I had been waiting for this moment for most of Season 2 and it finally happened. I must admit that I took great joy in Talon coming to her senses at last. Fortunately, the force of her boot proved to be the remedy to a problem I’d long suspected she had. I took great pleasure in this episode as a whole. It was an episode that delivered several events that I think are pivotal to the final rush to season’s end.
However, before I jump into Episode 210’s several curious storyline developments, it is my duty to inform you that SPOILERS are ahead. So, if you don’t want to get washed up on the rocky crags of SPOILERS, turn your kayak around and go not one letter beyond. If you’re good, then proceed.
Episode 210 was quite heavy on the relationship between Talon and Zed. As you may recall, they consummated their Blackblood lust in the last episode and though they often quibbled as they made their way forward, we got a nice little moment of Talon’s head resting on Zed’s tummy. Uggh, I tell you. Uggh. The pair, now armed with the full “key,” eventually found their way to the dim and dank recesses of their destination. And in this location, Talon’s ingenuity (Come on Zed, look a little closer. Sheesh), discovered a hidden little bug that carried a kinge, similar to hers, but not the same. Zed extended a finger, and the a relative to the entity that resides in Talon now resides in Zed.
The Outpost — “The Only Way” — Image Number: OUT210_0001b.jpg — Pictured (L-R): Robyn Malcolm as The Mistress, Nikola Rakocevic as Brogan, and Anand Desai-Barochia as Janzo — Photo: Aleksander Letic/NBCU International — © 2019 Outpost TV LLC. Courtesy of Electric Entertainment.
Time and opportunity provided clarity about Zed’s little companion – it was capable of mind control. And with that revelation, you just knew what was coming, right? I saw it a mile away. Look, Zed may have the best interest of his people at heart, but he has a cold heart with a deceivers’ opportunism toward humans. His efforts to sway Talon in that direction have proven fruitless.
In the woods, as Talon and Zed headed to the chamber, Zed told her that what they may find there could help save his people from their current situation. When Talon added that it would help the queen as well, Zed (walking ahead) gave us a rogue’s smile and a less than convincing affirmation. Rogue, indeed.
Then, when he discovered his entity’s power while spying on a Prime Order patrol, Zed seemed to take particular delight in mind-melding one guard’s hand into the fire. He seemed to enjoy it, revel in it, and it gave us a very good look into Zed’s truer nature. I haven’t bought his shell game from nearly the outset, but this episode cemented my feeling that his agenda was purely selfish and that he would, indeed, use Talon to get what he wanted. I never trusted Zed. And in the end, Talon discovered she couldn’t trust him either.
What happened next made me chuckle with delight. Sure enough, when Zed’s suggestion that he and Talon not go back to the Outpost and instead go about opening the portal to bring the Blackbloods wasn’t met with rainbows and unicorns. Things got chippy. Talon wasn’t keen on the idea and right on cue, Zed tried to mind-meld her into doing his bidding. Fortunately, Talon’s entity is the big cheese and protected her from Zed’s attempt to control her mind.
As you might guess, Talon wasn’t all that thrilled by that, and I knew what was coming. The swords flew, some leaves may have been used as a distraction, and it all ended when Talon opened up a portal and put a boot through Zed’s chest, sending back to the Plain of Ashes. It was glorious.
The Outpost — “The Only Way” — Image Number: OUT210_0005b.jpg — Pictured: Imogen Waterhouse as Gwynn — Photo: Aleksander Letic/NBCU International — © 2019 Outpost TV LLC. Courtesy of Electric Entertainment.
Again, I feel for Talon on many levels. Here’s someone who thought she was the last of her kind. Then when she does find out there are more Blackbloods out there, the two she comes into contact with (Reb and Zed) come at her in different ways, but seemed to have the same type of agenda. She has to shed herself of both because they proved untrustworthy. As an aside, Reece Ritchie, you were delightful as Zed. I enjoyed not trusting you, my friend. Until we meet again, stay parched on the Plain of Ashes.
A woman who has been lonely for most of her life is perhaps realizing she’s more alone than she thought – even with the revelation that there are other Blackbloods out there. How can she trust any of them now? Remember, her mom had the power to bring them back through the portal and chose not to. We also don’t know why they were banished in the first place. No, my friends, there is plenty of mystery and uncertainty to the blackblood tale. So far, I haven’t been impressed with the specimens that have come through the portal. I suspect Talon hasn’t been impressed either.
While Talon was kicking Zed to the Plain of Ashes curb, Garret was having an emotional reckoning with his goings-on to this point in season 2. You remember Janzo tossed Garret’s “juice” into the fire, thereby commencing the drying out process for our handsome brainwashed junkie. The question was, would the effects of the conditioning and drugs wear off in time to overcome whatever was to come – which we all saw was his seemingly inevitable escape.
The Outpost — “The Only Way” — Image Number: OUT210_0006b.jpg — Pictured (L-R): Robyn Malcolm as The Mistress and Nikola Rakocevic as Brogan — Photo: Aleksander Letic/NBCU International — © 2019 Outpost TV LLC. Courtesy of Electric Entertainment.
And that’s where we were as Garret snuck, climbed (really, the guards in this place suck), and slunk his way to the queen’s bedchamber where he was about to strike. With blade in hand, and righteousness on his side, the task was about to be fulfilled. However, the flashbacks returned, the haunting words of Dred echoed through his noggin’ and the discovery of a picture that showed Gwynn without the disfigured face, was enough to snap Garret out of his stupor and into the sad realization of all that he’d done.
It was a moment we have all been waiting for, a moment where reality finally set in and self-loathing could commence full force. What I didn’t foresee was Garret, whose honor was obviously impugned by his actions, turning the sword on himself. Only the desperate words of Gwynn, who had awakened from her merry slumber, stayed his blade. So, we’ve got Garret extricated from The Three’s drug-induced web, but to say he’s going to be hard on himself would be an understatement. I have to mention the work of Jake Stormoen right here.
The social media realm has not enjoyed evil-doer Garret, but I’ve enjoyed it on many levels. And while I’m glad good Garret looks to be back, I am so impressed with Stormoen’s work on both sides of naughty-nice scale. Very convincing in his menace and sinister intent during season 2. And now that he’s come out of it, the physical and emotional pain of what he’d become – what he’d allowed them to create through him – was well-delivered as well. Strong work, indeed.
The Outpost — “The Only Way” — Image Number: OUT210_0003b.jpg — Pictured: Imogen Waterhouse as Gwynn — Photo: Aleksander Letic/NBCU International — © 2019 Outpost TV LLC. Courtesy of Electric Entertainment.
And best of all, he’s going to go looking for some revenge. And I’m all for that, Garret. You get on that horse and ride. Time to make amends to ALL the people you’ve betrayed later on. For now, gather up that personal disgust you have for yourself, pack it in a bag, and let it push you forward in search of glorious retribution. There’s revenge to be taken, so let’s get to it.
HIs arc in season 2 has been so interesting on so many levels. Now, he’s back and will have to figure out his many relationships, as well as what to do with Tobin. I suppose they could be rivals, but I kind of like their uneasy vibe together and could see them forming a formidable duo against the forces of evil. I did like Tobin’s comment about the two having many things in common, then grabbing Gwynn’s hand in a fun little passive-aggressive move. Oh yes, I could see these two having a grand old time together moving forward – if Talon doesn’t kill Garret first. We shall see.
And once again we get a delightful taste of The Mistress’s ability to turn personal disaster into professional triumph. Caught by Janzo in the process of making and selling kalypsum in the queen’s own castle, she hits on a brilliant plan. Got to say that Robyn Malcolm is delightful as The Mistress, easily mixing guile, intuition, and opportunism into a tasty stew that not only helps the queen, but also herself.
That’s an entrepreneur of epic proportions right there. And what’s with Brogan’s look, anyway. That hat, the feathers, the cape – he looked like a 1970’s era TV pimp with that get-up. Styling and profiling in The Outpost, I suppose. Hysterical.
Well, The Mistress concocts this plan to release what plaguelings are under captivity in the outpost to terrorize Milus and his besieging army. Of course, this is all predicated on Janzo being able to quickly cure the plagueling curse (oh, he’s ‘this’ close) so that they can save the soldiers soon to be infected, and thereby usurp Milus and have his army come under Tobin’s control – and thereby the queen’s.
The Outpost — “The Only Way” — Image Number: OUT210_0004b.jpg — Pictured: Aaron Fontaine as Tobin — Photo: Aleksander Letic/NBCU International — © 2019 Outpost TV LLC. Courtesy of Electric Entertainment.
Yes, The Mistress concocted quite the plan, a plan that would seem to be successful in the initial stages. The plaguelings call their brothers and sisters in the forest, they attack and the army of Milus is decimated. You could tell that Tobin felt some pangs of emotion when he found Milus’ body in his tent, apparently dead. He may have felt more relief a few moments later when Milus (with plagueling in full glory) attacked him and Tobin was forced to kill him (right through the mouth). Well, that’s how it goes sometimes, right.
Now the race is on for Janzo to figure out who is infected and to give them a cure so they can become the army they need for the impending Prime Order assault. The seige is broken, Janzo is working his tail off, and then his mother gets stung by a plagueling, which only intensifies the pressure he feels. The clock is surely ticking now for all of them, while Garret begins what we all hope is a successful journey to redemption.
And then there’s the return of Naya. That’s right, Naya got to ring the revenge bell, but at the cost of one of my favorite characters. Naya wrangled her way into one last chat with Everit Dred in his dungeon cell to plead for her family’s life. When Dred, in that sneering, uncaring and delightfully self-serving way of his, informed her he’d dispatched her family years before, she pulled out a dagger and gutted him like the man-bun loving pig he is. So, for those who wanted another Naya sighting, you got your wish. For me, it was another Dred moment and this was a doozy. Hasta la Vista, Dred. You were bad to the bone, but you looked so good doing it, bro.
Here we are – the homestretch of season 2 of The Outpost. Plagueling plague potentially on the horizon, Garret riding to revenge, wreckage and ruin, Talon on her way back, and much more. Should be a lot of fun the rest of the way.
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