[This is a review of Banshee season 2, episode 9. There will be SPOILERS.]

-

This season, Banshee has seen those orbiting the man known as Lucas Hood transition from wondering what his deal is, to wondering who he is. It's a rhetorical question, but considering the circumstances surrounding his still-unknown identity, and the fact that Hood has begun questioning whether or not he really knows himself, or who he's supposed to be, the offhanded query carries far more weight than anyone is likely aware.

With that question burning away, 'Homecoming' once again dredges up Mr. Rabbit, forcing Carrie and Hood to push through the façade of their present so they can finally deal with, and hopefully reconcile, their pasts. It's a situation that doesn't put anyone at ease – least of all Hood and Carrie – but it also winds up leaving all those celestial bodies in Hood's orbit just floating somewhat aimlessly in space. Emmett is looking to start over in Florida, while Brock winds up getting that tin star he's coveted for so long in order to cover for Hood's (potentially permanent) absence.

Siobhan, on the other hand, finally had Hood opening up to her, discussing things beyond his latest concussion or why his face was covered in a mixture of his and someone else's blood. Last episode, Hood appeared ready to provide her with honest answers to her questions (and apparently, she has plenty), but Emmett throttled a trio of Nazis and Hood was forced to temporarily rescind that offer, to shelve it for when (and if) he ever comes back to Banshee.

Julian Sands in Banshee Season 2 Episode 9

Although Siobhan missed out on her opportunity to learn the truth about Hood, Gordon winds up getting the full picture and then some. Carrie opens her storyline this episode by telling her semi-estranged husband a disquieting memory of her father. The display of trust and honesty is enough to begin some serious reconciliation between the two – at least until Hood shows up and Carrie detonates Gordon's life with the bombshell that the man she's about to travel to New York with to kill Rabbit is Deva's biological father. Exhibiting far more strength than he has all season, the news only makes it look like Gordon's head is going to explode, rather than actually going full Scanners on his front lawn.

While that's a familiar side of Gordon, 'Homecoming' begins with a depiction of Job that Banshee has not had occasion to explore before. Normally, Job serves as the eyes and ears of the group; he handles the technical side of things, hacking security systems, creating fake IDs and generating plausible histories. Job is, for lack of a better term, the IT department of Hood's illegal dealings. This time, however, the hacker extraordinaire takes the initiative to track down Rabbit on his own, demonstrating some serious gumption and, perhaps, not a whole lot of common sense when it comes to activities that require more than a solid Wi-Fi connection. Things start out looking bad for Job, but he exhibits a talent for punching more than a keyboard, as he also kicks and shoots his way out of the church where Rabbit and his brother (Julian Sands) are holed-up before being struck by a cab and ending up in the hospital.

It's an incredibly busy but satisfying episode, leading to a climax that could significantly alter the Banshee narrative, leaving Hood and Carrie with no one to run from, but at the same time, perhaps no home to which they might return.

_________________________________________________

Banshee season 2 will conclude next Friday with 'Bullets and Tears' @10pm on Cinemax.

Photos: Gregory Shummon