Review of The Outsider

I just completed the first season of this dark and suspenseful detective/horror series an have to say that it's saving grace is a great cast of veteran actors, including Justin Bateman who also serves as executive producer. Without getting too mired in the details I'll just point out some areas that didn't work for me: 1] Holly, played by Cynthia Erivo left me wondering why her character wasn't developed fully. She literally used the same furrowed brow expression throughout. As for her role, she is intuitive, but is she also clairvoyant? Is she a supernatural? A medium? No one really knows. The show only suggests powers beyond what she showcases, like an eidetic memory and a belief in the supernatural. 2] The creature itself is not interesting. Shape shifting is old as the hills and usually just as boring. It has this weird little encampment in a cave which borders on ridiculous and it also has to eat to survive which is even more ridiculous. Why does it choose to take children? Oh, because they're "sweeter" tasting? 3] Then there are the endless stretches of filler that compelled me to fast-forward because there was no reason to be invested in the character's relationships as they never really furthered the plot. Worth a watch but don't expect True Detective season one.