Outer Range – Season 2 Episode 3 Recap & Review

Everybody Hurts

Episode 3 of Outer Range season 2 starts with us over at a cult. Amy happens to be on the swings, while Rebecca joins the others as they sit and talk about the secrets of the universe and how those who devote themselves to the message, will have the universe revealed to them. Amy happens to overhear this and perks up when the leader speaks.

Meanwhile, Royal awakens to find Ceci by the window. He brings up his dream about the house being gone (an ominous bit of foreshadowing perhaps?) and finds Autumn heading out the front door. After reading the bible, she’s become more interested in the devout than before.

Luke continues to spiral, and he sees visions of beautiful nurses wheeling Billy back to the house. It’s a highly sexualized version of reality, and after the two women drop off Billy, Luke is shocked when he realizes that Wayne has alternate plans here. He’ decided they’re taking on the responsibility themselves of getting Billy back to full health. Luke tries to argue that he can deal with the Pasture but he freezes when Wayne challenges his ideas. As a result, he’s told to look after Billy instead.

At the court-house, both the Tillersons and Abbotts are in attendance. Perry is not though, and that is the first bit of action brought into question. We know where he is, but everyone else does not. With witnesses showing Amy leaving with her mum willingly, Perry not being here to try and find her is perceived as stalling. Things grow awkward, especially when Perry is in violation of his bail.

As a result, this also throws the deed to the ranch into jeopardy. If they don’t pay $500k by Monday, then they’ll lose the Ranch. The judge apologizes, but there’s nothing he can do. On the way out, Royal tells Wayne that the worst thing that’s happened to Billy and Luke was being born to him.

Ceci and Royal try (and fail) to get a loan, with Ceci trying every trick in the book to get her to play ball. It doesn’t work, and the pair find themselves struggling.

Autumn makes it to the church where she reveals she used to be in a cult. She now wants to be a teacher of the church. Inside, someone called Sally is desperate for a cigarette but the others don’t see things the same way as her. Except Autumn. She brings up that Sally is currently defying time and needs to use that to her advantage. She’s the one wasting time… and it does the trick.

Autumn hands over a cigarette and as Sally begins laughing maniacally, the pastor is impressed, pointing out that they’re like kindred spirits.

Luke continues to flash back to the bison stampede and how he was responsible for it occurring. Billy wakes up, snapping him out of his trance. Duty calls; and a whole bunch of people show up to pray to Billy. Among them happens to be Autumn. Luke is shocked to see her, but Autumn kisses Billy’s head after telling him that they’re connected. On the way out, she tells Luke to meet her at the bar.

At the bar, the pair talk about her “hold” over Billy. They don’t hang about though, wanting some privacy, and the pair talk while knowing that nobody else is around. Luke points out that the hole has closed up and he believes it’s gone. Luke is angry at his brother, believing he gets everything he wants. The pair have a charged chemistry as they talk, and while there’s a bit of chatter about the minerals out in the wilderness, it doesn’t materialize into anything sexual. At least for now anyway.

The pair head to the pasture, where Autumn learns that Luke’s one desire… is to matter. She leans forward and kisses him on the lips before passing into the Abbott ranch.

As they head out, Wayne returns home to find Billy on the floor after having fallen out of bed. He whispers “car” to his father and rubs his lips. Specifically, to show that this is where he’s stashed the mineral. Wayne obliges and hands it over and Billy starts flying. Although we see the physical manifestation of this, he’s basically tripping and euphoric from the mineral, which acts like a drug.

Luke returns hopping and jumping about. Wayne calls him out for being selfish but Luke doesn’t see it that way. He points out he was never loved by his father, and blames everyone around him. Wayne talks about the family’s honour and duties for the three sons, with the middle child (that being Luke) there as an “insurance policy” if all else fails. Wayne is struggling to see any need for him right now.

Luke contemplates whether to outright kill Billy but thinks better of it when presented with the choice. Instead, he takes the minerals and decides to get high, collapsing on the ground in the process. 

We then cut back in time and see Royal giving Perry some advice. After getting an ID card printed out for him, he knows that Perry needs to fit in. They head straight for the tailor, who’s quite the character. She doesn’t recognize Rebecca from a photo he shows her but does give Perry some solid advice, telling him to give it some time.

Perry is still torn up over what’s happening, especially as Royal chews his ass out for willingly jumping into the hole into a different time period. Unfortunately, his night takes a turn for the worst when Wayne shows up at the bar. Perry gets his anger out and breaks Wayne’s nose outside, warning that he’s lucky this is all he’s done.

We then jump back to the present. Autumn returns home for dinner, where she first meets Maria. It’s a tense time, given the Ranch’s future is in jeopardy. She doesn’t hang about, but does tell them all that their current attitude is not going to do them any favours. As the dinner turns sour, and everyone leaves the table, Autumn learns that Perry jumped in the hole after speaking to her.

Cecelia heads over to see Wayne and asks to borrow the 500k to save the ranch. She’s trying to save the family, while Ceci backs down when Wayne challenges her to act like the old fiery gal he knew. When he sees a part of that, he agrees to hand over the money… if she’ll do him a favour. Royal is to hand over the West Pasture and apologize “for taking Ceci away from him”. Royal is way too proud for that and he refuses outside. In fact, he gets in the truck and takes off.

Royal’s destination happens to be the Pasture, and he drives right up to the edge of the hole, where he watches as someone crawls out. And that person? Joy!

The Episode Review

Well, well, well. Joy is finally back and it’ll be interesting to see exactly what direction this series takes next. The whole episode sees more of the past start to come into focus, especially with the Tillerson family hanging by a thread and using that to destroy the Abbotts for everything they’re worth.

Royal no longer sees himself as part of that family and as a result, these two warring families are caught in a difficult position. However, this is also a slow drama and while season 1 was similarly methodically paced, it’s hard not to shake the feeling that things aren’t progressing much.

It’ll be interesting to see who comes out of this in one piece though, because there’s a lot riding on the two families. The Western Pasture is just there, hanging over everything like a black cloud… but will the rain follow?