“The Road Before Us” is Full Of Evil on Outcast

 

Last week’s episode of Outcast ended with Kyle and Reverend Anderson racing towards the home of Kyle’s wife and child after learning that Mildred’s exorcism didn’t take. Sometimes, the devil makes you do bad things and sometimes… it’s plain ole human nature. Will Sidney cause more havoc in the town of Rome tonight? Grab that bible and follow me.

Allison

I love how each episode begins with flashes of past events and images that put you on edge before the show even begins. Outcast borrows from American Horror Story’s use of shocking opening images to set the tone, and it works. Allison and Amber, Kyle’s wife and daughter are featured in this episode. What does Allison remember of the possession? Faced with the knowledge that Mildred was a failed exorcism, Kyle is afraid that Allison still holds a demon inside her. He wants to see his wife but a restraining order is in the way.

 

What we do know from this episode is that Allison and Kyle were once a happy couple until Allison woke up in the hospital with the side of her face bashed in and Kyle in jail. So, Allison doesn’t really know what happened, at least not the true story and only what the nurse told her: her gentle and non-violent husband  one day just up and went postal.

Kyle convinces Megan to visit Allison and now Megan is worried that Allison is self-medicating herself. No one is worried about Amber’s strange outbursts and I think the kid is who we should keep an eye on. She is more than just an average bratty seven-year-old girl. There is resentment against her mother that is not only felt, but witnessed. Does the girl remember possessed mommy? Is there more to Amber’s outbursts?

Anderson

I really feel sorry for Reverend Anderson. He was feeling pretty good about himself and thinking that he beat the devil and saved souls, but he hasn’t saved anyone. The best weapon the devil can use against us is to make us doubt ourselves, doubt our faith, doubt GOD. Finding out that Mildred is still possessed and able to enter a church every week without Anderson picking up on her demon has to be terrifying, but it’s only the beginning of a long list of disappointments for the man of the cloth. When Roy tells Anderson and Kyle that his daughter, Sherry, is now living on the streets, Anderson goes searching for her. He has to know if he’s been played by the devil especially since the exorcism on the owner of the pet shop has also failed.

 

How does a priest or pastor know if an exorcism is successful?  After ruling out natural causes like physical or mental illness, the priest begins a time-honored routine of praying in Latin mixed with the Lord’s Prayer and the Hail Mary. Exorcisms are usually done in church. The devil will try to trick the priest into thinking he’s left the person, so it’s imperative that the priest continue to pray until all signs of possession are gone. Sometimes it takes years to kick a demon out. Sometimes, the exorcisms don’t work.

Sidney

I’m enjoying Brent Spiner’s portrayal of Sidney as the devil. He hasn’t done anything extremely shocking yet. Horns don’t sprout out of his head and flames don’t shoot out of his mouth, but his mild-mannered ways are just as effective at sending a chill down your back. Why did he sneak into Kyle’s home and what was he searching for?

Sidney is definitely not what I expected in a devil, but then again, these are modern times and the devil is a master at blending in. Mildred at first doesn’t recognize the man knocking at her door, but when she does, she’s not afraid. Sidney doesn’t understand Mildred’s collection of figurines and seems amused with mankind’s need for possessions. When Mildred tries to seduce Sidney, she’s shoved away. Mildred has just learned lesson from the handbook known as the “Bible.” The devil tells fibs and if he promised you wealth, beauty and health, you’re in for a big letdown.

Chief Giles

No mention is made about the last episode where Mark beat the living hell out of Donnie. Is the abuser dead? Was the dashboard video inside Mark’s patrol car wiped clean or made to look like it malfunctioned? We are in the dark about this little event, but what we see clearly is that Mark is a good cop and I like him. He would make a wonderful homicide detective because he understands the importance of forensic evidence.

Chief Giles is worried about his friend Ogden and rightly so. That fingernail that was found in the trailer before it was burnt down belongs to a missing girl. Giles tells Mark to make sure the girl is really missing while he pays a visit to Ogden. Mark calls with news that the missing girl has been located, but we know that Ogden is a dangerous man.

Conclusion

If you think I take possession lightly, then you need to visit me while I’m watching, and then, reviewing the show. The devil has done a wonderful job at getting people not to believe in him. Darkness works better if wrapped under the cloak of disbelief. The devil and all his evil ways had been drummed into me by the good Nuns who taught me for 12 years. Those teachings are appreciated now when I go on ghost investigations: know thy enemy. I keep the Bible and Holy water at my desk when I’m doing reviews of this show.

 

Kyle is a good man, but he has a special power and, that power is drawing a lot of demons his way. What do these nameless creatures want? Sherry tells Kyle that they are numberless. That’s a cool way of saying, “We are legion.” With just a touch and the following sizzling sound, Kyle is able to determine that every single exorcism done by Anderson has failed. What about Allison?

The use of that black living liquid to represent the successful casting out of a demon is brilliant and helps us to visualize what Kyle sees when he touches someone. Luckily Allison does still love Kyle. She initiated the kiss, but abruptly left when Kyle refused to tell her what happened the night he saved Amber.

Robert Kirkman had stated that he is more afraid of demons than he is of zombies. He’s a smart man. Outcast is a great show and its timing is perfect. We live in a world where people do horrid things. This past week is just a small example. What makes a person hate enough to kill? Why do we dehumanize people who are different than us? Is there truth in the saying, “The devil made me do it?” This, I think is what Robert Kirkman wants us to ask. As for me, I’m a believer and I’m keeping my weapons against evil with me while I review this show. See you next week.

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