Banshee Season One

Banshee refers to the name of the town this gloriously pulpy Alan Ball produced ShowTime series occurs in.  The twisty turny plot follows recently released a recently paroled Lucas Hood (played by Antony Starr) as he searches for the love of his life who is the partner and went to prison to cover for, and played by Ivana Milicevic.   This occurs while he tries to avoid the Mob Boss he screwed over when working the job that got him busted.

An utter random turn of events leads Hood to take on the role of Sheriff in this town, controlled by an ex Amsih man turned mob boss named Kai Proctor.  And this is just the set up.  The first two and final two episodes are good but not great while the middle six episodes make up a pretty compelling clever story.  Hood's partners are played by a show stealers Frankie Fasion (a retired boxer) and my favorite character Hoon Lee's aggressive transvestite computer hacker.

This being Cinemax there are some amazingly out of place scenes of random fucking that add nothing to the plot.  Antony Starr's range is also wasted in his role.  He is asked to do little more than skulk and be pissed off, though a few scenes where his character is presented in true emotional turmoil prove this actor is capable of much more.  The true standout though is Ivana Milicevic who brings genuine human emotion turmoil in a nuanced performance that grounds the entire series.

While not amazing overall if you want a series that is interestingly plotted with some very well choreographed hand to hand fight sequences and relish an old pulpy vibe this should sate your appetite for awhile.  

The Fall

I don't normally post reviews for TV shows, but I had to make an exception for The Fall.  The five episode first season is currently available on Netflix instant watch, an import from BBC2, and it is simply amazing.

The show centers around Gillian Anderson, Stella Gibson in an incredibly reserved and nuanced performance hunting down a serial killer played with great intricacies by Jamie Dornan.  One of the Fall's greatest strengths is the fleshed out portrayal of the serial killer, while making no effort for the audience to sympathize with him.  I grow tired of shows and books like Dexter and Hanibal where the serial killer is somehow noble.  The Fall proves the depths of character you can have, without trying to manipulate the audience to find something to admire.

One of the creepiest elements of the show, are the home invasion stalk and kill sequences.  They are expertly choreographed, and realistically portrayed.  If someone broke into your house to kill you, this is probably how it would play out.  

The season ends on a satisfying climax, and an incredible cliffhanger.  I am glad season two is a definite now.  I could go on and on about all the amazing elements of this show, from its acknowledgment of sexism, to well drawn office politics, but I'll stop myself.  If you have instant watch from Netflix watch this now.