The Outsider - "... an Outsider knows an Outsider"

You might be wondering why did I use that phrase in the title that causes it to have 3 times the word "outsider" in it. The answer is quite simple, despite the redundancy of the word in the title, that phrase from the last episode was my favorite of the entire show and it provided what I believe to be a half answer to one of the mysteries in this show.

The basic premise of this intriguing series is that a regular guy is accused of murder, there are physical proof and witnesses that confirm everything, the problem is that there are also psychical proof and witnesses that confirm he was in another city at the time of the crime. With such contradicting evidence, the officers in charge of this situation are going to have a hell of a ride.

Have in mind this is a Stephen King's story so the answer to the mystery will belong in the realm of the supernatural. However, I don't think this show is only for the fans of King's stories or its typical genres such as horror/mystery/suspense. This show explores how several rational people react when facing the unexplainable. It doesn't cheapen itself with constant funny lines or any other gimmick, and the performances are all serious enough. Besides being a great mystery/suspense series, it can also be considered a proper drama show with a slight supernatural touch.

The main characters are credible people who simply find themselves in something they cannot solve by the means of logic. They are frustrated with no known protocol to follow in order to properly conduct themselves under these bizarre circumstances. It causes a psychological toll on everyone involved and forces some people to even question their beliefs about life and reality itself.

Throughout the show, we also begin to see glimpses of a weird person. We never see his/her/its face, this person somehow is always near when bad things happen. Maybe he/she/it is like a magnet attracting negative events or energy, or perhaps something even worse and more sinister.

In order to discover how could a person be in 2 different places at the same time, they will have to receive the help of a very special individual who somehow has the skills to guide them in the search for answers.

The best

• Amazing premise and pilot episode. From there it was a very decent mystery/suspense show.
• Kudos for HBO for producing content of this genre. Just like Apple TV+ with Servant, and Netflix with the Haunting anthology, Marianne, and Dark, there are enough resources dedicated to creating high-quality series from the horror/mystery/suspense genres.
• The show has some very creepy moments, not as much as Servant though. It is also not a full-blown horror show like the Haunting anthology from Netflix.
• I think the show's ending leaves the door open for a potential spinoff or season 2 down the road.

The worst

• There were several boring episodes. The same happened with the Watchmen series from HBO, and the Servant series from Apple TV+. Nevertheless, I was expecting the show to not slow down that much in the middle episodes.
• The show doesn't provide complete answers explaining the actual nature of what has happened. In the ending, we receive new information that causes the viewer to have even more questions. As you can see, I love knowing the origin of mysteries and I find myself frustrated when this isn't provided.

More information: https://www.themoviedb.org/tv/84661-the-outsider
Review: AAA
In numbers: 8/10