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Five Thoughts on Outcast‘s “Alone When It Comes”

By | September 10th, 2018
Posted in Television | % Comments

Welcome aboard to the world of the supernatural, Southern fried style. It’s Robert Kirkman’s Outcast, the Cinemax adaptation of his 2014-2018 Image Comics series. Set in Rome, West Virginia, Outcast is the story of Kyle Barnes, a man haunted in many ways by demonic possession throughout his life, and his return to his hometown of Rome to solve these mysteries after separating from his wife and daughter after his wife’s own demonic possession was misinterpreted as a domestic violence situation. In Season 2, the mysteries of Rome deepen for Kyle, and he’s thrust into the dual roles of demon hunter and caretaker for his young daughter Amber and traumatized sister Megan.

We had a break last week due to the Labor Day holidays here in the United States, but demons don’t take breaks. In fact, they’re moving even further into Rome and running for school board and Kyle’s running scared. Megan wants answers, and Sidney wants to find out more of the secrets of the possessed, even at the risk of causing trouble within his community. Let’s dive into “Alone When It Comes” — and as always, spoilers within.

1.  Running Scared

After a season and a half of Kyle standing his ground in Rome to fight and hopefully defeat the dark forces within it . . . now he wants to run because there are just “too many” of them? This entire opening had me scratching my head because it’s just so out of character for Kyle, someone who had (until now) a commitment to this town and to this cause, even when the good Reverend was about to throw in the towel. I get wanting to keep your family safe, Kyle. How about a nice safehouse a few states away? Or let’s start with a hospital, since you’ve had a few internal organs all stitched up recently.

2. The Council

You can’t escape bureaucracy in the dark underworld. This episode introduces us to the Council, what appears to be the governing body of the demons in Rome. And they’re not too happy with Sidney going rogue and doing experiments to enhance his power. You always know when your job is on the line when you’re left out of meetings and emails, and that’s the predicament Sidney is in.

Sidney does make his case to the Council and with some reluctance on their part, they allow him to proceed with his experiments. But time is not on Sidney’s side. He has a cough. And then a bit of a car crash.

3. A Hands-On Approach to the Problem

While Kyle’s going off the grid, and Giles is in lockup for questioning in Evelyn Bailey’s death (oh yeah, should have mentioned that, Evelyn died at the end of the last episode), at least someone is trying to take care of the demon problem in Rome: Rose, Giles’s wife.  She’s the one that killed Evelyn and is now fixing to take care of Kat (though it takes a fall from a ledge to finish the job). The demons may be like roaches that will just outlive everything, but Rose is sure going to try.

4. Searching for Answers

While Kyle runs for the hills, Megan runs for answers – – so Reverend Anderson takes her to the Church on the Beacon, and Megan immediately recognizes Dakota from earlier outreach. The rest of the Church is intrigued by their new houseguest, because she’s “just like them.”

The writers have been toying with the story of this church all season, leaving it for the most part intentionally vague. Sure, we all know each member of the Church has some experience with demonic possession, but what is their endgame – – bonding over shared experiences, putting an end to it, or something else? (Reverend Anderson’s also after the same answers I am, it seems, trailing Dakota through the backwoods to a basement hideaway.) This could just be a very long game, but at the seventh episode of the season (and no Season 3 announced as of this writing), I’m hoping this endgame is on its way.

In this immediate moment, though, the Church is comfort for Megan, as she and Dakota bond over their very similar experiences of possession and dealing with the aftermath.

Continued below

But what on earth are they going to do with Sidney now that he’s held in the bowels of the Church? (Never take rides from strangers, Sid. No matter how suburban soccer mom they may look.)

5. Captured

So Rome is like Hotel California: you can check out any time you like, but you can never leave. Kyle’s attempts at leaving town both on car and on foot end up thwarted by Officer Nunez and company, cornering him in the forest “for his own protection.” With a little help from Junkyard Bob, Kyle disarms that “protection,” gets Amber and Allison to safety, and turns back towards town, knowing there is much work to be done. Just when you think you get out .  .  .

Afterthoughts

– No Amber, a car graveyard that looks straight out of Cal Worthington‘s backyard is not “off the grid.”
– How is Kyle pretty much doing everything in this episode after a brief and very interrupted hospital stay? I’m whining and taking to my bed after six straight hours of cleaning leaves my body quite sore and out of sorts; he’s been stitched up seven ways from Sunday and manages to exorcise a demon living in the chief of police in the middle of the interstate.

What did you think? Sound off on your own thoughts in the comments (but be mindful of spoilers)!


//TAGS | Outcast

Kate Kosturski

Kate Kosturski is your Multiversity social media manager, a librarian by day and a comics geek...well, by day too (and by night). Kate's writing has also been featured at PanelxPanel, Women Write About Comics, and Geeks OUT. She spends her free time spending too much money on Funko POP figures and LEGO, playing with yarn, and rooting for the hapless New York Mets. Follow her on Twitter at @librarian_kate.

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