Outer Range season 2 review: Sluggish mystery doesn’t unfurl enough

Outer Range season 2 follows Royal Abbott as he tries to get his family back together and uncover the mystery of the hole. The series is streaming on Prime Video.

Story

Royal and Cecillia are still reeling from Amy’s disappearance but Royal vows to get everyone back so that they can be a family again.

The mystery of the hole is delved into further as various entities show interest in the Abbott family’s land.

Autumn’s true identity is explored further and she persists in some divine mission that she believes brought her to that ranch.

A lot of mysteries are centered around Wabang and the Abbott family, and everyone around them is dragged in.

Performances

The series is equally held up by all the performers admirably. Many of them turn in sturdy performances even if the genre is a bit restrictive.

Most of the men in the series including Josh Brolin, Lewis Pullman, and Tom Pelphrey are gritty and intense with some hints of humanity.

Shaun Sipos does get to go a little crazy but it isn’t entirely scene-stealing stuff. Imogen Poots is certainly a big draw with her chilling portrayal.

The series is chock full of characters and everyone pulls their weight regardless of the significance of their part.

Positives

The Western aesthetic is an interesting backdrop for this mystery and lends a certain intensity to the series. The different periods and costumes are depicted brilliantly.

The background score is haunting and compliments the tone of the series incredibly well.

Negatives

The mysteries in the series move at a very sluggish pace the reveals aren’t as gratifying as the writers would hope.

There are still more questions raised rather than answered, a line used in the series, and too much is left for audiences to theorize on their own.

Verdict

Outer Range season 2 continues to string along its audiences with more time travel hijinks and mystery solving that only connect some of the dots.

The seven episodes are tough to get through but releasing them all at once is marginally better than dragging things on for weeks.

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