One too many.
A kid is found brutally murdered, and the police arrest a man for the murder. He says he’s innocent, but the evidence is pretty clear. But then some new evidence comes to light, and a cop doesn’t believe his own eyes. What is going on in his town? He tries to find out the answer with his friends, while he at the same time has to deal with his grief after his son died.
The Outsider is based on a Stephen King novel, and I haven’t read the novel. The series consists of ten episodes.
I didn’t know that the series was based on a Stephen King novel until I saw his name in the third or fourth episode. But it didn’t surprise me. The hallmark of a Stephen King story is here with the buildup and atmosphere.
So when I knew the TV series was based on a Stephen King story, my alarm clock chimed. Will Stephen King mess up the ending again? He has never been the best at finishing his stories. Just take a close look at, It! Jesus wept!
So the first seven episodes are great with a lot of dread and suspense. I loved the slow buildup, but then The Outsider turned on the switch I was afraid of, and I wish the series had eight episodes instead of ten episodes. Episodes eight and nine slow the pace down to a halt, and nothing interesting happens. The Outsider should have been an eight-episode series.
The ending could have been worse, but it lacks a real punch. And to be honest, the antagonist turned out to be a pretty generic Stephen King character. The antagonist is really cool when we know nothing about it. But I didn’t appreciate the answer to the mystery surrounding the antagonist. I should have known better to expect something else since Stephen King likes to go this route, but I had a tiny hope that he could drag something new out of his old hat. But he used the same old hat.
I would recommend watching The Outsider since the first seven episodes have a deep mystery and a fantastic atmosphere. But don’t expect an ending and explanation that will blow your mind.
Rating: 7/10