Highlights
- Outer Range successfully combines the Western and sci-fi genres, creating a unique blend of family drama, reminiscent of Arrival and Close Encounters of the Third Kind.
- The show revolves around two rival ranch families fighting over land containing a mysterious giant hole, which may be a portal to the past and/or the future. Unexplained phenomena and missing individuals add to the mystery.
- Outer Range season 2 has the potential to deepen the story by exploring the origins of the hole, revealing family secrets, and delving into the peculiar behavior of characters like Autumn, who may be an alien or a time traveler with a mission for change.
Outer Range, the Amazon Prime Video TV series starring Josh Brolin, may appear to be a rip-off of Yellowstone or Stranger Things, but it's a series that successfully combines the Western and sci-fi genres embroiled with family drama. The show is also reminiscent of Arrival and Close Encounters of the Third Kind, minus the creatures, in terms of dynamic characters desperately trying to understand the difference between the known world and the unknown, and how unexplained phenomena affect their faith and way of life.
Outer Range revolves around two rival ranch families fighting over land that contains a mysterious giant hole, which is a portal that seemingly goes to the past and/or the future while still being linked to the present. With Outer Range season 2 on the way, here's a look back on the events of the first season, and what could be in store next season.
What happens in Outer Range season 1?
In the first season of Outer Range, Wyoming rancher Royal Abbott (Josh Brolin) is a man who deeply cares about his family and farmland, but faces several obstacles. One of those conflicts includes his feud with the Tillerson family (who demand that the Abbott family give up a part of their land, or they will battle in court). The tension between the families heightens when Perry (Royal's eldest son) accidentally kills Trevor (one of the sons of Wayne Tillerson). Royal, his wife Cecilia, and his younger son Rhett all try to cover for Perry, so he doesn't go to prison.
Royal also meets a young woman named Autumn, who initially asks him if she can camp out on his land for a few days, but then acts strange when she discovers the giant hole on Royal's property (especially when she sees Royal place Trevor's body in the hole). Autumn even pushes Royal down the hole to see what will happen (Royal sees familiar people like Autumn and Cecilia, along with soldiers, in another version of his hometown where his wife tells him he died a couple of years ago). Despite going down the hole in another timeline, Royal manages to find his way back home in the present but decides to not tell his family about Autumn and the hole, believing that they won't understand or believe him.
As much as Royal tries to scare Autumn away, she continues to bother him and the Abbott family, claiming that she is going to change the world (presumably referencing the hole). Wayne Tillerson also knew about the hole (which is why he wants Royal to give him that part of his property). However, with Wayne's declining health, his ex-wife Patricia and their remaining two sons (Luke and Billy) contemplate how to get Royal's land. Meanwhile, Joy Hawk (the acting Deputy Sheriff of Wabang, Wyoming) is investigating the murder of Trevor by questioning both the Abbott and Tillerson families, suspecting that nothing is what it seems, while also dealing with her personal and professional career as a lesbian Native American cop.
Along with the hole, certain characters also mention how several people have gone missing (including Perry's wife Rebecca), raising questions about if and/or how the hole is making individuals in Wabang disappear. Rebecca's mysterious disappearance, Perry's murder charge for killing Trevor, missing citizens, the conflict with the Tillersons, and Autumn's strange agenda make the Abbott family lose their faith in God and each other.
What can Outer Range season 2 do to succeed?
After several character arcs and plot lines in the first season, Outer Range season 2 has the potential to expand this story even further, especially since many questions were left on the table. Among them is how the hole came into existence, and why is it on Royal's property. Are there more holes similar to that one? After offering a glimpse into Royal's buried past (accidentally shooting his father and running away from his mother and sister by entering a hole similar to the one on his property), spectators may wonder what other family secrets Royal is carrying.
Autumn's peculiar behavior hints that she may be an alien who has substantial knowledge about the hole and the Abbott family, and/or is a woman who has traveled through time and seeks to spread change on Earth. What that change is remains to be seen, whether it's going through portals of time, searching for the missing, or perhaps bringing extraterrestrial beings onto the planet. However, the finale of season one revealed that Autumn is most likely the adult version of Amy (Perry's daughter) due to the scar on her head. Perry's whereabouts are also in question since he went down the hole (which closed up), and the younger Amy found her missing mom Rebecca (but uncertainty concerning where they headed).
Along with exposing more of these storylines, the second season will continue to use the effectiveness of its cast led by a commanding Josh Brolin, along with Lili Taylor (Cecilia), Imogen Poots (Autumn), Tamara Podemski (Sheriff Hawk), and Will Patton (Wayne Tillerson). The cinematography will also continue to play a major role in displaying the show's vibrant visuals surrounding the landscape of the Abbott ranch and the town of Wabang (all filmed in Santa Fe and Las Vegas, New Mexico). Season 2 of the show should also have an appealing soundtrack similar to season 1 that sets the mood, especially classic country and rock songs (Leonard Cohen's "Avalanche" and Bruce Springsteen's "State Trooper" were among the standouts from the first season's soundtrack). Season 2 can also lighten up some of the drama by providing more humor (reminiscent of when characters like Billy and Wayne Tillerson would sing songs out loud to express their emotions).
Does Outer Range season 2 have a premiere date?
There is currently no release date for Outer Range season 2, but there has been speculation that a decision will be made by the end of the year to have the show's next batch of episodes air sometime in early 2024. However, due to the current actor's and writer's strikes, season 2 may be postponed to a later date. Amazon renewed Outer Range for a second season back in October 2022, and principal photography began in April 2023.
Regardless of when Outer Range season 2 is filmed and released on Amazon Prime Video, sci-fi and Western fans of the show can look back at the complex themes of the first season (family, time travel, identity, faith, fate) along with the cinematography, music, and powerful performances. Outer Range is an example of a TV show like Yellowstone or Stranger Things that can combine traditional and modern elements, while also questioning the peculiarities of the unknown and whether everyone on Earth is willing to accept and understand change.