We Shall Live Forever

I do not make that claim lightly. I have seen a lot of TV (some might say TOO MUCH TV) and I cannot think of any single episode of a series that carries so much punch. Literally and figuratively.

No, it not merely the blood-fight between Anna and Olek that makes this special (although it did bring to mind the duel between Basil Rathbone and Tyronne Power in Mark of Zorro, said to be the longest sword fight in film, and I think this is one of the longest male/female beatdowns in TV, film, or anywhere).

What makes this episode special is how the writers, when cutting away from one high-tension scene, instead of bringing the viewer relief or pause, simply cut to another hi-tension scene.

They are here giving a clinic in how to play all your plot arcs at once, like some sort of visual symphony.

Wow.

As an aside, I noticed that the two casting directors for this series are both female, which lends credibility to the idea that women have a better eye for spotting female beauty than men. Just as I was noticing that the two actresses who are getting most of the screen time in this amazing episode are both stunning, we get a quick walk-on by Odette Annabel, yet another drop-dead gorgeous actress. Beautiful women and passionate love/fight scenes are both sort of a Cinemax trademark but honestly this episode pretty much sets the bar.

I am enjoying this series so far, but that fightscene was a complete disaster...

I watched Banshee a long time ago and still missing it so much. The work they did here is so underrated by everyone, brutally underrated. What makes me do this after this long is just a review I saw over there. To begin with, I am fan of good and quality action scenes which have some good effort on it and this exceeded my expectations. We all know that Banshee is way too bizarre and violent, and that is what makes it especial. In this episode we see a h2h fight that, when I saw it for the first time, blowed my mind off. This is what Banshee is made of. They're not looking for realism, they're looking for something exciting, something that, in the moment you're watching it, you say "damn, this people are taking it serious. This is good!". The serie's premise is not too realistic either, but I don't even care about it. I just want to see something good! Something WELL DONE. If you guys are looking for something realistic, there are plenty of shows like Breaking Bad, Homeland, The Sopranos, etc. that try to be as realistic as they can. Just enjoy Banshee for what it is: A journey of violence, sex, corruption, bad guys and hot girls, and most important, it's done perfectly.