This City is Ours fans have been left in tears after a shocking twist saw Banksey (Mike Noble) apparently shot dead in the latest episode of the BBC One drama. Viewers have since flooded social media, begging for the beloved character to still be alive.
Michael forced into impossible decision
The Liverpool-based series, available in full on BBC iPlayer, saw Michael Kavanagh (James Nelson-Joyce) presented with a difficult ultimatum by new antagonist Felipe (Álvaro Morte). Felipe, who had been holding Diana (Hannah Onslow) hostage, told Michael he would return her unharmed if he killed his best friend, Banksey.
Michael was seen taking Banksey into the forest at night before shooting him twice in the chest. Fans flocked to X, formerly Twitter, in tears, with one writing: "#ThisCityisOurs OMG I was crying at the end, is he dead don't tell me #Banksy has been killed off like #SeanBean, thought he was such a good character in it, hope it gets an award it's sooooooo good."
Fans react to Banksey's fate
Another viewer questioned: "Do we think Banksy's really dead?" While a third echoed: "Will it be Banksey in that grave? #Thiscityisours". A fourth threatened: "If Banksey dies I will riot #ThisCityIsOurs", and a fifth begged: "Please don't kill Banksy #ThisCityIsOurs".
Another fan mourned: "Not Banksy [crying emojis] I love Michael's character but surely that wasn't necessary!" A final fan shared: "Oh no Banksy's gone so quick!"
Banksey's final words
When season two began, Michael had walked away from the Phelan crime empire and was building a new life with Diana, who was expecting their baby. However, he was dragged back into the criminal underworld. Banksey had been facing heat after murdering gang boss Ricardo Guzman (Daniel Cerqueira) at the end of season one, payback for Ricardo destroying his car with explosives.
Season two showed the consequences as Ricardo's brother, Felipe, came into the picture. Understanding it was the only way to secure Diana's release, Banksey agreed to put his life on the line. In a harrowing moment, he asked Michael: "You take care of my boy for me, you promise me you will do that?" Michael agreed before shooting Banksey in the chest, then firing again at the motionless body.
"You happy now, eh? Are you satisfied?" Michael asked Felipe furiously, through tears. "Now leave me in peace to bury my best mate."
Ahead of season two airing, Noble spoke to the BBC about the shift in power, sharing: "The firm has fully fallen out and Michael is out of the picture. Everyone's reached a deal about how they're going to go forward, but if we've learned anything about the characters from series one, it's that people aren't particularly good at keeping their word in this business."
He added: "There's a shift, and there's a struggle over who's going to be the leader and call the shots." Noble said he was "really excited" over the new scripts, noting: "After reading that first episode, I was left wondering where the hell it was going to go because we go from zero to 100 really quickly. Stephen Butchard is a phenomenal writer, and the scripts have been so strong. There's lots of action, there's lots of drama, and it really pulls you along."
This City is Ours is on BBC iPlayer, with episodes airing weekly on Sundays and Mondays on BBC One.
