Cinemax’s Banshee
Season 1, Episode 6: “Wicks”
Directed by Ole Christian Madsen
Written by David Schickler & Jonathan Tropper

* For a review of the previous episode, “The Kindred” – click here
* For a review of the next episode, “Behold a Pale Rider” – click here
 We begin this episode back with Hood (Antony Starr) in jail. Not an easy time for anyone, but especially not for a guy who’s crossed Mr. Rabbit (Ben Cross). After whisking Ana a.k.a Carrie (Ivana Milicevic) away with him, supposedly turning her against him, Rabbit is not happy with his almost son-in-law. The worst is yet to come for Hood, as Rabbit’s got plenty planned for him: “You will not die. You will suffer. You will know fear and pain and despair every single day you are in here. This much I promise you.” This involves a large man, the Albino (Joseph Gatt), a terrifying figure who Rabbit uses to inflict all those things he mentioned on Hood. And there’s no end in sight.
Not only does this opening show us how tough life got for Hood, it’s a testament to why he’s so hardened now. Why he can take the fight to people, instantly, almost without any worry whatsoever. Because Rabbit put him through hell, and somehow he survived. Well, this episode shows us some of that and we’re able to get a better grasp on Hood, his character gets a little fleshed out, more and more.
 In Banshee, an ex-con named Wicks (Michael Kostroff) arrives. Straight off the bus he spies Sheriff Lucas Hood across the street, which surprises him good. It was only a matter of time before that old life of Hood’s crossed over into the new one.
Meanwhile, Kai Proctor (Ulrich Thomsen) is talking with Chief Benjamin Longshadow (Russell Means) about his whole murder trial ordeal. Of course the tribe worries about being involved with a man like Kai, but he and Benjamin have a good relationship. Kai only worries about the son, the successor Alex (Anthony Ruivivar). He also lays out for Benjamin what will happen if Alex crosses him down the road: “It won‘t be good for the tribe,” explains Proctor. At the same time he has business to take care of, getting the Reverend Arthur Ramsey (William Haze) to sell his land.
Down at the Cadi, ex-con Wicks turns up in a cell, telling Deputy Brock Lotus (Matt Servitto) he knows Hood. Uh oh. So off goes Hood. He and Wicks meet again, though the former tries playing it all off. But Hood, he remembers. Very well. They met while Hood was laying up in prison hospital. “You‘re his property,” Wicks explains to Hood re: the Albino. It’s either give the creepy bastard sex, or take a beating, shaking, maybe worse, day by day until he’s either dead, or his 15 years are served. That’s a brutal prospect. Back in the present, Hood tries to shake Wicks, but the crafty lifetime con is not willing to be shook.
We’re given a look at the relationship between Hoods and Wicks in jail; the latter’s like Morgan Freeman’s character from Shawshank. Likewise, we learn more of the Albino – he’s brutal, he’s gay and likes beautiful young men, such as Billy B (Michael Roark). So Hood ends up getting this young dude to bring him to see the Albino. This guy is downright awful. He’s just so jacked and big combined with those red, eerie eyes, the look is actually scary. And it’s even scarier watching Hood on the brink of death in this guy’s presence. Especially when threatening Hood with forcible oral sex. There’s a request from Rabbit for a “piece” of Hood to prove the Albino is doing his job.
So afterwards, Hood lays a merciless stabbing on Billy B, right in the mouth. Not only ruins the Albino’s plaything, he gets 30 days in the hole. But in the present, Wicks’ insistence on being around only troubles Hood, having to remember those days, going back to likely the most painful experiences of his life. He sends Wicks off with a bus ticket to wherever, trying to put it in his rear-view.

 

Albino: “Prison can be very liberating“ Things get nasty when blackmail comes along in Banshee – apparently Arthur Ramsey’s wife Deborah (Moniqua Plante) and Kai have a former… business… relationship. Or well, “extortion” as Proctor clarifies for him. “I never forget a great piece of ass,” Kai mocks Ramsey. Back in the day, she did some dancing for Kai, before her marriage to Arthur. So naturally, Kai gets the upper hand threatening Arthur with releasing all sorts of pictures, and a video. Gross way to do business. But that’s how Kai gets down – he took Rumspringa and really ran with it.
In other news, Carrie’s little boy is in the hospital with lung problems. She, Deva (Ryann Shane), and Gordon (Rus Blackwell) get bad news about him. He’s got asthma, a scarred lung, and the outlook is bleak. Sad to see this in any family. Particularly sad because Carrie has this whole new life and even then she can’t fully be happy. Everything weighs on her.
But back to Hood in prison. In his cell, he works out, punching the walls, readying himself for the day when he’ll have to go back out on the yard, to face the Albino again. What will he do?

 

Instead of going away, Wicks uses the money Hood gave him to gamble. He snorts it and gambles it away, until he’s back in town again. Looking for more. Wanting to be involved in Hood’s new setup.
Carrie’s not doing too well, either. She feels messed up from everything that’s going on. Gordon realizes there’s something happening with their relationship, with her specifically. She blames it on the recent attack, the bikers. Although, he still believes there’s something with the new sheriff.
Wicks makes the mistake of threatening Hood with revealing the truth. This doesn’t bode well for him, pushing Hood too far. Before any of that, we see what happened with Hood in jail concerning the Albino. After getting out of the hole, he’s summoned for a meeting with the man, to pay for what he’s done and pledge himself over. Faced with either sucking cock or dying, and possibly still dying after sucking it, Hood manages to do what no one has ever done – after a lengthy, brutal, bloody fight, he manages to kill the hulking Albino in the most savage way possible. Everyone sees, everyone respects.

 

Carrie calls her father. She wants to put things behind them, promising to bring Hood to him. Really? The ultimate betrayal after what Hood did for her those years before. Cold as ice.
Hood and Sugar Bates (Frankie Faison) have figured out a way to get Wicks out of their hair. The only way out. Similar to how Hood only had one way out of the situation with the Albino. Sometimes, death is the only solution.
Worst of all? Hood checks the messages on the real former sheriff’s phone. A young man named Jason leaves a message – for his estranged father. Whoa. Next episode is titled “Behold a Pale Rider”, another solid entry into the first season.