The Outsider (1×06) The One About the Yiddish Vampire Review

For our review of last week’s episode of The Outsider, click here.

Synopsis: Holly presents her unusual theory about the connection between two other mysterious child murders and the Frankie Peterson case. While Ralph remains skeptical, a more receptive Yunis suggests they start looking into Claude, the last person to have contact with Terry. Jeannie’s attempt to include Glory in their group of concerned citizens backfires. (HBO)

Now that everybody’s in the same city (and the great cast can act off of each other), things are starting to pick up on The Outsider, resulting in the best episode of the series so far. While the theories are out in the open, acceptance is a different issue altogether as it comes to what to do next. Meanwhile, a few characters may or may not be in danger.

The One About the Yiddish Vampire started with Gibney waiting at a Dayton. The strange person she encountered near Hofstadter’s grave was a man named Tracey Powell (Drez Ryan) who we would learn to be Hofstadter’s first cousin (and Hofstadter’s victim’s fingerprints were found in his car). She was still consumed by the incident, hallucinating Powell on the bus and a truck that it was aiming for and nearly causing an accident (she was fine). Meanwhile, Anderson was stuck on Jeanie and the car thief from Dayton’s sketches and how they looked eerily similar. Jeanie didn’t know about the other sketch but saw a connection to what Jessa Maitland saw, however, Anderson didn’t quite see it and wasn’t ready to go there yet.

Just about everyone involved with the Maitland case were going to a meeting, Jeanie thought she and Glory Maitland should be there (she would also use this as an opportunity to set Jessa up with a sketch artist). Anderson finally opened up with his therapist, sharing the encounter with his dead son. Meanwhile, Gibney arrived in town and Hoskins offered to pick her up (and also try to weasel his way into the investigation). While she wasn’t comfortable with sharing any of her findings just yet, she noticed that something was definitely wrong with him (his rash may have disappeared but the force that controlled him wanted her stopped).

During the meeting, Gibney shared her findings and theories that led to Maitland. She believed that the previous innocent child-killers were victims who were selected by some sort of malevolent entity fitting the description of El Coco. Her plan was to stop it from moving forward and infecting someone else which would presumably be Claude (Paddy Considine), the strip club owner who was the last person to come into contact with Maitland. Glory was certainly not thrilled as it seemed that they were looking past her husband (Gibney was well aware of what she sounded like). In the end, the group was divided.

Jeanie invited Gibney to stay with her and her husband and as soon as they arrived, Gibney learned about her encounter with El Coco (and the sketches). She believed the sketches signified its transformation. The time between kills could have been spent transforming. Gibney did a quick investigation in their home. She found a substance on a chair and a table that presumably matched the unknown substance found in the barn (she believed it was shedding). Since there was no indentation, she believed the El Coco Jeanie saw was a projection, meaning El Coco could be in a vulnerable state while transforming and needed help (presumably what Powell did and what Hoskins is doing now). Glory later called Anderson over to talk and she resigned to the fact that her husband may be guilty (a powerful sequence by Julianne Nicholson). He also may not fully believe in Gibney but he did share his encounter with his dead son. Meanwhile, Glory cleared her husband’s close while Hoskins was being assaulted by the spirit of his dead mother (so El Coco could appear as different people like Anderson’s dead son).

The episode ended with Hoskins offering to take Gibney to the barn which was clearly a trap once Gibney saw the new rash on the back of his neck. If anything happens to Gibney, we riot!

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Keith Noakes

The EIC of the coincidentally-named keithlovesmovies.com. A Canadian who prefers to get out of the cold and into the warmth of a movie theatre.