THE GUARDIAN OF THE ASTERKINJ: JAKE STORMOEN'S DEBUT AS DIRECTOR IN THE OUTPOST EP. 411

Guardian of The Asterkinj is a very special episode for fans of The Outpost, as it has been directed by our beloved captain Garret Spears, played by actor Jake Stormoen, who has taken the reins of the direction by joining in his debut to his classmate Imogen Waterhouse (Gwynn, for friends), who has also been behind the cameras in another previous episode of this season. Stormoen thanked both the casting and the stuff team hours before the episode was streamed for having given him this brightful chance, which will allow him to face the direction of other projects in the future. There have also been no shortage of words of appreciation for the community of fans that supports him through his social media and his streaming channel on Twitch, as the decision to cancel the series was officially confirmed a week before his debut, while he was enjoying a family vacation.

'Make no mistake', he recalled through a recent post on Instagram, 'I am sad, but also terribly grateful': the renewal of the series for four consecutive seasons is already a great feat in itself, especially when after the hostile criticisms poured out during Season 1 didn't bode well that the project would prosper. However, The Outpost has a small, yes, but solid base of fans who gather on Thursdays to celebrate by tweeting live during the streaming on The CW of the corresponding weekly episode, among which I include myself. 

There may only be two more episodes left for the captain to permanently sheathe his sword and hang his gate marshall leather jacket in the closet, but The Outpost has allowed Jake Stormoen to fulfill his childhood dream and, if anything, that doesn't means the series cannot be bought by any platform; maybe it could continue still in not too far future either on Amazon, Netflix, Freeform, Skye or similar, or simply through crowdfunding. Whatever the series may hold, Jake Stormoen is convinced this journey, which for him began almost four years ago, has been worth it, and the season finale, scheduled for October 7, won't be the end of the road but, rather, the closing of a chapter of the book of his life that will begin a new stage, as happened years ago when Dagen, the character he usually played in the films of the Mythica saga, became a pleasant memory for him.

In Guardian of the Asterkinj we have been able to observe how the director has tried by all means to preserve the essence of the series, maintaining internal coherence with the episodes previously viewed, while he printed his own personal brand. The eleventh episode of this season is featured by its cinematic beauty and the drama flooding all the sequences. Jake Stormoen, who is also a main actor at the same time, has shown us his own point of view, his personal perspective, of this overwhelming transition into the dark abyss that the main characters start, who suffer from their mistakes and bad decisions, an agony and existential anguish that Stormoen has tried to catch by using original resources and techniques rarely seen before. This is clearly seen in the scene starring Zed, as he struggles to drag, limping through, the wounded and almost unconscious Munt on a cot made of dry branches and leaves. The camera focuses on Reece Ritchie's face until it almost borders on distortion, a resource used when trying to underline the psychological dilemma experienced by a certain character, emphasizing his intimate emotions rather than narrative action. Normally this use of the camera occurs more frequently in series or films belonging to thriller, suspense or psychological drama. However, Jake Stormoen always keeps his mind open and lends himself to exploring multiple possibilities, especially when they let him do it in his favorite genre, where he feels at home.

The director has not only played with the cameras, but also with the colors, the landscape, the effects and the transitions, some really striking and sentimental like those that immediately precede the end of the episode, with Wren's song as an invisible backdrop, and Nedra's ashes dissolving into a passionately apocalyptic sky, presided over by a bleeding moon whose incandescent veins burn in lava, like an erupting volcano. These final sequences are of the utmost importance to the story, as they reveal a hidden facet of Talon's ancestors and must be cared for down to the smallest detail. Everything unfolds in a showy, emotional and solemn atmosphere. There is beauty and many subliminal, ethereal details that make this episode truly memorable and sublime. James Schafer's music is empathetic and exquisite and contributes to enhancing the narrative rhythm, much more leisurely than usual. Anyway, I must congratulate Director Stormoen for his impressive work. He is truly commendable.

The suffering and pain of the characters is truly remarkable from beginning to end, as circumstances have led them to follow the same strategy as their adversaries, who also intend to awaken Aster, albeit with malicious ends. And for that, the noob director has also had a very good eye. Doubts attack them everywhere and any decision can mean many deaths. Janzo and Wren have suddenly found themselves with a child as misunderstood and disconcerting as 3-1-3 who they have had to learn to educate and re-educate, which is a challenge for them as parents, especially considering that he is part of the enemy race of the Masters. Garret is determined to protect Gallwood with his life and questions everything that Wren and Janzo do for the well-being of 3-1-3, who to him is only a murderous and merciless monster, while Talon and Luna run into each other an strange resurrected Aster who promises not to harm them and who they don't trust at all after the genocide perpetrated by his own kind. And we are not finished yet, because we cannot forget the tragedy that took place in the forest, and the internal sorrow that Zed is going through, from whom the only two things he possessed have been taken from him: his kinj and Nedra.

For 3-1-3, events represent a turning point. Levare teleports with an order that the kahvi wipe out everything in his path at Gallwood, while Janzo goes out of his way to teach him why helping his own kind is a mistake. 3-1-3, or Marvyn, as he is later baptised, apparently had a duty to protect the children of his kind, and only that makes him finally reason, precisely when he realizes Janzo and Wren are acting on behalf of their future baby. Killing children is forbidden, but if he does as Levare asks, he will make the same mistake as Janzo by accident, prompting him to rush to Garret before Levare skewers his body on a pike. Everything ends in harmony between the two parts, after a powerful scene in which Levare corners Garret between a wall and a blade, with the edge brushing against his throat.

At that moment, Spears unleashes all of his strength to push the weapon away from him, which he unexpectedly achieves thanks to the ring that Tobin entrusted to him before dying, an area from which he begins to flow blood. It's a confrontation to the death with the murderer of a very dear friend, the person who took him out from behind bars, gave him a second chance as gate marshall, and the one who personally entrusted him with the realm. The ring symbolizes Tobin's spirit and is the seal of a promise that Garret must fulfill with sweat and blood. It's a scene that stands out for its narrative force, more for what is not seen than for what actually happens on screen.

The episode itself is full of powerful and symbolic scenes like this one, with Nedra's blackblood funeral being very noteworthy as well. Zed is the one who intends to honor her, but in his personal way and not under the supervision of the High Priestess, as would be mandatory. In a way, Zed is not only angry with himself for not having died in Nedra's place, but for having revered monstrous beings throughout his life who simply turned every surface on their feet to ash. He feels deeply deceived, as he has been fighting to perpetuate his culture and race, which has ultimately only brought death to a world whose beauty he can't appreciate because he feels it's not his home. Wren tries to shed light on his mind: religion is based on myths, legends and rituals that help to understand and explain the world. In many cases they only have a psychological utility, providing existential comfort where science can't go. And that's why she and Zed celebrate Nedra's funeral ritual in the woods. Obviously that's not going to immediately heal his wounds, but it will make him feel better about himself. He lacks the sensitivity that Nedra had to perceive the beauty of his surroundings, but, as Wren says, he will be able to teach it and pass it on to blackblood children. Ultimately, Zed now has a legacy to keep fighting for. He and Wren are both on this mission together.

The solemn ritual, accompanied by Wren's song, blends slightly with the sequence starring Talon, Luna and Aster as in an infinite cycle of death and life. Aster is the one who shows them through an ancient epigraph the names of the guardians of the Asterkinj, who are nothing but Talon's ancestors. Both she and her ancestors are descended from Aster and the first inhabitants of Gallwood, confirming the theory that had been brewing for weeks that the blackblood are a hybrid race between humans and Masters. It's a crucial moment in Talon's life that will greatly influence what happens to him in the final two episodes. Talon has never known where her place was, and dialogue with Aster helps clear the fog. It's likely Talon plays a major role in the final conflict with the Masters, for perhaps she is the one who fulfills the will of this ancient being, who regrets not having erased his brothers when he had the opportunity.

The end of the series thus becomes sharper. It would mean that the kinjs were either destroyed, or buried somewhere they could never return. That would give Talon the opportunity to be that heroine who needs to reconcile with her fate. However, not only is she destined to be the key to saving humanity, as Marvyn, or 3-1-3, is the key that could allow them to fight the Masters if they manage to convince those who still remain in their cocoons of they have been used as slaves in the service of their gods. In any case, for Talon, Garret and her friends there is no going back. They have no more cards to play. They must have faith and trust in themselves. The truth is, now, their best asset.

CARPE DIEM, LIFE IS NOT FOREVER: THE OUTPOST, EP. 410 REVIEW

 

In Something To Live For everything happens at the speed of lightning. Every moment is so ethereal, so ephemeral, that it deserves to be lived, appreciated and enjoyed and, precisely that's the central theme of this unpredictable episode splashed with persecutions in which Talon, Luna, Zed, Nedra and Munt set out towards the tombs of Aster and Golu in order to prevent Tera, Vorta and the other Masters from recruiting them to lay waste to the little remaining life of this untamed wilderness. Something To Live for presents an interesting reflection to the viewer: life passes so quickly that the brevity of the moment is imperceptible, so that, no matter how impossible it's to catch it, because it runs like sand through your fingers, it's important to live it to the fullest, enjoy every moment, so unique and unrepeatable, as if it were the last, something to which Zed seems indifferent. 

The warrior maintains a selfish attitude by thinking only of himself, for nothing seems to distract him or make him forget that, as long as he possesses the Golukinj, he will be hunted day and night, without the possibility of seeing a single hint of happiness and serenity. Everything has to be said: Zed has spent half this season absorbed in his own thoughts; he has rarely participated in the council meetings summoned by Garret. The slaughter of his species on the Plane of Ashes has made him feel expendable and has virtually erased any long-term goal. Zed has dug not his own grave, but his own doomsday himself. He agrees to carry out orders, desires and wills of others, but doesn't feel master of his own destiny. He doesn't know what he wants. He's made progress with Nedra, but both of them have a hard time understanding each other at times, and while there seems to be true chemistry between them at times, some conversations indicate just the opposite, although, they say, polar opposites attract each other. Munt is the adhesive that both of them needed because, thanks to him, the trip becomes less sour.

When the trio stops to rest to stock up on water, Munt jokes about urging them to think about what it means to hunt. Hunting is an activity that is best done in pairs or in a group, which requires coordination and that members know both their strengths and weaknesses. Hunting is an activity that promotes social cohesion, according to Munt's deductions and that, in his personal case, helped him to know the late King Tobin better. However, Zed, so killjoy, is not at all trying to play along, eventually turning the conversation into more of an absurd discussion. Nedra accuses him of being superficial, as he is unable to value the beauty of the moments that both of them shared when, while they were still young, they hunted in the Plane of Ashes, which for Zed are only a vague meaningless memory.

Nedra is much more transparent and deep. Her virtue is to see beyond what her eyes capture, and it's only thanks to her that the three of them find the sanctuary of Golu. Nedra can perceive the spirit of the world, which she conceives as a living, beautiful and organic entity. She tries to encourage Zed to practice carpe diem, which he rejects in order to purposefully focus on the mission, something that she greatly dislikes, given that Zed is experiencing sensations or, rather, living life from the outside in, but not from the inside out. This kind of vital renunciation bothers her, although it's not the only thing. Zed doesn't stand out as a particularly empathetic or understanding man; the very naive, so short-sighted, he doesn't even excel in eloquence or dialogue; words, the fair ones. Perhaps his greatest virtue is obeying orders to the letter like a good soldier. Yet in this game of hide and seek, Zed has learned the hard way what it means to not enjoy the opportunities and rare pleasures this world has to offer. Both Nedra and Zed experience serious difficulties to agree on who should wear the kinj, and the blackblood warrior also fails to imagine that burning Golu's body is not going to be enough to stop Vorta's henchmen in their tracks, that while possessing Janya's helpful ability to restore corpses, they will continue to absorb the souls of all living things around them, no matter how many times they are skewered with their swords.

Tricking Tera and Levare into doubting who to pursue in search of the purple kinj seemed like an excellent plan, although  it was actually a suicide mission that ends with Zed suffering from an uncomfortable limp and, worse, with Munt deadly wounded; indeed that seems trivial compared to what happens to Nedra though. Not even she, despite her dexterous and agile legs, manages to get away from her pursuers. When Zed catches up with her, there is little he can do to help. Tera catches her off guard and, after a forceful blow to the belly, makes her drop to her knees to delight in the suffering of the powerless blackblood, who watches him reduce his beloved's body to ashes, shortly after they have both consumed their mutual love with a triumphant kiss, an epic kiss that, translated, would have meant "see you later." 

Zed offers her eternal goodbye between tears and cries, picking up the blue flowers that she liked so much to place them on her remains. It's a truly emotional scene with beautiful cinematics, with Zed sinking the edge of his sword like a tombstone for the woman he once fell in love with.

With the death of Nedra, there are already four characters who have succumbed to the Masters. Season 4 of The Outpost has chained more deaths in four or five episodes than The 100 or Game of Thrones in an entire season, and it does so in the knowledge that there will be no Season 5 waiting for us next year. However, it's perhaps the most desirable, because, in the few remaining episodes, we don't know who else we will lose. Like Tobin, who perished shortly after seeing Falista fall, Zed has all the ballots not to tell this story. With only three chapters on the horizon, it's impossible for a new ship to emerge that fixes his life, so he will most likely die later, sacrificing himself to save Talon or Garret, so that Talon and Wren become the last survivors of their race.

Leaving for a moment the plot that revolves around Zed, the rest of the episode allows little footage to advance what happens to those who remain in Gallwood or the adventurers who go to Aster's sanctuary. For the first time in a long time, Talon confesses to Luna she rejected Garret's marriage proposal, which is, to date, the only show of sincerity on the part of the chosens towards whom she considers her friend. It's not surprising that Luna doesn't understand why she did it, since her confession denotes that she still loves him and that she regrets that decision. At the end of the day, she didn't think that they might never meet again ... however, she has Luna by her side, which is like having a version of herself to talk to, a girl who reminds her in many ways also to Gwynn, especially for her ability to cheat in the octor.

I have found Gallwood's narrative unremarkable compared to the others, especially because of the way the writers have treated certain characters and the resources they have used to drive the action. Garret sometimes acts impulsively or incredulously, but I am not entirely pleased or satisfied with the fact that, being aware that 313 had escaped from his cell, he is so unwise as to end up hitting the ground with a blow to the ground because of the Kahvi. It seems to me a redundant narrative element, because it seems that no one is a match for 313, the creature who, not many days ago, barely understood who he was or what choosing or deciding consisted of, and who knocked out Janzo by striking him with a wooden plank as well. I think the writers have been carried away by the simplicity and the lack of new ideas, at least as far as that portion of the ep is concerned. 410. Nor do I understand how, suddenly, the Kahvi goes out of his way to awaken the children of his own species ... it's as if, in the blink of an eye, a mysterious rational spark had reminded him that they existed ... and that, even though Janzo mustn't have told her about Wren's pregnancy.

But that wouldn't the only weakness I have noticed. As far as I know, Talon and her friends were already well aware of the Janyakinj's powers. Wouldn't it have been better to come up with a plan to kill Janya and thus stop the so-called gods from continuing to slaughter villages? Without Janya's help, the others, namely Tera, Vorta, Kultor, and Levare, would not be able to regenerate themselves or rise from the dead. I just wonder that...

THOUGHT, REFLECTION, CHOICE, LOVE... THE OUTPOST: EP. 409 REVIEW

 

The Price of Immortality is a purely emotional transition episode, as moving as it's crucial to the plot that surrounds the race of the mysterious Masters and their slaves, the kahvi, as we already observe some slight brushstrokes related to the historical puzzle of the origins of the Blackbloods, who have a lot to do with the invaders. The time has come to make difficult decisions in difficult times, but this chapter is, first and foremost, an emotional meeting between our friends. 

They are preparing to toast for their deceased colleague, since they had all been apart for a long time, without having the opportunity to discuss and share the information they had gathered during their latest misadventures. Reinforcing ties of friendship and courtship, too. However, the latter seems inconceivable between Talon and Garret, as she continually evades him, leaving the young captain with the word in his mouth, who, on the other hand, assumes without question all the responsibilities and tasks that Tobin used to perform, although since prudence and lies, a theater of behavior that can be useful to pacify the ignorant peasants of the outpost, but which is useless when used as an argument or as an excuse to a friend who is well known: Munt. Munt is about to make the most important decision of his life, and it's thanks to him that he discovers Garret's lie on Tobin.

The bartender realizes that something strange is happening, because everyone should be celebrating the return of Talon and, on the contrary, there are only tears. Munt has always been treated like a chump and worthless since the days when Miss Eleanor ran the Nightshade. His adoptive mother always ordered him to do the dirty work because, even if The Outpost didn't tell us about it, Munt is a man with an obvious psychiatric disorder. He is a kind of retard, a sick man who unfortunately possesses the mentality of a child. And, like any child, they will always try to spare him the pain of the loss of a loved one. In a way, Tobin, as king, was the father of everyone in Gallwood, at least from Munt's point of view, because both he and Janzo had a mother, but never a father. 

Tobin borrowed security on Munt and honored him by making him his personal servant and adviser. His duty was to advise, help and protect him, and for that reason he must avenge him, because for commoners of humble origins like him, a king means political and legal security, peace and sustenance. The king stands at the top of the pyramid of power, acting in the same way that a father would do as the head of the family defending the members of his household. Also, those horrible creatures could kill Warlita and the rest of her friends. Munt just got tired of being the madman on the hill. They always keep him out of the big events, but now more than ever he needs to set himself a new goal, and that's why he chooses to leave together with Zed and Nedra, who have already forgiven each other their sins, to the sanctuary of the Heptagram, the place where Zed acquired the Golukinj in Season 2.

But not only Munt has been decisive; each and every one of our characters must reflect and make vital decisions during the making of a strategy to defeat the Masters. The amazing thing is that none of us expected the seemingly innocent 313 to move token to pursue his own happiness, treacherously lash out at Janzo to escape, and activate the Skevikor in the crypt to awaken his companions. 

At first, we would all have supported Janzo's diplomatic attempt to find out more about the intentions of the Masters through the gradual and mutual trust between him and the creature, but it's no less true that our doctor has exceeded his enthusiasm for instruct the kahvi, who looked like nothing more than a baby lacking self-awareness, will, and reasoning. Let's not kid ourselves, we just have to look back to see how the brewer's eyes were sparkling with illusion when 313 began to speak. It looked like he get a new toy.

 Janzo has always surprised us with his intelligence, but he screwed up by showing 313 what it's to decide, since even knowing that his greatest desires were the Naviaspore (golden kinjs) and to join the mental hive with his kind, instead of avoiding it, he put it on a silver platter. He forgot who they are fighting against, and that has ended up proving Garret right, who did the right thing by caging him in right time, however much it gives us the impression that his methods are disproportionate and violent. Spears is not a violent guy, but rather restrained and sober and, if we have noticed him more irascible and irritable lately, it's because of Talon, who continually evades him as if he had committed some heinous and unforgivable crime. 

Garret feels Talon is pulling away from him for no reason, because if Janzo is the priestess's boyfriend, what's wrong with the two of them being lovers? Janzo doesn't stop Wren from playing her role as an educator; Rather, together they solve all mysteries by unrolling scrolls and diving through dusty, threadbare pages of ancient codices. Talon can perfectly combine his Blackblood duty with Garret's love, and that confuses the latter because, in addition to not giving him answers, Talon doubts even what she feels herself.

We have been claiming the scene in which Garret tries to talk to her for weeks. It's moving and rewarding, but with a sad ending. It needed to happen, and we don't have a sequence, but two because, at the end of the episode, Garret tries again, to end up even more open-mouthed. He throws into the pool does when it seems there will be another dangerous quest on the horizon that is going to take them along different paths, at the prospect of not knowing what will happen tomorrow, if they will survive or not, or if they will meet again. So he hastily decides to declare himself in marriage to Talon who, unable to assimilate or accept it, slips away without even saying goodbye. 

Actually, anyone can see that it was neither the time nor the place to do such a stupid thing, as Talon's priority is that everyone is safe, something that won't happen until they defeat the Masters. But you also have to understand Garret. He just wants to know if she is still in love and, consequently, tie up, set future plans, think about starting a family one day ... which, in essence, is the same thing that Tobin and Falista yearned for themselves. The difference is the inexperienced monarchs had a common goal, while Talon and Garret don't, because neither agrees with what the other thinks and, moreover, they don't share responsibilities.

In truth, the two act for the welfare of the people, but the Gallwood command knocks on Spears' door, while ethnic duty does the same with Talon, who has discovered through the altar's memories that the holder of the Blue Kinj, Aster, nicknamed The Betrayer by the other six, developed a close bond with a human, preventing her from murdering her baby, something she was about to do unconsciously, controlled by Golu's kinj, which is the one Zed carries. There's no doubt Aster must have been one of Talon's ancestors, and his union with a human was what gave rise to the Blackblood race, as a similar passage reads in the books consulted by Janzo and Wren. Aster's descendants, the first Blackbloods, were the ones who received the Asterkinj, who kept it and passed it on from generation to generation, as Talon's mother did with her daughter. 

The flashes of their memories perplex both Zed and Talon. They are aware that they will have to travel to the locations pointed out by Luna's medallion on the map to find the last two tombs, but even so, they are not entirely sure about to kill Aster is the best choice. If he betrayed the Seven, he could become a future ally. However, Talon's desire to find more answers about the enigmatic traitor of the Seven induces her to choose more to murder him, because he was who owned the ability to open portals to other worlds, who informed the rest of the Gods to invade and absorb the energy of all living things that inhabited their land in the past. Thus, Talon plucks up the courage and tells herself that she will be in charge of ending his existence as soon as he is awakened, something that has inevitably had a fatal outcome for Garret's plans, and that will take her further away from him in the next episodes. Talon is stubborn by nature and she always achieves whatever she sets her mind to. If she destroys Aster, she will avenge those who paid the price of his life for the immortality of the Seven.

LOVE AND RESPONSABILITY: REVIEW FROM EP. 4X06 OF THE OUTPOST

In this episode, directed by Imogen Waterhouse -our once great queen Gwynn-, our friends try to prevent the tough and mature Tobin and Falista from fulfilling the will of the so-called divine beings who flood their minds with visions with precise instructions to obtain the only thing that matters to them, their precious kinjs, while along the way they discover and learn more about these pale, horned creatures with black blood. All We Do is To Say Goodbye is a brilliant and eloquent episode, a chapter with a frenetic rhythm that leaves the viewer with honey on the lips and that, above all, is an episode of characters, fully focused on their concerns and in their decisions, which will mark them psychologically.

Some of them, as it often happens in the theme of this season, face constant dilemmas that force them to decide between what they themselves consider correct, and what their peers think should be the ideal according to their traditions or their culture, as is the case with Wren. Her last Blackblood companions pressure her to act as the High Priestess she should become as the sole heir of Yavalla, since the knowledge and history of her people are passed down from priestess to priestess and. If she refuses, not only her survivors life will be in danger, but also  their memory, which provides lessons for the future.

To be Yavalla's first-born, Wren received neither great affection nor great support from her mother, perhaps precisely due to the fact that blackblood priestesses must avoid being mothers and the transfer of knowledge is carried out by other means than the blood. Nedra, a childhood friend of the brothers Zed and Corven, is against blackblood children receiving mixed education, which motivates Wren to carry out even more eagerly that position for which she doesn't feel at all prepared, because she doesn't believe in magic as much in the human science. But above all, Wren trusts Janzo, and knows that the mistakes made by the ancestors of the people who forced their people into exile in the Plain of Ashes cannot be blamed, because that implies misjudging innocent people who had nothing to do with those dark events. Basing the education of the later Blackblood children on the customs and traditions of the Blackbloods is meaningless in a shared world where they have to coexist with other races and which often severely punishes tribalism. Therefore, Wren is determined to find a balance between her spiritual responsibility and her duty as a mother, because she is not only the mother of Janzo's son, but also the alma mater of her people, in the most transcendental sense of the word. Education, dialogue and interculturality are the pillars on which Wren wants to support the future of Blackblood society.

We ignore most of the secrets of the Blackbloods, but with the help of Janzo, Wren and Luna, we have learned a little more, because if there is one thing that distinguishes this chapter from the previous ones, it is because of its high content of mysteries and findings. Janzo, determined to unravel the enigma of the Skevikor key, finds next to Luna a cavity that houses a colossal hive of dormant chrysalis that contain strange creatures very similar in appearance to the gods. Somehow, the jambs of the portal illustrate as vignettes what appears to be the story of the exile and origin of the Blackbloods, curiously linked to Luna's training in the Dragman Sanctuary. All this, together with the telepathic instructions issued by Tera, Janya and Vorta to bring Tobin and Falista to their presence in the capital, suggest that the Skevikor could be an artifact destined to awaken the beings that doze in the Gallwood crypt, whose souls seem to reside in the bodies of Tera and Vorta. The dragmans would have been in charge of hiding it or keeping the secret of its location, which invites us to think of a time of wisdom and cultural exchange between humans and blackbloods hundreds of years ago, long before the banishment of the pointed ears people.

All We Do is To Say Goodbye involves personal resignations and changes in the thinking of each character, even taking other directions that could separate them. A goodbye without going back. Until now, Zed had been silent and tolerated with more or less jealousy and reluctance the love affair between Talon and Garret. However, now the warrior questions many things, and one of them is Talon's responsibility towards his people. Zed has always been a loyal and obedient soldier who needs to put his finger on the wound to believe something foreign to his conscience. Not that of his is exactly a declaration of love in captivity, but in some way or another, he justifies the need to join Talon in perpetuating the blackblood bloodline. However, Talon is very clear about who he really loves and will not put the customs of his people before her own desires, but neither will the whim of a man over the well-being of those around her, which translates into a strong blow for both Zed and for Garret, the latter eager to finally rejoin her after once more outwitting the guards and the bars of Gallwood. Talon and Wren try to be understanding and understand other people's point of view. The difference is that Talon wants to find happiness and build a new future for herself regardless of her own past.

Each dawn implies a new dusk, and this in turn is the prelude to a new day. Shadows and lights dance in Tobin's heart. The light of his destiny as king of Gallwood and the shadow of his love for the indomitable Falista have prompted him to rebel against anyone who violates both wishes. Blinded by such sins, he has abandoned his most loyal friends and learned to believe what he would never have dreamed of as a child. The evolution of his character is noticeably palpable in this episode, especially in that face-to-face duel with Talon and Garret on the outskirts of the camp, a scene as dramatic as intense. Tobin has just made a critical decision: he leaves Gallwood's fate in the hands of Garret Spears by giving him the ring as a symbol of his commitment. Deep down, what Tobin wants most is to be by Falista's side and he is willing to take any risk in order to enjoy her company, even if that may mean his own death.

Even if he doesn't officially state himself, Tobin's gesture actually constitutes a personal resignation. It's an act of compassion and loyalty towards Garret as a good friend of him, and a goodbye, as his ways separate. But even that doesn't assure Garret a triumphant kiss from Talon, and it's hard to discern what their feelings are. The relationship between the two protagonists has turned cold, perhaps because Talon grudgingly acknowledges that Zed is right and her duty should be to take care of her people, or because accepting responsibility means choosing a different path than someone else wouldn't have choosen ... Who knows! The romantic swings between Talon and Garret are increasingly oscillating and there is no doubt that some behaviors of the Sir Knight have been reprehensible. It's as if Talon doesn't trust him anymore or prefers to distance him from her because she thinks that her obligations entail carrying banners of a different sign and color. 

When Luna asks for an explanation for her refusal to have Garret accompany them to the sanctuary, Talon paradoxically uses the excuse that both of them have more in common and that Luna seemed uncomfortable having to relive bitter memories in that place. Talon insists that she is her friend, but what friendship can be formed if there is no mutual trust? Talon is not even able to being honest to herself and despite everything she demands trust from others. 

Talon's reaction in the woods, much to Zed's amusement, perplexes Garret, who will rightly wonder what fly has bitten his girlfriend. We don't know how it will affect him from now on, but one thing is for sure: if Garret had put right before duty, and even love before right, perhaps now, love evaporated, he will focus more on his duties  regarding the kingdom Tobin has given him in his absence. Maybe Garret should say goodbye to Talon...

GOODBYE TO THE ALLIANCE: CHANGE OF COURSE IN THE OUTPOST. REVIEW FROM EPISODE 4X05

The mystery surrounding the kinjs and the gods who claim them grows and the unstoppable snowball rushes rapidly down the narrative line of The Outpost. Talon failed to return with the blackblood troops promised to consolidate Falista's reign, Luna has been discovered by Tobin himself, and partly Garret's fault Janzo has seen the Prime Order soldiers shut down their underground business again. For his part, Tobin is suspicious of his partner's unusual religiosity and urges Garret to free Luna before she is executed, behind the queen's back, a moment that the teenager takes the opportunity to join Talon and Zed in their search for Two and the Lu Qiri.

Talon and Zed's adventure of discovery allows us to better understand the figure of the gods, those beings with pointed ears that vaguely resemble the blackblood and that, coincidentally, like them, bleed black blood when seriously injured. Zed reserves a moment of personal glory as he tries to save Talon and Luna from the clutches of monsters, something that must have weighed on his will, since Corven's death and the genocide that occurred on the Plain of Ashes have hurt his pride and his sense of belonging to the world. In just a few hours, the warrior has lost almost his entire family, a feeling that he can only share with Talon and Wren. The future of the blackblood race now rests with the surviving children and, in a way, also with the hybrid baby of Janzo and Wren. If Zed has always been drawn to Talon's exotic beauty and his fighting prowess, at no time have the two been so close. However, Zed is reserved and a man of few words, someone who tends not to speak his mind or to speak lightly. Time will tell if, finally, something more than a simple friendship is forged between them, but the truth is that the current circumstances have reconciled Talon with his own people and that they have opened a small gap between her and her bond with Gallwood, aka Garret Spears. The disagreements between the two protagonists of the show have even caused Garret to become fond of the fugitive Luna.

Janzo's academic slumber is over and we finally get to see him investigating the mystery of the Skevikor, doomsday according to the blackblood tradition, which has a lot to do with the divine voices Falista has heard lately. The chapter reveals the existence of seven deities that possessed kinjs, who strangely disappeared without a trace. There's some reason to believe that the creators of the show were inspired by the myth of Prometheus and the fire of the gods, since the supposed goddess Vorta refers to the Asterkinj that Talon carries as the traitor. Aster would be the possessor of the blue kinj that opens portals to other worlds, and if he betrayed the Seven perhaps it was to steal their kinjs, their powers, and grant them to the blackbloods. However, there is also the possibility that she refers to Talon as a traitor to her own people. What if obtaining all the kinjs and their proper placement on the symbol ring unlocked the Skevikor? Impossible to confirm, but no less plausible, perhaps the blackblood are hybrids between the race of gods and humans, an answer that we will only get, unfortunately, when Wren gives birth to Janzo's son. 

Mythology and religion are aspects that the universe of The Outpost has only just begun to explore this season. We are barely talking about the origin of the blackbloods, actually, the tip of the iceberg of this medieval fantasy, because the secrets of the dragman women and the grayskins are still hidden, which would provide enough fuel for two more seasons.

Crossing the Gallwood gate again, we observe how the trust, or what is the same, the tug of war between Garret Spears, Tobin and Falista, is hopelessly frayed. Tobin only acts as sovereign because Falista and others praise him as such, but nothing could be further from the truth: the king feels like a foreigner in a foreign country. His loyalty swings more than a pendulum. He may give Munt courtship lessons to enchant Warlita, but no one in all of Gallwood hates luxury, formal praise, and gastronomic refinements more than he does, which he would gladly trade for simplicity and mundane. He loves Falista but differs greatly from her in opinions of her, so much so that Garret Spears clings to him like a burning nail. The gate marshall insists that he bend her to his will, because it's not her, but the red kinj, who decides instead of her and who perpetrates the most heinous crimes, but Tobin, trying to follow his advice, realizes that it's actually his wife who orders and commands. He is only a mere king consort to hers, which is why he is ultimately inclined to obey her, as her hand wouldn't shake in decreeing his execution. Spears ends at the end of the episode again behind bars, although yeah, with the possibility that Luna helps him  in a clear exchange of favors since she is the only one of the group who has been banned from going to the outpost.

The newly resurrected gods head to the capital to reclaim the remaining kinjs, with Falista leading the retinue carrying Talon and Zed, now reduced to hostages, and with Janzo and Wren condemned to solve the mystery of the Skevikor and the crypt key from the underground city if they want to meet their son alive one day. Neither Janzo nor Wren have managed to unravel the cache of the key, but the series has opened the door to more questions, such as what the capital that The Three dominated has to do with the ruins of Gallwood. For the first time in The Outpost, the enemy we most feared has perished. We are talking about Two, whose blind faith plunged her forever into the darkness of death. With the fall of Two and Three, the main threat to which the kingdom had been subjected since the first season disappears from the chessboard, and that makes us fear for the lives of Falista and Tobin. Episode 4 × 05, which has put the spotlight on the action and mystery surrounding supernatural creatures, suddenly turns the tide of the series.