Outcast Episode 1 Review: Come And Get Me (Series Premiere)

"Outcast" premiered on Cinemax on June 3rd. The show is based on a comic series by Robert Kirkman (the creator of "The Walking Dead"). There are 10 episodes total in season 1. The first episode "A Darkness Surrounds Him" is currently available on YouTube. Check it out here

I enjoyed the title sequence. The music and strange camera angles showed us what we were in store for right away. The first scene was also great fun. We're in the small town of Rome, West Virginia. A young boy (Joshua) stares intently at a cockroach on a wall. He then bashes his head violently against it and licks it off the wall. Yuck. If that wasnt enough, he then eats his finger in front of his mother. I guess finger is more tasty than potato chips.

We meet Kyle Barnes who in living alone in a dilapidated house. Kyle sees flashbacks of his childhood. His mother is possessed and badly abuses him. She locks him in the pantry where Kyle spends his time drawing on the walls and door. Poor Kyle is unstable and doesnt want to be around anyone. His sister Megan drags him to the store anyway. Megan's husband Mark (who is a cop) thinks Kyle is violent and shouldnt be around their daughter (because he harmed his own in some way). We're not sure of specifics but in a flashback Kyle's wife is possessed and is harming Amber (instead of Kyle).

Reverend Anderson visits Joshua. It's the "Exorcist" all over again. The demon that inhabits the boy taunts Kyle. He says "we know you." The evil spirit tries to suck the soul out of Kyle but is stopped in time. Kyle has developed some serious demon fighting skills after dealing with his mother (who is currently in a catatonic state in a nursing home).

Kyle know the following about demons: 1. They dont like sunlight (who does?); 2. His blood burns them for some reason; and 3. You can beat the demon out of a person if you hit them enough times. After a series of "knock down, drag out" battles the demon finally exits Joshua. A black goo congeals on the ceiling and the dissolves into thin air. The police arrives (including Kyle's brother in law). Joshua's mother refused to press charges though. Kyle is free to go.

Kyle heads back home. He has another flashback of his wife trying to attack their daughter. Kyle has some serious back luck with demons. He says "come and get me" and enters his house. I'm sure someone/something will be taking him up on his challenge.

Grade: 3 3/4 Monsters (out of 5) "Outcast" definitely has potential. The "creep factor" is high. Anything with demons scares the bejesus out of me. The scenes of the exorcism and young Kyle with his mother were particularly well done. The child actor who played Joshua was excellent. Despite the positives, I'm still not sold 100% sold yet. The main characters felt a bit dull. The dialogue was at times stilted. "Outcast" may just take time to find it's groove. I'll check back a little later. The show has already been renewed for a season 2 so it wont be going away anytime soon. And from the sounds of it, there are plenty of demons to keep Kyle and Anderson busy for a while.