Spoilers - There's going to be show and comic spoilers up in dis bitch.
I wrote about 'Preacher' earlier in the week, and it's kind of hard not to compare it to 'Outcast'. Both come from comic books, both by acclaimed authors, and both deal with a spiritual world that throws faith away and gives you irrefutable proof of the existence of the divine...or at least, that the divine once existed.
But while 'Preacher' is content to get by on style and mosey along from episode to episode with brief spots of action and minimal plot, 'Outcast' has been moving its story forward nearly every week. In a lesser show, advancing the plot would take priority over character development, but 'Outcast' is seamlessly combining them. Who these characters really are shows through their actions, which is really the best way to tell a story. Kyle is the reluctant hero, humble, but strong and ready in a moment to protect those he loves. Reverend Anderson is devout, but proud and stubborn. Megan is strong, confident and very loving of her family. Chief Giles is intelligent, Sidney is vicious, and Kyle's estranged wife Allison is...a question mark. Or at least, she was.
The decay of Kyle and Allison's marriage is something that's been teased for weeks now, with snippets of information being doled out, but this week brought it front and center. And even though it was fraught with the tension of whether or not Allison is still possessed, it clearly illuminated who both of these characters are. And that - Catlin/Rogen/Goldberg - is how you tell a story!
For the first time, we're allowed to spend a significant time with Allison, played by Kate Lyn Sheil. In the midst of Kyle and Rev. Anderson's frantic search for the "formerly" possessed, Allison is presented as sullen, withdrawn, short-tempered, confused and unfocused. She is hard on her daughter, refuses to have anything to do with Kyle, barely considers even listening to requests from Megan to see him, and recoils when Kyle barely touches her. It speaks to the success of this week's story that I kept going back and forth in my mind..."oh no! she's still possessed! ok...she's not possessed. whew! SHE'S POSSESSED!!"
Despite the fact that Kyle is clearly concerned for all the people Anderson thought he'd saved, he spends the entire episode with his attention half-focused on Allison. When Allison won't let him touch her, you can see the wheels turning in his head as he considers whether or not to kick the door in.
But the reveal that Allison isn't possessed is somehow even more tragic. Separation and divorce are ugly, painful things, and it says a lot about how damaging it can be, when the emotional side effects, under the right context, can be mistaken for demonic possession.This whole interaction between Kyle and Allison, though, is perfect example of character being revealed through action. We see how damaged Allison is now, weak, fragile, unsure of herself, and confused about things that don't add up when she considers who she knows Kyle is and what the police think happened. She knows Kyle wouldn't hit her, and she knows he's patient - she even calls him overly apologetic. When we see her horribly bruised and swollen face in the hospital flashback, we understand her disbelief. This can't be the work of her husband. And the pain on her face at the end of the episode as she begs Kyle to tell her the truth lets us know how much she still loves and needs him. It's a heartbreaking, and very effective example of efficient character development. None of this means the plot gets short-changed, though; far from it.
Throughout the rest of the episode, we see tension rising between Kyle and Anderson, with Anderson digging in his heels and almost stubbornly refusing to believe his God could let him down. Anderson's almost foolish naivete, though, is becoming far clearer than he realizes. Sidney and Mildred meet up, and let us know something big and horrible is on the horizon (even if the malicious entity posing as Mildred won't last to see it). Chief Giles continues to sniff around his increasingly suspicious buddy, Ogden. And Kyle and Anderson seek out a runaway girl named Sherry (Vanessa Marano), who disappeared after Anderson allegedly exorcised her.
As it becomes clear that very few, if any, of Anderson's prior exorcisms were successful, Kyle finds Sherry living on the streets. But instead of the demon inside her seeking to flee, Sherry leaps toward Kyle as if she needs him. We see that same mouth-smoky-sucky thing that Joshua did in the very first episode (and Mildred seemingly attempted on Sidney, too), before the gooey black demon lifts Kyle several feet into the air, as if embracing him. This raises the question - if Sidney and the demons need Kyle...is Kyle really the hero of the story? Or is he a danger waiting to be unleashed?These are good questions to have, and they, for me at least, draw me in more and make me feel like continuing to watch. I don't ever feel bored, or cheated by the constant teasing of future elements. The plot is advancing, sometimes slowly, sometimes quickly. and while that happens, Kyle and company are very likable and engaging characters. So far, this has been a pretty damn good first season.
'Preacher' could learn a thing or two from watching 'Outcast'.
FINAL SCORE - 8/10
'Outcast' airs on Cinemax, Friday Nights and 10/9c
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