Outer Range

Everything's been said in the first 200 reviews, except for this: these people have got to stop giving each episode to a different director and/or different writer. The quality, and the whole concept, goes up and down randomly from episode to episode. The characters look the same but speak and act differently. Find a good writer and keep him/her. Find a good director and keep him/her. Complete variation in tone and concept is NOT what we want in a long story.

Outer Range is a slow paced but very interesting and enjoyable sci-fi western. I've read a lot of people comparing it to shows like Yellowstone, Twin Peaks and X-Files and that's exactly what it reminded me of, a combination of those three shows. Obviously it's not as good as those, especially Yellowstone, but it's still worth watching. Not everyone will like this because it has a slower pace and takes a while before questions are answered. Josh Brolin absolutely kills it (as usual) and Tom Pelfrey was just nominated for an Emmy last year for his role in Ozark and he's just as good in this, he's such a good actor, actually the entire cast is amazing. My only complaint about this show is the amount of time between seasons, I mean over two years went by between season one and two. That's ridiculous. Who can remember everything with that long of a break? Anyway, it's a series definitely worth watching.

Outer Range is a bit of a slow burn, adding to the struggle to watch the series, but I watched anyway because I was desperate for new content and there was just enough interest in the storyline to keep me watching. This series had supernatural overtones which I liked. Conceptually, this show is a bit out there. The story and Imogen Poots' character, Autumn Rivers, along with a few other characters were a bit wack-a-doo. Her presence and motive is uncertain and a little weak in terms of character development and story-building. Josh Brolin and Lil Taylor's performances were strong. Some scenes or episodes were a bit of a struggle to watch, but, overall, it was good, and I'm glad I watched it because there was a pay-off at the end of Season 1, and I came back looking for more in Season 2.

Lots of intelligent reviews about this show already so I'm going to just take this opportunity to talk about the amazing performances. In particular, Lili Taylor. I did not know I needed Lili Taylor as rancher matriarch in my life, but oh I really did. How I enjoyed watching her just own this part! The way she zig zags from wife to mother to slightly unhinged to feral while also somehow simultaneously heartbreakingly vulnerable and back again with absolute mastery. Even if I didn't like the show I'd watch it just to see what she's going to do next.

Fortunately I do like the show and am looking forward to season 3. I have absolutely no idea where it's going from here, but the easiest way to watch is just to accept it as it comes. I'm not even trying to figure it out. Just watch it and enjoy the surreal wonder of it.

I am almost finished with season 2. This is a very engaging story and I'm usually very anxious to see the next episode. When I started season 2, I realized I didn't catch a lot of critical parts of season 1 and I had to go back and rewatch parts of it. Either I have a really bad memory or the story is just too confusing to grasp the first time around. It was also helpful for me to go online and read a recap of each episode written by random people. So, if you're willing to put a little work into it, it's a fascinating story with a little sci fi thrown in. I would say the acting is superb. Josh Brolin, Lili Taylor, Imogene Poots are very good. It seems like season 2 is going at a much faster pace than season 1 but, again, you really have to pay attention. As others have mentioned, the singing and music choices are annoying and a few times I had to fast forward because it was like nails on a chalkboard. This is a gritty western type series with some fist fights, hunting scenes, and horse chases. I usually don't like that type of film, but this one has caught my attention.