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.
Kyle and Amber visit Allison and Megan deals with the aftermath of attempted suicide. Sidney works to consolidate his power, and what’s with all these people getting snatched up in Rome? Let’s dive into “Not My Job to Judge” – – and as always, spoilers within.
1. “It’s not my job to judge, Megan.”
ROLL CREDITS! Seven minutes in to the episode and we have the title. Although this is part of a flippant exchange between the Reverend (who has saved Megan from suicide) and Megan, it makes two striking points. The first is compassion. Megan’s expecting a Bible-beating admonishment from Anderson for taking her own life, but he reaches out with the opposite instead: empathy (“we all got our shit”) and some levity (quoting Dr. Seuss). It breaks the tension in a very tense moment.
2. Questionable Parenting Awards
While it’s inferred that Amber has been asking for her mother (hence the trip to the mental health facility she checked herself into at the end of last season), I’m not 100 percent sure if that was a smart parenting move by Kyle – – though as I am not a parent, I could be wrong. If Amber was asking for her mom, who is to deny the child her mother? What I can say for sure is exceptionally dumb parenting is leaving her alone in a part of the facility where patients are known to wander the halls. Amber was one breath away from an abduction or a laundry list of other dangers, so bad move Allison for suggesting she go look at the fish tank alone – – and bad move Kyle for agreeing to it.
While we’re giving out the Questionable Parenting Awards, let’s give one to Megan for bringing her daughter back to their home. You know, where she was possessed and killed her husband – – a murder Holly witnessed. All that child will see is blood on the tile (no doubt something she is seeing as she stands in the bathroom where the horror happened) and her father’s lifeless body while her mom makes fried chicken and mac and cheese. Megan clings to normal way too hard here, trying to fold sheets but being tortured by flashes of her actions. She needs to let her mind and heart recuperate on their own time, not her time.
Coupled with Holly’s declarations of not wanting to be in her house and rejection of her father’s death as a “terrible accident” is continued proof that the children in the world of Outcast are smarter than the adults.
3. Look for the Beacon
Sidney may be the main threat in Kyle and Anderson’s eyes, but I wouldn’t discount the fringe religious group that Anderson met up with last episode, the Beacon. Their presence wasn’t a throwaway appearance, since one of their members (the same one that Anderson met with) meets Megan on an outreach effort at one of Megan’s most vulnerable moments. (“Vulnerable” = Megan’s brandishing a shotgun.) Will Megan fall prey to this message, and what danger does this Beacon ultimately have for Rome? Could they be working with Sidney?
4. Consolidating Power
Sidney’s hold over Aaron (oh hey, Aaron is alive! Forgot to mention that last week) grows, as he pushes the teen close to carving up a body to prove his worth and “strength” is classic cult behavior. Throw in some sudden mass gathering of supplies and some weird abductions taking place around Rome and I’m predicting a Jim Jones or Heaven’s Gate type event before the end of the season.
Continued below5. From Father to Son
So demon hunting and killing runs in the Barnes family. And this isn’t the first time Rome was visited by supernatural forces. The elder Mr. Barnes did his fair share of what we Supernatural fans call “saving people – – hunting things” 30 years ago, according to a mysterious associate of Officer Giles (who, by the way, was the one behind all those kidnappings, but we’ll have to go back to that another time). What lessons could Kyle learn from Dear Ol’ Dad to beat Sidney?
Three episodes in to this second season, and there’s more questions than answers. Sound off on your own thoughts in the comments (but be mindful of spoilers)!
