Characters Gone, But Not Forgotten: The End of Banshee & Penny Dreadful
Article by Ray Schillaci
Two shows ended this year that had devoted followings, Cinemax’s Banshee and Showtime’s Penny Dreadful. Banshee lasted four remarkable seasons while Penny Dreadful thrilled viewers with three. They had audiences that would have stayed with them much longer, but the creators of each show, David Schickler and Jonathan Tropper with Banshee and Jonathan Logan with Penny Dreadful, made a thoughtful quality decision to end their shows where they felt they should be, and both left an indelible mark on their audiences.
Both shows were geared towards adult viewing. Both could be extremely violent and sexual, but first and foremost they had characters we fell in love with. Their storylines were riveting throughout their seasons and they had production value that equaled and sometimes exceeded many feature films while engaging us with a style that set them apart from so many other shows.
Banshee introduces us to a convict just released from a fifteen-year sentence, a master thief whose heart had been stolen. While on the way to visit the woman he left behind, he happens to get ensnared in a deadly barroom brawl that leaves two criminals and a soon-to-be appointed sheriff dead. Our convict assumes the identity of the sheriff, Lucas Hood, who nobody in the town of Banshee has met, and proceeds to introduce a whole different way of approaching the law while attempting to reconnect with the woman he loves. However, that woman has assumed a new identity and is now married with two kids, trying to lead a “normal” life. Add to all of this – the town has a mixed population of American Indians and Amish, among the other residents, which provides a powder keg of a backdrop.
Along with the general plot comes several engaging sub-plots that kept me on the edge of my seat. Banshee’s creators developed a grand piece of high octane pulp that has subtle touches of a modern day western. The dialogue crackles with an amusing wit, and the action is on the big screen level. It also helps that the show is shot beautifully, reminding me of the 1979 Harrison Ford starrer, Witness.
This has to be one of the best looking casts ever to grace the small screen, not to mention one of the most talented. Antony Starr plays the convict who assumes the identity of Sheriff Lucas Hood. He’s gutsy and charismatic as the master thief/danger junkie with a soft spot that he tries to conceal. He is as complex as one can get with his flawed character that is prone to panic attacks and a near split personality when it comes to upholding law and order.
Then, there is the stunning Ivana Milicevic as Carrie Hopewell/Anastasia, who is as gorgeous as she is dangerous. She too struggles with her double life. The responsibilities and love of parenthood have pushed her criminal side to the curb. But, that life becomes topsy-turvy once her ex-lover re-enters, and encourages her to be the person he loved (not so easy since Carrie Hopewell has grown as a woman, finds security with the life she has created, and has little desire to revisit the unstable past as Anastasia).
On the other hand, the new identity of Lucas Hood has only reaffirmed that the man/child has barely matured. Oh, and did I mention there is the case of millions of dollars in diamonds that seems to have disappeared since their last heist, and that her Russian mob father, Ben Cross as the steely-eyed “Rabbit” is hunting both of them down? Of course, he’s not the only danger to the both of them.
The town heavy, Kai Proctor, a fallen from grace Amish who has cornered the market in all criminal activity in and around town, is played with delicious contempt by Ulrich Thomsen. He is the equivalent of a small screen Christoph Waltz, but with a frighteningly animal-like physicality that echoes dread every time the man enters a room. The exchanges between Thomsen and Starr are electric, to say the least, and so is the chemistry between Starr and all the women he encounters.
Then there is the equally-as-powerful supporting cast. Frank Faison as the ex-boxer/ex-con/bar owner, Sugar Bates, who befriends and defends the Hood impersonator, is a wonderful pugilistic curmudgeon. He is instantly likable from the get-go, and ends up being all the more fun to watch when Starr’s other partner in crime flamboyantly shows up. Hoon Lee as Job nearly steals the show as the cross-dressing hair stylist and computer hacker. His quips, whether it be with his former partner, Sugar Bates, or just about anyone else, are priceless. Lee gives us not a caricature, but a fully-rounded person who engages us with every turn and proves to be just as adept as a lethal force with plenty of snap.
Four other male stars lend memorable performances as well. Matt Servitto as Deputy Brock Lotus is almost a comic foil and straight man to Starr with his uptight and by-the-book manner. Rus Blackwell plays Gordon Hopewell, the long-suffering husband to Carrie, frustrated D.A. and Gulf War hero. His passion for his family and the law is genuinely felt, but he also proves to be just as flawed as many in the town of Banshee.
Anthony Ruivivar demonstrates a manic energy that can be admired as well as hated as the uptight Alex Longshadow who longs to prove his worth to his father and tribe while rebuffing any interference by Kai Proctor. And, last but certainly not least (since there are far too many great supporting players to mention) is Matthew Rauch as the memorably uncomfortable Burton, valet/butler to Kai Proctor. The man barely speaks, but with a mere look he can make one flinch. He is a testament to Shakespearean actors with his portrayal of a quiet, vicious animal of a man who resembles more Poindexter than Hannibal.
The supporting cast of woman are not only fetching, but just as intriguing. Lili Simmons sets fire to the screen with her bad Amish girl portrayal of Rebecca Bowman, niece of Kai Proctor. Her pouty demeanor is every bit as sexy as the little ice bitch that yearns for attention and power. Trieste Kelly Dunn demonstrates a wonderful strong exterior while hiding the past of her injured soul as Deputy Siobhan Kelly. She’s not outwardly sexy in the beginning, but she exudes a natural beauty from within which is a sharp and welcome contrast to the others. And, Ryann Shane is perfect as the troubled teen daughter of Carrie Hopewell. Her fresh face cannot be hidden by the make-up that so many young women over do at that age. She plays Deva spunky and vulnerable.
I must add there are no throwaway characters in this show. Every one of them is well thought out, and all play to their strengths. So, even though I have left out probably more than a dozen other players, that certainly is not meant to diminish their worth.
Viewing Banshee is like reading a great crime noir, it’s a page turner. With each episode that goes by, you wish it would never end. The first season is a mind blower with the introduction of all the central players. Some may consider the second season not as good as the first, but it is a lot better than most shows, and it almost plays like a second part to a fabulous feature trilogy.
And, in fact that second season is integral in thrusting the third season into high gear, and making it possibly one of the best seasons of a series in many years. There is so much explosive action, intense passionate sex, and intrigue winding up into this binge worthy season that the ending left me breathless, and wondering how on earth could they top themselves. With the fourth season, they don’t even try to. They really don’t need to. Because just about everything that could possibly happen to these characters happens in season three.
But the creators of Banshee could not leave the season three survivors alone with so many questions. Instead, we get a deeper season that nearly enters True Detective territory. The answers we have been so anxiously waiting for may not be to our liking, but they make perfect sense. And, season four delivers a mystery on the highest level that is almost akin to Heart of Darkness.
By the time we get to the last episode we are left as melancholy as the season itself. Yet, we cannot help but want to revisit the town and all its inhabitants and quirks. This is what makes Banshee such a repeatable viewing experience, and one that many will want to share with their friends. It is a testament to great writing, acting, and an overall first class production.
Showtime’s Penny Dreadful wowed viewers with its first season, demonstrating the greatest gothic tone ever to reach the small screen. Penny Dreadful took various characters from literary novels (i.e. Dr. Frankenstein, Dorian Gray, Mina Harker) and wove them with other similar characters of classic works (the adventurer Sir Malcolm Murray appears to be based on Sir Allan Quartermain, Ethan Chandler has roots from the long-suffering and cursed Lawrence Talbot (aka the Wolf Man), and Lily is clearly another incarnation of The Bride of Frankenstein). The show meticulously recreates early London in the 1800s with its extraordinary attention to detail in its sets, costumes, and the dialogue, that at times sounds like it was written by the likes of Byron or Keates. In tone, it reminds me of the much revered graphic novel, The League of Extraordinary Gentleman, and it certainly exceeds the film version of that piece.
Creator Jonathan Logan weaves a tale of mystery, monsters, and mayhem, but with panache and a sense of grandeur. His is the story of Sir Malcolm Murray, played dashingly as a grand elder statesman by Timothy Dalton, who seeks the aid of several unique individuals to find his daughter, Mina Harker, and bring down the evil that absconded her. Sir Malcolm starts off by enlisting the aid of a true medium, Vanessa Ives, an American sharp shooter, Ethan Chandler, and one very unique doctor in his day, Frankenstein.
As the series progresses, the focal point becomes more on the cursed Vanessa Ives, and the show takes several haunting turns that touch upon witches and position all the characters with a unique, dark lyrical flair.
Ives, Chandler, and Dr. Frankenstein have darker secrets that taunt them as well, and those other stories are just as fascinating. Eva Green is mesmerizing as the medium who is troubled by her visions of evil. Ms. Green brings a unique quality of dread, sensuality, and danger with her mere presence. As interesting as all the characters and the actors that portray them are, Green is the linchpin of the series. Her Miss Ives becomes more and more intriguing with each episode.
Harry Treadaway as Dr. Frankenstein plays a whole different type of tormented soul to Hartnett’s character. Where Ethan Chandler can be dashing and glib, Dr Frankenstein is far more cerebral and obsessive. That obsession, both with his experiments in resurrection and drug addiction, leads down a very dangerous path, and I couldn’t help but wonder if he would be more of a hindrance than a help to Sir Malcolm.
As for the supporting players, they lend such heart and soul to the morbid poetry in motion that fans of goth horror will revel with every introduction. Rory Kinnear’s reveal as the true monster of Dr. Frankenstein is damn near horrifying, but eventually settles into another tortured soul that not only longs for a mate, but also yearns for his previous life as the gentle and eloquent John Clare. Kinnear’s changes are gradual, but his is by far the most sympathetic. Reeve Carney is the insipid Dorian Gray incarnate, cavalier with his immortal life, showing very little respect for it. Carney takes the Gray character to a whole new level with sheer revelry and smarts. He’ll do just about anything to find a spark to his now boring existence.
The flamboyant and eccentric Ferdinand Lyle is portrayed deliciously by Simon Russell Beale. Lyle is a professor of antiquities and foreign language whose prissy ways add much comic relief to the horrific events that take place. His presence is even more entertaining when paired with Miss Ives. Danny Sapani as Sembene is the quiet and mysterious mountain of a man, valet of Sir Malcolm. It’s a respectable relationship that grows with the show. Sapani plays Sembene with a great sense of honor, but we also sense the man is capable of being brutish when needed.
Billie Piper is absolutely magnificent as Lily, the “Bride of the Monster”. From former downtrodden whore to her resurrection, at first timid, then strikingly frightening, Piper delivers on all counts. She owns the screen as her character grows into itself. She eventually comes across as possibly the first emancipated woman that demands revenge for all women who have been mistreated before her. Hers is a striking storyline, and only becomes more intriguing when she ends up hooking up with Dorian Gray.
There is also the wonderful addition of two mega talents in smaller, but just as powerful roles. Singer/actress Patti Lupone (American Horror Story: Coven) plays dual roles as Joan Clayton in season two and Dr. Seward (a gender flip from Stoker’s Dracula in season three). In season two, she plays a minor character, a hedge witch and mentor to Vanessa Ives. In season three, she really shines as an early psychologist/hypnotist that attempts to aid Vanessa with her demons. She is played stern, forthright, and with a slight sense of humor. Her sessions with Miss Ives are both fascinating and intense.
Then, there is the icon of character actors who appears late in the show, Wes Studi, his mere presence lends an air of respectability, mystery, and strength as Kaetenay, the Apache who has strong ties to Ethan Chandler. As always, Studi is marvelous with anybody he plays alongside. His character is a bad ass of the highest order.
With so many engrossing characters, plot lines, and the cavalcade of carnage all accompanied by dialogue that sounds like its been lifted from the literature of the 1800s, this show comes across more like a Grande Guignol three act play that’s been afforded life on the home screen. Jonathan Logan has delivered a nasty treat that is a great addition to Halloween viewing, and to all those that relish horror with style. Penny Dreadful is a unique gem of dread and suspense that only gets better with multiple viewings. It not only calls out to binge watchers, but it practically demands to be seen with friends and discreet family.
For a while now, the home screen has proved far more entertaining than going to the movies. With shows like Banshee and Penny Dreadful, we get all the action, titillation, and horror one can ask for. But aside from all that, the creators of these shows have given us memorable people, not just characters. We long to revisit those people (or dare I say, friends) and relive every moment that amused and shocked us. The endings of these shows feel complete, and not just wrapped up like so many other successful series that leave us questioning why on earth we put ourselves through so many seasons just to be disappointed. This is why I urge so many uninitiated to visit the town of Banshee and the tawdry world of Penny Dreadful.
