Banshee ran on Cinemax from 2013 to 2016 for four seasons. The Rookie has been on ABC since 2018 and is now heading into season 9. Both shows are crime dramas about law enforcement. But while The Rookie became a mainstream hit, Banshee remained a cult favorite that never got the wide recognition it deserved.
The show starred Antony Starr as Lucas Hood, an ex-con who takes the identity of a murdered sheriff in a small Pennsylvania town. Starr is now famous for playing Homelander in The Boys on Prime Video. But before that, he gave one of the best performances of his career in Banshee – a show that many believe should have been as big as The Rookie.
What Made ‘Banshee’ So Special
Banshee mixed pulpy crime storytelling with brutal action scenes and complicated relationships. The show followed Lucas Hood as he tried to keep his identity secret while dealing with corrupt locals, Amish crime lords, and his own past catching up with him.
The action sequences were some of the best on television at the time. The show never held back on violence or adult content, which became its signature style. But beneath all the chaos, there was real character development and emotional depth.
Banshee also had a strong supporting cast. Ivana Miličević played Carrie Hopewell, Ulrich Thomsen played Kai Proctor, Frankie Faison played Sugar Bates, and Hoon Lee played Job. Each character brought something unique to the show, making the town of Banshee feel alive and dangerous.
Why ‘Banshee’ Never Became a Mainstream Hit
The biggest problem was the network. Cinemax was a niche premium cable channel. Not many people had access to it compared to ABC, which is a free broadcast network available to almost everyone.
Banshee also came out in 2013, before streaming services like Netflix and Max could help smaller shows find bigger audiences. By the time people started discovering the show through streaming, it had already ended.
The show’s extreme violence and sexual content also limited its appeal. While these elements made it stand out, they also kept it from reaching a wider audience.
And finally, Banshee faced tough competition. Shows like Game of Thrones, Breaking Bad, The Walking Dead, and Justified were all on at the same time. Banshee didn’t have a big-name star to help it get noticed. Antony Starr was relatively unknown to American audiences back then.
Critical Reception Improved with Each Season
Banshee started with a 67% score on Rotten Tomatoes for season 1. But as the show found its identity, the ratings went up. Season 2 scored 94%, and seasons 3 and 4 both got perfect 100% scores.
Audience scores were even higher. The show has a 90% critics’ score and a 92% audience score overall on Rotten Tomatoes. Some reviews describe it as “shockingly violent and graphic” but also highly entertaining.
One fan on IMDb called it the “most underrated show of all time.”
Another reviewer said the show has “characters, and scenes, and quite a few episodes, that stack up with some of the best in television history.”
What the Cast Is Doing Now
Antony Starr became a global star as Homelander in The Boys, which finished its five-season run in 2026. His performance in that show made people go back and discover Banshee.
Ivana Miličević has continued working in film and television. Ulrich Thomsen has appeared in various international projects. Frankie Faison and Hoon Lee have also stayed busy with other roles.
Will There Be a Season 5?
Many fans have asked about a possible revival. Jonathan Tropper, who co-created Banshee with David Schickler, gave an update in 2026.
When asked about a fifth season, Tropper said:
“I get asked that a lot, and [Antony] and I still talk all the time, but you know, the fact is… that I don’t believe there’s any version where they’d let us.”
He also mentioned that the show has found more viewers now because of Starr‘s fame and because it’s available on HBO Max. But he doesn’t think anyone in charge sees enough demand to bring it back.
So a season 5 seems unlikely at this point. But the show’s legacy continues to grow as new viewers discover it through streaming.
‘Banshee’ vs. ‘The Rookie’: Different Shows, Same Potential
The Rookie follows John Nolan (Nathan Fillion), a 40-year-old man who joins the LAPD and becomes the department’s oldest rookie. The show blends police work with comedy, romance, and action. It has become one of ABC’s longest-running dramas and has even spawned spinoffs.
Banshee was much grittier. It didn’t have the humor or the network TV appeal. But in terms of quality, many argue it was just as good – if not better – than The Rookie.
Banshee set ratings records for Cinemax during its run. It just never broke out of that small network bubble.
The Rookie has the advantage of being on a major network with a built-in audience. It also has a recognizable star in Nathan Fillion, who was already famous from Castle and Firefly.
Banshee didn’t have that luxury. Antony Starr was not a household name at the time. But now, with his fame from The Boys, more people are discovering what they missed.
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A Show Ahead of Its Time
Banshee was a show that didn’t fit neatly into any box. It was too violent for mainstream TV, too smart for pure action, and too complex for simple crime drama. But that’s exactly what made it special.
The show’s demand has actually grown over time. In May 2025, Banshee had an audience demand 13.2 times higher than the average TV show in the United States. In India, it ranks in the top 97.4% of all drama titles. This shows that the show has found a global audience years after it ended.
Banshee may not have reached the mainstream success of The Rookie. But for those who have seen it, it remains one of the most thrilling and underrated action dramas ever made.
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