Outer Range is the most Lynchian show that I've ever seen that wasn't made by David Lynch. It involves many of his stylistic hallmarks: awkward juxtapositioning of the fantastical with the banal; smaltzy corn mixed with brutality; folksy setting that's filled with eccentrics. How it all makes you feel is more important than whether or not the plot is comprehensible or whether you get the answers you're looking for. Josh Brolin plays a very Josh Brolin character in Royal Abbot, a ranch owner in rural Wyoming who discovers an abyss in his west pasture. Royal is a man of secrets who takes matters into his own hands; in short, a typical Western protagonist. The most compelling character is Autumn, a young hippie drifter who convinces Royal to let her squat on his land, a decision he quickly comes to regret. Played by Imogen Poots, she's a fantastic mix of the charismatic and the insane, and she makes you believe everything you see her character do. Really, the cast is fantastic, with Lily Taylor, Tom Pelphrey, and Will Patton all putting in memorable performances. There are twists and turns aplenty, and while some are predictable, others deliver the appropriate jolt of adrenaline. Really, I got invested in this show, and some episodes got my heart rate going, which is why I found it interesting that the internet reception seems mixed. Come on people, stop watching Marvel bullshit and search out Eraserhead or Mulholland Drive! Admittedly, some of the Lynchian influence was distracting rather than properly weird. Watching Noah Reid's Billy Tillerson belt out a sensitive ballad in Garth Brooks regalia during his brother's funeral received the appropriate chuckle, whereas watching the same character and Autumn make out like strange lizard people did not. And really, people, where was the fucking Mastodon that was alluded to? Don't disappoint a critic like that. The finale leaves many threads hanging while still resolving enough that I felt satisfied. Royal is a man whose secrets and bravado destroyed his family, and only at the very end does he understand this. Part of me yearns for a season two while the other half thinks that one very good season of television is enough. The Critic gives Outer Range four ding dongs to your five. Watch it on Prime if you like weird Westerns and surrealist corn.
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