lukas-ingel Review of Must/Can't

The Outsider: Must/Can't (2020) Season 1, Episode 10

Are you all forgetting? + This was meant for binge-watching

[10/10 · 19 March 2020]

First off, I feel sorry for all of you who waited week for week for this. I'm glad some of you still enjoyed it, but having just binged it over two days, I can say 100% that this show and with how its more quiet style of suspense and character drama/study goes and the way they dive into the myths and the history of the murders piece by piece etc., it's just meant to be watched back to back and not with weeks in between. Horrible choice, clearly not meant for the story. I can see too why a lot of you would feel like not a lot happened, but watching it all unfold one after another I honestly think so much happened especially looking back upon it, and I don't think this show would've been anything but rushed if they changed the pacing, cus this type of story demands a slower pace and attention. That's just how it goes, guys and girls. Maybe not for you, but that's how it goes.

Now to talk about the ending, I'm not sure what it means that Holly got scratched. I doubt that it means the "el cuckoo" or however tf you spell it returns through the scratch at least in full form, now that would be weird. BUT. Are you all forgetting that the dad to the son who was almost kidnapped got scratched too? Blood was running down his arm and all. I'm sure they didn't include that and the interrogation scene where he didn't mention it for nothing - so in a second season, I'm sure there'll be some big kinda thing about the dad and Holly having a relation to that el cuckoo, perhaps cuckoo will find his way back through them somehow. Like, I dunno? Why are you looking at me like that.

I will say that it was weird that they smashed the monster though. The explanation to how the original family's dad would get cleared was absurdly easy and then there is the fact that 1) they don't know if there are more el cuckoos and they just smashed the possibility of helping future victims, and 2) there is literally an innocent woman in prison! Did they forget this? They could have helped her. And god knows if this monster has been mentioned in all cultures throughout history...well maybe what do you think there is only one of them walking around and it's only in America! Lol. I'm surprised Holly didn't stop him from smashing it. But I guess it is true that it would be dangerous to hand all the pieces of the monster over to scienticists and it would get complicated too in many unwanted ways by trial and people and stuff, so what do I know. Maybe just don't smash his face or something.

Things I loved about the show:

• The score! Excellent, consistent and perfect mood throughout the whole thing
• The myth. Very interesting way to play up on something we all know and have heard about. Terrifying representation, although like all monsters it got less scarier the closer you got. But the suspense and danger helped out on that and also quickly coming to care about what happens to the different people, so cool!
• The characters. Iconic, well-developed, well-realized, full of healthy relationship dynamics (something you rarely see these days, especially represented in television, this is like first time I seen a whole season where all the drama came from outer sources and not in the relationships themselves, incredible and GOOD!), everybody had their quirks and dimensions and not one single stereotype, so that was amazing
• The suspense. Much like Sharp Objects, this has gotten horrible comments about its lack of suspense and plot, and I just don't think it's right. This is very much a character driven story, and maybe that's just not your thing. Then you could've stopped by like episode 3 when you found that out and had given it more than a fair shot. But don't go into it blaming the story for working its way around the characters and plotlines when it's you yourself who is not into that type of story that is being told. I said the exact same thing about Sharp Objects, and you just can't appreciate this if you expect it to be or deal with it as a high-drama with frequent action and a cop show, or whatever, when it's much more of a character study and character drama that is exploring the supernatural and the natural. If any of the scenes had been cut out, I truly believe it would've missed a good moment with the characters adding not only depth but subtext to the character and the plot and the theme, which was the goal. That's the type of story this is, like Sharp Objects. It was very well-written and well realized in that.

I thought myself that it was very suspenseful throughout the whole thing as it with the mood-setting score and cinematography would lurk around and you never quite knew how things would turn around. I was quite surprised by how many got killed off in the end, such as the lawyer whom I thought should have still been around to help, Holly's boyfriend whose death was terribly devastating they were so innocent and real with each other, and several of the other characters just went off like that with a bang. The brother too, ouch. Seeing the guy return to his brothers House was painful. I really appreciate what the show is trying to say about loss and the unexplainable though, making us look at it again - especially in this time where so many of us are atheists or questioning this and that. Interesting to see it be played with with such powerful moments and dialogue and scares. Surprisingly good hunour as well. When it was there, it really hit it.

• The style/cinematography. Honestly, it was both gritty and realistic in light and very visually striking. Many gorgeous symmetric and hypnotizing shots which makes it easy to get lost into the world. Loved it.

All around great experience with The Outsider. I think it's highly underrated here in the reviews section and very misunderstood as well. You know what's devastating? How many people sat through 10 1-hour episodes feeling bored through every single one of them. LOL. Sorry guys. I'm glad at least the show's rating is at a well-deserved 8.2, hopefully only to turn up higher, and I hope that lots of people who are into this type of story would watch it then so we can get a season 2! I'm dead excited (pun intended) to see where we would go.