The Outsider *POSSIBLE SPOILERS*
Episodes and My Ratings:
Ratings are IMDB scores
1. Fish in a Barrel (9.0/10)
2. Roanoke (8.8/10)
3. Dark Uncle (8.1/10)
6. The One About the Yiddish Vampire (8.2/10)
10. Must/Can't (7.3/10)
Percents are my opinionated score
My Rankings
1. Tigers and Bears (89%)-This episode follows the mysterious tone as it ends amazingly and leads into the next episode masterfully while continuing to represent the stunning technological aspects to the show, the delicate yet effective character development and unraveling the mysteries in a captivating way which to me makes it the best episode of the series.
2. Fish in a Barrel (88%)-The pilot episode extraordinarily written and directed as we are introduced to a strange mystery and complex characters that keep any audience on their toes yet frightened at the same time. The page-turning suspense is unlike any other crime show as you are fully immersed in the unique or unusual storyline in this artful, attractive and gorgeous piece of work without knowing the major details, making this all the more entertaining.
3. Que Viene el Coco (86%)-This Grimm and probably the most "horror" episode of the bunch is fantastic and really deepens each of the characters carefully in a way that makes the story feel more full. This episode is the turning point of the show and finally begins to deepen its plot and showcase the superb writing skills while ending on probably one of the most frightening cliffhangers ever made for television.
4. Tear-Drinker (85%)-While this episode has a slower pace and lacks superior entertainment in the previous episodes, it stunningly re-imagines traditional crime drama moves and crafts new forms of thriller shows. But, the acting is fully showcased to the extreme in this episode as what it lacks in storyline and pace, it makes up for in the shockingly stunning performances and directing.
5. The One About the Yiddish Vampire (85%)-This also slowly paced episode drags on quite a bit in the storyline, but amps up the excitement as everyone finds out about Holly's shocking theory and begins to foreshadow the intensity and upcoming journey that might be arriving soon. The episode does get boring throughout the middle, but it lands and leaves with a bang that will stun the audience and still make it a great episode to a great show.
6. Must/Can't (84%)-The hyped conclusion to an epic series is fascinating and predictable as it allows the wonderful technological aspects of the show to stand out especially the visual effects or action but lacks in innovation in writing due to it following a structured storyline and not daring to ever drift away. The conclusion against the monster is captivating and should hit all the right notes, but I desired something unique and different or something that would live up to the high expectations set by the previous episodes, however, the stunning imagination of the show and crucial development to this episode makes it a continued solid ending that will leave the audience wanting more.
7. Roanoke (83%)-The follow-up to the exceptional pilot episode takes stunning twists early in the show that no audience member can expect, but it struggles to live up to the superb writing of the first one as it feels very one-dimensional and almost too familiar in the crime drama genre. The rapid pace stands out as a nice counter to all the other episodes and continues the ominous or mysterious tone in a shocking, fun and typical episode that reveals the great potential of the show especially with Jason Bateman's amazing acting.
8. Dark Uncle (82%)-With the introduction of the Holly character, the tone becomes more attractive and entertaining in some stellar writing that undermines the other segments of the episode. The held-back directing, the revealing acting and the slower pace all crafts a unique episode that continues to introduce the plot just in a way that might be too familiar and slow at times.
9. Foxhead (81%)-This episode should have been the climactic top to all the storylines, but it ended up being a continuation of the previous episode that didn't bring much more to the story and only continuing to build up excitement for the upcoming episodes. While everything about it is decent and unusually great, it feels too much like a filler episode and never establishes the superb writing or plots that we are used to from such an exceptional show.
10. In the Pines, in the Pines (77%)-The middle episode followed one of the biggest cliffhangers of the series and ended up falling flat on its face as the storylines all feel abandoned and re-created to completely change the tone and direction of the show in a way that might pose confusing and disappointing for audiences. Although the cinematography and directing were magical, the way this episode was structured made it overall lacking depth or concept as it seemed evidently pointless and failed to continue the thrill from all the other episodes despite some stellar performances and revelations, making this episode the weakest of the series.
Technological Scores
Directing: 96%
The directing is stunningly artistic and fantastic throughout the entire series as each director brings a unique taste to the series that provides variance and captures the mysterious and ominous tone of the series, making most episodes an amazing and thrilling ride.
Writing: 83%
Probably one of the weakest aspects of the show as the writing never establishes a firm pace and feels too dragged on and stretched out at times which creates some uneventful or boring episodes. But, the first two episodes are amazing and really capture the tone of a crime drama thriller which establishes a unique adventure to a simplistic idea.
Acting: 95%
The performances stand out extremely throughout the show as acting isn't exaggerated, but performed just enough to where character development can reach its full potential and complexity. The chemistry, especially between Ben Mendelsohn and Cynthia Erivio at the end of the series, is magical and different in all the best ways while Bateman's performance, in the beginning, is the true representation of stellar acting.
Cinematography: 89%
The cinematography is unique and really establishes the horrifying or mysteriously tone while also flowing along with the show in a difficult yet entertaining and fascinating way which helps the camerawork and show feel more authentic and captivating.
Score: 97%
To me, the score is the best thing about the series is the horror and mystery in the score foreshadowing the show and bringing up any scene it is present in as the composers expertly emphasize the fascinating ideas the show brings. A stunningly haunting score brings this eccentric series into a new genre with one that severely aids the tone or flow of the series overall.
Casting: 91%
The casting in the series is superbly brilliant as Mendelsohn is the perfect embodiment of Ralph Anderson and Cynthia Erivio provides the needed strangeness to the character of Holly. The side characters are also well casted and really embrace the storyline going on around them as each actor cast seems to paint the exact picture or personality the writers desired to create the illusion for the show.
Production Design: 81%
The production design is mainly simplistic throughout the type of show as it should be to match with the time periods and theme, but I really desired some more fascinating or exotic sets that might have differed from the normal, but the designers did a great job with what they were tasked to do to create the world of "The Outsider".
Sound: 86%
The sound is above average for most of the show and more relaxed and surprisingly absent from the beginning as the build-up doesn't require the effect. However, whenever the sound is present, it stands out especially in the last episode as it exaggerates the moments and effects in some truly special ways that make it brilliant and effective.
Costume Design: 84%
Another average aspect to the show due to how the show as created and the landscape the writers wanted. The contemporary costumes are mostly matched with the characters and feel strong in their places, but once again, to create some more fascinating pieces and ideas could have helped the show and made it more captivating, but it still is a job well done. (I loved the unique costumes in the episode Foxhead though)
Editing 86%
The editing to the show is unique and hard to define as it really helps the storyline flow correctly and in a way that grabs the audience's attention, but at the same time, I really felt like some very specific scenes served no purpose and never had a stable conclusion that made their stay in the show eventful. The editing is good at helping the story and creating those powerful and moving scenes but struggles to narrow the ideas and widens them instead to sometimes add sloppiness to the storyline.
Visual Effects: 92%
Another effect that is hard to judge due to its absence from the majority of the show, but when it is present, it stands out stronger than ever similar to the sound and really enhances the scene. Especially for the last couple of episodes, the effects are top-tier and although they add at times excessive violence, they make the show artistic and attractive to audiences, making it a job well done whenever its limited presence is in the show.
Cast/Crew
Cast:
Ben Mendelsohn.............................Ralph Anderson
Bill Camp......................................Howard Salomon
Cynthia Erivo.......................................Holly Gibney
Mare Winningham..........................Jeannie Anderson
Jeremy Bobb............................................Alec Pelley
Paddy Considine.................................Claude Bolton
Julianne Nicholson.............................Glory Maitland
Marc Menchaca.....................................Jack Hoskins
Yul Vazquez.............................................Yunis Sablo
Derek Cecil.....................................Andy Katcavage
Hettienne Park...................................Tamika Collins
Scarlett Blum......................................Jessa Maitland
Summer Fontana................................Maya Maitland
Jason Bateman....................................Terry Maitland
Michael Esper.....................................Kenneth Hayes
Joshua Wichard....................................Ollie Peterson
Steve Witting.......................................Hebert Zucker
Max Beesley...........................................Seale Bolton
Martin Bats Bradford......................Heath Hofstadter
Carlos Navarro...................................Detective Healy
Franco Castan.................................Detective Hidalgo
Wes Watson.........................................Derek Anderson
Frank Deal..............................................Fred Peterson
Suehyla El-Attar.......................................Angela Kelly
Michael H. Cole......................................Hebert Parker
Jeffrey Pillars........................................Mike Davidson
Drez Ryan...............................................Tracey Powell
and many many more:
Click Here for a Full list:
Crew:
Richard Price...........................Creator/Executive Producer
Andrew Bernstein...................Director/Executive Producer
Stephen King..............................................................Writer
Jason Bateman.....................Director/Executive Producer
Marty Bowen......................................Executive Producer
Michael Costigan................................Executive Producer
Tristan Matthews...............................Associative Producer
Ben Mendelsohn...................................................Producer
Charlotte Brändström............................................Director
J.D. Dillard.............................................................Director
Dennis Lehane.............................Writer/Executive Producer
David Auge...........................................................Producer
Lori Slomka.....................................................Co-Producer
Jack Bender...........................................Executive Producer
Katharine Werner..................................................Producer
Karyn Kusama.......................................................Director
Igor Martinovic..........................Director/Cinematographer
Daina Reid.............................................................Director
Jessie Nikson-Lopez...........Writer/Co-Executive Producer
Danny Bensi.........................................................Composer
Saunder Jurianns...................................................Composer
Kevin McKnight........................................Cinematographer
Zak Mulligan.............................................Cinematographer
Rasmus Heise.............................................Cinematographer
and many many more:
Click Here for a Full list:
Storyline:
"The Outsider begins with a seemingly straightforward investigation into the gruesome murder of a young boy. But when an insidious supernatural force edges its way into the case, it leads a seasoned cop and an unorthodox investigator to question everything they believe in. "
"In The Outsider, an unspeakable crime takes place involving the murder and violation of a small boy. Ralph Anderson is the detective on the case, and he arrests a local man, Terry Maitland. It's an easy arrest and their evidence is airtight. The problem is, cracks in the case begin to appear when it seems that perhaps Maitland has an equally airtight alibi. As tensions rise and the investigation proceeds, the bits, and pieces of information Ralph uncovers are equal parts horrifying and intriguing. "
-Synopsis for Steven King's book of the same name https://the-bibliofile.com/the-outsider/
The Outsider centers on the awful and strange murder of a young boy and the detectives or officers desperately trying to obtain justice for the boy. While it originally starts out as a traditional crime drama between is someone innocent and what exactly happened at the scene, the show morphs into something else and spins the genre to be towards supernatural and more traditional horror ideas. As the case begins to unravel disturbing details about the world we live in especially the unexplained events that are occurring, everyone has their beliefs tested on what they thought to be true and must work diligently to find the truth and receive justice for various horrifying and strange murders.
Would I Recommend?
The Outsider is a fascinating and fantastic take on the traditional crime drama genre and although it suffers from a slower pace that can at times drag the storyline on, it is essentially an entertaining and gripping show that will snatch your attention from the very beginning. As the mysterious storyline unfolds gently over the course of ten episodes, you will most likely find yourself wanting to know what happens next and continuing to watch in order to find the key details and solve the mystery like the characters are doing. Therefore, I would recommend this captivating and mind-blowing thriller to anyone who is looking for a good TV show to binge through or just loves the crime genre in general as it is amazingly well-done and something unique, however, I would not recommend this show to some only due to the possible extension into the horror genre as it is quite frightening and some people might find the later episodes quite frightening, intense and possibly horrifying and subsequently should probably stay away. But, it is an interesting series unlike any other on TV right now that will 100% grab the attention of any thriller or horror television fans.
Overall/Review:
The Outsider is a genre-bending, mind-boggling and thrilling adventure into the mysteries or unexplainable in the world disguised in a traditional crime drama series. On paper, the casual unfolding of revelations which solve the mystery to answer some big horrifying question should not work and would traditionally fail, but The Outsider somehow manages to write a story where the idea can be both out of this world and modern at the same time which consequently and exceptionally blurs the line between the two for any audience. The way the show starts out lures you into the series by the usual forms of crime shows and the who did it type writing, but by the next episode, you are even more captivated by it as it reveals itself to be different than other crime murder shows and really defines itself as something unique. The slower pace to the show is impressive as the writing must have been so delicately crafted to get to the story they wanted to build, however, this exact inconsistently in pacing is the greatest setback for the show. When the show understands its pace, the episode is stunning and fantastic, but for about almost half of the episodes, the show almost doesn't know what pace to follow and ends up wasting whole episodes by dragging on storylines that by the ending seemed kind of pointless, unfortunately. Therefore, even though it is a 10-hour adaptation to a shorter book, the storyline could have flowed better overall and been more upbeat in energy with the same eerie and ominous tone instead of following slower plots that made the show feel falsely slow.
The acting is amazing throughout all of the series as even when the writing doesn't give a character that much to do or say at the moment, the performances stand out as each actor accomplishes what they can from the limited source and creates some truly unique and exceptional characters and their development. But the standout performances to me were really Ben Mendelsohn and especially Cynthia Erivio as not only is their chemistry something truly special for television, but Mendelsohn brings such raw and true acting to the role while Erivio really embraces her character differently by highlighting the strangeness and uniqueness of Holly which greatly aids the tone in becoming even eerier and more uncomfortable. The directing is another special achievement in this show as not only does Jason Bateman do a stellar job in his directing, but each of the directors provides unique qualities to each episode that separates each episode in a good way and increases the overall thrill and excitement of the show, especially in the later episodes as the style magically differs, but leaves the audiences on their toes. However, another problem with The Outsider that I really struggled with was the ending of the show as everything leading up to it was unexpected and provided some magical twist to the storyline which made the show so different and exciting, and then the ending hit with full force and was overly simplistic and predictable. The last episode itself is a great work of art and mature writing or acting, but I think that if the show was attempting to be different and trick the audiences by the twists and turns, there were far better ways to wrap up the series instead of the very familiar people vs. monsters storyline that people are growing tired of. In addition, the length of the series felt excessive at times and could have been cut down tremendously to tell the same story and rid the show of some excessive and uneventful storylines that really never got their deserved conclusion.
The technology and exceptional writing that somehow blends the crime drama with the horror monster ideas is intelligence and innovative in a whole new way as a new exciting thriller show is born. While I personally would have loved some more of the horror side to this thriller, I completely understood that it was not the genre the show wanted to be as it wanted to make all the unnatural things in the series seem plausible instead. This is already difficult so how the writers managed to create this world where the supernatural seems almost realistic to the audiences through this crime scene is really spectacular and part of why I rated this show so high as it is nothing like I have seen before. It is definitely not a perfect show and is not Stephen King's best creation as it will most likely bore you throughout the middle of the show at some part, but the thriller series turns a new direction in television and serves as an exciting, at times violent, exhilarating, and fun journey like no other show before it.
Rotten Tomato Score: 82%
IMDB Score: 7.9/10
Rating: 87%
*The Outsider is available to watch on HBO On Demand, HBO Go, HBO Now and HBO Max and is rated TV-MA
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