“Que Viene el Coco”
Photo Source: HBO/Bob Mahoney
*HBO doesn’t give the press a ton of photos to work with, so you have seen the above photo before.*
Written by Richard Price
Directed by Igor Martinovic
After returning from an eye-opening trip to New York, Holly searches for clues at several locations connected to the Dayton case. Jeannie finds herself shaken by an unnerving incident at work and delivers an ominous warning to Ralph. Jack is put on the defensive at Tamika’s baby shower. – HBO
The episode opens to a cold open of Heath Hofstander eating breakfast with a woman. Later on, we’ll see this scene again and the aftermath of it where Heath and this woman have sexual relations. During the act, she scratches his back. Didn’t Terry get scratched?
While investigating in Dayton Holly uncovers a similar pattern across the country. Just like Terry Maitland and Heath Hofstadter seemingly innocent people have been accused of murdering children, with strong forensic evidence pointing towards them despite iron-clad alibis. These accusations leave a series of suicides and murders in families of both of the victims.
The investigation sends Holly to Harlem where she meets with Maria Caneles, a woman accused of murdering a young child and coincidentally has a connection to Heath Hofstadter. Holly visits Maria with Maria in Rykers. Maria claims it isn’t her but is accepting of her penance. Two of her family members were murdered by the child’s grandfather. Everywhere this happens death and sadness are left in the wake. Maria is much help but she does remember Heath. He had kept hitting on her at the bar she worked at and he asked her out to breakfast. But she bailed which is weird because we saw Heath and her eating breakfast and having sex. Very interesting.
A woman also visiting someone in prison overhears Holly and Maria’s conversation and asks to speak with Holly later. Holly meets this woman at her apartment. “Do you believe in the boogeyman?”
The woman tells Holly of the legend of El Cuco. El Cuco is essentially the Latin countries version of the boogeyman. Parents would tell their children if they misbehaved El Cuco would take them away. This woman tells Holly the “truth” of El Cuco didn’t care if the child misbehaved, he’d come no matter what and he finds on sorrow. Jeez, this sounds familiar, huh?
Meanwhile, in Cherokee City, Glory is dealing with nosy reporters and angry townspeople. Jack is continually acting crazier and crazier. He is leaving dead animals and furniture in the woods for someone or something.
Ralph at the same time has been going over the security footage of Terry at the strip club. In the footage, Ralph notices that Terry scratched Claude Bolton’s wrist when he shook his hand. Hmmmm.
Merlin, the boy who carjacked the van comes to the police station looking for Ralph. Ralph, Howie, and Alec meet with Merlin at Howie’s office. Merlin confesses that he did see the man that took the van in Dayton but was afraid of him. Ralph asks him if he can draw a picture and Merlin obliges. The drawing looks a lot like the deformed hooded man watching the crime scenes in Cherokee City.
“Tear-Drinker”
Photo Source: HBO/ Bob Mahoney
Written by Richard Price Directed by Igor Martinovic
After returning from an eye-opening trip to New York, Holly searches for clues at several locations connected to the Dayton case. Jeannie finds herself shaken by an unnerving incident at work and delivers an ominous warning to Ralph. Jack is put on the defensive at Tamika’s baby shower. – HBO
In the middle of the night, the hooded figure or the outsider (if you will) wakes Jeannie and warns her Ralph will be killed if he doesn’t stop investigating Terry Maitland. Ralph, of course, being a man of evidence insists that Jeannie just had a nightmare and was sleepwalking. When Jeannie sees Merlin’s drawing she is spooked, suggesting it was not a dream.
Back in Dayton, Holly having ruled out all the possible explanations accepts the possibility of a shape-shifting boogeyman that kills children. Holly visits the cemetery in which both Heath Hofsteder and his victims now reside. She believes if this outsider truly feeds off of grief and sorrow he may have been nearby to feed before moving on. She finds a rundown building near and photographs it suspecting the creature may have stayed there to feed. At Hofsteder’s grave, she meets an acquaintance of Heath’s, who acts rather unhinged and seems to blame himself. Later on, this man holds another hostage in order to commit suicide by cop. When the cops investigate the body he has the same burns as Jack on his neck.
Holly calls Ralph and asks him to take photographs around Terry’s grave. Jeannie asks Glory for permission and they all go including Yun. He is the one to notice that the barn where the clothes where found is right by the cemetery. The new evidence prompts Holly to drive to Cherokee City to inform everyone of her investigation.
Before leaving Holly spends the night with Andy Katcavage, the Dayton security officer with whom has helped her somewhat with the investigation. Holly leaves the next morning while he is sleeping. On her way out of the city, she gets stuck in traffic from the hostage situation and her car breaks down but she gets a tow. Andy wakes up and finds himself alone with her notes on the investigation and goes through them.
Meanwhile, Jack is still being terrorized. At Tamika’s baby shower, Jack apologizes for an early outburst on Ralph and asks if he can help with the Maitland case.
The Outsider is on Sunday nights at 9 on HBO.
