Whether they’re set in space or they incorporate steampunk elements, sci-fi westerns arguably peaked with a show called Outer Range (2022–2024), created by Brian Watkins for Prime Video. Blending subgenres with neo-westerns, Outer Range is perhaps the most unsung TV show that the world of horses and gunslinging have ever had to offer.
Outer Range revolves around Royal, a Wyoming rancher and the Abbott family patriarch who discovers a mysterious void on the outskirts of his land. Chaos unfolds after that intriguing inciting incident, and viewers will be attached to each of the show’s well-written characters who traverse the wilderness on horseback.
What is Outer Range?
Strange things occur around every corner of the Abbott family estate, with the pilot episode truly kicking off when Royal’s approached by Autumn, a mysterious woman who’s played by Imogen Poots. Great intrigue comes in tandem with her insurgence, while Outer Range offers conflict by revealing the Tillerson family.
They inform Royal and his sons that part of the Abbott’s land spills over onto theirs, and the Tillersons then give them a time frame to relocate their fences before lawyers get involved. Quite the dilemma, and all of this goes down while the Abbotts deal with the disappearance of Perry’s wife, Rebecca.
It’s an involved plot, with the true inciting incident materializing just before the midpoint of its intriguing and ingenious pilot. After receiving news that his land is in limbo regarding his family’s ownership, Royal discovers on the west end of his pasture a vast void in the ground, a seemingly bottomless hole that grants the protagonist prophetic visions after he sticks his hand inside.
Why Outer Range is so great
Replete with gorgeous visuals, tantalizing plot points and brilliant performances from a star-studded cast, Outer Range proves a masterclass of storytelling in both of its venerated seasons. Cliffhangers and plot twists aside, every episode excels due to an understanding of subtext. What’s more, Outer Range takes its fair share of risks, rarely adhering to conventions of the genres it encompasses.
It’s a bit weird, replete with unexpected moments and some off-the-wall exchanges of fully committed dialogue. But this unique style renders Outer Range all the more memorable—several scenes should stick with the audience, and not just for the ongoing quirks of its many memorable characters.
Rooted in thrills and mystery, Outer Range runs the perfect gamut of emotion when accounting for the elements of comedy and romance, along with consistently poignant moments that would make a viewer think they’ve traveled to Shakespeare’s time.
Cultural allusions reveal hard-hitting themes from the narrative’s opening sequence, particularly with the constant emphasis on Greek mythology, referencing the likes of Cronos within well-written lines of dialogue.
Music also plays an essential, ongoing role, what with Billy Tillerson often breaking out into song for a wave of comedic relief or with other characters even singing Zeppelin songs like “Stairway to Heaven” as a seamless means of foreshadowing.
Gorgeous visuals, a gripping plot that’s reminiscent of mystery novels, heartfelt efforts from a generational cast—this series excels on every level of storytelling, but the primary takeaway is rooted in its risk-taking, whether it be the inclusion of plot points that are borderline incomprehensible or the random black-and-white sequences that diversify the visuals.
Sounds great and all, but the series ended after a mere two seasons despite widespread praise from critics. Praise that somehow snowballed with the show's second season, resulting in a sudden cancellation for what seemed to be a hit.
Outer Range was canceled after two seasons
Each of the eight episodes of season 1 came out in 2022, receiving acclaim from critics for its bold and stylistic storytelling. Season 2 was released in 2024. Again, this second iteration of Outer Range was even more acclaimed, making its cancellation by Amazon Prime rather surprising to fans.
Whether another network would pick it up was a hope that fans held onto for at least a couple of months after Prime decided to cancel this now beloved series. Their pleas were heard to no avail, but make no mistake: Outer Range remains beloved by viewers around the world, and that will be the case for many decades to come.