Cinemax’s Banshee
Season 1, Episode 4: “Half Deaf Is Better Than All Dead”
Directed by Greg Yaitanes
Written by David Schickler & Jonathan Tropper

* For a review of the previous episode, “Meet the New Boss” – click here
* For a review of the next episode, “The Kindred” – click here
 Open on Carrie (Ivana Milicevic) and her husband Gordon (Rus Blackwell) making love. She obviously cares for him, is attracted to him. But every moment Hood (Antony Starr) is within Banshee town limits is another moment she is unsure of her current life. No matter how stable and normal it is compared to the old days when she and Hood were thieving.
 Speaking of Hood, he is actually busy doing some thieving in a state museum. He’s in a bad spot, though. Stuck in a hallway, alarms going off all around him and nearly hyperventilating, he calls Job (Hoon Lee) who’s still looking for his money. He’ll help, anyways. At the same time, some guys in the diner from which Job is hacking give him a hard time and we see a little of his own ass kicking abilities.
What’s killing Hood is the thought of being locked up again. It frightens him, literally taking his breath away. Imagining that cell, those walls closing in; claustrophobia at its finest. Luckily, the spirit of thievery still thrives in Carrie. On the phone with Hood, she hears him panicking. After a little bit of fighting gets Hood to the street, along with help from Job, and then his saviour, Carrie, arrives with a getaway vehicle. Off they fly, together once more.
Now, Sugar Bates (Frankie Faison) is involved. He knows Carrie, after meeting up with Hood. She isn’t too happy, but takes it for the team. Mainly, she doesn’t want Hood to go down because Rabbit (Ben Cross), her Russian mobster father will know where they are; where she ran away.
Kat Moody (Kay Story) warns Hood about the Moody boys and that they’re coming after him. His toughness continually oozes out, no matter what situation he’s in. At the station, Senator Schumacher is there about his son, wondering where is the justice for his death. So now, aside from having fun and doing what he wants, Hood has expectations set upon him. His honour is at stake. Because if anything, even being a criminal himself, Hood is honourable. The senator is worried because Hanson slipped away, nobody knows where. Well, we do. At the end of last episode, Kai Proctor (Ulrich Thomsen) and Clay Burton (Matthew Rauch) disposed of him, or started to, in the slaughterhouse. So where’s that dead end going to lead? Confrontation, I’d imagine.
Time being, Hood’s got Deva Hopewell (Ryann Shane) looking through pictures, trying to help with the whole Hansen investigation. She points out a meth head that got beat up by Hanson before the rave. Carrie shows up, pissed, not wanting Hood around her daughter without permission. I bet we all know why.
So it’s road trip time for Sheriff Hood and Deputy Emmett Yawners (Demetrius Grosse). They head out to the White Brotherhood neighbourhood of town. They track down Arno Webber (Kristopher Kling), who knows about what happened to Hanson in the slaughterhouse. After a bit of persuasion, he gives them a bit of cellphone evidence recorded while Hanson was being chopped to bits. As well as a frozen hand; Hanson’s hand. Later, they head to see Proctor. He’s busy beating the shit out of his training post, its padding stained with blood, and he isn’t too concerned when Hood wants to arrest him.

Except along the way to the station, the cop car gets railroaded by the Moody Brothers – Marcus, Dex, and Tom. They’ve decided to get two birds with one stone, snatching up Proctor and Hood in one handful. A little punching, kicking, thrashing later, Emmett gets the jump on the Moody gang, and everyone walks away. Plus, they keep hold of Proctor.
At home, Carrie’s still trying to forget about Hood long enough to get a bit of rest. She relaxes, tries her best. Their past lays just beneath the surface, though, and her memories rarely stray far from their time together. Another BEAUTIFUL thing about this series – the music. The theme Carrie and Hood have, which comes up in variations time and time again throughout the series, makes me almost weak at the knees. It is perfect, ambient, gorgeously hypnotic. Another great bit of music for the score overall.
Back over at the bar, Sugar makes clear he wants in on the next job Hood takes. Although, the new Sheriff does not want any of that. He’d prefer not to get Sugar involved. But the old boxer wants something bigger, something better than just a bar filled with a few regulars.
And in his cell, Kai receives a visit from the young Mayor Dan Kendall (Daniel Ross Owens). They have a very tough relationship, one filled with hate over the problems Kai gave Kendall’s father, causing him much grief. Kai mostly mocks the young man, before choking him a little through the bars. In court nothing holds up against Proctor, as usual. Or it won’t anyways, not after Clay gets after the eye witness in the trial. A welcome surprise comes to Hood outside the Cadi – waiting for him is Job. He’s decided to take up residence in Banshee. The boys are back in town! This can only get more interesting from here. That’s for damn sure.
At the same time, Brock Lotus (Matt Servitto) is looking after Arno, holed up in a motel room. They find themselves in a bad position as someone lays siege to the place, obviously to take out Arno.
 The next episode is titled “The Kindred” and pushes the series forward another few inches, with action and plenty of excitement.