TV Review: Outsiders S1 E09 “Trust”

By Laury Scarbro

While this particular episode doesn’t push much in the way of character development, it does give us a bit more perspective into the motivations of various characters. Events both past and present have an affect on people, and the writers do a fine job of showing that not everyone can just take things with a grain of salt and move on. So, here’s your suicide trigger warning–there’s a couple of attempts made, but nothing successful, thankfully.

Asa is dumbfounded to find out Gwin has accepted Big Foster’s proposal of marriage, but focuses instead on his plans to use the moonshine to get more guns. Krake has misgivings about letting him have it, thinking Asa is lying to him about getting more guns for Big Foster, but relents. Asa finds Sally Ann’s hideout, and splits the moonshine up. He and Donny then take it to Abel, the gun dealer from the previous episode, who refuses it, saying he doesn’t need more trouble with the feds. He’ll only take cash. A plan is then hatched for Donny to sell the moonshine from his store. That proves to be a bad idea (because of course it is), when one of the townies, Tom, barely makes it down the street before he’s completely tanked. He takes a seat on a bench, kicks his shoes off, and makes himself at home. Later, he’s approached by Fults and another officer who are discussing organizing a search for Wade. Tom’s buck naked and drawing a crowd, and gets arrested.

Hasil’s fate is revealed: the unemployed miners have taken him captive and have been beating him to a bloody pulp. Breece arrives and puts a stop to things, calling in the cavalry in the form of Haylie. She makes the offer to Hasil to act as the liaison between the Farrells and the coal company, offering him a nice place to live, playing on his affection for Sally Ann. He wants money too, and she concedes. Haylie makes it sound as though the rest of the Farrells will be given somewhere to live as well, but it’s probably just a ploy to get the Farrells to leave the mountain.

Big Foster continues to be as he’s always been—a bully and a control freak. He’s given orders to his sentries to shoot anyone who comes near his house who might be carrying a gun. They choose instead to goof off, which allows Krake to walk right into Big Foster’s house to deliver some ginger moonshine. That results in Big Foster shooting Enoch in his good leg. Word gets around, and a council meeting is held to call Big Foster to account for what he’d done. Enoch takes full blame for what happened, but Gwin stands up for Big Foster, saying that he did what was necessary, despite admonishing him earlier that he can’t go around shooting people. Later that night, she prepares some tea for Big Foster, slipping something into her pocket unseen before giving it to him.

An exchange between Fults and Ledda reveals that Wade’s wife is not, in fact, in a mental health facility somewhere, as I previously thought. She allegedly committed suicide, and Ledda is concerned that Wade may have done the same thing, since he’s not been the same since her death. Rumors abounded following his wife’s suicide that Wade was somehow responsible, but no one could prove it.

Wade spends the majority of the episode alive, but dipping into shock and hallucinations as exhaustion and dehydration begin to take their toll. He sees his dead wife and father in their kitchen at home, but is confused by their existence because in his mind he knows they’re gone and what he’s seeing simply isn’t possible.

Little Foster isn’t handling his father’s upcoming nuptials very well. He shows up at Big Foster’s with a shotgun, drawing the ire of his father when the sentries are reluctant to shoot him. Father and son get into a fight, resulting in Big Foster putting his son on the ground. Little Foster takes up the shotgun again and for a moment it appears he’s going to shoot his father, then turns the barrel on himself. Whether by luck or divine intervention, the gun misfires and the worst injury Little Foster endures is a burn to his wrist. Later that night, he attempts to hang himself outside of his father’s house. Asa happens by at just the right time and cuts him down, which Little Foster does not appreciate.

As Asa’s on his way back home, he’s waylaid by Krake, who takes Asa back to his own place. The elders are gathered there and relay to Asa that they are not going to follow Big Foster, and want to know if Asa is with them. He doesn’t hesitate for a second, responding with only a whispered “Ged Ged-yah.”

So, the line in the sand begins to form. Except in this case, it’s looking more like Big Foster’s going to be in the middle, with lines on either side of him. Everyone knows you can’t fight a war on two sides and expect to win. Especially not when you place your biggest enemy so close and it looks like she’s seeking to bring you down from the inside.