Hmmm …
You know, I’ve got to admit, I think —think — that episode 3 of Outcasts could be where the series starts to shape up.
Tonight’s episode … ?
Hmmm …
As you know, I was intrigued, rather than stunned, by last week’s first two episodes of Outcasts.
After all, one expect’s a pilot episode to be a bit mixed.
But I do know that things like Torchwood grabbed me from the get-go: in a way that last week’s two scene-setting episodes didn’t.
Like I say, they’d left me intrigued, rather than impressed.
However …
Tonight … ?
Hmmm …
Episode 3 of Outcasts shows us how the inhabitants of Carpathia — from the folk of the main human settlement of Forthaven to the AC’s, the genetically modified super-soldiers — deal with the freak, electrical storms that Forthaven’s people call whiteouts: and shows us how Tipper Malone, the Carpathian colony’s resident troubled rebel child helps to predict that this particular one …
Is going to be roughly five times worse than anything seen previously …
|»»•««|
Now, I told you I’d been intrigued by episodes 1 and 2 of Outcasts … ?
Very true.
I’d been intrigued enough to keep going: after all, the writing and acting on the first two were competent rather than outright stunning.
I’ll be honest, though …
I believe things are improving, somewhat.
I’m not sure which order the episodes were recorded in, but it strikes me that the cast seem to be settling in to their rôles, and with each other: kudos to Amy Mason, as Fleur and Eric Mabius as the deeply grey Julius Berger, to highlight a couple*.
The writing for this one seems to have improved, somewhat as well: tonight’s episode was penned by Simon Block, as opposed to Ben Richards, who scripted episodes 1 and 2.
Granted, Ben Richards is — as far I can tell — the show’s originator, and I’m assuming has a lot more responsibilities than the rest of the writing team, I’m also very aware that Stephen Moffat and Russell T. Davies were putting out a heck of a lot of quality output, ran Dr Who, Torchwood and Sherlock whilst managing to blag free beer at awards shows, and turn in some riveting stories.
That aside … ?
That aside, tonight’s episode is building — slowly — the story of the colonists of Carpathia.
It’s added more to the Outcasts back-story and mythos: given us more little details of what’s happened on Earth, given us more detail’s of Carpathia’s childrenºª.
It also show’s us the rapid rise through the ranks of the Eric Mabius character, Julius Berger.
And if I’ve got that right, he’s going to shine in this series.
All well and good, I’m thinking.
But can I leave you with one or two questions, though, before I sign off … ?
Not including that one, obviously …
Are there going to be any more whiteouts … ?
I’m thinking, here, vaguely, of Anne McCaffery’s Dragonsriders of Pern series of novels: the (chronologically) earliest stories told us how the first colonists on Pern bred creatures they nicknamed ‘dragons’, specifically to deal with an on-going threat.
The second one … ?
Is really simple.
We’ve had hints that the colonists are supposed to be humanity’s brightest and best, colonising the planet and helping our species survive in a big bad universe.
Why, if that’s the case, is the series called Outcasts … … … … ?
Good night, everybody …
| Actor | Role |
| Liam Cunningham | Richard Tate |
| Hermione Norris | Stella Isen |
| Daniel Mays | Cass Cromwell |
| Amy Manson | Fleur Morgan |
| Ashley Walters | Jack Holt |
| Eric Mabius | Julius Berger |
| Langley Kirkwood | Rudi |
| Michael Legge | Tipper Malone |
| Jeanne Kietzmann | Lily Isen |
| Jamie Sives | Leon |
| Director | Omar Madha |
| Producer | Radford Neville |
| Writer | Ben Richards |
| Writer | Simon Block |
* I’ve got to admit, I’m also going to highlight Jeanne Kietzmann, as Stella’s daughter, Lily, here: I don’t know if this is her first rôle, but she still seems a touch … stilted, thus far. Still, with another five or so episodes to go, there’s hopefully time for her to improve.
º Episode 2, last week, told us that the colonists were having trouble reproducing, and that the only baby born recently on Carpathia was to the ACs: part of the genetic modification done to them was — seemingly — enforced sterility. How that chimes with President Tate’s assertion that the ACs were supposed to supply some much needed genetic oomph to the colony, I don’t know.
ª Actually, one of those children was Tipper Malone, played by Michael Legge: the scene I posted to YouTube shows him in action. There’s also a mild bit of irony, as well … when you considerer the character he’s talking to is Daniel Mays as Cass Cromwell …
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