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Outer Range

The land has its secrets.

2022–2024Ended2 seasons15 episodes~60 min/epTV-MAMidcredits score: 55th percentile of all shows

A rancher fighting for his land and family stumbles upon an unfathomable mystery at the edge of Wyoming’s wilderness, forcing a confrontation with the Unknown in ways both intimate and cosmic in the untamable American West.

Your rating, lists and review

Where to watch

Where can I watch Outer Range?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists Outer Range streaming on Prime Video.

Subscription

Free

Highlights

What stands out about Outer Range?

Outer Range earns 2 badges, led by Crowd Pleaser and Thought-provoking.

  • Reception
  • Craft and mood

Reception

Is Outer Range worth watching?

Outer Range's Midcredits score is the 55th percentile of all shows, from 48K ratings across 2 sources. 76% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

55th percentile

Better received than 55% of shows

52nd percentile among Drama60th percentile among 2020s
Acclaim (how much people like it)48th
Approval (how many liked it)62nd

Acclaim

Crowd Pleaser: Rating-distribution shape vs the catalog

How much people like it

70 /100

48th percentile of all shows

47th percentile among Drama53rd percentile among 2020s

Rating distribution

A broad spread centered near 7.4 — solid but not unanimous.

Approval

How many liked it

76% liked it

62nd percentile of all shows

57th percentile among Drama67th percentile among 2020s
76% rated it 7–1024% rated it 1–6

Reach

How many have seen it

97th percentile

47K ratings across platforms

95th percentile among Drama98th percentile among 2020s
TMDB popularity, last 39 days to Oct 28Down 8% in 30 days

What reviewers say

Common ground

A slow-paced, moody mystery blending western family drama with surreal sci-fi elements, driven by a strong cast.

Fans praised

  • strong lead performances by Josh Brolin and Lili Taylor
  • original fusion of western and sci-fi mystery
  • patient slow-burn storytelling that rewards attention

Detractors panned

  • meandering plot with few answers and excessive filler
  • frustrating lack of character communication and logical decisions
  • impenetrably dark cinematography obscuring action

What stands out

ActingDivisive80

Josh Brolin and Lili Taylor praised as compelling leads; occasional criticism of supporting cast choices

OriginalityDivisive75

fresh mix of western and time-travel mystery, though reminiscent of Dark/Lost

CinematographyDivisive70

beautiful Wyoming landscapes but major complaints about impenetrable darkness in night scenes

AtmosphereDivisive70

haunting, surreal tone effectively built; some find it overly gloomy

TensionDivisive60

mystery and family secrets maintain engagement for fans; detractors cite false suspense

CharactersDivisive45

well-drawn family dynamics but many find characters unlikeable or irrational

Plot and storyDivisive35

intriguing premise undermined by unresolved mysteries and meandering storylines

PacingDivisive30

deliberate slow burn praised by some but widely criticized as glacial and padded

Preferred by

No notable difference between any of the groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • Women vs men 5 points apart
  • Under-30s vs over-30s 6 points apart
  • Critics vs users 5 points apart
  • US vs non-US 6 points apart

Episodes

2 seasons

Season 2 · 2024 · 7 episodes · 7.4 average across 7 rated episodes

  • S2E1

    One Night in Wabang

    May 16, 202459 minTMDB rating 7.3
  • S2E2

    Traces to Somewhere

    May 16, 202453 minTMDB rating 7.1
  • S2E3

    Everybody Hurts

    May 16, 202461 minTMDB rating 7.1
  • S2E4

    Ode to Joy

    May 16, 202451 minTMDB rating 7.8Season best
  • S2E5

    All the World's a Stage

    May 16, 202445 minTMDB rating 7.3
  • S2E6

    Do-Si-Do

    May 16, 202459 minTMDB rating 7.6
  • S2E7

    The End of Innocence

    May 16, 202456 minTMDB rating 7.6Finale

Watch experience

What is Outer Range like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Earnest, serious and charged — an even-paced watch that leaves you thinking.

How it leaves you

  • Thought-provoking
  • Haunting

Setting

  • Contemporary
  • Magical realism
  • Rural
  • Wilderness

Story

  • Mystery: A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.

What it asks of you

  • Even-paced
  • Full focus
  • Affecting
  • Ambiguous

Themes

  • Justice
  • Survival
  • Community: Consequences reach a town, institution or group.

Style

  • Brooding: Heavy, inward, weather-beaten.
  • Solemn: Grave and dignified; treats its subject with weight and respect.

Feelings

  • Dread
  • Tense
  • Melancholic
ToneFeelDemandexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

What it feels like

Heaviest: throughout
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.SerializedOne continuous story
ToneThe series maintains a brooding, solemn tone, treating its supernatural mystery and family struggles with earnest gravity.
The rideThe mystery and threat of losing ranch sustain a constant undercurrent of dread and tension, with melancholic notes from family hardship.
StructurePresented in a traditional linear narrative across two seasons, with a consistent focus on the Abbott family.
Episode formatThe series tells one continuous story across both seasons, with each episode advancing the central mystery and family conflict.
Season formatBoth seasons continue the same overarching narrative and character arcs, building directly on each other.

How it leaves you

what you carry away
Why it leaves you this wayThe unresolved mysteries and bleak emotional landscape leave the viewer pondering time, family, and loss long after the credits roll.
How it ends · evidence
Ambiguous endingTwist

Story archetype

where it sits among all shows
Monster — 18% of shows. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of shows. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 6% of shows. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 2% of shows. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 12% of shows. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 4% of shows. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 7% of shows. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 8% of shows. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 40% of showsPredator — 7% of shows. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 3% of shows. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of shows. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 3% of shows. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of shows. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of shows. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of shows. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of shows. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of shows. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of shows. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — 1% of shows. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of shows. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of shows. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of shows. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of shows. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 2% of shows. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 4% of shows. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of shows. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — under 1% of shows. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of shows. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 1% of shows. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — under 1% of shows. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of shows. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — under 1% of shows. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 2% of shows. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of shows. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of shows. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of shows. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 2% of shows. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of shows. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — under 1% of shows. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 1% of shows. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 1% of shows. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 1% of shows. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 1% of shows. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 3% of shows. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of shows. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 1% of shows. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of shows. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 6% of shows. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 1% of shows. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 18%: Predator 7% · Tyrant 3% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 3% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 6%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 2% · Mission 4% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage under 1%
  • Voyage 2%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 1% · Survival ordeal under 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent under 1%
  • Comedy 12%: Romantic comedy 2% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 2%
  • Tragedy 4%: Hubris 1% · Obsession under 1% · Corruption arc 1% · Doomed love 1% · Crushed by fate 1%
  • Rebirth 7%: Redemption 1% · Healing 3% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 1%
  • Mystery 8% (this title): Puzzle 1% · Investigation 6% · Enigma 1% (this title)
  • No archetype 40%

Mystery: A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered. · Enigma: The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).

8% of shows fit this archetype

Why this archetypeThe series is driven by the enigma of a mysterious time portal on a Wyoming ranch, with a slow-burn investigation of its nature and implications. The fantastical premise underpins a family drama rather than a straightforward puzzle.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 31% of showsSelf — 27% of showsPower — 7% of showsMorality — 11% of showsSurvival — 9% of showsSociety — 10% of showsIdeas — 5% of showsRomantic love — 10% of showsMarriage — 2% of showsFamily bonds — 22% of showsParenthood — 1% of showsFriendship — 18% of showsLoyalty — 7% of showsIdentity — 20% of showsComing of age — 9% of showsAging — under 1% of showsSelf-worth — 7% of showsAmbition — 14% of showsPurpose — 16% of showsMemory — 3% of showsObsession — 2% of shows. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 5% of showsCorruption — 3% of showsGreed — 2% of showsClass — 4% of showsOppression — 2% of showsFreedom — 4% of showsJustice — 14% of showsDuty — 2% of showsRevenge — 1% of showsGuilt — 1% of showsRedemption — 3% of shows. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — under 1% of showsSacrifice — 2% of showsBetrayal — 3% of showsDeception — 6% of showsSurvival — 12% of showsWar — 1% of showsViolence — 2% of showsMortality — 2% of showsGrief — 4% of showsTrauma — 5% of showsMental illness — under 1% of showsAddiction — under 1% of showsIllness and disability — under 1% of showsCommunity — 25% of shows. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 3% of showsPrejudice — 2% of showsDisplacement — 1% of showsFaith — 1% of showsTradition vs change — 3% of showsFame — 5% of showsLegacy — 3% of showsFate — 1% of showsFree will — under 1% of showsTruth — 6% of showsHope — 4% of showsNature — 3% of showsArt — 2% of showsTechnology — 1% of showsSelf
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 31%: Romantic love 10% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 22% · Parenthood 1% · Friendship 18% · Loyalty 7%
  • Self 27%: Identity 20% · Coming of age 9% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 14% · Purpose 16% · Memory 3% · Obsession 2%
  • Power 7%: Power 5% · Corruption 3% · Greed 2% · Class 4% · Oppression 2% · Freedom 4%
  • Morality 11% (this title): Justice 14% (this title) · Duty 2% · Revenge 1% · Guilt 1% · Redemption 3% · Forgiveness under 1% · Sacrifice 2% · Betrayal 3% · Deception 6%
  • Survival 9% (this title): Survival 12% (this title) · War 1% · Violence 2% · Mortality 2% · Grief 4% · Trauma 5% · Mental illness under 1% · Addiction under 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 10% (this title): Community 25% (this title) · Isolation 3% · Prejudice 2% · Displacement 1% · Faith 1% · Tradition vs change 3% · Fame 5% · Legacy 3%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 6% · Hope 4% · Nature 3% · Art 2% · Technology 1%

Morality

Justice · 14% of showsSurvival · 12% of showsCommunity: Consequences reach a town, institution or group.
Interrogates its theme: Questions its theme without settling the answer.Community stakes: Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Single lead
How it treats its themeThe fight for land and family places justice and survival at the center, with community bonds tested by a strange revelation.
StanceThe struggles of a family ranch against a mysterious force interrogates themes of justice and survival in a frontier community.

The world

Orchestral classicalSupportive music · original score
SettingA remote Wyoming ranch and the adjacent wilderness hiding an inexplicable phenomenon.

Content guide

Is Outer Range okay for kids?

TV-MA

Outer Range is rated TV-MA. As of October 3, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at intense (70/100), sexual content at mild (32/100), language at intense (63/100), drug and alcohol content at moderate (58/100) and frightening material at moderate (39/100). Overall it is heavier than 31% of TV-MA shows.

Ratings in 17 other countries
  • UK15
  • Canada18+
  • AustraliaMA 15+
  • Germany18
  • France18
  • Brazil16
  • Belgium16
  • Denmark15
  • FinlandK16
  • MexicoB-15
  • Netherlands16
  • Norway18
  • RO18
  • SingaporeM18
  • Spain18
  • SwedenFrån 15 år
  • Türkiye18+
Overall
Moderate · all five categories
Heavier than 59% of all showsHeavier than 31% of TV-MA shows
Violence & Gore
Intense
typical for a TV-MA show
heavier than 58%
Sex & Nudity
Mild · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
light for a TV-MA show
heavier than 18%
Profanity
Intense · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
typical for a TV-MA show
heavier than 41%
Alcohol & Drugs
Moderate
typical for a TV-MA show
heavier than 59%
Frightening / Intense
Moderate
light for a TV-MA show
heavier than 25%

Point along a line to see a well-known title at that level.

The reason to think twice is violence and language. Everything else sits at or below what TV-MA shows usually carry.

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other shows that have them.

What content warnings does Outer Range have?

MovieCove's classifier found 6 depicted content warnings in Outer Range: Animal death (moderate), Child abuse (moderate), Gore or body horror (moderate), Self-harm (moderate), Torture (moderate), plus 1 withheld here because it would spoil the plot. 1 more is mentioned only, in dialogue or backstory: Hate-motivated violence. Each is backed by a verbatim quote from the parents' guide notes or plot synopsis; a missing warning is not a guarantee of absence.

ModerateAnimal deathChild abuseGore or body horrorSelf-harmTorture
MentionedHate-motivated violence

Mentioned: referenced in dialogue or backstory, not shown in the story’s present.

Cast and crew

Who is in Outer Range?

Cast

2 of the cast already had the standing of a top-10% working actor.

Josh Brolin
as Royal Abbott
Career best: Their highest-reaching show role by billing, audience size and rating.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Tamara Podemski
as Deputy Sheriff Joy
Newcomer: A standing when this show came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Imogen Poots
as Autumn Rivers
Career best: Their highest-reaching show role by billing, audience size and rating.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Lili Taylor
as Cecilia Abbott
Career best: Their highest-reaching show role by billing, audience size and rating.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Tom Pelphrey
as Perry Abbott
Lewis Pullman
as Rhett Abbott
Shaun Sipos
as Luke Tillerson
Noah Reid
as Billy Tillerson
Isabel Arraiza
as Maria Olivares
Olive Abercrombie
as Amy Abbott
Newcomer: A standing when this show came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.

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TMDB's suggestions for shows like Outer Range include Yellowstone (2018), Longmire (2012) and 1923 (2022).

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What other shows share a tag with Outer Range?

25 other shows share the rarest tag below, kind of show: neo-western. Each tag opens Browse with the shows that share it.