The Outpost Review: The Only Way (Season 2 Episode 10)

The beauty in The Outpost Season 2 Episode 10 “The Only Way,” is how it manages to bring so many things full circle with Season 1. The intricacies have been laid out right under our noses, and it all becomes clear in this episode.

Wow, where do I start? Garret? Talon? Nope, I think I have to go with the Plaguelings. 

In Season 1, the Plaguelings were introduced as the most important problem for The Outpost. No one knew where they were coming from, what caused them, or even how to get rid of them. Obviously, on Season 2 all of this has changed.

This season has made the Plaguelings more of an overarching backstory. They give lovable Janzo something to do when not snuggling up to Naya or the annoyed Talon. This in and of itself is fine because the show seems to have bigger and better places to go.

Or maybe not. You see, we are so focused on these creatures as being the enemy, we refuse to ponder that they could be a solution.

Leave it to Gwynn’s questionable advisor to come up with an answer to The Outpost’s lack of an army. Since our main characters are at their core good, it makes sense that The Mistress would dip her hands in the gray areas — thinking outside the lines of morality. 

The whole time I’m watching everything unfold I keep thinking, my enemy’s enemy is my friend. This seems to be sort of a theme for the episode, but more on that later.

Even better is the fact that Lord Milus’ army is patiently waiting to be the guinea pigs. This way when The Outpost goes up against The Prime Order, they aren’t just standing there with their fingers crossed.

The last thing anyone wants to do is go into battle unsure of the outcome. A defeatist mentality has never won any wars to the best of my knowledge. 

I’ll admit, using these creatures as weapons doesn’t appear to be the noblest of actions on the surface. As one of the characters points out though, it shows the queen is doing everything she can for her people. 

A pat on the back goes to the writers for having The Mistress being bitten on the ankle, making this already dramatic turn of events into something personal. Not just personal for us, but Janzo as well.

Now the clock has sped up for finding a cure for this epidemic. A character with this much significance hasn’t been infected since around the same time last season. Once again, tying it back into Season 1 when Garret was attacked. 

I’m also relieved that Janzo has already found the beginnings of a cure before any of this has happened. I hate when nothing is accomplished until it has to be — it makes everything feel so coincidental and lazy.

Moving on from the interesting twist on the Plagueling epidemic, it is time we focus on Captain Garret Spears.

Everyone take a collective sigh. I know you are holding your breath just like I am. Garret, the expert swordsman, prepares to butcher Gwynn in her sleep.

The sword is lifted high in the air, ready to make the ultimate blow to The Outpost. It’s coming…It’s coming…

Yes! Saved by a flashback. Take that Arrow.

Of course, this is where Garret’s storyline ties in with Season 1. He remembers happier times alongside Gwynn, as he fights for her and kisses her. I’ll admit my heart goes pitter-patter at this scene. 

They are playing with my emotions when Garret once again raises his sword — fighting against the memories he was told were a lie. Garret is beyond confused at this point. He is swirling in every direction, unable to make head nor tails of it all, but he is insistent on finishing his bloodthirsty mission. 

Garret: What have I done?

I want to yell at the screen so badly. You idiot, you idiot, you idiot! Alas, my wife is sleeping so I suffer in silence.

The part of this scene that doesn’t work for me is Garret’s decision to go to the next room, where he instantly finds a picture similar to the one he saw at The Capitol. 

Sure, Garret has been in Gwynn’s room before plenty of times, but it seems too convenient. He finds exactly what he needs at the exact moment he needs it. 

No need to nitpick this too much though. After all, what takes place because of this precious painting more than justifies the means.   

The painting, in this case, is the enemy. It was used to ultimately switch Garret over to the dark side in the first place, and now this similar painting causes the opposite reaction.

Thus further proving my earlier point of the theme, my enemy’s enemy is my friend. 

Everything is so powerful in these moments. The love, regret, and remorse make your insides lurch for these two characters. Their history together is so rich, it hurts the viewer’s heart to know that their relationship will never be the same.

How could it be? Everything is tainted.

Every smile will now have a tinge of venom in it. No amount of apologies can fix the problem.

Lastly, we focus on Talon and Zed.

Zed, Zed, Zed. You are downright despicable. 

The minute I saw you canoodling with Talon, I knew things were going to go awry. This is the only reason I could even stomach the scene. I was plotting your demise the whole time. 

Talon knows for a fact with great power comes great responsibility. She learned this in Season 1 when she let her creature run amok in The Outpost, killing innocent people and the like. 

Her regret has taught her to live a different lifestyle than she once did. Zed learned a different lesson.

It is so apropos that when the series began Talon was unsure who to trust among the humans because of what they did to her kin. Her quest was to find the one who killed her fellow Blackbloods and then fade back into obscurity. 

Now instead, Talon sides with the humans over her shady companion. 

She has grown to love her friends and sees them as her true family. She knows that they care for her — and she shares that love with them. Other Blackbloods have gone out of their way to do just the opposite.

These Blackbloods have become a sort of enemy to Talon, showing they ultimately only care for themselves — the very thing she once believed about humans. 

Oh my gosh, this is all so perfect. Like I said earlier, everything and everyone is coming full circle. It is hard to believe they could do this so expertly in a show that doesn’t even have full-length seasons. 

Shows that have more than double the amount of episodes have failed to tie things together so neatly. The best part is that the majority of it we didn’t even see coming. 

I feel sideswiped by all of this — but in a good way. Like the wife whos husband shows up five minutes late, only to bring her a bouquet of long-stemmed roses.

Sometimes these kinds of rare moments make the viewer feel a little inadequate. How did we not see that coming? Instead, I feel excited —extremely excited!

The writers aren’t holding off on the goods. They are going all out, giving us everything we want and more. Oftentimes, giving us things we couldn’t even see coming a mile down the road. 

I’m waiting ever so impatiently for Thursday to arrive so I can see what happens next. 

What did you think of this episode of The Outpost? Do you like where the show seems to be headed? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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

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