The Outpost Review: The Price of Immortality (Season 4 Episode 9)

Our choices become the path we choose. In the end, this path becomes a purpose, but it isn’t always the one we originally intended.

The Outpost Season 4 Episode 9, “The Price of Immortality,” gives us several glimpses into how life changes over time. Many characters set out to meet a certain objective throughout the series, and that goal evolves. Sometimes this can look like a failure, but in all honesty, it is just the way of life.

The Cavi are a prime example of this.

313 and his people only know life as servants. They hear the voices of the Masters, and they do their bidding. It is fairly straightforward and keeps their lives simple.

Think about it, if you have no choice in the matter, then there is no remorse. How can you feel regret for something you didn’t decide? It is a great excuse to be swayed to and fro throughout your life leaving you with no responsibilities of your own.

But the reality is that blindly following someone else just because they are more powerful is also a choice. It is a weak decision for someone who fails to see the power in their own actions.

They have always made my decisions for me. That is just how our relationship works.

No one has the right to constantly lead someone else around making every decision for them. Like Janzo has repeatedly said, this has made the Cavi slaves.

Luckily, Janzo seeks to remedy 313’s docile state by giving him a simple choice. Will he eat soup or porridge? There is no wrong answer here, so it is a great place to start. 

It turns out this little experiment proves to work too well, causing 313 to strike out on a major decision of his own. Is the choice a selfish one? Yes, quite possible.

But the damage is done and now they have only one path before them. It could quite possibly be a path of consequences.

How they maneuver these consequences will prove to be another task altogether, but at least now they have a purpose.

The gods are another example of this. More precisely, Aster.

Aster is the one they call the betrayer. A supposed god who was able to see good in the Blackbloods despite his comrades’ hatred for them. It is unclear why he chooses love instead of hatred, but this choice causes a major backlash.

Aster sees how the others treat the Blackbloods, with contempt and disdain. This somehow creates a soft spot in Aster’s heart.

What if these weaker people aren’t actually below them? What if they could create a community together instead?

These may be just a few questions that are rolling through Aster’s head, and they cause him to make a decision. He chooses to defend the Blackbloods rather than rule over them.

He chooses to see them as separate people, not lower beings. 

The other gods feel it is their purpose to control anyone who stands in their way — destroying any obstacle that dare defies them. Aster, however, learns to accept the obstacles as a way of life using them as a guide.

When he sees one of the other gods acting against someone he has grown extremely fond of, Aster wastes no time defending them. He chooses what he thinks is right — no matter the consequences. 

Talon: If killing babies means nothing to them, then killing anything and anyone is nothing to them. 

His choices are in no way selfish, but he still has to pay the repercussions. Please realize that if you have to pay the toll, make sure your decisions are worth the price of admission.

Talon is learning this lesson the hard way.

Although being constantly pestered by Zed, Talon refused to bring the Blackbloods out of the Plane of Ashes until she was ready. I believe she did this out of fear. The truth is that no time will ever be perfect to do what needs to be done, and timing is no excuse to be indecisive. 

With the near extinction of her people, Talon feels nothing but guilt. There was no real reason to deny the Blackblood’s their freedom. 

Now Talon lives in a constant state of remorse, second-guessing her every decision and purpose.

The consequences have even put her relationship with Garret in peril. Is she continuing to let her people down by coupling with a human? Is it her duty to mate with other Blackbloods?

To anyone on the outside, the obvious answer is no, but Talon is conflicted by her wrong decisions of the past.

Her choices led her down an unclear path, which makes Talon doubt her ultimate purpose. What is she if she isn’t the savior of her people? She has lost her moral compass.

Nedra also feels directionless.

Nedra has no clue what to do with herself after the death of her people. She has no wars to fight and no battles to win. So she forces her anger onto Zed.

In Nedra’s eyes, Zed is the one who is to blame for not freeing her people. She doesn’t understand that it wasn’t his choice to keep the Blackbloods imprisoned in the Plane of Ashes. 

Her choice to remain angry at Zed keeps her from finding any objective.

As a warrior, it was her purpose to protect her people. If one of the only few Blackbloods left living is her enemy, how is she supposed to respond? 

Like Talon, this makes Nedra indecisive, living in a perpetual cycle of questions without answers. 

Munt seems to be the one who does the most to prove that choice and purpose go hand-in-hand.

With such mighty warriors on their way to kill one of the gods, Munt may not be of major use in the battle ahead of them. Still, he chooses to join the fight in honor of his king. 

He already knows his purpose and forms his decisions around it. Seeing this is quite powerful.

Munt is often played off as a simple-minded character who is confused by certain interactions. There is no doubt though that Munt knows right from wrong. 

He knows it is right to defend the king’s name, and he acts accordingly. There is no uncertainty in his mind about what he needs to do.

His consequences could be death, but Munt is prepared to face that sacrifice for justice.

He doesn’t let anything sway him from what he resolves to do, and I feel the other characters can learn from his actions. 

Making the right decisions can lead us down the right path — giving purpose to our lives. Knowing our purpose, in turn, helps us make the correct decisions. 

This episode creates an excellent illustration of what all this means giving us magnificent examples of how we can choose to live our lives. 

Whether with or without purpose. Decisive or indecisive.

The choices are all yours. Do with them what you will.

What did you think of this episode of The Outpost? What price will the Outpost pay for 313’s decision? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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

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