Banshee Season One - Ex-Con Becomes Sheriff

It was somewhere in the third episode of Cinemax's Banshee when I looked up from my Twitter feed, stared at the screen and thought, Hey, this guy can act. By that time, I had already written off the show as just not for me. Still, I kept it in the background whilst I sorted my work papers, straightened out my desk and chatted with some friends on Twitter. Then, the camera focused on the still unnamed main character, played by Antony Starr. 'Angry?' he asks. 'You have no idea.' The amount of emotion Mr. Starr invested in those few words belonged to a better show than this, and made me pay attention. Banshee, ludicrous though it is at times, can be diverting, at times even engaging. This is one of those shows that I cannot in good conscience say is good, but which I actually would not mind seeing more of.

Antony Starr plays a recently released from prison master thief who tracks down his ex-girlfriend/ partner in crime to the small town of Banshee, Pennsylvania. Whilst chatting with the wise bartender Sugar (Frankie Faison), he ends up in a brawl with two thugs who work for the local kingpin. The thief kills the thugs, but not before they kill the new Sheriff, Lucas Hood. The thief then decides to take on the identity of the sheriff (he was hired by the young mayor, whom he has never met in person). As Lucas Hood, he reconnects with his ex Anastasia (now called Carrie Hopewell and married to the town prosecutor), meets his daughter, forms an uneasy relationship with the town kingpin Kai Proctor (Ulrich Thomsen), sh@gs lovely ladies who happen to lock eyes with him, and dispenses his own form of often brutal justice.

Brutality is as common a feature of this show as nudity; the Pilot, after all, included sh@gging in the first minute, and a shot of the hole through the real sheriff's hand. The brutality serves a purpose sometimes, as in the prison scenes that underscore the trauma of those 15 years for Hood. There are times when it is downright ridiculous, as when Hood engages a professional fighter; the two of them nearly kill each other in front of dozens of people, including members of the Sheriff's department and the town prosecutor. Did it not occur to any of these grown-ups/ figures of authority to break up the fight before someone ends up in a coma?

As for nudity, well, the show fulfils its quota. What is pleasantly surprising is that Rebecca Bowman (Lili Simmons), introduced as just another lady who loses her dress whenever Hood is in the vicinity, grows into an affecting character through the first season's ten episodes. A member of the Amish community, she is at night sexually adventurous, and is a party girl in a town where Sugar's bar seems to be the only watering hole. When her family discovers her secret and kicks her out, she turns to her uncle Kai, and ends the season as an apprentice to his criminal empire.

The story may not be that strong, but the performances across the board are solid (Hoon Lee as Hood's potty-mouthed hacker colleague is an irreverent delight). Ulrich Romsen, Frankie Faison and Ben Cross (as Rabbit, the powerful crime boss still after Hood and Carrie after all these years) all ground the show; their characters may be stock, but they portray them with easy gravity that lifts their scenes. Yet the show's greatest asset is its lead. I find myself looking forward to seeing the second season primarily to watch more of Antony Starr.

The episodes are workmanlike in competence, and many scenes would not look out of place in a summer action flick. There is an extended fight scene between Carrie and one of Rabbit's thugs that finds time between kicks, punches and blood to touch on sentiment and memory. Whilst resigned to watching what appears to be just another Cinemax show, Banshee sneaks in genuine emotion, and shines, though briefly.

Quotes:

Sugar: 'You one of 'em complicated types, is that it?'

Sugar: 'I'm a bartender. Wisdom is an occupational hazard.'

Kai Proctor: 'I've lost count of the people I hurt, and I still hurt people every day. You have no idea what that does to you inside. It's like a blade in your belly that gradually scrapes you raw.'

Rebecca: 'Why don't you just admit that you like being bad?'

The Borgias Recap 'Day of Ashes'

Season 2 Episode 6

This is the recap I neglected to write last year, when I was working on Season Two recaps of The Borgias. I truly wish I had been able to recap The Borgias in proper order. In any case, it was lovely to rewatch an episode of this series again.

Ash Wednesday marks the first day of Lent; it is also an opportunity for Rodrigo to make a public show of his penitence following the events of the previous episode, when a lightning hit a church, causing its roof to collapse and killing several people. He kneels in front of a poor peasant woman and washes her feet. Amongst the crowd is Cardinal Della Rovere, Antonello, and another priest. Cardinal Della Rovere calls the Pope's actions, 'a new theatre.'

Yet, even privately, Rodrigo is consumed with thoughts of his sins. Alone at the confessional, Rodrigo murmurs, 'To whom does the Pope confess, oh Lord. Who will hear his sins, wash them clean, so that he may live again in your favour? Ah. The great silence.' Rodrigo's meditations are interrupted with the arrival of Cesare, who urgently seeks confession as well.

Cesare tells his father he committed the sins of murder and lust, against Giovanni Sforza and with Caterina Sforza. In a flash the penitent Pope is gone; in his stead is practical, ruthless Rodrigo. He hurriedly mutters the words of absolution, then continues to berate Cesare outside the Confessional. He says Cesare has started a war. Cesare begs to be released from his Cardinal's robes and be given command of the papal army; he promises to bring Caterina Sforza back to Rome in chains. Rodrigo brushes this off and says Lucrezia must marry again, because the family needs an alliance.

Cesare presents the knife coated in Giovanni Sforza's blood to Lucrezia. 'What does it say of us, brother, that you promise me this, and I would accept?' Rodrigo joins them and, when the marriage of Lucrezia is brought up, Lucrezia vehemently rejects it. 

Rodrigo seeks Vanozza's assistance on the matter of Lucrezia's marriage, and appoints her ambassador to meet with potential suitors. Lucrezia agrees to look at the suitors, but rejects all of them. The sixth suitor is Calvino Pallavicini of Genoa, but Lucrezia is more interested in his younger brother Raffaello.

Rodrigo sends Cesare to Florence to deal with Savonarola; the friar is to be told to stop preaching, then be charged with heresy, then excommunicated, then burnt. As a side project, Cesare decides to steal a horde of Medici gold that is being moved. Because of Savonarola's preachings, Florence is no longer safe for the Medicis, who take refuge in Rome. Machiavelli informs Cesare of the movement of gold. Cesare manages to steal this gold, with the help of the men Micheletto recruited in Episode Four. Cesare means to use the gold to fund a campaign against Forli. He shows Rodrigo the waggons of treasure and once more begs his father to release him from his Cardinal's robes. Rodrigo refuses and says Juan is coming home. Upset, Cesare says he will be attending to the church's business in Florence.

Strays

■ Prior to sending Cesare, Rodrigo first sends Cardinal Sforza to Florence to offer Savonarola the Cardinal's hat. Savonarola rejects this.

■ Cardinal Della Rovere is giving Antonello increasing amounts of cantarella to get the young man's body more resistant to the poison. The Cardinal also points out the Pope's taster, Brother Bernardino.

■ Rodrigo decrees that the Curia fast together on sardines throughout Lent.

■ Savonarola claims he hears the voice of God.

■ Rodrigo described Giovanni Sforza's murder to Vanozza as an 'unfortunate incident.' - 'He fell into a knife that Cesare happened to be holding.'

■ Machiavelli helps Cesare, even to the detriment of his master Piero de Medici.

■ Giulia, Vanozza and Lucrezia blackmail the Cardinals into funding a new house for the poor.

■ For a few moments, Cesare is hopeful about finally being free of his Cardinal's robes. He tells Micheletto that when the papal army is in his charge, Micheletto will wear armour and be his captain. Micheletto's respnse: 'No. I was born in the shadows. I feel that is where I should remain.'

■ With Piero de Medici asking for Rodrigo's protection in Rome and help in dealing with Savonarola, Rodrigo declares that the Medici bank will be reformed into the Vatican Bank.

Quotes

Cardinal Sforza: 'His Holiness is going through a period of sanctity, penance. It will pass.'

Cardinal Sforza: 'They are women. Women are dangerous.'

Cesare: 'Trust me. My name is Borgia.'

Show: The Borgias (Showtime)

Season: Two

Episode Number in Season: Six

Episode Number in Series: Fifteen

Episode Title: Day of Ashes

Episode Writer: David Leland

Episode Director: John Maybury

Original Air Date: May 13, 2012

The Borgias Recap 'Nessuno (Nobody)'

Season 1 Episode 9

Upon entering the empty streets of Rome, King Charles asks Lucrezia for a private audience with her father the pope. Cardinal Della Rovere is visibly displeased with Lucrezia's sway on the French King; Lucrezia rubs salt on the cardinal's wound by handing him the reigns to her horse before escorting the King to the cathedral.

Inside, King Charles mistakes the simply-clad Rodrigo for a friar, and even apologises for interrupting his prayers. When he realises his mistake, the King falls to his knees and kisses Rodrigo's hand. King Charles is obviously surprised at finding the Pope thus attired. Wily Rodrigo skillfully establishes a common ground with the French King and speaks of the burdens of great office. When Rodrigo enquires whether King Charles has come to relieve him of the burdens of the papacy, the French King quickly denies it. Rodrigo offers to grant King Charles the papal investiture of the kingdoms of France and Naples.

Though he may have been taken by Lucrezia's charms and Rodrigo's simple clothing and talk of burdens of great office, King Charles is no fool. He forces Rodrigo to appoint Cesare as papal legate, to travel with the French army to Naples, and to remain there with the King. Cesare is angry at being a hostage. Rodrigo calmly tells his son to bring Micheletto ('For entertainment. For protection.') with him and, if the rumours of plague in Naples prove true, find his way home.

During a night time pause on the ride to Naples, Cesare and Micheletto school the two soldiers guarding them on killing. One of the soldiers asks for a demonstration of the garrote; Micheletto kills him, whilst Cesare uses a piece of wood to batter the head of the other. Cesare tells Micheletto they must ride to Pesaro, and to Giovanni Sforza.

Lucrezia has a brief reunion with Cesare in Rome; she informs her brother she is pregnant with a child who is not her husband's. Cesare takes Lucrezia to the Convent of St. Cecilia's, and leaves her in the care of Ursula. Cesare promises to get Lucrezia's marriage to Giovanni Sforza annulled.

Disguised as peasants with a vegetable cart, Cesare and Micheletto wait for Giovanni Sforza inside the walls of Pesaro. Micheletto knocks the lord of the castle unconscious, places him in a sack, and carries him to the cart where Cesare awaits. Not one of the other peasants milling about notice this. Cesare and Micheletto drive back to Rome with the bound Sforza. Cesare roughs Giovanni up a bit before presenting him to Rodrigo.

With Burchard in attendance, Rodrigo tells Giovanni of his desire to have the Lord Sforza's marriage to Lucrezia annulled. Since the only ground allowed by law for an annulment is non-consummation, a heavily pregnant Lucrezia testifies from behind a screen to the College of Cardinals that Giovanni Sforza is impotent. Giovanni asserts he can prove consummation but stops short of speaking of the wedding night; instead, he says simply that Lucrezia is lying. A demonstration of consummation between Giovanni and Lucrezia is immediately nixed; Burchard suggested that a public demonstration of Giovanni's potency with one or two willing maidens would suffice. Rodrigo magnanimously spares Giovanni the public sufferance, and says the audience of the College of Cardinals would do, in lieu of members of the public.

A mattress is brought in, followed by two overweight courtesans. Giovanni finally puts a stop to the humiliating proceeding (there is open laughter from amongst the cardinals), declares himself impotent, and asserts his marriage to Lucrezia is not consummated. Lucrezia gives birth at the convent. The episode closes with the whole Borgia clan around Lucrezia's bed side --- Rodrigo, Vanozza, Cesare, Juan, Gioffre, Giulia, Gioffre's wife Sancia, and Ursula.

Strays

■ King Charles arrives at Naples and finds stacks of bodies whose lives were claimed by the plague.

■ Rodrigo gets Burchard to find precedent for the punishment he gives the cardinals for leaving Rome: to present themselves in sackcloth and ashes at the next convention. With the members of the College of Cardinals back (and in rough brown robes and ashes on their forehead), Rodrigo calls on them one by one to kneel in front of him and show their penitence by donating large sums to the Vatican coffers.

■ Cesare offers a cessation of hostilities with Cardinal Della Rovere. Cesare recognises the cardinal as a worthy opponent whose strength Rodrigo may need. When Cardinal Della Rovere points out that Rodrigo already has Cesare, Cesare says that surely, the cardinal already knows Cesare will not be a man of the church forever. Cesare points out that he could have had the cardinal killed twice. Cardinal Della Rovere declares his opposition to the Borgia papacy will end only with his death.

■ When the French ambassador complains of the disappearance of Cesare from the French army, Rodrigo denies knowing where his son is. Rodrigo tells the ambassador that the King of France may appoint any other cardinal he wishes as papal legate, and even suggests Cardinal Sforza. At this time, of course, the Borgias are particularly displeased with the Sforzas, and an appointment as papal legate to the King of France means having to go to plague-infected Naples.

■ I wrote this recap in as straightforward a manner as I could, because my health seemed to have gotten better, then got worse again. I enjoyed my re-watch of the first season of The Borgias a lot more than I thought I would. This finale of the first season has its charms, but it is the weakest amongst the three season finales The Borgias has (so far). Curiously, one of the most hated characters when the first season aired back in 2011, Giovanni Sforza, is my pick for the most fascinating character for this episode. The morning after their horrifying wedding night, Giovanni carelessly commented on Lucrezia's virginity. When the question of consummation was raised, Giovanni could have spoken of that, or of any of the many other times he brutally asserted his marital rights on the young, suffering Lucrezia. He did not. However he may despise his wife's origins, he took the humiliation rather than saying a word of about their private time. This is not at all a defence of Giovanni Sforza's character, or an attempt to find something good in him. I do not find him sympathetic. I find him fascinating. He is a proud, cruel man, but there are outposts he refuses to cross, no matter the price. One of them is speaking of his private time with his wife. I do not think his refusal to talk of this is necessarily out of concern for Lucrezia's dignity; rather, it could more likely be that he simply thinks it is beneath him to speak in such a manner about about a lady, especially his wife. In any case, I am going back to bed, and wish you all a happy The Borgias day.:)

Quotes

King Charles: 'We smell politics. We dislike politics.'

Rodrigo: 'Display has its purpose. But simplicity must rule our hearts.'

Rodrigo: 'We did love our children, did we not, my dear?'

Vanozza: 'To a fault.'

Show: The Borgias (Showtime)

Season: One

Episode Number in Season: Nine

Episode Number in Series: Nine

Episode Title: Nessuno

Episode Writer: Neil Jordan

Episode Director: Jeremy Podeswa

Original Air Date: May 22, 2011

The Borgias Recap 'The Art of War'

Season 1 Episode 8

Juan's strategy for defeating the French army is this --- meet them in open field, where they cannot use their cannon. Cannon, according to Juan's understanding, is only used to batter fortifications. Also, the papal army is to feint to the left. Cesare, sternly instructed by Rodrigo to stop denigrating his brother, manages to hold his tongue whilst Juan presents this plan, but his lack of faith in the plan is written all over his face. Still, Cesare puts forth no suggestion to counter the French offensive.

The Borgias Recap 'Death, on a Pale Horse'

Season 1 Episode 7

In the previous episode, King Charles of France warned Cardinal Della Rovere several times about the harsh realities of war. The good cardinal persisted in this design to have the French army march into Italy to depose Rodrigo Borgia. Here, Cardinal Della Rovere sees first hand what King Charles described.

The Borgias Recap 'The French King'

Season 1 Episode 6

Whilst I was trying to decide what to use as title for this recap (and I picked The King Of France before I realised it is pretty much the same as the episode's title), I was marvelling at how many vivid characters this show has. In this episode alone, we have Giovanni Sforza (cruel lord and husband, proud, considered by other Sforzas as somewhat lesser variety), King Ferrante of Naples (widely known for his ruthlessness and his grotesque supper table, now an invalid), Prince Alfonso (dancing between madness and practical leadership, fond of his family), King Charles of France (plainspoken, steely, clear-eyed in matters of war, an experienced military commander) --- and these are just the lords and leaders. In the previous episode, there was Ludovico of Milan, who kept his nephew shackled and caged, and at one point peed on him. There are also quite a number of auxiliary characters, along with the Borgias themselves, and of course Micheletto. It is to the show's credit that it manages to juggle all these different personalities, each with their own voices and idiosyncrasies, and weave a coherent, engaging narrative for each episode.

The Borgias Recap 'The Borgias in Love'

Image from The Borgias, streamed via iFlix

Season 1 Episode 5

Perhaps it is because I am now viewing this first season with the benefit of hindsight, but I am finding that the things that I remember annoying me back when I first saw this almost three years ago, no longer do (or at least, not to the same degree). Though I remember Ruta Gedmintas fondly from The Tudors, the character Ursula has never been a favourite of mine. When I re-watched 'Lucrezia's Wedding' last week, the line 'Liberate me' still rankled me. Yet, I did not mind her as much as I used to. She has a lot more screen time in this episode, and as I watched I kept waiting for the familiar feeling of irritation, the one I had back in 2011. It did not happen.

Part of the challenge of the character Ursula is the organic, mesmerising chemistry between Francois Arnaud and Holliday Grainger. Ursula is a woman who wakes in Cesare a hunger that drives him to kill (and yes I know Cesare wanted to kill the Baron anyway because he insulted Vanozza, repeatedly). Ursula may not be Cesare's great love but, for a time, she is an overwhelming passion of his. It is tricky to make this believable, in the face of the Cesare/ Lucrezia chemistry.

The Borgias Recap 'Lucrezia's Wedding'

Season 1 Episode 4

The interplay of political struggles and personal conflict is a near constant presence in The Borgias. In this episode, it becomes more prominent as Lucrezia, to service her father's political needs, marries Giovanni Sforza. Scattered throughout the episode are explanations, seamlessly woven into the story, of the geo-political situation of the time. Italy as we know it now did not yet exist. Naples was a grand kingdom, claimed by both France and Spain. Florence was controlled by the Medicis, a wealthy banking family, yet was also a potential hotbed of religious and social uprising thanks to the passionate preachings of the friar Savonarola.

The Borgias Recap 'The Moor'

Image from The Borgias, streamed via iFlix

Season 1 Episode 3

Two men, one a declared enemy, another embraced as a friend, find themselves caught in Borgia plots of murder in this episode. It was not too long ago when Rodrigo wearily, warily, brought up drawing the line on murder with his son Cesare. Was it Cardinal Orsini's aborted attempt on the lives of Rodrigo and his family that turned Rodrigo around and hardened his acceptance of murder as a tool of those who seek, and seek to retain, power?

The Borgias Recap 'The Poisoned Chalice/ The Assassin'

Image from The Borgias, streamed via iFlix

Season 1 Episodes 1 and 2

It was back in January when I was working on the recap of the final episode of The Borgias that I decided to set time aside to recap the first season. Initially, I planned on recapping just the second and third seasons, so I could cover more shows on this blog. However, as I wrote about the last scenes of Rodrigo, Cesare, Lucrezia, Caterina, Micheletto and others, I found myself wanting to write more. The Borgias is that rare show that rewards careful attention. We have come to expect, and have gotten, excellent production values, in this glorious decade or so of television, and The Borgias is no exemption in this regard. However, like other great shows, The Borgias offers much more than prettiness. With The Borgias, the more carefully you listen to the lines, the more beautiful they become. The more attention you give to the mild shifts in expressions of this show's great actors, the more meaning you can discern. Unlike some shows, it holds up on re-watch. I have not always agreed with some of the show's narrative decisions, but I have always respected the care that goes with every episode, and I have loved all three seasons. So, here I am, treading a well-loved road, and hoping others remain to join me.

The Borgias Recap: Carving Out An Empire, Closing A Series

'The Prince'

This is it, the final episode of The Borgias, unless the fan campaign succeeds and the show is given a new lease in life. I meant to write this recap last September, but life got too busy and I lost my notes on this episode. On December, when I started blogging again, I became busy with a new show, Reign. This blog is a labour of love, I only recap the shows I feel like recapping and, amongst the shows featured on this blog, The Borgias is my favourite to recap. It feels good to be writing about it again. I do not consider it a near perfect show; I have nitpicked it often enough on this blog. Yet it is a very good show, one that deserves a far wider audience than it had during its run. It feels gratifying to be on Twitter and read tweets of people who are discovering the show for the first time, and loving it. I am sure the creative team behind The Borgias and the network have their reasons for not renewing the show for a fourth season, but I cannot help but feel a certain amount of sadness at the thought of stories left untold, of not seeing the show's phenomenal actors close their characters' journeys. On the upside, the show left on a high note with The Prince (the whole third season has been outstanding, really). If this truly is the end of The Borgias, it is not at all a bad way to go.