Critical response Season 1 The first season was met with mixed-to-positive reviews from critics. Ryan Britt of
Inverse called the series "one of the boldest, weirdest, and most affecting sci-fi shows of the 21st century" and praised the performances of
Josh Brolin,
Imogen Poots and
Tamara Podemski. The
New York Post Michael Starr wrote, "
Outer Range a bit touch-and-go in terms of its interest factor but, then again, you'll want to know how it all turns out, thanks to the sci-fi twist that saves it from mediocrity." Robert Daniels of
RogerEbert.com lauded Brolin, Poots and
Lili Taylor's performances and said that the series is "the rare kind of
genre-bending work that leaves one wounded in its fresh take on our human existence while offering untold possibilities." Katie Rife of
Polygon commended the direction, performances (particularly Brolin and Poots), soundtrack, and musical score. In a mixed review, Alison Foreman of
The A.V. Club graded the series with a "C" and wrote, "Despite the promise of a stunning natural setting and a big ol' hole to throw things into, Watkins can't quite come into his own. Even as the soapy interpersonal stories ramp up, there's a nagging feeling
Outer Range never goes far enough." Daniel Fienberg of
The Hollywood Reporter criticized the writing and pacing, saying that "the most infuriating thing about
Outer Range, and there are a lot of infuriating things about it, is how almost nobody on-screen is asking any of the questions that audiences will be asking. And, in its general lack of hole-directed inquisitiveness, the narrative progresses at a bizarrely glacial pace." Nonetheless, Fienberg praised the performances of Brolin, Podemski, Poots and
Tom Pelphrey. Kristen Lopez of
IndieWire criticized the writing and incoherent tone, while praising the performances of its cast. Lopez graded the series with a "D". The season was named the 19th best TV show of 2022 by
Inverse.
TVLine labeled it as the "most underrated drama" of the year.
Season 2 The second season received mostly positive critical reviews. On Rotten Tomatoes, it holds an approval rating of 92% based on 24 reviews, with an average rating of 7.2/10. The website's consensus reads: "With a better handle on its characters and a willingness to get even weirder,
Outer Range's sophomore outing is in the zone." On Metacritic, it has a weighted average score of 72 out of 100 based on 9 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews. Writing for
The Wall Street Journal, John Anderson said "Audacity is what makes the show not just watchable but maybe even important: It isn't the singer, or the song, but the singer singing the song while plummeting through space and time." Bob Strauss of
TheWrap considered it "an improvement over the intriguing but less textured first season". Gabriela Burgos Soler of
Tell-Tale TV gave the season a rating of 4 out of 5 stars and wrote, "
Outer Range delivered yet another thrilling season, managing to keep its rich world-building and complex characters." Ryan Britt of
Inverse was also favorable with the season, calling it "one of the best sci-fi shows on TV" and lauding Brolin, Poots and Podemski's performances, though he felt disappointed that all seven episodes were released at once, opining that "this is a show you'll want to step away from after a few episodes, and then come back to and savor. If you do it all in a binge, [your] head might be spinning." However, some critics were unimpressed, especially with the writing. Tom Philip of
The A.V. Club graded it with a "C+" and said that "[the season] is unlikely to thrill all but the most devoted fans of its first outing. And while there's still a decent framework and a game set of actors, there's no escaping the reality that things will need to click
fast if it has any hope of reaching its planned ending." ==References==