review of next-to-last Banshee 

Banshee\'s set to air its very final episode this Friday, and I\'m not happy about that.  And I\'d be lying if I said this final season was even remotely satisfying - and that\'s in part because I don\'t want Banshee to end, but also partly because I think this final season is, on balance, the weakest.

The serial killer is something we\'ve seen before in many places, including even Criminal Minds, about as different from Banshee as you can get.  It was done much better on Dexter, in every one of its seasons.  Unless some other suspect emerges in the finale, Rebecca deserved a more interesting killer.

And the neo-Nazis have been no great shakes as villains, either, on balance.   Proctor, the Native Americans, just about every other antagonist has been more interesting and less trite.   The only really exciting thing to happen with these white supremacists was the killing of the brutal father-in-law a few episodes ago.

Hood finally telling Brock who he really is was good to see, but even this lacked, I don\'t know, a certain dramatic tension.  Carrie\'s story also has been good, but weaker than it\'s been in earlier seasons.

I guess the reason I\'ve been so disappointed this season is because Banshee was so compelling and stunningly original in prior years.  Even with this weak wrap-up, Banshee will go down as one of the most innovative and powerful shows ever on television.

And who knows, maybe the finale will surprise on Friday.

See also Banshee Season 4 Debut: Whunnit? ... Banshee 4.2: Carrie and Rebecca ... Banshee 4.3: Serial Killers and Theories ... Banshee 4.5: Alliances

And see also Banshee 3.1: Taking Stock ... Banshee 3.2: Women in Charge ...Banshee 3.3: Burton vs. Nola ... Banshee 3.4: Burton and Rebecca ... Banshee 3.5: Almost the Alamo ...  Banshee 3.6: Perfect What-If Bookends ... Banshee 3.7: Movie with Movie ... Banshee 3.8: What Did Rebecca Find with Burton? ... Banshee 3.9: Loyalty ... Banshee Season 3 Finale: Subtractions and Additions

And see also Banshee Season 2 Premiere: Sneak Preview Review ... Banshee 2.2: Sneak Preview Review ... Banshee 2.3 Sneak Preview Review ... Banshee 2.4 Sneak Preview Review ... Banshee 2.5: Sneak Preview Review ... Banshee 2.6: Sneak Preview Review ... Banshee 2.7: Sneak Preview Review ... Banshee 2.8: Sneak Preview Review ... Banshee 2.9 Sneak Preview Review ... Banshee Season 2 Finale: Sneak Preview Review ... Banshee Season 2 Finale: Just Right and Shattering

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Labels: Banshee, Criminal Minds, Dexter, television

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Paul Levinson, PhD, is Professor of Communication & Media Studies at Fordham University in New York City.  His 8 nonfiction books, including The Soft Edge (1997), Digital McLuhan (1999), Realspace (2003),  Cellphone (2004), and New New Media (2009, 2nd edition 2012), have been the subject of major articles in the New York Times, Wired, the Christian Science Monitor, and have been translated into 12 languages. His science fiction novels include The Silk Code (1999, ebook 2012), Borrowed Tides (2001), TheConsciousness Plague (2002, 2013), The Pixel Eye (2003), The Plot To SaveSocrates (2006, ebook 2012), and Unburning Alexandria (2013).  His short stories have been nominated for Nebula, Hugo, Edgar, and Sturgeon Awards.  Paul Levinson appears on "The O'Reilly Factor" (Fox News), "The CBS Evening News,"  “NewsHour with Jim Lehrer” (PBS),  “Nightline” (ABC), NPR, and numerous national and international TV and radio programs. His 1972 album, Twice Upon a Rhyme, was re-issued in 2009 (CD) and 2010 (remastered vinyl). He reviews the best of television in his InfiniteRegress.tv blog, and was listed in The Chronicle of Higher Education’s “Top 10 Academic Twitterers” in 2009.

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