THE SECRETS OF THE DISCORD KEY: REVIEW FROM EP. 408 OF THE OUTPOST

The fight has begun. Only in this way could we summarize the essence of the 8th episode of Season 4 of The Outpost, a chapter that wastes action and tension, as our friends have obtained the long-awaited Skevikor key, but even more complicated than that is to find out how it works and, above all, decide what to do with that artifact, which in turn implies diversity of opinions and that some of our heroes end up facing each other, immersed in a leaden climate of mistrust getting worse when Talon is kidnapped by the Masters.

Talon's kidnap divides their hearts, in the same way the enigmatic key does, which we could nickname "key of discord", since there is no topic or conversation that doesn't revolve around it itself or 3-1-3 , the creature of the cocoon. If in other seasons of The Outpost Talon, Garret, Janzo & Co. walked in the same road, listened to any opinion or were condescending, now the responsibilities and the role that each one plays in this world stand between them and their true enemy. They are confused, terrified and fascinated, but, above all, very confused, as confused as the viewers when it comes to tying up loose ends and understanding this puzzle that, now, we know is related to Yavalla's kinjs.

As Naya and Luna manage to escape the brawl at the gates of The Reliquary in extremis, Tobin teleports with the Skevikor under his arm, only to return a few minutes later to find that Talon finally succumbed to the ambition of the divine. His mission has been a complete failure and he doesn't see the light at the end of the tunnel. Falista and Gwynn have been killed by these unscrupulous horned abominations and have now dragged Talon to her death. He is the highest authority in Gallwood, but what does that matter if he had always been the shadow of the queen? Tobin only became a king in fact, but not in law. It's Munt who comforts him with words of comfort and encouragement, and perhaps for that reason, because he still has a kingdom to watch over and move on, and friends like Garret who don't deserve to live without love in a world doomed to turn to ash, Tobin is willing to save Talon not caring not to see another golden sunrise.

Tobin thus consummates his last will, perishing under the clutches of Kultor and his disciples... with honor, knowing that he sacrificed himself for those who depended on him. However, that doesn't soften a bitter farewell. The Outpost writers have claimed the lives of two beloved characters, a direct warning to the hearts of fans, not to let their guard down. Yes, The Outpost may be a fantasy series, but that doesn't mean everyone is going to be happy and eat partridges. At least Tobin died in a dignified way and the showrunners highlighted with a flourish the end of the character played by Aaron Fontaine. We first met Tobin, son of Gertrusha, as one of the Aegysfort village barons in Season 2, a lord as gracious and outgoing as he is smug and persuasive in offering his innards as a wedding gift to Gwynn. During the course of those disquisitions, both fell in love, and Tobin didn't hesitate to set out again for his homeland to recruit new soldiers with whom to stand up to Yavalla. Sadly, the two were possessed by the priestess, killed, and resurrected. Death has kissed Tobin three times and that is why he was no longer afraid of it.

Naya's return as Talon's ally brings exciting new dynamics. She was the servant who tried to help Luna's little sister escape from the dragman shrine, but without success. In a way, Luna finds herself a bit resentful of Naya for not being able to rescue Ilyin, but Naya is presented with a second chance to show her that while she is not a warrior, she can also set out to do great things. Janzo's sister quickly returns to the outpost with Luna wounded in battle, giving Wren the opportunity to meet her sister-in-law and her baby's future aunt. There are no reasons to justify thinking that a similar romance will spring up between Naya and Janzo as they are both close relatives; however, her experience as her babysitter could come in handy for Wren once she has given birth to the mid-blackblood child, as it won't be easy to raise an infant between two cultures that regard each other with a grudge against each other. And nothing guarantees us that other births will not occur, because Zed seems to be one step closer to liking Nedra, who although she hates humans, has decided to start dressing like them. 

Zed's flirtations are the only sugary topping this season, which no longer delights us as it used to before with the enchanting scenes between Talon and Garret. The latter has been forced to seize the crown of the outpost, although for now he is oblivious to Tobin's terrible fate, a task he exercises with a diamond hand, as he continually rebukes Janzo and limits his inquiries in regard to 313, insisting on the need to destroy the key and to lock up the creature to prevent it from invoking an army of its kind, who still doze in the crypt.

The captain only sees armies everywhere and fears for the lives of Talon and the of the outpost citizens. As much as Janzo and Wren support him, our hero is lonely. The new parents do nothing but feed and drive this abomination that could kill them in their sleep, and in politics none of them have the experience required to ensure the well-being of hundreds of vulnerable villagers. With Tobin embarking on the difficult task of bringing Talon back safely, Garret only has Zed left to maintain public order on the streets of Gallwood. 

But Zed has a head full of birds. He allows himself his own licenses to distract himself by cajoling Nedra and it would be wrong for Garret to hand over a third of his responsibilities to him. That conversation over glasses of wine clears up many of the storms that are raging in Garret's mind universe. Not only is he concerned about Talon being hunted down and tortured, but about not being able to rise to the occasion, as Tobin's crown weighs more heavily on his shoulders every day. On the other hand, Zed, being honest with Spears, reluctantly acknowledges that he is not who to judge who should love whom. Of course, Zed spits it out now because he believes that he is a suitable candidate, the chosen one of his people to conquer Nedra's heart and resurrect the Blackblood race.

On the other hand, as regards the mystery that surrounds Luna or kahvi 313, it must be emphasized that we have come a little closer to unraveling it. Both the Vex Rezicon or Book of Names and the Skevikor belong to the same era and are surely objects made by the ancestors of the Blackbloods. It is clear that the Blackbloods didn't come from the Plain of Ashes; On the other hand, their counterparts, the Kahvi and the Masters, do come from that place, which according to 313, was initially a green and fertile paradise. The Masters are the guides of this wandering alien civilization, which would have perpetuated its cycle of life and destruction for centuries. And, somehow, their knowledge has crossed borders to integrate into the culture of Blackbloods and humans. That would explain the legends surrounding the end of the world, the Skevikor, which have been passed down from generation to generation among the people of Wren, Talon, and Zed.

But there is something else. When Luna approaches or is near the Skevikor, she begins to hear strange voices that may be the souls that the Masters have stored in their bodies and that the key can channel as if it were a TV antenna. These gleaming souls must be what 313 calls naviaspore and, as Janzo has concluded, would function in the same way as the kinjs of Yavalla. It's pretty sure once the Skevikor is introduced at the right moment in the machinery of the crypt by the so called gods, these will transfer through it the essences of the souls and allow them to control the will of the sleepers, since it's meaningless that, at the precise moment when Tobin and Garret were about to smash the key, Luna perceived hundreds of voices shouting in her head, as if those souls were in serious danger or were going to die. Perhaps Luna's mission is to prevent the Skevikor from being activated.