 'Meet The New Boss', his brutal slaughter of The Albino, and the rollercoaster that was 'A Fixer Of Sorts'. But I also loved his vulnerable moments, like his response to Siobhan's death and Job's kidnapping, as well as his intense conversation with Brock Lotus in 'Truths Other Than The Ones You Tell Yourself' and his final goodbye to Carrie in 'Requiem'. I will miss all of Hood (or whatever his real name is) very dearly.
1. Precious Adorable Murder Bean Clay Burton
While my top 4 characters in this list are actually pretty much on the same level, I will confess Burton has been my numero uno since day one. He at first seemed to be just a brutal guard dog to Proctor (an assumption ol' Nola paid the price for...), but as the seasons have progressed we have had a peek into his complicated past (tortured, in a basement) and peeks into his contribution to Proctor's business (accounting, personnel advice...). Whatever the true nature of Burton's past sufferings (why was he in that basement? Who was torturing him? TELL ME, BANSHEE! TELLLL MEEEEEE!!!!!), he seemed to have channelled his rage into re-paying Proctor for the kindness he showed him in that mystery basement. Burton is... pathologically and brutally loyal to Proctor, even if he doesn't agree with Proctor's decisions (like bringing Rebecca on board). I would love to have seen more exploration of Burton's character, not just in terms of his past (but seriously TELL ME), but his ongoing loyalty to Proctor. Yes, it was revealed that that pathological loyalty led Burton to kill Rebecca to protect his boss, but I think that could have been explored further if they had had another episode or two up their sleeve. Burton's death was devastating; from the brutality of the fight with Hood to the emotionally brutal confession to Proctor... What a horrible, horrible mess...
Burton highlights include ALL THE BURTON. But perhaps specifically, of course the epic and spectacular 'A Fixer Of Sorts' showdown with Nola, the brutal Nazi slaughter of 'Truths Other Than The Ones You Tell Yourself' and the delightfully creepy ice cream eating in 'Innocent Might Be A Bit Of A Stretch'.
Obviously Carrie Hopewell gets an honourable mention. I like Carrie, but never really gots teh feels too much for her. But she is super-badass. Kai Proctor also deserves mention as an awesome character, but sorry dude you made me super-angry sometimes. You got props for saving my precious murder bean, but I revoked those props when you killed him. At least you had the decency to be upset about it though. Chayton Littlestone was also a brilliant nemesis. As was Calvin Bunker, but I'm super-glad he got his just desserts.
So that's my list of fave 'Banshee' peeps. 'Banshee' was a hell of a ride, with a great many brilliant characters. Most will be missed dearly by me, but these 10 will hurt the most...
