'Outcast' Recap: 'The Day After That'

Written by John Edward Betancourt

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While I’ve thoroughly enjoyed Cinemax’s Outcast from the very first episode thanks to its powerfully unique storyline and supremely eerie vibe, I am fully aware of the fact that for the most part, there’s been little to no character growth when it comes to the colorful people that populate this chilling story, and no, that’s not a bad thing. Because in reality, the creepy first season of this story, did not and could not allow for Kyle and his family and friends to grow for the most part simply due to the fact that they were stuck in a reactionary place. They were surrounded by an evil they didn’t understand, and Kyle barely knew what his gifts could do and all they could do was chug along and do their best given the circumstances.
 
But clearly, that’s something the series has wanted to remedy for some time now, as was evidenced in the season two premiere when Kyle suddenly came to realize that he either had to fight this nightmare or see the world consumed by this darkness and if anything, his decision to return to Rome with his baby Amber to fight this mess served as the tip of the iceberg for a grand push forward in both character development and plot for this series because last night’s episode, ‘The Day After That’, truly moved everything forward in impressive fashion. Now the characters are starting to become more than mere pawns in this dire situation and oddly enough, all of this was accomplished by giving several members of the supporting cast a moment of pause, wherein they could reflect on everything that’s happened as of late.
 
Take Reverend Anderson for instance, who was eventually absolved of his crimes when it was discovered the body in the trailer was  killed in ritualistic fashion (more on that in a bit) decades ago, but before he left his cell, he helplessly had to witness a young addict turn into one of the darkness fueled monsters and that feeling of helplessness seems to have reinvigorated him to fight the good fight so he never feels that again and while he came to his epiphany quickly, it took little longer for Megan Barnes to open her eyes. Because she was outright haunted by what happened when she was under the influence of evil and for a time there it seemed as though she wouldn’t be able to live with the actions of her alternate self. But she too found a reason to go on.
 
Yet, this particular tale was packed with more than mere tender moments, it also showcased just how far Kyle has come as a hero in a short period of time because he was quite the badass in this tale, as he worked to locate Sydney and uncover the truth as to why The Merge is happening and it was quite cool to see him put the pieces together to a tiny sliver of this mystery and start to uncover exactly who is working with Sydney and it was the softer moments with Amber that hammered home the fact that going forward, it’s all about making the world a better place in this series, and it’s just magnificent to see Kyle and Megan use their families as a starting point to build their bravery and it’s equally as wonderful to see the Reverend use redemption as his starting point and truly, this was hands down the most uplifting episode of this series to date, and it was nice to have a little light shine in through the darkness.
 
However, this episode would have felt out of place without a little hint of mystery and doom hanging over the horizon and all of that came by way of Sydney’s re-appearance in this tale. Because the pain and anguish on his face over the black liquid being spilled from the mummified corpse that was buried beneath the trailer leaves one to wonder exactly what purpose those remains were going to serve and what this particular individual meant to Sydney exactly and more importantly, we also have to ponder upon what he has planned for young Aaron, who we learned is alive, and in Sydney’s possession and in a lot of pain from the injuries he sustained in the fire. But, when all is said and done, this really was quite the powerful and poignant episode. I love that it took the time to explore the aftermath of everything that’s happened thus far since horror characters tend to just move on quickly from tough moments and all of this speaks to the fact that season two is going to be a cerebral and wild ride and I cannot wait to see what twists and turns await us come next Friday. Until then. 

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