The Void – The show begins with Royal Abbott (Josh Brolin) asking if you are familiar with Chronos, a Greek god who utilized a sickle to create a barrier between two worlds – the known and the unknown.

Three days earlier – As Royal gets dressed Cecilia Abbott (Lili Taylor) tells him about her dream, where Perry and Amy ran into Rebecca’s arms. She asks him to keep the dream to himself, not tell Perry Abbott (Tom Pelphrey). He stops in to check on the children before riding away on his horse. When he peers through his binoculars at a herd of cattle, he hears a rumbling noise from behind. He appears to be relieved that nothing is there.

Cecilia prepares food while Amy Abbott (Olive Abercrombie) tells a story about people stabbing each other with swords. Rhett Abbott (Lewis Pullman) arrives for breakfast. Perry catches Amy feeding the dog, which she denies. Rhett orders her to not give the dog food. Perry describes Rhett as smelling like a “distillery.” Amy isn’t happy with Rhett for eating her bacon. Upon entering the house, Royal asks if they heard a strange noise. As he leaves to feed the horses, Cecilia warns him it is almost time for church. Looking at his watch, he tells her it isn’t even 8 am. Amy tells him it is almost 10 am. Rhett suggests he get a mobile phone.

Royal is waiting outside when Amy emerges from the church. She hands him a picture she made of heaven.

Rhett gears up to ride a bull named Twister. He only rides for a few seconds before Twister slings him to the ground. Royal tries to encourage him by blaming his poor performance on Twister. Amy puts her two cents worth in, calling it a “bullsh** ride.” When they leave, Rhett waves at Maria Olivares (Isabel Arraiza).

Cecilia tells Amy a bedtime story about the first time she met Royal. The horse and cattle appear to be stressed. Royal comforts his horse when he hears a rumbling noise. Cecilia hears the noise from Amy’s bedroom. The birds scatter across the sky.

Wayne Tillerson (Will Patton) looks out the window as the anxious birds fly past. As he sets his glass back down, he rubs his fingers across what looks like a rock. Getting up from his chair, he walks over to a taxidermy buffalo head. He asks the buffalo if it feels it as well. He claims to feel and hear it.

Cecilia answers the phone to hear Wayne on the other end, warning her about something strange happening. She asks if he has been drinking. He denies drinking before hanging up.

Perry informs Royal of several head of cattle missing. Royal suggests it could be the fence on the south end of the farm. Perry assures him that it is okay. Royal alerts Cecilia of the two missing cows. Rhett is in his vehicle passed out when Royal orders him to take care of his responsibilities. Autumn (Imogen Poots) approaches to ask if it is okay for her to camp on their farm for a few days. Refusing to let her stay, Royal points out that the farm is for cattle, not tourists. She offers to pay because they need it for the farm. Rhett is surprised when he agrees to let her utilize the west pasture for a camp spot. Out of earshot, Rhett questions how Autumn has a lot of cash but no car.

While out looking for the two missing cows, they encounter Luke Tillerson (Shaun Sipos) and Trevor Tillerson (Matt Lauria). Royal and Luke are having a conversation about Wayne when Trevor rudely interrupts. He informs them of the county assessor’s report that their fence is on Tillerson’s property. He says they have 30 days to push it back almost a mile. Royal asks, what is the real issue. Luke says he is confused about his father’s actions. Trevor refuses Royal’s offer to talk about it. When Trevor walks away, Luke assures them that they are not stealing their property. Perry offers to call an attorney but Royal refuses.

Royal is out looking for the lost cows when he comes upon Autumn’s tent. He rides in the direction of the rumbling noise when his horse rears. He discovers a massive, circular hole in the ground. Putting his hand into the hold, Royal finds himself in his home. Cecilia informs him that Joy is visiting. Her voice sounds muffled. Looking into the extremely bright room, two lads pop up on the screen. After he jerks his hand out of the hold, it is covered in what appears to be black soot that immediately disappears. He returns home to find an Amelia County Sheriff cruiser there. As he enters the house, someone alerts him that Deputy Sheriff Joy (Tamara Podemski) is there. Joy informs them of the FBI’s decision to stop searching for Rebecca. Perry questions why the agency made this decision now.

Joy explains how investigations are a lower priority when they reach the 9-month mark. Rhett asks him about the last thing Rebecca said to him. Perry assures him that he answered the question 100 times before. Royal denies keeping any information from the police.  Amy prays for her family.

Autumn sits in front of the campfire.

Royal rides out to the hole. He tosses several scoops of dirt into the hole before the shovel. His attempt to cover it with a large tarp fails. After reviewing the document from the Amelia County Assessor, he tosses it in the hole. He curses loudly when a bison, with two arrows on its flank, appears at his side. The bison slowly walks away. Royal checks on Autumn who is plucking feathers off a bird. She tells him something special is out there. He tells her to not go further than the creek. She asks if he ever considered selling his ranch. He assures her that Cecilia would never consider selling. She promises to be there if he decides to trade secrets.

Rhett apologizes to Perry about what happened earlier when Joy was there.  They go out for a few drinks. Perry gives him a few bull riding pointers. He asks why Maria is at the bar. Rhett denies knowing anything. Perry says he is confused as to why he never hooked up with Maria. He explains how she left for college while he stayed. With a bit of encouragement, Rhett approaches Maria but not before she agrees to dance with another man. Perry cracks up laughing.

Royal is in the barn when Cecilia asks what he is doing. He meets her outside on a bench. They discuss Rebecca’s disappearance, which she believes is part of God’s plan.

Perry and Rhett discuss the ranch. He makes Rhett promise to never give up on his plan to be a rodeo star. Rhett agrees as long as he agrees to move on from Rebecca. He immediately apologizes for being insensitive. When Perry walks outside, a man and woman are making out. After vomiting in their direction, the man attacks him. Ordering two beers, Maria tells Rhett he was screwed out of an opportunity when they put him on Twister. He starts to ask her something when he sees Trevor shove Perry. Perry suggests he go find Luke when Rhett emerges from the bar. He threatens him if he ever touches Perry again. Trevor sarcastically says he will beat him if his fighting is anything like his bull riding. A fight ensues and ends with Rhett knocking him out. As Maria emerges from the bar, he warns her about Trevor being an “asshole.”

After entering the bar, he lays something on a table while passing. Irate, Trevor tells Perry that he wasn’t thrilled with Wayne’s decision regarding the land but will gladly sue them. When he comments about Rebecca disappearing with another man, Perry punches him in the face. A fight ensues. Knocking him to the ground, Perry climbs on top of him. He beats him until he stops fighting back. Rhett pulls up to find Perry standing over Trevor.

Autumn writes on a tablet.

Rhett demands Perry tell him what to do. When he refuses to answer, Rhett stops the truck in the middle of the road. Trevor’s body slides across the truck bed. The bison Royal previously witnessed blocks the highway. Rhett steps out of the truck while Perry stares blankly at the bison.

Royal hears a vehicle pull up. He walks into the barn to find Perry and Rhett. As he approaches the truck, he sees Trevor’s body lying in the bed. Royal holds the phone in his hand while pacing the floor. He questions if Luke and Billy Tillerson (Noah Reid) are aware of what happened. Rhett explains how they thought it would be best to bring him back to the ranch. Hanging up the phone, Royal says they need to fix it. Perry suggests he not get involved. Royal refuses to let them go to jail. He agrees to get rid of the body while Rhett burns their bloody clothes and cleans the truck. He rolls Trevor’s body up in a blanket.

Luke is at the bar looking for Trevor. He finds what looks like a belt buckle on the ground. Perry is laying in bed when someone knocks on the door. While asking if Rhett is home, Luke notices Perry’s swollen knuckles. Rhett and Royal struggle with Trevor’s body. Luke repeatedly asks about Rhett’s location. Billy says his truck isn’t there. Perry flips the barn light switch on and off as he talks to Luke and Billy. Amy asks Perry for some water. Billy tries to barge his way in, but Perry stops him. Luke asks about his swollen hand. He claims it was injured when a horse stepped on it. Amy pleads with him for water. When he tries to shut the door, he utilizes his foot to prevent it from closing. Cecilia asks who is at the door. Perry assures Amy that Cecilia will put her in bed.

Perry reminds Luke it is 1 am. Luke orders him to open the barn door. He tries the door, which is locked. As he tries to go retrieve a key, Luke breaks in the door. The truck bed is loaded with hay. It thunders as Royal rides out on his horse. Billy and Luke realize someone is out riding. They bust through the gate. Royal rides his horse hard when Trevor’s body falls to the ground. Luke speed across the ranch in their truck and four-wheeler. Royal’s horse got spooked away. Luke speeds up as Royal tosses Trevor’s body over a barbed-wire fence. When his shirt gets stuck in the barbed wire, he slips out of it. He carries Trevor’s body to the hole and drops it in. His body can be seen floating downward until it disappears.

Autumn approaches with a bright light. She asks what is going on. He denies knowing anything about it. She shines the light in his eyes while asking why he tossed a body in the hole. She asks if he is familiar with Chronos. She explains how the Greek god cut a hole, with a sickle. He assures her that only he knows about the hole. She promises to keep it a secret. She caresses his arms before shoving in backward into the hole as the episode comes to an end.

 

Outer Range Review

The pace is a bit too slow for my liking. Nothing happened to progress the show along until over halfway in. The series is rated a drama mystery (mystery, thriller), which is incredible since the screenplay leans more toward sci-fiction. The acting is just okay, with a lot of mumbling that is difficult to comprehend.

I did enjoy the race to see if Royal would reach the hole before Luke caught up with him. The show is a bit predictable, as there was no surprise when Autumn showed up just in time to catch Royal tossing Trevor’s body into the hole. The repeat of the Greek god, Chronos is cringeworthy, in the least.

The poor lighting alters visibility throughout the episode. I found myself squinting and pushing replay just to figure out what was really happening.

It would have been nice to see more of Wyoming’s beautiful scenery. Of course, this isn’t possible because it wasn’t even filmed there. It was filmed in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and California. Why not have the setting in Albuquerque or Central Valley, instead of Wyoming?

The show deserves a 6. Get more Outer Range recaps here. Support Reel Mockery by clicking on the link to learn more.