Cinemax’s Banshee
Season 2, Episode 3: “The Warrior Class”
Directed by Ole Christian Madsen
Written by Evan Dunsky

* For a recap & review of the previous episode, “The Thunder Man” – click here
* For a recap & review of the next episode, “Bloodlines” – click here
 Carrie (Ivana Milicevic) sits in jail. Disoriented. Feeling awful, filled with guilt. Thinking only of her family. But she does have a visitor waiting for her: Hood (Antony Starr), of course. Luckily, Carrie never got any further time for her brawl last episode. She’s more worried about Rabbit (Ben Cross) coming back for her, the kids. All of them. As always, Hood reassures there’s nothing to fear.
Interesting how he went to see her even though she didn’t go see him in the entire 15 years he served. Shows how deep his love for her goes.
 Out in in the country, Lana Cleary (Amber Midthunder) and Solomon Bowman (Gunnar Carrigan) are together. A forbidden relationship. They talk about running away, from the Amish county, from the reservation. Together. Young love trying to break away from the shackling traditions of their respective communities. Sadly, their relationship is destined for something far more sinister. Someone knows about them, and it seems as if they’re intent on putting an end to it. More permanent than keeping the two separated.
Because Solomon goes missing while Lana’s body is found on Amish property. This spurs on a divisive period for Banshee as a town. The Amish and Kinaho tribe are at odds, viciously so. This is possibly one of my favourite episodes out of the entire series. Banshee and its writers finally put the Amish and Native American elements to work in a great way. One of this show’s unique qualities happens to be the mix of these different creeds, their sets of beliefs, all in the space of a small town. There was bound to be something like this to come along eventually, which the writers take advantage of here. Not only is it intriguing writing, this further puts Hood in the mix with some dangerous elements. Namely, Chayton Littlestone (Geno Segers). He is the newest big bad to wander into Hood’s view. And those of us who’ve seen the series through know he is a formidable opponent, one that provides an awesome Native American character for television. Yes, he’s a villain. Yes, he does some wild things. But it is still refreshing to see that a Native American is given a role that would often just go to an average white guy. This way, there’s a variety and a special angle for Banshee to play out.
With everybody involved now, there’s a wide search for Solomon. The death of the young woman seems to really affect Hood. He’s now saddled with his first real test, as the Sheriff of Banshee. Before now it was all fun and games. This tasks him with actually solving a crime and serving justice. Not an easy task at that.
Reservations are their own jurisdictions. So Banshee Police Department has no legal recourse while on reservation land. Still, on charges Hood. Like a bull in a china shop. You’ve got to give it to him: his balls are massive. Up at a house on the land, Hood goes in to look around while Deputies Brock (Matt Servitto), Kelly (Trieste Kelly Dunn), and Yawners (Demetrius Grosse) are once again left to just go head down and follow him into whatever comes. Naturally, the deputies come up against resistance, hostile at that. The Redbones, a reservation gang, wind up discovering Hood poking around. Only it isn’t the gang themselves that are so scary. It’s Chayton. The fact he’s 6’3″, about 250 lbs, tattooed, and has the anger of several generations behind him. He is a great character. Geno Segers is a talented dude – his voice alone is intimidating.
You know what happens. Hood takes on Chayton in a brawl. Eventually, the entire Banshee Police Department basically has to take him down.

Chayton ends up in BPD custody. Locked in a cell, for now. We know there are bigger things brewing.
Most interesting is the fact now Jason Hood (Harrison Thomas) shows up at the Cadi. He’s looking for his estranged father. And best of all, he knows that this Hood is not his father. All the while, Gordon (Rus Blackwell) and Alison Medding (Afton Williamson) are on the case of the young dead woman from the reservation. Things are getting sticky, as Hood is in the mix with so much baggage there’s no telling what might happen next.
Kai Proctor (Ulrich Thomsen) goes to confront his family that shunned him so long ago. He might be capable of helping, though they do nothing to involve him. Just then, a ton of the Natives show up with baseball bats ready to beat down the “fucking Dutchie” and all that nasty business. Well, Kai and Clay put on a show for them. A brutal one.
Simultaneously, Rebecca Bowman (Lili Simmons) discovers information about her brother’s whereabouts from another Amish girl she knew well before leaving the community. Good team, Uncle Proctor and Niece Bowman. Amazing enough, Mama Proctor comes out to see her son, first time in so long. And she agrees: if Kai can help, so be it. They only want to find the boy. Hood starts sussing out the actual Hood’s son. He owes money, apparently. Some people are after him. Certainly Jason is smart enough to realize this man who’s not his dad has some reach. He wants to disappear and not be constantly watching his back. This resonates with Hood, son or not. The man known as Lucas Hood knows what it’s like to consistently be on his guard. All these things converge to push Hood and his too-big heart into helping the kid. For his part, Sugar (Frankie Faison) sets Jason straight on what the man now named Hood is really like – he’s a good guy, even killed the guys that murdered Jason’s dad. So in a roundabout way, Sugar gets through to him. Well, kinda.
In the woods Rebecca is attacked by an unknown assailant. She runs through the forest trying to get away and soon enough runs into the arms of Hood, as the police are out looking for Solomon. Hood chases the attacker into the woods, eventually losing him, getting knocked down, but popping off enough shots to get the guy in the leg. Though he runs off in the end.
In prison, Carrie is going through the motions. She sits in the midst of everybody, lifeless, nothing left. Meanwhile, Hood and Siobhan are together in her trailer; he’s not alone. This juxtaposition is sad. Hood is so lonely and has been for so long, even if he loves Carrie there’s only so long he can hold out: “This is a bad idea,” he tells Siobhan as they undress. And Gordon, he wastes away in a strip club, getting stoned, drunk, lap dances that never seem to satisfy anything. Everyone’s a little broken. Or a lot. They all find solace where they can, except Carrie who can’t find any inside the walls of that prison. The others, they do their best. Ultimately, the relationship between Siobhan and Hood is one that’s doomed, though we have to wait to see just how doomed it can get.
And Nola, she hasn’t disappeared yet. She’s busy waiting for revenge on the one who killed that precious young Native girl. Likewise, after the credits we see Chayton in his cell, smearing blood like war paint across his cheeks.
The danger is coming.
 Amazing episode. Another favourite of mine. Soon, I’ll do another recap and review on the next episode “Bloodlines”, which continues a great chapter in the series. Almost like a double-parter to this one, though the storyline and plots within keep going for quite a time. Excellent writing, as usual, in a exemplary arc involving Chayton, Nola, and the entire tribe aspect versus Hood and the Banshee P.D.