What Up Yo.
OUTCAST
I’m not sure why we don’t hear and see more on this fantastic show, Outcast, but we should.
Finishing up its second season now…this is written by the creator of The Walking Dead, Robert Kirkman, it’s just as dark, but a bit more Heaven V Hell.
Angel V Demon.
Kyle Barnes is played by Patrick Fugit, who you’ll remember from Cameron Crowe’s Almost Famous. He is all grown up now. When we meet him in season one, living on the outskirts of town in the ramshackle house where he and his mother lived when he was a boy, his adopted sister Megan (Wrenn Schmidt) appears with gusto determined not to leave until he gets up, eats and goes out into town, Rome, West Virginia.
She encourages him to come out and re-engage the world.
But he is still recovering from two very dark episodes in his life…
When he was a child life was wonderful for young Kyle and his mother, Sarah Barnes (Julia Crockett).
She was a kind, beautiful and loving mother…
Until the day she suddenly turned demonic and hostile, savagely beating young Kyle.
He was locked in a closet over and over again, as whenever Kyle struck his mother back, he inflicted an otherworldly blow to her, causing her to scream in agony uncontrollably, at which point she would lock him in a closet.
She sits in the hospital to this very day, as she fell into a coma soon after the change occurred, leaving doctors with no explanation as to why.
He eventually grew up, met and fell in love with Allison (Kate Lyn Sheil). They married and had a daughter, Amber (Madeleine McGraw…a child actor with acting chops).
Then one day, Allison turned.
Kyle caught her as she tried to strangle their daughter.
Kyle’s attempts to stop her were in vein, as she had tremendous strength.
With no way of stopping her, he does what he did with his mother:
He punches her.
The blow leaves her jolted.
This is not his wife.
The demon that possessed his mom has taken his wife now.
He punches and punches until his daughter is safe.
She released the child as Kyle beat the demon from her.
And suddenly she was his wife again, free of this hostile force that had taken her, with no memory of what had happened…
No memory except that of her husband attacking her.
She has bruises all about her face and body. The demon had exited her mouth in the form of a thick black ominous form.
And while he saved the life of his daughter, to his wife and the town, he had just beaten his wife savagely.
When we meet years later, they no longer speak, he hasn’t explained what he doesn’t understand.
All he knows is the same thing that changed his mother changed his wife.
Worse, he is separated from his child.
As he begins to re-enter society in season one, he notices people staring at him.
Some stare in disgust, but some in fear.
It is ultimately the towns Reverend, John Anderson (an amazing Philip Glenister), who will open Kyle’s eyes to the truth. The Rev believes Kyle, always has. He knows Kyle has a gift.
Upon seeing Kyle again, he tells him that a wave of people in the town are becoming possessed, and he asks for Kyle’s help in exorcising the demons.
Reluctantly, Kyle joins him as they go to the house of a family who’s young child speaks as a grown man filled with hate.
It is upon seeing Kyle, the thing inside the young boy recognizes him, and calls him by a name:
“Outcast”
Kyle doesn’t understand this, neither do we…yet.
The Rev begins the exorcism, but when the child is able to throw the Rev across the room, it is Kyle who must get in-between the both of them, and ultimately beat the living shit out of this child to drive the evil force from him.
The Rev witnesses the demon being expelled physically in front of him.
The reverend soon realizes that the people he has performed exorcism’s on may have faked being healed as he comes to learn that this isn’t the work of the devil, there is some otherworldly sinister force trying to settle in the town by taking over the physical bodies of humans. Once they take the bodies over, the people appear as normal as you or I.
And for whatever reason, eveil beings who possess people recognize and fear Kyle.
They know him.
They know his power.
He is Outcast.
They have a leader. A preacher named Sydney (Brent Spiner who has a ball playing the devilish antagonist of Kyle and The Rev).
Kyle and The Rev have the aid of Police Chief Giles (the always great Reg E. Cathey) on their sides, though he doesn’t quite believe what he is hearing from them at first.
Thus begins the adventure.
Season is two features Banshee’s Hoon Lee (YES!!!!) as the evil Dr. Kenneth Park (whoops, probably shouldn’t told you that), and the scale of the show has grown in scope and plot detail from season one, as those who didn’t believe…have no other choice but to believe as time passes.
I just devoured the whole of season two, sans the final episode which comes next week, over Memorial Day weekend.
It’s a wonderful, devilish show, with a cast that give their all, and a look that gives this show a feel all it’s own.
Ti West directs an episode in season two. Horror fans know this name as the man who gave us the horror classic The House Of The Devil.
Other episodes are directed by the likes of Howard Deutch, frequent Banshee episode director Loni Peristere, Adam Wingard who gave us the great Blair Witch in 2016, and has episodes written by Robert Kirkman, Music composed by Atticus Ross (think Fincher’s The Social Network with Trent Reznor…a wild talent) and is photographed by David Tattersall (Star Wars Episodes I, II & III).
It deserves your attention people, or I wouldn’t be writing about it here.
It’s a great trip. Get on this.
It airs on Cinemax and FOX UK. Season 1 is available through your local digital media providers, like iTunes here:
Outcast, Season 1
https://itun.es/us/H897eb
Below I’ve included two playlists:
- The first is fillled with clips, trailers and episode recaps from season one
- The second playlist deals with Season two and which (as of now includes the first episode of Season Two…which may not stay up).
Below that is the Key-Art for seasons 1 & 2 of Outcast.
My score for the show:
Dripping inHigh-Octane, super unleaded gasoline.
Hoping on a third season, no word as of yet if that will happen…
Outcast Main Site:
https://cinemax.outcasttvseries.com
Outcast On Wikipedia:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Outcast_(TV_series)
Outcast On IMDB:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt4229954/
Outcast Season One:
Outcast Season Two:
Outcast Key Art:
