Outsiders

I cannot believe this show is canceled. It was a great show. It has a great premise and a great cast. I was actually trying to see when season 3 was starting. I'm absolutely shocked this was canceled. I hope somebody else picks this show up. Bad move by WGN, but then again, it's WGN... LOL. Hopefully they will get rid of this new CEO asap.

I haven't seen a modern day TV show like this before. The show is revolves around a rough and tough hillbilly culture that you might expect exists in the secluded mountains. They even make their own version of moonshine.

It's a solid and interesting story about your stereotypical "We govern ourselves" type hillbilly clan that continues to evolve and progress in a way that keeps you wanting to see what's next.

There are a few episodes where you get a tinge of the "cheesy" factor, so I'm only going to give this 8 out of 10 stars. David Morse plays one of the alpha dogs of the pack. He manages to pull off the role quite decently, but I think they could have casted a better actor for that part and it would have helped eliminate the "cheesy" factor that occasionally taints the plot. He's just not capable of playing the super tough redneck type character you would expect to see in charge of a hillbilly clan in the mountains. Have you ever seen one of those guys? They are frightening looking dudes.

There is only one major thing to remember about Outsiders. And that is that it got canceled after two seasons. So don't waste your time watching it because they just stop in the middle of the story without any explanation or a decent ending. Why they do that is a mystery to me because the series wasn't that bad. I didn't know the channel WGN before watching this but now I will remember. I will remember never watching anything again from their channel because I can't afford to waste my time again. But if you do decide watching the two seasons expect to have a story that isn't bad but that isn't all good either. There are some turns in the story that will make your eyes raise. But it's not all bad. Why they can not write an ending to a show they know they will cancel is a mystery to me. WGN, never again.

I'm not sure what other reviewers are taking this show as. It's not a documentary so stop trying to wrap your head around every little detail. There are some plot holes that could be filled in but I don't think every small nuance needs to be addressed. It's a TV show. It's fictional. Every movie or film has movie mistakes, deal with it. Many of these reviewers probably live in urban or suburban areas and couldn't figure out how to get things done without their iphones and credit cards. Think about the situation and you can probably fill the holes yourself, even if you don't see it on screen. Examples below.

• Power. Generators. probably bartered or stolen. - ATVs. A welder, hand tools, and junk parts can make it work. I've seen many Frankenstein vehicles that were operational. How do you think Cuba kept cars from the 1950/1960s running so long. They probably modified junk ATVs. Speaking of welder, they must have had one to make the cage. - Tools/instruments. Stolen/bartered. - The language. Small pocket dialect. Look up PA Dutch for example. - Fuel. Moonshine is ethanol. Ethanol is moonshine. People do convert vehicles to run on alternative fuels...bio fuels, wood alcohol, etc. Not a stretch to use ethanol in this case. Or rob locals, siphon cars, etc. - Trucks. Face if folks, they're driving old beaters that aren't worth much. Probably didn't take much to acquire one.

In any case, you can fill the plot holes with your own conclusions. Think outside the box but don't think too much because you'll ruin your viewing experience.

The actors do a good job acting. The setting is believable. The lifestyle is intriguing. Power struggles are entertaining. Character development is fun.

Just sit back and enjoy the show.

"Outsiders" is not meant to be a story about real people in a real situation, and if you can get past that notion, there is a story here that bears watching, filled with power struggles (big coal against the mountain people, son against mother, son against father), crazy romances, superstition (the power of the mountain), and the struggle to preserve a way of life in the face of changing realities. Some of the acting is first class, especially Thomas Wright (the Sheriff), and the rest of the cast does a good job as well. The photography is really good and I enjoy the ways in which the various lives intertwine. This is the type of series you need to watch from the beginning, and if you want to watch Season 2 be sure you watch Season 1 first.