‘The Outlaws’ Recap: ‘Episode 4’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode Four of ‘The Outlaws’. To revisit the previous episode, click here.
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For the most part, television shows that examine the human condition or offer commentary on certain aspects of our world… tend to say their piece on a specific topic, and move on, and there is good reason as to why. For in essence, the topic has been addressed and examined and revisiting it on a consistent basis, would be overkill and perhaps bore the audience. In fact, the only time these shows really tend to slip back into a particular topic/examination, is if it ties into something greater later on in the season. But while that allows for shows in this vein to tackle multiple topics and entertain along the way, there are some topics that shouldn’t be glossed over in the slightest.
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Simply because they are that important and that poignant and by visiting them once more within the framework of the story, the audience will learn a great deal more about what the show is trying to say and this is top of mind today, largely because the next episode of The Outlaws on Prime Video… takes the time to circle back on a topic that it explored a couple of episodes ago. Specifically, how a lack of proper support and guidance, combined with the stigma of being a criminal, can in fact… lead people back into a life of crime. Since the ease of getting back into it, and the potential for some quick fixes, would prove too tempting to resist and well… that’s precisely what we saw several of the characters do in this tale, for various reasons. 

John for instance, embodied the stigma aspect of this exploration. Because for some time now, he’s done everything he can to save face and provide everyone with the façade that he is still an everyman that didn’t make a grand mistake. All so that he won’t be viewed as a ‘lowly criminal’, and sadly… his fear of having that label attached to him by his family and most certainly his father… pushed him to dig deeper into crime in this tale. By going along with a grand plan to launder the money he found with Frank and Myrna, and this journey really did do a phenomenal job of exploring how much the stigma of being a criminal can impact a person, since it motivated John to continue to do the wrong thing… when he clearly wants to do the right.

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But in quite the surprise turn, this episode also took the time to explore stigma further by way of Christian and his sister, since their journey more or less spoke to how our standing in society and how that is viewed by the masses, can motivate us to lose hope and believe that we are stuck where we are. As evidenced by how Esme came to believe for a time that this was all she could ever be, since she skipped the test and went back to old haunts, and when presented with true hopelessness and fear, she resorted to violence and shot Spider. Not to mention, Christian kept making mistake after mistake in this tale, out of the belief that chaos and strife and struggle were his life, so he might as well live the part, and this was a stunning sequence for certain. One that made its point, crystal clear.
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As for how this episode explored in detail how a lack of a support network and guidance can motivate people to return to crime, well that was handled through Greg’s journey. Because let’s not mince words, he has no support network right now. Sure, he’s making friends, but it’s work and isolation for Greg most days, and having no one to turn to and no one to speak to, combined with his own spotty past, made him the perfect candidate to once again step into the grey and do things he simply shouldn’t. Which in this instance, involved using Gabby’s corporate account at the firm, and some forged signatures, to launder the money that Frank uncovered so that everyone could enjoy a clean payout and well… this was perhaps the most straightforward plot in this tale, and it does leave one to wonder… what Greg would have done with a support network around him.

In the end however, what truly makes this episode so special and so important, is the ‘why’ behind the decision to dig into a topic that the show touched upon before, and the reason for such a move is simple… to help the audience truly understand. For so many of us, haven’t a clue what life is like when one really breaks the law, and we too… support stigma and shunning those who’ve committed a crime because that’s the norm. But this, this is the kind of episode that circles us back around to the core theme of the show. In that, criminals are people and that the vast majority of them aren’t monsters that did something beyond reproach. They screwed up, they did their time, and they need to know that when their penance is complete, they can rejoin the world and go about their lives. And this show deserves a round of applause for hammering that message home and for delivering a story that still leaves us eager to continue the journey, to see if this motley crew can indeed find redemption. Until next time.

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