Cinemax’s Banshee
Season 3, Episode 8: “All the Wisdom I Got Left”
Directed by Greg Yaitanes
Written by Christopher Kelley

* For a recap & review of the previous episode, “You Can’t Hide From the Dead” – click here
* For a recap & review of the next episode, “Even God Doesn’t Know What to Make of You” – click here
The boys are taking a trip down to Louisiana – Hood (Antony Starr) and his deputy, Brock Lotus (Matt Servitto). They’re tracking Chayton Littlestone (Geno Segers) to serve him up some Banshee justice. It’s fun seeing these two together, as Hood and Brock were at odds right from the beginning of the former’s appearance in town. Together, they make a solid ass kicking team.
They’ve found a man named Sani Crow (Raoul Max Trujillo), hoping to find information on their target. He isn’t particularly keen on helping, but Hood makes clear there’s a storm coming for him. But Sani didn’t harbour Chayton, and the big man is still on the move, to the French Quarter.
Hood and Brock find one of the underground fight clubs, where we last saw Chayton exerting his monstrous force for the entertainment of many howling fans. And out he comes – it must be devastating for Hood to see him in the flesh after so long. When the two men lock eyes across the room it’s as if the world stands still, and they collide, fist to fist. Chayton taunts him: “The lady cop. She was your woman? Good.” As usual, the not-sheriff takes a damn brutal beating, giving back as good as he gets.
Everything grinds to a halt once Brock pulls his gun. Shit goes sideways, though the fight manager shuts it all down, not wanting too much heat from local police. By the skin of their FUCKING TEETH they leave.
Kai Proctor (Ulrich Thomsen) gets word about some discrepancies in the business’ profit from Clay (Matthew Rauch). The boss dismisses it for the most part. At the same time, his right-hand man isn’t overly thrilled about Emily Lotus (Tanya Clarke) spending so much time there. In other news, niece Rebecca (Lili Simmons) is stepping farther and farther past her boundaries. Now Clay’s figured her out, he doesn’t like what she’s been doing on her own.
One of the more frightening moments involving Mr. Burton comes when she grabs for his dick, then looks terrified when she feels what’s there; or rather, what is not. Not a good idea, though, the way Rebecca decides on pitting herself against him in her uncle’s eyes. Because there’s no telling what this motherfucker’s willing to do for his beloved boss Proctor.
Rebecca: “This woman is making him weak”
There’s other trouble, too. Job (Hoon Lee) finds that Sugar (Frankie Faison) has taken a large chunk of money out of the team pool of cash. But why? He won’t say, telling Job to stay out of it. The old man goes out to the local gym, where he meets a guy named Oscar Cruz (Joey Auzenne); to whom he gives the bag of money. This is a slice of the past – Oscar’s father, Oscar Sr, got hurt badly in the ring during a match with Sugar, he’s trying to make amends the only way he can.
There’s more of the past to see in this episode, as well. Such as how Burton and Proctor came together. Kai’s thrown into a dark room, tied, where he finds a bloody, tortured Clay lying on the floor. He helps the injured man up from his broken state, killing their captors and taking him to freedom. It’s a rather intense backstory, a sort of old school Western-style tale of debt, a blood oath by Clay from then on to the man who pulled him out of that hole.
Meanwhile, Job found out Oscar’s been fleecing him for years since his father died. Taking money for a dead man. So our excellent, crossdressing friend takes it to the man, kicking his ass in the ring before taking the money back for Sugar. Mainly he wants to know that he can trust the old guy, that nothing else will fuck up because of him doing things behind their back. Turns out it was all over a woman, one who chose Oscar Sr over Sugar; in turn fuelling the anger which left the man a vegetable.
Job: “Float like a butterfly, motherfucker.”
In New Orleans, Brock and Hood discuss morality. Deputy Lotus worries about who he’s becoming, why he’s running off for revenge, though Hood isn’t so worried; he’s long since dealt with any part of him that questioned his choices, whether he’s living a moral life. The poor guy is still, and forever will be, haunted by the death of Siobhan.
And now finally, he comes face-to-face with Chayton, who nearly kills him as he sleeps. They fight tooth and nail, cutting each other up with hunting knives and kicking ass, back and forth.
Chayton: “You can‘t kill me, cop. You‘re just a man. No man can kill me.”
Then the big guy leaps over the balcony, running into the streets, as Hood eventually gives chase with a shotgun in hand. This is a BEAUTIFUL SEQUENCE, that’s got the action element, as well as this wonderful cinematography going through the French Quarter’s streets by the bars, then through a massive, old graveyard, passing tombs and graves and statues alike. A fitting location with death possibly around every corner for either one of these men.
When they come to a halt near the water, Chayton stops. He soon taunts his foe with the last moments of Siobhan’s life. Then Hood blows his fucking guts out, before pumping a shot through his face. Some wild effects work, a combination of practical effects and CGI; amazing, too! What an end to this chapter in Hood’s journey. Afterwards, he and Brock toss the corpse off the pier. Another body buried. But now the not-sheriff says he “can‘t go back.” After all this he’s done. Not if Brock has his way.
Kai’s being accepted back into his Amish family, a sign of him changing his ways? Well, things don’t go as smooth as he might’ve hoped. Some associates come to collect him from his father’s land, as well as the former Mrs. Lotus. Yikes. Not good. In the distance, Rebecca watches, firing on their vehicle as they cart him away. Witnessed by all her people.
And what about Colonel Doug Stowe (Langley Kirkwood)? He’s sniffing around at the diner where Carrie (Ivana Milicevic) works. Asking about Rabbit, her old life. He’s investigating and trying to find out who’s robbed him. And he is very, very angry. He knows someone got close enough to him to get his fingerprints, et cetera. Oh, no. Not good. The military men are hunting the Banshee crew.
After the credits, we see Chayton’s body float down the river slowly.
What a wild episode, it had some intense yet subdued action that felt perfect for this series. Next episode, the penultimate chapter of Season 3  – “Even God Doesn’t Know What To Make Of You” – is next.