The Outsider Season 2: Everything We Know So Far

 

Based on the Stephen King novel of the same name, ‘The Outsider’ is a horror-crime drama that allows you to step into an eerie world where detective work is effectively blended with supernatural elements.

 

The show presents a chilling tale and has managed to carve its own niche, courtesy of its sincere presentation and storytelling. It weaved a narrative that kept the audiences on the edge of their seats and, therefore, turned out to be a success soon after its debut on HBO in 2020.

 

One of the network’s most-watched new shows in years, it thrived on the performances of adroit screen performers such as Jason Bateman, Ben Mendelsohn, and Cynthia Erivo. Packed with mysteries, ‘The Outsider’ worked well as a traditional cop show and a “good vs. evil” horror drama.

 

It originated as a limited series adaptation of King’s bestseller and steadily went on to build an audience on its parent network during the first season. That said, it is imperative to mention that it also earned its executive producer and director Bateman an Emmy nomination as the guest actor in a drama series category.

 

 

 

Official Announcement of The Outsider Season 2

 

Let’s just start by letting the cat out of the bag: HBO has opted not to proceed with a second season, even though it seemed like they were planning to go ahead with it at the beginning of 2020.

 

Needless to say, MRC, the studio behind the drama series adaptation of Stephen King’s novel, decided to find new takers for the same. The search for a new home at another premium network or streaming service should have worked by now for many of them are usually open to debuting shows that already seem to have a loyal audience.

 

What works for the project is the fact that several hints regarding its return have been dropped in the past couple of years. However, why it still hasn’t returned with a new season continues to be a mystery; especially because the team was thought to be building toward a second season.

 

Not only that but author Stephen King also went on to state that the show would return with a fresh season during an interview with Entertainment Weekly. Matter of fact, it was once reported that Netflix could be the frontrunner in picking it up for a second season.

 

Unfortunately, it hasn’t happened and the odds now seem to be stacked against ‘The Outsider’, for it’s been over three years since its first season premiered on HBO. Rumours are rife that one reason why the second season is yet to see the light of day could be its very high cost of production.

 

 

 

Previous Season and Episodes of The Outsider

 

The 10-part HBO series that fans and critics alike flocked to when it debuted didn’t stay entirely true to its source material. While it retained most of the critical moments of the story, it also expanded and dramatized the same when it needed to.

 

Indeed, some of the changes that were made may also remain consistent in the second season should it go into production. While the end of the show seemed to put a wrap on the story of El Cuco, there certainly were some moments that could have been explored in the second season.

 

Matter of fact, when we catch Ralph Anderson saying goodbye to Holly Gibney, he also ends up suggesting that the two could join forces in the near future. That being said, the first season showcased Cynthia Erivo as an unconventional investigator who does her best to assist Ben Mendelsohn’s detective in a murder case, while asking him to “believe the unbelievable”.

 

In this very case, it is Jason Bateman’s character who happens to be the prime suspect. Some of the top-rated episodes in the first season are Fish in a Barrel, Roanoke, Tigers and Bears, Dark Uncle, and The One About the Yiddish Vampire.

 

Each of the episodes in the series is about 50–60 minutes long.

 

 

 

Where to Watch The Outsider

 

United States of America:

In the United States of America, the first season of ‘The Outsider’ is available for streaming on Max and Spectrum.

 

United Kingdom:

In the United Kingdom, the debut season of the show is available for purchase on Apple TV+ and Sky Store.

 

Canada:

In Canada, the show is available for streaming on Crave and Noovo.

 

 

 

Google Trends Data Analysis of The Outsider Season 2

 

By now, it is well and truly clear that ‘The Outsider’ may not return for a second season – at least not on HBO. The news sure is surprising, especially if you take into account the show’s strong ratings performance for the network.

 

Matter of fact, the finale of the series was watched by 2.2 million total viewers across all platforms. Indeed, these numbers also reflect the search trends concerning the second season of the show.

 

The fact that the searches related to the second edition continue to remain stable on Google speaks a lot about the show’s popularity among its core audience. Even when there has been a period of decline in the trends, it’s almost immediately followed by a rise.

 

Needless to say, people’s interest in the show hasn’t hit rock bottom yet; at least not according to the data we have analysed on Google. Suffice it to say that the decision of the creators to keep up with King’s story while maintaining the bigger story for TV worked big time in the debut season.

 

And, while the plot of the book was exhausted by the end of the season, a cliffhanger, which had nothing to do with King’s story, made viewers believe that ‘The Outsider’ might return with a fresh season.

 

So, yes, even the finale of the second season could have a lot to do with the search trends continuing to show promise on Google.

 

 

Social Media Engagement for The Outsider Season 2

 

A couple of years ago, it seemed like ‘The Outsider’ was ready for takeoff with regards to a second season. However, now, it is quite clear that the series may not be going into production.

 

While its makers have reportedly looking for new networks or streaming homes, the result has ceased to bear fruit thus far. Needless to say, the failure to come up with a second instalment of the show has failed to make sense to its ardent fans who have been waiting for the same for about three solid years now.

 

On the social media platform X (Twitter), the posts related to the show sound a tad helpless now, but people are still hoping for its return. While some users shared their obvious disappointment with the makers for not being able to continue the series, others confess how the finale of the first season made them believe that the second instalment would see the light of day.

 

Not only that but there are also posts hoping for Netflix to give life to the project once again. But, only time will tell whether that happens or not.

 

 

Expected Plot of The Outsider Season 2

 

‘The Outsider’ may have been put on hold but we certainly can predict how its second season could look like if it goes into production in the future. If we go by the finale of the debut season, it’s quite clear that the writers were aiming to enter uncharted territory with the cliffhanger and the unexpected mid-credits scene.

 

Needless to say, the makers would have had something in mind about the aforementioned events. Hints were also dropped stating the second instalment of the series might be injected with strong doses of the supernatural.

 

Their several storyline ideas, combined with new source material, could truly allow the show to take off again. That said, the procedural nature of the project makes it a tad difficult for us to assume which of the characters may be returning for a new season.

 

While we believe that Erivo’s Holly Gibney and Ben Mendelsohn’s Detective Ralph Anderson might make a comeback, the same cannot be said about Jason Bateman’s character who died early on in the story.

 

Since there are plenty of Stephen King stories featuring Holly Gibney, we may find her at the centre of a new mystery. Indeed, the author’s undeniable fondness for the character gives the writers something to look forward to in the new season.

 

 

Top Characters in The Outsider

 

These five characters are mainly responsible for making the series worth watching for you.

 

1. Ralph Anderson

 

As the story progresses, we realize that ‘The Outsider’ is pretty much the story of Ben Mendelsohn’s Ralph Anderson. He plays the ‘familiar’ veteran cop who seems to be battling his own demons.

 

We are told that his beloved young son died due to cancer and are shown that he believes his son’s Little League coach to have committed the murder. Since he is so badly consumed by his demons, we see him trying to get justice done to the case in order to perhaps get closure on his grief.

 

Mendelsohn, who has previously appeared in titles such as ‘Captain Marvel’, ‘Rogue One’, and ‘Ready Player One’ does full justice to his character.

 

2. Terry Maitland

 

Jason Bateman as Terry Maitland is as creepy and unreliable as any suspect can get. Even though he was previously the beloved coach of the local Little League baseball team, his life comes crashing down when he becomes a suspect in the gruesome killing of young Frankie Peterson.

 

Ralph arrests him during an ongoing game to ensure that everyone in the town starts seeing him through his lens. Indeed, he seems to completely believe that Maitland is a brutal killer of children.

 

3. Holly Gibney

 

Let’s just start by mentioning that Holly Gibney is a major protagonist of the Stephen King multiverse. She plays one of the key characters in ‘The Outsider’ and can be seen assisting Ralph in the investigation.

 

Played with utmost sincerity by Cynthia Erivo, she is a compulsive but astute private investigator who is brought onto the case by Howie and Pelley to help get a better understanding of the same.

 

4. Marcy Maitland

 

Julianne Nicholson plays Terry’s wife Marcy Maitland, whose stable life is also turned upside down after her husband is called the prime suspect in the murder of a child. She seems to be suffering mainly because she knows that he was out of town during the time of the murder.

 

Despite this, she has to watch him getting arrested in front of a ton of people during a baseball game. As the story progresses most unpredictably, we catch her putting herself in a position where she has to help Ralph solve the case.

 

5. Howie Gold

 

Bill Camp’s Howie Gold serves as Terry’s lawyer on the show. He makes his presence felt soon after having been introduced in the story. When we catch him confronting the cops, we realize that he is going to be a force to be reckoned with.

 

He also plays a catalyst of sorts in a way since his hiring of a private investigator to find exonerating evidence for Terry leaves the case wide open. Not only that but it also introduces supernatural elements in the drama.

 

 

Top Crew Members of The Outsider

 

Aside from its characters, these crew members are also responsible for making the series as intriguing as it turned out to be.

 

1. Richard Price

 

Richard Price may not have been the most obvious choice to adapt a popular Stephen King book into a TV mini-series, but he sure did justice to it. ‘The Color of Money’ writer ensured that the police procedural tale takes this twist into the supernatural without ever trying to leave the complicated police procedural world.

 

While doing so, he blends his knack for writing police stories with his childhood dream of working on a ghost story.

 

2. Jason Bateman

 

The supremely talented Jason Bateman, who executive produces and directs some episodes, can also be seen ably portraying beloved local Little League coach Terry Maitland who is the prime suspect in a gruesome murder.

 

The man gets an opportunity to go full creep and surprise you in the starting episodes of the show itself. While he certainly impressed us with his many performances in television shows and full-length features, Bateman goes the extra mile to delight us with his contributions to ‘The Outsider’.

 

3. Saunder Jurriaans and Danny Bensi

 

One of the things to admire about ‘The Outsider’ is its score which does justice to its atmospheric storytelling. Contemporary film composer Saunder Jurriaans, who writes alongside Danny Bensi, has provided the score for the project.

 

While Saunder is a child of Dutch immigrants who eventually settled with his family in Seattle, Bensi is a string player who grew up learning the cello in Denmark, UK, Germany, and Italy.

 

4. Zak Mulligan

 

Best known for his work on ‘Hustle’, ‘We the Animals’, and ‘Open Heart’, Zak Mulligan is credited with taking care of the cinematography in at least three episodes of ‘The Outsider’.

 

Born and raised in Ohio, the man won the Best Cinematography trophy at the Sundance Film Festival for his project ‘Obselidia’ in 2010.

 

5. Tad Dennis

Tad Dennis took charge of the editorial department of ‘The Outsider’ and took care of the editing work of at least five episodes in the 10-part series. He is also known for his work on projects such as ‘Nightflyers’ and ‘Into the Dark’.

 

 

Shows Similar to The Outsider

 

Since HBO’s ‘The Outsider’ managed to please fans of supernatural procedural projects, we have come up with other options for them to explore until the show is renewed for a second season.

 

1. The Lost Room

 

The underappreciated ‘The Lost Room’ was axed after the first season itself. The show introduces us to Joe Miller, an investigator, who heads to the Sunshine Motel to search for his loved one.

 

The interesting thing here is that they happen to be trapped in a mystical world that may be beyond Miller’s comprehension.

 

2. Twin Peaks

 

Since ‘Twin Peaks’ was created by Mark Frost and David Lynch, you can expect it to be incredibly complex and cryptic. The highly-rated show introduces us to an eccentric FBI agent named Dale Cooper, who visits Twin Peaks, a quaint little town, to investigate the murder of a 17-year-old schoolgirl, Laura Palmer.

 

Even though the show comprises elements of detective fiction, it also has a supernatural tone to it and is populated with eccentric characters.

 

3. Millennium

 

In ‘Millennium’, we are allowed to get acquainted with a former FBI profiler, who can look inside the mind of killers. Soon into the story, we catch him working for the mysterious Millennium Group which is known for investigating serial killers, conspiracies, the occult, and those obsessed with the end of the millennium.

 

4. Castle Rock

 

Inspired by Stephen King’s characters and locations, ‘Castle Rock’ tells the story of several people who seem to have an interesting link to Castle Rock. Sooner than later, we witness their lives getting intertwined under unprecedented circumstances.

 

So far, two seasons of the series have been released and they incorporate different characters and storylines.

 

5. Miracles

 

‘Miracles’ is a long-forgotten show that lasted for only one season. It tells us the story of Paul, who investigates modern miracles for the Catholic Church. However, he decides to leave the Church after his findings are dismissed.

 

So, he takes a call to leave his association with the Church behind and is, subsequently, approached by Alva Keel to join his organization.