‘Outcast’ finale review: Kyle and questions of fire

Tonight, “Outcast” closed the door on its first season, and by the time the closing minutes arrived, we had to wonder whether or not Kyle was meant to put out the fires of the demons / horrors in the world, or burn among them. If we are to believe Sidney’s words, they do come from the same place.

After all that transpired this season, it made sense for the character to consider getting out of Dodge a.k.a. Rome, mostly because it felt as though nothing good would ever remain for him or his family there. Unfortunately it took him and his daughter little time to realize the magnitude of their terror, or the inherent connection that they do have it. Kyle’s daughter possesses the same ability he does, which is a temporary blessing wrapped in a much larger curse given that she will more than likely never be able to find peace.

Moving into the second season, these two are haunted, and are in some ways further outcasts because the only things that are like them are the ones that they feel they must destroy.

What also made this finale so poignant and effective, beyond of course the wonderful atmosphere and visuals that we’re continuing to see from these artists behind the scenes, is Reverend Anderson effectively becoming no better than the monsters themselves. His quest to destroy Sidney cost Patricia her son, and all of a sudden he is filled with a new sort of guilt and pain. The last we checked, “thou shalt not kill” was a commandment that needs to be followed, and the albatross this places on his heart as he questions his own faith and future is as good as a season 2 tease as you are going to get.

“Outcast” in the end wrapped up season 1 in fantastic fashion, proving yet again that it is the summer’s most underrated show while also reverberating a similar theme home to what we saw when we learned the truth about Sidney’s backstory: We’re the monsters as much as anyone. Grade: A.

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