The Tillersons are the antagonists to the Abbotts on Outer Range, and their story is just as exciting.
In two different interviews, we spoke with Will Patton, who plays Wayne, and Shaun Sipos and Noah Reid, who play his sons, Luke and Billy.
Their story ignites during the second season in many ways, both literally and figuratively. It’s a story so wild that you’ll have to see it to believe it.
But before you get the chance, we’ve got plenty to tease.
Outer Range’s Cane and Abel are in emotional turmoil this season as Luke becomes Billy’s caretaker after Billy was shot in the neck.
Sipos and Reid tease that there is great love in this family, but how it’s expressed may not be the same as in other families.
The more the two are reliant on one another, the more fraught their relationship becomes, and there’s barely any breathing room for Luke and Billy to exist outside of each other.
Autumn’s power over Billy is a sticking point, especially because Luke is somewhat jealous of what the two share.
Sipos and Reid talk about how that rivalry (and love) will manifest with much laughter, which makes this interview particularly fun to watch.
Will Patton wasn’t able to make it on camera for press day, but he did join us by phone for a conversation that frequently dove into spoiler territory. We’ll save some of it for next week when you’ve all had a chance to watch it.
If you’ve seen the trailer, then you know that Wayne is alive and kicking. How to express his story without saying too much isn’t easy, but Patton did have some interesting things to share.
With Luke and Billy at odds and perhaps being manipulated by their father, it’s hard to discern how much love Wayne has for his sons.
Patton says, “I think that Wayne’s relationship with Luke is a little more complicated, and I think he’s always been testing Luke. It’s not just black and white; he loves Billy, and Luke is shunned.
“I think he’s constantly testing [Luke] and actually has a great love for him. In a way, he gives him more than it gives Billy and just comforts Billy. I guess you’d say, tough love.”
During the second season, people play around with things to unexpected effect.
The Tillersons become overly involved with the mineral, and as an audience member, you begin to question what’s real.
Patton says, “Well, I think it does get constantly called into question, the nature of reality and the nature of time and space. What is time, and what’s really going on? Especially when you bring a black hole into the equation.
“Right away, we’ve got a big question on our hands, and we don’t know the answer.
“That’s one thing that AI is not doing, is asking questions of that sort, which I think are important for humanity to say, ‘What is it that we don’t know?’ Not, ‘What is it that we know?’”
He continued, “I think that’s great about Outer Range: It does not follow the rules to try to fit into the TV box the way it’s supposed to.”
That’s what makes this show so compelling and so very good — a lack of complacency and a willingness to push viewers (and the people who create the show) to the very edge of wonder.
Outer Range Season 2 will be available on Prime Video in full on Thursday, May 16.
We’ll be posting a series of reviews breaking it down, so please come back to participate in the discussion!
Carissa Pavlica is the managing editor and a staff writer and critic for TV Fanatic. She’s a member of the Critic’s Choice Association, enjoys mentoring writers, conversing with cats, and passionately discussing the nuances of television and film with anyone who will listen. Follow her on X and email her here at TV Fanatic.
