"The Outsider" ought to have been a captivating, six-episode miniseries, teeming with the potential for an unrelenting, spine-chilling horror narrative that maintains a taut thrill throughout. Admittedly, the initial two installments impeccably fulfilled this promise. Nevertheless, the series abruptly hit the brakes, grappling to regain momentum amidst a string of sluggish episodes.
Episode 7 of "The Outsider" kicks off with Glory preparing for her return to the workforce, her resolve mirrored by Ralph's meticulous examination of evidence at their home, pondering over a haunting image of neck burns and their enigmatic significance. On the road, Jack confesses to Holly his newfound belief in the bogeyman, revealing his own scarred neck to her. Amidst Jack's wince of pain, Holly drives relentlessly towards the barn, ignoring Ralph's call.
Sensing a looming sense of unease, Ralph rushes to Jack's apartment only to find it ransacked, marred by blood spatters. His search for answers leads him to Tamika, who remains guarded, forcing him to delve deeper into the shadows of the strip club where he finally uncovers a vital clue. With this newfound information, Ralph speeds off, determined to locate Holly and Jack.
Meanwhile, Holly engages in a cunning escape, feigning compliance with Jack's plans before disarming him with her wit. At a gas station, she leaves her phone in Jack's possession, only to sneak into the restroom and shatter the window, sprinting out the front door and managing to flee in her car.
Glory, on the other hand, finds herself struggling at work as a real estate agent. A couple's incessant questions about Terry push her to the brink, causing her to lash out, leading to a complaint being filed against her. With her life seemingly unraveling, she reaches out to Howard, declaring her intention to press forward with a lawsuit."
Ralph and his companions finally catch up with Holly, as she unravels the harrowing tale of her encounter with Jack. Ralph's mind races, piecing together the puzzle, only to realize with a jolt that their intended destination was not the barn but its polar opposite. Where, indeed, was Jack leading her astray?
Just as the truth begins to dawn, the group's frustration boils over, targeting Ralph, who relentlessly seeks logic amidst the chaos. The tipping point arrives with the ghastly image of Terry, his bloodied hand extended in a nightclub handshake, a crucial detail Ralph had withheld from Holly. Her outrage erupts, her accusations echoing through the air as she confronts Ralph's omissions.
Meanwhile, Holly's subconscious is plagued by nightmares, where Jack stalks her, a gun aimed deadly at her face. The deafening crack of the bullet shattering her dreams awakens her with a primal scream, her terror resonating through the night.
Beyond the tumultuous journey of Holly and Jack, and fleeting moments of heightened tension, the episode lingers, bloated with filler and tedious investigative threads. Its 50-minute span feels interminable, its plot progression reduced to a meager handful of sentences.
It's a lamentable sight to witness The Outsider dwindling in this manner, its premise—a haunting monster preying on grief, stalking those consumed by it—a captivating concept imbued with poetic depth. Yet, the series has stumbled, failing to resonate with the profoundness it so promisingly hinted at. Unless a dramatic turn of events unfolds in the coming episodes, The Outsider risks falling far short of the greatness it had the potential to attain.
