This is the premiere of the fantasy series airing on the CW from executive producer, Dean Devlin, who wrote the Stargate (1994) film, and Jonathan Glassner who co-created Stargate SG-1. In a dark bar, Talon (Jessica Green), is about to bring a drunk patron his drink. She questions him as solders of the Prime Order enter to attack the patrons. Talon takes down a soldier and leaves the man hiding under a table. She fights with other armored soldiers. Talon wants the name from the man and he says he will give it to her if she can get him out. They all escape into the misty night. He knows a name, Toru Magmoor, headed for Gallwood Outpost.
The man is killed by crossbow bolt and Talon continues toward Greyskin territory. The massive Greyskin, a troll-like figure with no nose, attacks, but Talon kills it. Talon, except smudges at the edge of her face, has the power to have perfect make-up. We flashback 13 years to a village, children are playing in a forest, and see a grazing, horned beast, a Remmick. The young girl, Talon (Bella Padden) with elf-ears walks up to it, but it is struck by an arrow from hunters. I do like the Blackblood language. Talon rushes at the archer and beats him up, but gets a bloody nose, black blood. Her mother explains that the humans hate them.
Night, some soldiers appear with torches. A man on a white horse (Philip Brodie), I’m assuming he is the leader, Everit Dred, appears wanting them to kill the Blackbloods. Talon is sleeping and she hears a dog barking and then it is killed. Her brother looks at the slaughter of the Blackbloods. An elder pleads with Talon’s mother to call them. An arrow buries in her back as she almost opened a portal, her magic flows into her. A man (Richard Ashton) raises an axe to kill her, but Talon’s mother slashes at his leg so Talon can escape. The reason behind Dred wanting to wipe out Blackbloods is left hanging. Could they be the key to bringing back the world to the way it was with magic?
An archer is about to loose an arrow at Talon, but the portal appears and the arrow sinks into the hand of some creature. The archer tells the other that the child is dead. Morning, Talon sees her people dead, her mother and brother, she takes her mother’s dagger. This is a standard opening for swords & sorcery stories like Conan. Across the plains, the young Talon walks, on a muddy road a farmer boy drops a vegetable. The mother takes in Talon. The farmer watches the child. Night, Talon sketches the farm’s children. Morning, she overhears the farmer arguing with his wife about her ears. She puts the dagger to her ear!
THE OUTPOST - - “One is the Loneliest Number” - - JESSICA GREEN -- Photo: NBCU International -- © Outpost TV LLC. Courtesy of Electric Entertainment.
Then, we flash forward to see Talon with her ears sliced to a human shape. She wanders snowy cliffs until finally reaching the Outpost and taking off her hood. Night, she wanders through the mist, and sees a man covered in sores. He vomits out some fanged creature! She stabs one, but is overwhelmed by two more of the creatures. They are taken out by arrows that strike their mouths. A rider (Jake Stormoen) with a crossbow explains that their mouths are their weak points. I recognize Stormoen from the Mythica film series where he played Dagen, the half-elf thief. He tells Talon that they are Plaguelings. The bearded soldier takes Talon on his horse. The soldiers on the wall loose arrows at the Plaguelings that shamble behind them.
The others are taken down by the rider, Talon, and another soldier. He orders the gate to be opened and once inside introduces himself as Captain Garret Spears. It reminds me of the strongholds that are surrounded by zombies in Walking Dead. She gives him her name. Talon says she is there to work as a barmaid. He says the only reason to go to the Outpost is to run away from something. Garret takes her to Marshall Whythers (Andrew Howard) who orders a prisoner to be taken away. He agrees to let her stay, but threatens Talon is she causes trouble. Garret takes Talon to the Nightshade Inn and mentions that his father is General Calkussar. He says the mining ore below is given to the Prime Orders and also that the camp fires outside belong to Greyskins.
THE OUTPOST - - “One is the Loneliest Number” - - JAKE STORMOEN -- Photo: NBCU International -- © Outpost TV LLC. Courtesy of Electric Entertainment.
Talon thanks Garret for saving her life. She walks in the night streets of the Outpost and reaches the Nightshade Inn. A man outside tells her, “No blades!” and she hands over her weapon. At a table, a lady, Gwynn (Imogen Waterhouse) is collecting her winnings from a gambling table. Talon asks for a room and the owner gives her one. An older man in a hood watches her. A young man (Anand Desai-Barochia) walks away from her to concoct a drink. She drinks it, an energy drink?, and says he has a gift, he says his name is Janzo. A bearded man (Richard Ashton) in red armor, the one who lifted the axe on Talon as a child, enters.
Talon walks to her room and she takes down the person following her, the lady. She explains that Magmor works for the Covenant. Talon goes out of her room to take on Magmor with Gwynn following her. She takes Gwynn back and Garret kisses her. Love triangle. Talon of course confronts Magmor, but the fight ends up bloody and unexpected. I’ve seen tons of b-movie swords & sorcery, the creators, Jason Faller and Kynan Griffin, who wrote the episode, and worked on the Mythica films directed by Anne K. Black. The production values here are fine, it has potential with possibly a world that could be post-apocalyptic as a twist, and the series features a warrior woman who has a mysterious power.
Four Daggers out of Five!
#TheOutpost, #OneistheLoneliestNumber, #JessicaGreen, #JakeStromoen
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