‘Outcast’ episode 5 review: Kyle, Allison, Anderson, and trauma

Sometimes, it is hard to see the demon through the trees. If there was a revelation from last week’s “Outcast” episode on Cinemax, it was this.

Therefore, you have to wonder if Kyle and Allison’s relationship was just so corrupted that he didn’t see the darkness within her; or, if he just interpreted it an aftereffect of their own problems. Checking up on Allison was a key part of the episode, but it’s hard to say the writers presented definite answers on her present state. Instead, what we had more of were reminders of her harrowing past, her history with Kyle, and how there are a few minutes of their lives all parties involved with they had back. Yet, they cannot, and Kyle has a demon in him, even if it is not the literal ones you see elsewhere.

Even when he is saying little dialogue, Patrick Fugit continues to impress. His porch-side scene with Allison in this episode is one of the best ones of the season so far. His performance is right up there with Brent Spiner, who is bringing Sidney (slowly) to life. The rest of the episode is compelling enough that the slow burn, for now, is justified.

The same goes for the story-of-the-week component, largely because these stories have told us something new about these characters each time. In the last episode, there were reminders of Anderson’s mementos and what he took from past exorcisms. In this episode, the reminder we received was that many of these exorcisms were botched. He was conned effectively into thinking he helped people like Sherry, and in comes Kyle with the powers to save the day. It has to be somewhat deflating, but at the same time he possesses some of the social grace Kyle does not. This makes this a pretty perfect combination.

The unfortunate twist is that while Kyle saved her from the demon, she’s also now comatose. How much of a hero can one be when this is the result? It’s yet another brilliant point in a show that is exploring (shockingly) possession on a powerful human level. Grade: A-.

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