A lot happens in season 2 and I commend the writers for their masterful pacing. Kyle’s story must follow a quick timeline for the events to make sense, so they tie in the stories of the Reverend, Megan, the people from the Beacon, and especially Chief Giles to keep the story from seeming rushed or forced. They were also able to keep the storylines intertwined enough that they weren’t completely separate tales shoehorned into together, but also separate enough that the plot didn’t become to convoluted. Megan’s plotline from this season is a great example of this. As we see her reeling from the death of her husband and eventually the knowledge that the boogeymen from her nightmares are all too real, her interactions with all of Outcast’s large crew of characters was a great line of almost invisible fishing line keeping the different aspects of the show together. Beginning with her pregnancy and continuing through her convincing of Allison that possession is real to her time at the Beacon compound and her kidnapping, she is constantly switching roles, but without it seeming forced or overly opportunistic. I think hers is the best storyline of this season, as she deals with huge, painful changes in her life while also trying to care for her children and stand with her brother.

Along with this, the showrunners showed a lot of versatility this season as they packed so much into only ten episodes. Now that may seem like a silly statement, but only so much can happen in ten episodes before the show gets out of control, trying to cram things in. With this season starting with Kyle on the run with Amber, thinking his biggest fear was Sidney and the abundance of possessed already on Earth, and ending with what we can only assume is a proliferation of these creatures in those (physically and emotionally) closest to him because of a door he had a hand in opening. Along with this, we see the introduction, or rather re-entrance, of Kyle’s father, Simon, into Kyle’s life. As Kyle must separate from his family, he begins an eerily similar path to his father. Though their difference become apparent in Kyle’s reluctance to take part in the grand finale of Simon’s plan, which involves the mass suicide of the Beacons. We get to see the path that Kyle could have gone down without the assistance and care from the people around him, such as Megan, Amber, and Allison.

In addition to Kyle’s front seat show to Simon’s plan toward the end of the season, we also get to follow the dismantling of Rome and the build up to what can only be described as the oncoming war between the possessed and those who vow to protect the people of Rome, including Chief Giles and the Reverend. As they build an army out of the few trustworthy people left, the season leaves us with the feeling that a storm is coming for Rome as both sides bulk up their numbers.

There were a few faults in this season. While the intertwined storylines are helpful and the creators can keep a good pace for the show entire, keeping them paced together can be frustrating. For instance, when Kyle needs to be in two places at once to push the storyline forward, that area of the story is stalled. For instance, when Chief and Rose Giles are frantically trying to fend off what they believe is a possession and Kyle is stuck fighting with Blake, the reveal that Rose is not possessed is shown by her fever breaking instead of what could have been a more dramatic reveal if Kyle had been available. So, they miss a few good chances for drama. Also, the introduction of Simon was an interesting choice is my book. One could see it coming with the constant mentions of his history in Rome, but the sudden realization of his cult leader-esque mentality, including the mass suicide of his followers, takes away from what could have been a great tool to show how Simon evolved to this type of character and resorted to these measures. With discussion of the violence he used in the past to fight against the darkness, his past before that seems like a necessary subject line to follow to understand his plan.

Seasons 1 and 2 feel like two well written chapters at the beginning of a book. With television shows often making too dramatic changes in their second season, the transition between Outcast’s season 1 and 2 storylines feels earned and gives us great exposition without beating us over the head with it and keeps us invested and interested in these characters going into season 2. Then, this season leaves us with a great jumping off point for season 3. With what is apparently the Great Possession beginning in the finale, there will be a lot to work with as Kyle and the gang have an abundance of threats as the war comes on. I also hope to see more of Simon and the other characters introduced or brought back playing a bigger role. With the final moments of the last episode showing Kyle’s mother moving, either possessed or regaining her health, I think that season 3 is going to be an interesting and wild ride.