The Outpost, “Two Heads are Better than None”, Review!

We were introduced in the premiere to Talon, who was just a child when her people, the Blackbloods, were eliminated by the soldiers that raided her village.  She took refuge with a farming family and cut off her curved ears.  Now, as a young adult, Talon plans her revenge on the mercenaries who killed her people.  She is saved by Captain Garret Spears.  This episode starts with Marshall Wythers testing blood on a sword.  He is interrogating the survivor of the attack.  Wythers takes the man’s sword and sends off the warrior.  He points out the unusual blood and a mute soldier, Danno (Charan Prabhakar) signs that it was a Blackblood, but the Marshall thinks that he says it was a demon.  Wythers wants to find out what happened.  He is our antagonist troubling our hero.   

Day, Talon is asleep from her wounds, she is awakened by The Smith (Kevin McNally) who has sewn her wounds, and gets him in a choke hold.  McNally played Gibbs, Sparrow's first mate in the Pirates of the Caribbean films!  He says her black blood is precious.  Talon passes out.  I imagine it is her blood that enables her to open the portal for the demon that saved her when she was a child.  Later, she wakens with a bandage around her middle, and he tells her that Magmor is dead.  The blacksmith mentions the Blackblood Prophecy, a “Blackblood will awaken the Slayers of Men”, he gives her scroll of paper from her people.  She stubbornly goes to put on her jacket to leave, but thanks him.  I like McNally as the mentor.  

"Two Heads are Better than None" -- Photo: NBCU International -- © Outpost TV LLC. Courtesy of Electric Entertainment

Gwynn gestures for Garret to kiss her excited that Magmor is dead.  He suspects it’s Talon and then is called to meet with General Calkussar (Michael Flynn) who asks him about who killed Magmor.  The Greyskins are retreating and the two work out asking for money from the Prime Order.  He warns Garrett about touching his daughter.  A military camp, Captain Garret arrives with a weapons supply, a soldier, Kell (Thor Knai) takes a drop of green liquid to sniff as a drug.  Garret asks about the Plagueling outbreaks and gives a message.  Talon jumps down a chimney and then sees the brewer Janzo.  Wythers ponders the bloody writing and sends off a message to Everit Dred. The leader, Dred, is so far looming in the background, but we know Talon has to face him. 

Janzo takes Talon to her room.  He knows about her Blackblood and offers to clean the wounds.  Janzo taps a white powder on the wound and then leaves.  The owner of the inn, the Mistress (Robyn Malcolm), is brought a box of raw colipsum by a man, which appears to be the drug.  She knows that the price of the drug is dropping, but he is overcharging her.  She sends two men to follow the drug dealer.  The drug element, where does it come from?, is found in sword and sorcery tales, Robert E. Howard’s Conan had a world with the lotus drug.  Talon has visions of the past with the words spoken to summon the demon.  She starts to read the scroll and a blue light appears, a portal, something at her temple glows, and a demon steps out of the portal with an insectoid head.  It approaches and she shouts to go away so it crashes through the window. 

THE OUTPOST - - “Two Heads are Better Than None” - - JAKE STORMOEN, IMOGEN WATERHOUSE - - Photo: NBCU International -- © Outpost TV LLC. Courtesy of Electric Entertainment.

Morning, Talon wakes up to see a hole in the roof and her wound is completely healed.  The soldier questions the Mistress and Janzo’s answers make him run up to Talon’s room, but she slips out of the window.  Talon enters The Smith's house, he asks if she read the scroll and what appeared he identifies as a Lu-Qiri.  He says she can control it, but the demon will kill soon.  The Smith saw a miracle and started learning about Blackbloods.  Talon leaves and meets up with the soldier who has brought more men.  She takes on his soldiers, but is captured by more armored guards.  Captain Garret returns to the Outpost and is told about the arrest of Talon.  Wythers shows Talon the chopping block.  

He cuts her cheek to see her Blackblood.  Garret enters and has time to question Talon and wants to know what is her mission.  Wythers enters, Garret takes his leave, and the marshall is ready to execute her.  Garret meets Gwynn and he wants to talk with her father.  Gwynn runs to save Talon.  Marshal Wythers gives his sentence.  This is an interesting development with the consequences of Talon's action at the Outpost and also the drug that has dangerous consequences.  I imagine that the drug, colipsum, is controlled by the Prime Order and maybe the Blackbloods also interfered with it’s production.  It could be that the Demon feeds on the drug and will wipe out the Plaguelings if unleashed on them. I like that there is something added to the Outpost world with every episode.   

Three Daggers out of Five! 

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