The Outpost Review: The Hardest Part of Being Queen (Season 3 Episode 11)

Fairweather friends come and go but true friends like Tobin, Garret, Gwynn, and Talon, stick out the fight together.

The Outpost Season 3 Episode 11, “The Hardest Part of Being Queen,” is ultimately a connective piece of the season. While many exciting things happen, the sheer drama of it all is what makes the episode quite entertaining. 

Exciting fight scenes, emotional turmoil between a majority of the cast, and the honest explanation of feelings for one another takes what could have been a mere filler episode into the heights of one of the best episodes of the season.

Drunk Tobin clobbers Garret, Falista’s kinj is revealed, and Talon prepares for a road trip. All beautiful moments in and of themselves, but the theme they create speaks louder.

We all have different kinds of friends in our lives. The friend you catch the latest movie with, the friend that is there to split a burger when you are broke, and even the friend who only pops up after your rival football team scores a touchdown. But then there is the one who calls you up immediately after your grandmother dies.

The friend who calls you in your darkest time with sometimes words and other times silence is the most important one to have. 

After Garret and Falista flex towards each other over who needs to listen to whom, she is escorted towards Gwynn who isn’t quite pleased with the situation. Falista has her own royalty and feels it unnecessary to fall at the feet of Gwynn. She admits without mincing words that she is only doing this to appease her husband. 

Typical Garret Spears throws around some heated words getting Gwynn and himself nearly killed.  

I’m relieved that Falista is revealed as the newest owner of the red kinj. Over the last couple of episodes, it has been difficult to tell if she even knew she owned it.

I was beginning to wonder if anything would come to fruition about the kinj until the next season. Luckily, we don’t have to wait that long.

What Falista does is practically an act of treason. Nearly killing the Queen and her royal commander has the right to be punishable by the cruelest of deaths. Garret’s pulled sword shouts that he is more than willing to act on his Queen’s behalf.

Although not the closest of friends with Falista, Garret, and Gwynn decide to throw her into a cell until they can decide how to handle the situation. 

To be honest, Falista really isn’t much of a friend at all. They only treat her as one out of respect for Tobin. The tension she creates between a majority of the characters is thicker than butter, and her death may actually be more of a relief to them than keeping her within The Outpost’s walls.

Her acts, even if uncontrolled, are deplorable by any means yet their friendship with Tobin guides their hands at just the right moment. The next hardest part is breaking the news to him.

With all that has unfolded lately, Tobin’s drinking problem has reared its ugly head again. Acting with liquid courage, Tobin lashes out at his friend, Garret, in a public spectacle. 

While there isn’t a whole lot at stake here, this fight is quite intense. Tobin swings but Garret dodges repeatedly — only landing his own punches when most vital.

Garret understands why his friend is upset. He doesn’t take the attack personally and tries to defuse his friend’s anger at every turn.

These sorts of acts are what you want to have in a friendship: empathy, sympathy, and understanding. If a person is skilled at putting their own feelings aside at pivotal moments, then keep them around for the long haul. They can be one of the people who can pull you out of the deepest mire, and teach you a lesson while doing so.

Again, Garret has all the right to throw Tobin into a cell right next to his wife but refuses to use his friend’s actions against him.

Later on in the episode, Gwynn and Talon argue over whether or not Talon should visit The Plain of Ashes. 

Talon has a hunch — based on feelings alone — that her father could still be alive. If he is alive, he may be the only one who can lead them to the black kinj — giving The Outpost the upper hand against Yavalla.

All of Talon’s friends feel this is a suicide mission. 

One by one, Zed, Wren, and Gwynn try to convince Talon that this trip into the other realm is a mistake and a total waste of time. With Yavalla’s army of The United headed towards the gates, The Outpost needs Talon’s protection more than ever right now. Her friends all but beg her to stay. 

True friends learn to live with our bullheadedness. They know when to push ahead, and when to stand aside. They see our true motives and act accordingly. 

Gwynn: Why does it always feel as if you are going off to die somewhere?

Although Gwynn is scared of the outcome, she eventually gives Talon her blessing knowing that Talon’s desire to protect her friends trumps the risks. 

Shortly afterward, Gwynn approaches the encaged Falista to talk through the kinj situation with her. This is a brave act on Gwynn’s behalf, possibly taking initiative and courage from Talon’s actions and desires. Going it alone into the lion’s den shows as much confidence in yourself as it does the other person.

A scared but honest Falista opens up to Gwynn about everything that is unfolding. In a moment of clarity, Falista decides that Gwynn should be the rightful owner of the red kinj.

The desperation in Falista’s voice, and tears in her eyes, are enough to convince Gwynn — and me as well — to take the red kinj. After all, a righteous leader will know the best way to use this kind of power. 

Although Gwynn refuses the gift, this opens her eyes to who Falista is. 

On the surface, Falista appears to be a power-hungry diva, but underneath she is a frightened child. She doesn’t know what is going on inside of her and wants free from this dangerous kinj at any cost. 

Gwynn sees all of this before her and decides to set Falista free. 

This act of trust can ultimately build their complicated relationship into an unbreakable bond. For the first time, Gwynn and Falista see each other at their cores. There is a purity in both of them that can be hidden under mistakes and secrets, but now that it has been revealed, the two will always see it in each other

A true friend sees past the outer casing we wear — the disguise we put on to fool the world into believing we aren’t vulnerable. 

Once Falista is free from her prison, she goes to Tobin revealing all that she has learned about herself and Gwynn. As she approaches him, she recoils in fear.

Falista understands she has no control over the red kinj and doesn’t want to hurt her husband in any way. This fear nearly causes her to run screaming from the room and far away from The Outpost altogether, but Tobin won’t allow it.

Tobin takes her hand and comforts her weary soul. He also sees beyond the skin-deep surface and knows Falista’s heart. 

Their childhood friendship has stood the test of time, and they know who each other were before the world told them who to be. 

A true friend knows your past, and what has shaped you into who you currently are. They have seen your hardships and the situations that have given you the most scars. 

When time seems at its bleakest, a true friend will remind you how far you have come and not allow you to flounder. 

Gwynn, Garret, Tobin, and the others, all know what makes a true friendship — riding out the storm together. 

Together we share the blood, sweat, and tears of life, taking turns holding each other up in the gale wind. The world may try to knock us down, but the strongest of relationships will pick us back up and set us back on the path of righteousness.  

What did you think of this episode of The Outpost? Will Falista learn to use her powers in time to take on The United? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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The Outpost airs Sunday at 9/8c on The CW.

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