The first season of ‘Outer Range’ has come to an end with the premiere of its last two episodes. After its suggestive start, it didn’t take long for it to become clear that the Amazon Prime Video series was more interested in complicated family relationships than in its stimulating science fiction component, but this is when it has finished embracing it, also doing it to crazy extremes.
Beware of spoilers for the ending of ‘Outer Range’ from here on.
Something that had marked the series until now was a tendency towards formal stillness, letting the story and the characters breathe without making great displays with the camera. These last two episodes altered that in part, especially to emphasize that Autumn is the great destabilizing factor of the series – even the interpretation of Imogene Potts is increasingly unleashed to go along at this point – something that also applies to the unexpected and strange alliance she forms with Billy (Noah Reed).
go for all
From there, a series of revelations follow one another that under normal conditions would border on the crazy. From the apparent origin of the mysterious portal -Royal has always been a time traveler out of his time?-, normalcy ends up jumping out the window, but the series’ desire for the emotional to prevail over the rest of the items helps keep your feet on the ground. That last scene they share Royal (Josh Brolyn) and Cecilia (lili taylor) is a good example of this.
However, we are not getting that far ahead, as there are too many open fronts to reduce it all to that. And it is that ‘Outer Range’ reminds us in these last two episodes that it is a series about loss. That’s the driving force for a lot of the characters, whether it’s how they deal with her or her attempts to go to great lengths to avoid her. And this applies to both the people and the property on the Abbott ranch.
Around this, the series has maintained its stylistic constants in this final stretch, but letting things get out of control when it fits with the story. That final showdown between Autumn and Royal -also pay attention to the intensity that the previous scene in the motel exudes- that begins as a duel from a western and continues as a crazy chase is, without a doubt, the most vibrant moment of the series. But everything is heading for that great revelation that is more of a direct emotional blow to the protagonist and that forces him to reevaluate everything he believed until then.
The mythology of the series revealed
All this is lined with strange details, a factor that the series introduced from the outset and has been calmly nurturing ever since. Let’s not forget Autumn’s stone or Wayne’s momentary recovery. All of this did not stop being small seeds for what was to come. He hasn’t always done as well – there was a certain moment midway through the first season when it seemed like he was going to turn around instead of moving forward – but his goal was clear.
Of course, ‘Outer Range’ has not given, far from it, all the necessary explanations so that the possibility of leaving the series here is stimulating. The question now is whether a possible -and inevitable?- second season will alter the pessimistic trend of the story or if the time has come for some emotional regeneration now that things are a little clearer.
What the series has also more than achieved with its last two episodes is settle mythology created by Brian Watkins. Until now we could have had suspicions, even of that great final twist, but solving the puzzle was nothing short of impossible. Now we know what we are up against. The only thing left is for the story to move on.
In short
‘outer range’ has put all the meat on the grill in a final stretch full of revelations that leaves you wanting the Amazon Prime Video series to have a second season. Amazon has not yet commented on the matter, but hopefully it will not take long to do so.