A small warning:
This comment contains spoilers. I usually try to write my comments without spoilers, but here it is simply necessary to explain why I didn't like "The Outsider".
"The Outsider" arouses a great deal of interest in the viewer with its great and nerve-wracking premise, only to then become more boring than watching water boil. At a certain point, the series is just a torment - everything drags on extremely long and no questions are answered.
And it's not just the story that gets pretty boring at some point, but also certain characters.
For example, "El Cuco" is probably the most boring and stupid monster I've ever seen. It makes no sense why his gimmick worked for so long.
Another wasted character is Holly - much more could have been done with her all-knowing super brain. Her genius, who usually solves all cases relatively quickly, but now comes across a case that is incomprehensible to her, could have been played out much better.
The biggest criticism, in my opinion, is the fact that the series desperately tries to be a mystery series, but just doesn't manage to do it.
A good mystery is characterized by the fact that it raises many questions and answers them step by step with the story.
Many questions are raised here, but many simply remain unanswered.
1. Why was Terry so calm?
I get that people react in different ways to certain situations, but Terry was oddly calm for a man that was accused of brutally murdering a child - wouldn't everybody lose their mind over this?!
2. Why did El Cuco didn't contact the detectives directly?
He had the opportunity to contact Ralph, Holly, Alec, Howard, Andy, Yunis, hell even Glory would've worked. But instead he contacted Jenna - a little Girl that of course nobody would believe first, Tamika - a police officer that isn't involved in the case at all, and Jeannie - the wife of a police officer that can actually make decisions, instead of just the police officer directly. If El Cuco would've pay Ralph a few visits, he for sure would've taken the whole thing more serious.
3. To come back to the visits - how the hell did El Cuco manage to even get in the houses in the first place?
The show makes it clear many times that he is something supernatural, but that it still had a physical manifestation. The show never mentions or shows any special ability that he had, that would allow him to enter a house without leaving any kind of signs of burglary.
4. What exactly the purpose of all this furniture Jack brought El Cuco?
For what did El Cuco need all this stuff? I can't make sense out of it.
5. Why did Tracey let himself kill by the police?
I get that he suffered, because he was still effected by being "infected" by El Cuco, but why go all the way to threaten an innocent man, by pointing a gun to his head and get the whole police department there, just to die? Why not just shoot yourself?
6. Why would they not check for any scratches on the body of Sam and his Grandfather?
They even asked both of them if they have been scratched, but they don't bother to take a look at their arms at least?!?
7. What was the point of bringing up another child Murder in another state at the end?
Was this just to show that there are more than one El Cuco, because it couldn't be the one who they are chasing right now?
8. Why was Jack so amused, while shooting them?
Was it just because he was going "insane"? It that was the case, it was pretty easy to bring him to come to his senses, just by Holly shouting at him...
9. So what is with María and Heath now?
They made an effort to clear Terry's name, but what about María that is still rotting in jail? Or Heath - he doesn't have any family left, but in the eyes of the people he is still a child murderer...
At least the acting was OK, the music was atmospheric and the camera was used quite well. All of this makes the series somewhat bearable.
"The Outsider" arouses a great deal of interest in the viewer with its great and nerve-wracking premise, only to then become more boring than watching water boil. At a certain point, the series is just a torment - everything drags on extremely long and no questions are answered.
And it's not just the story that gets pretty boring at some point, but also certain characters.
For example, "El Cuco" is probably the most boring and stupid monster I've ever seen. It makes no sense why his gimmick worked for so long.
Another wasted character is Holly - much more could have been done with her all-knowing super brain. Her genius, who usually solves all cases relatively quickly, but now comes across a case that is incomprehensible to her, could have been played out much better.
The biggest criticism, in my opinion, is the fact that the series desperately tries to be a mystery series, but just doesn't manage to do it.
A good mystery is characterized by the fact that it raises many questions and answers them step by step with the story.
Many questions are raised here, but many simply remain unanswered.
1. Why was Terry so calm?
I get that people react in different ways to certain situations, but Terry was oddly calm for a man that was accused of brutally murdering a child - wouldn't everybody lose their mind over this?!
2. Why did El Cuco didn't contact the detectives directly?
He had the opportunity to contact Ralph, Holly, Alec, Howard, Andy, Yunis, hell even Glory would've worked. But instead he contacted Jenna - a little Girl that of course nobody would believe first, Tamika - a police officer that isn't involved in the case at all, and Jeannie - the wife of a police officer that can actually make decisions, instead of just the police officer directly. If El Cuco would've pay Ralph a few visits, he for sure would've taken the whole thing more serious.
3. To come back to the visits - how the hell did El Cuco manage to even get in the houses in the first place?
The show makes it clear many times that he is something supernatural, but that it still had a physical manifestation. The show never mentions or shows any special ability that he had, that would allow him to enter a house without leaving any kind of signs of burglary.
4. What exactly the purpose of all this furniture Jack brought El Cuco?
For what did El Cuco need all this stuff? I can't make sense out of it.
5. Why did Tracey let himself kill by the police?
I get that he suffered, because he was still effected by being "infected" by El Cuco, but why go all the way to threaten an innocent man, by pointing a gun to his head and get the whole police department there, just to die? Why not just shoot yourself?
6. Why would they not check for any scratches on the body of Sam and his Grandfather?
They even asked both of them if they have been scratched, but they don't bother to take a look at their arms at least?!?
7. What was the point of bringing up another child Murder in another state at the end?
Was this just to show that there are more than one El Cuco, because it couldn't be the one who they are chasing right now?
8. Why was Jack so amused, while shooting them?
Was it just because he was going "insane"? It that was the case, it was pretty easy to bring him to come to his senses, just by Holly shouting at him...
9. So what is with María and Heath now?
They made an effort to clear Terry's name, but what about María that is still rotting in jail? Or Heath - he doesn't have any family left, but in the eyes of the people he is still a child murderer...
At least the acting was OK, the music was atmospheric and the camera was used quite well. All of this makes the series somewhat bearable.