The following review features minor spoilers for the finale of Outcast‘s season 1 finale. If you’re not caught up, maybe do so before continuing. You’ve been warned!

Any time you are watching a television show or a movie, and you realize you haven’t taken a breath in quite awhile, that’s a pretty good sign the creators have done something right. Well I caught myself not breathing over and over again during Outcast‘s superb season one finale, a tremendous, tense closing episode to a great first season.

The awful death of Mark last week gave the show a greater sense of doom (on a show that already lives and thrives on it), and I was prepared for almost anyone to be greatly harmed or killed during this finale, which is exactly what you want from a horror story.

But it also gave the show much more pathos, as the horrible situation the characters found themselves in (including the traumatized little girls, both played wonderfully by the two young actresses) gave all of the suspense and terror a heartbreaking and emotional base. When I wasn’t terrified of what was coming next I was crushed by empathy and sadness for the people in it. What makes this show so entertaining is the expertly crafted story and the constant suspense, but what makes all of that matter, and as a result what makes the show great, is that we know who these characters are and care about them.

There wasn’t much in the way of closure here in the traditional sense, but it did feel like the story of season one found a natural ending. Kyle knows that while he is the “outcast” (for whatever that means), he is not the only one with his “superpower,” as his daughter also has the ability (which means she too is a beacon for the demons, putting her and the people around her in the same constant danger as her father). Reverend Anderson finally (finally) realized he can’t fight this battle alone, but also decided his old tools of faith weren’t working, instead turning to a crowbar and some gasoline. Chief Giles also now knows that turning a blind eye isn’t possible, partly because the Ogdens won’t let him do it, but especially because someone he cared about is now dead.

But like any great season finale, the seeds for the next installment in the story were laid. Kyle might have thought there would be freedom in escaping Rome, but as he and his daughter learned at that gas station, the problem is greater and wider than they could have realized, and they remain that “little light” in the darkness. You can’t run from the problem when you are the problem.

Anderson, in his quest to kill Sidney, attempted to do so even at the cost of a soul he would have tried to save before, but instead (presumably) killed Patricia’s son, the kind of mistake we know will torture him and make him question how he can truly serve god, and even if he can serve god. That might have been the worst kid ever, but he was also a broken, scared kid, and he didn’t deserve that, and Anderson’s lack of faith in his lord killed him.

Beyond even next season though a major piece of the larger story was put in place, when Sidney told Kyle that him and his fellow demons/possessors/beings “can’t stay” where they are from. And where are they from? The “same place” as Kyle.

You don’t get labeled the “outcast” without being being cast out of some place, so if Kyle comes from the same place as these evil-ish beings, what does that mean for him? For his daughter? Is he a potential savior, or the potential big bad?

Outcast‘s first season was wonderfully written, beautifully shot, superbly acted, and suspenseful as hell (literally at points). And it did it all while weaving a compelling mystery and making us care about the people trapped inside of it.

For viewers that find Outcast before the start of the next season, this is probably not going to be the easiest show for them to binge, seeing as how draining each episode was from being relentless in the suspense, but I wish season two was starting right now.

What did you think of season one? What are you most looking forward to going forward? Don’t be afraid to tell us in the comments below.

The cast and crew of Outcast spill some beans!

Images: Cinemax