The Outpost Review: A Crown For The Queen (Season 2 Episode 8)

If you haven’t noticed by now, I was unable to write a review for The Outpost Season 2 Episode 7, “Where You Go, People Die”. It isn’t that I didn’t want to write one — I was just preoccupied with my Jake Stormoen interview at Wizard World Chicago. But enough of my self-promoting because you aren’t reading this for me to tell you what I didn’t do, you are here for my review of The Outpost Season 2 Episode 8, “A Crown For The Queen.”

This episode starts up right where the last one left off, with Gwynn and Garret going on a romantic horseback ride. Okay, maybe it isn’t “romantic” per se. Maybe she is more of a prisoner in technical terms, but it is still one of the scenes I’ve been waiting for this season.

Being a big shipper of Gwynn and Garret, don’t think I haven’t noticed the lack of scenes these two have had together up until this point of Season 2. One of the very few that come to mind is the imaginary kiss they shared a few episodes back. While it warmed my heart temporarily, it just increased my hunger in the long run.

I’ve held my breath for this reunion for so long, I was starting to get dizzy. The cliffhanger at the end of the last episode honestly nearly killed me. 

But truth be told, their interactions this week come damn close to making up for it.

I know, there is no romance in the air for these two. It wasn’t what I hoped to see at all. Instead, we get rich amounts of tension with Garret looking deep into Gwynn’s eyes with complete and unadulterated hatred. 

Jake Stormoen puts his best foot forward, making me believe that Garret truly despises Gwynn to her core. It breaks my heart, to say the least. 

Imogen Waterhouse’s portrayal of the confused and hurt Gwynn is spot-on, as she battles the love in her heart for the man who is sitting before her. And then, of course, Garret goes for the jugular when he spells out for her why she is such an unworthy queen.

Sad to say, he has a point. 

Gwynn has acted selflessly time and time again throughout Season 2.  Always putting The Outpost first even when it meant her going last — or not at all. She has shown what it means to be a righteous queen in nearly every aspect — until she doesn’t.

Running off with the man she believed dead wasn’t just stupid, it was also a slap in the face to everyone she rules over. 

I’m sure at that moment Gwynn was overrun with emotion. How couldn’t she have been? I know I was, but royalty can’t be ruled by their emotions or else a bad day could result in an overabundance of beheadings. 

So Garret isn’t wrong by calling her out like this. It is probably the smartest thing he does the entire episode. You can see it in Gwynn’s face that she doesn’t disagree with the assessment either.

I do feel bad for her though. No one wants to hear that they made a wrong decision, especially when it comes from the one you love most. Normally that might soften the blow a bit, but not when the words are dripping with hatred.

After all the seething words delivered to Gwynn, she still refuses to turn her back on him. Repeatedly during the rescue scenes, Talon appears to be preparing to behead the once-great Garret Spears, but Gwynn speaks up in defense of the troubled man. 

Garret: Admit your falsehood!

It is unclear if Talon is considering doing the dirty deed or not. A warrior is a warrior, and acting on instinct is sometimes all they have. Even if Talon isn’t ever fully convinced that offing him is the best answer, it is still a nice touch to see Gwynn cry out for the man she cares so deeply for. 

While writing this I’m sitting here wondering, who is the real victim here. Both Gwynn and Garret seem to fit the mark, but Talon also kind of fits the equation as well.

Garret is under no control of his own. He has been brainwashed and given pills to feed his delusions.

Yet it is really hard to feel bad for him at this point. His deeds only seem noble in his mind, and his actions have us praying against him.

Gwynn is the queen. It is easy to say, heavy is the head that wears the crown — especially in these circumstances. However, this is what royalty has to do. They are there to make the decisions that no one wants to. 

Talon may be the one who fits the description of being the victim best — although she would never admit it.  Talon is the one caught up between her two friends, stuck between a rock and a hard place.

How suiting that these three are ultimately up against The Three. 

Each set of these three appears to be different individuals — with similar goals acting as one. 

Okay, well Garret isn’t exactly acting to his friend’s best interest. It only makes sense that he was chosen to be the one to go up against them in the first place.

It is amazing how everything is clicking into place as this season unfolds before us. Ideas have been well-thought-out, and nothing appears to have been wasted. A few morals are being sprinkled along the way to make this a very well rounded adventure.  

As for teachable moments this time around, there doesn’t seem to be any overarching themes spelled out before us. With that being said, this episode does show us that blind faith isn’t always the best kind of faith to have. 

Blind faith is what leads Gwynn into the arms of Garret in the first place. If she had taken the time to assess the situation properly and not acted on the idea that her friend is ultimately trustworthy, much of this heartache could have been avoided. 

Sure, blind faith works some of the time. We don’t call our job ahead of time to make sure the building didn’t burn down in our absence, we just drive there knowing it hasn’t. But blind faith in man has proven to be wrong time and time again, starting back in the Garden of Eden. 

It looked just like any normal apple after all.

What did you think of this episode of The Outpost? What was the most intense part of the episode? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

Critic Rating:

User Rating:

 

The Outpost airs on Thursdays at 8/7c on The CW.

 Follow us on Twitter and on Instagram!

Want more from Tell-Tale TV? Subscribe to our newsletter here!

Jake Stormoen Discusses ‘The Outpost,’ Shipping, and More [Exclusive Interview]