'Outcast' Recap: '(I Remember) When She Loved Me'

Written by John Edward Betancourt

THIS IS THE EMERGENCY SPOILER ALERT SYSTEM...YOU ARE ADVISED TO READ AT YOUR OWN RISK...

Within each and every one of our minds is a moment from days gone bye that in many ways, was a defining point in our lives. These are the kinds of moments where you look at the world differently, and decide to change your life forever because of it, and oddly enough those spectacular moments, the kind you are reminded of daily...are often negative through and through. 

Sure, sometimes a positive moment can illicit great change from us as well, but in reality, it's terror, fear and the thought of never feeling that way again that moves us toward a different kind of lifestyle. It's not a story concept we often see explored in depth, but Outcast decided it would be the focus for its second episode by taking us deep within the one memory that essentially defined Kyle Barnes' future...the moment he finally fought back against his possessed mother and well, it made for a decidedly different kind of episode in '(I Remember) When She Loved Me'.

In fact, what made this story so unique is that in essence, a vast majority of the scares we were privy to last week on the show all but disappeared this go around. Sure there were creepy and eerie moments which we will get to in a bit, but this episode focused on that dark and fateful day for Kyle where his life would never be the same, but with a wonderful twist. It wasn't enough for the show to make sure he was haunted everyday by this traumatic event...why not allow him to believe that maybe, just maybe, he could rescue his mother from the evil that took her so long ago? It led to a heartbreaking sequence where Kyle brought his mother home in the hopes of exorcising the evil from her in the same manner he did young Joshua. 

Of course the attempt fails and well, Kyle is left having to face the fact that he has to let go of the past or let it forever consume him, but as he dealt with this mess, the show didn't completely stay in drama land, making sure to remind us that evil is lurking out there and it has some kind of a plan. If anything the surprises this go round when it comes to dark forces were subtle and disturbing ones to say the least. Animals splayed open in ritualistic fashion were discovered on one man's property deep in the woods, as was a camper that looks like animals tried to escape it but uh...it could be people that went mad in there as well. But the centerpiece surprise from this episode was Brent Spiner popping up with a mystery character yet to be named that delivered our final heartbreaking moment of the night.  

He visited Sarah Barnes in the nursing home and spoke to the fact that Kyle's mother failed in her attempt to protect him or resist evil for that matter and we were treated to one last flashback this go round, where it turns out that Kyle was unconscious when the evil did indeed leave Sarah in the same manner it did Joshua. It was her injuries that left her in this state and there's just something awful in the fact that Kyle has no clue that he actually saved her. Either way, what a lovely little episode. It gave us quality insight into Kyle's life and why he is so broken and alone inside and to top it off, it set the stage in subtle fashion to what appears to be a battle brewing between good and evil and perhaps Kyle letting go now is perfect timing, because he'll be able to focus on the battle ahead, which no doubt involves the mystery man that visited Sarah. Should be interesting to see where next week takes us, until then.

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