Yellowstone opened a wealth of opportunity on television, not only for those who enjoy watching approximately 8,000 Taylor Sheridan shows but also those who hail the return of the Western atop the pop culture mountain. When it comes to Outer Range, sure, comparisons between the two realms have been made, and star Josh Brolin has pointed out why the Amazon Prime series stands far apart from the “imitator” label. The series actually qualifies as a neo-Western/sci-fi series that will appeal not only to lovers of Dad TV but also Lost and even The X-Files mixed up in a heady dramatic brew.
It’s worth noting that for all of Brolin’s very valid points (about this not being a Yellowstone knockoff even if it benefits or “piggybacks” off the trend), plenty of parallels do exist. The show revolves around a sprawling ranch, and of course an outside force wants to come and snatch that land. The joint also houses an expansive family with unresolved issues regarding tragedy, and people also tend to get killed. And there’s no peace to be found, only threats on the horizon, but in this case, one of those dark forces involves that yawning hole in the ground. So, the show has a blast with the similarities to Yellowstone but also veers into WTF territory.
That “WTF” to nothing do with the fact that Brolin recently shed his clothes while teasing the next season, and at least he did not lose the cowboy hat. Let’s get down to business on where the second season will pick up.
Plot
Brolin portrays Royal Abbott, which yes, will remind people of his turn in No Country For Old Men, although the menacing realities of the Texas range are far different than what Abbott finds in Wyoming. The giant void initially seemed alien-ish, but as viewers recall, the discovery coincided with the arrival of the mysterious Autumn (Imogen Poots), and the chess game that followed kept everyone on their toes. Before the season ended, the series posed plenty of questions about the nature of time travel. Royal had already been revealed as a time traveler from the 19th century who had popped up in the 1960s, and yes, that had to do with that hole. Revelations about Autumn added to the mystery, and Deputy Sheriff Joy Hawk’s vision of Indigenous people was not entirely clear as far as when that took place (also tied to time travel).
In other words, this series truly ends up being far from Yellowstone in time, place, and tone (mountains actually disappear from view, y’all, so this is spacey), but some of the two worlds’ common themes do remain universal. So, what is on tap for this next season?
Filming has completed, and Brolin has been on the press circuit for Dune: Part Two. Brolin was cryptic and didn’t reveal too much but also stressed that he is enormously pleased with how this season turned out like he wanted the first season to be, which does sound thrilling:
“I was in a marketing meeting two days ago. We saw a couple of teasers for the entire season because I directed one of the episodes, and I was very happy to do that. And it was a very exciting process for me… It looks like I wanted it to look the first season. It looks incredible, and I’m very, very happy with it. Not that I was totally disappointed with the first season, I just felt like we were finding ourselves, and I feel like we found ourselves now.”
Brolin does come by his love of Westerns honestly, given that he grew up on a California ranch and also starred in not only No Country For Old Men but also True Grit. And Outer Range combines his love of producing and helping to craft the show and his ability to deftly portray laconic characters who do not show their hand and, in fact, can be several steps ahead of those who oppose them.
Of course, there were layers there as well, since Abbott had claimed that he hadn’t known about his time-traveling origins. By the end of the first season, the audience knows better, but that’s likely only the tip of the iceberg of secrets here.
Cast
Brolin wouldn’t miss being Royal Abbott for the world, and he’s also executive producing alongside Brian Watkins, head writer and creator. Imogen Poots portrays the incendiary Autumn Rovers, Tom Pelphrey steps in as Perry (son to Abbott), and Lili Taylor portrays Cecilia (wife to Abbott). The show also stars Sean Sips as Luke Tillerson and Noah Reed as Billy Tillerson. Do not forget about Tamara Podemski as Deputy Sheriff Joy Hawk.
Release Date
Amazon will bring the new season to viewers beginning in May 2024.
Trailer
No trailer has surfaced yet, but that should happen fairly soon. In the meantime, enjoy this intimidating poker session complete with a “feet” request and a distracting story about the Devil.