My brilliant and beautiful cousin, Gillian Alexy, has a new show that is premiering on WGN America in two weeks. I sat down with her and conducted an interview to give you all a brief overview of the show and some reasons why it will be something worth seeing.
DM: What is the show about?
GA: "Outsiders" is WGN America’s new original 13-episode drama. It follows the Farrell clan - a fictional "biker gang meets gypsy clan" who live in the Appalachia. They have lived on Shay Mountain in eastern Kentucky for over 200 years, totally off the grid and isolated from modern society. The main conflict of the show involves a coal company that tries to force the Farrells off the land in order to bring their industry to the town and do a mountain-top removal in the process. The small town at the base of the mountain gets caught in the middle after living peacefully with the Farrell clan for decades but at the same time, desiring the economic benefits they think Big Coal could bring. The Farrells, however, make it clear that they will not be leaving their home for anything and will protect their way of life at any cost.
DM: Who are the major characters?
GA: Currently, the Farrells have a matriarch, Lady Ray, played by Phyllis Somerville, and she is one tough woman. Her son, Big Foster, played by David Morse, is next in line to be the leader of the clan and takes that role seriously. His son, Little Foster, played by Ryan Hurst from "Sons of Anarchy," is soft-spoken and loyal to his father. He is one of the love interests of Gillian's character G'Winveer, the healer of the tribe and a strong-willed, free-spirited woman. The other romantic interest is Asa, played by Joe Anderson, who had been in a relationship with G'Win but left the clan and has only just returned to the mountain after ten years after not finding satisfaction with the outside world. One of the Farrell cousins, Hasil, is played by Kyle Gallner and has the potential to follow in Asa's footsteps after he becomes intrigued by life off the mountain and takes an interest in Sally- Ann, played by Christina Jackson, a young store clerk in the town. Finally, Thomas M. Wright plays Sheriff Wade Houghton, a State Deputy with a mysterious past who is pressured to evict the Farrells from the mountain and warns Big Coal that they should not mess with the clan.
DM: What are the deeper meanings/themes of the show?
GA: One of the major themes of the show is the struggle for power between Big Coal and the Farrells and within the clan itself. There is the question of whether the land really belongs to anyone and if the piece of paper Big Coal has can have supremacy over the claim of the Farrells who have lived off the land for over two centuries. Also, the show brings up questions of the advantages/disadvantages of big industry coming to a small town, socioeconomically and environmentally. And of course, you have the issue of tolerance; the representative of Big Coal and some of the people in the town have no understanding of the Farrell clan or what they have gone through to live in peace on the mountain, away from the violent capitalism and corrupt politics of our society.
DM: From your experience as a cast member, what can you say about the show and its creation that has meant a lot to you or some things that you think viewers will particularly enjoy?
GA: It's essentially "Game of Thrones" meets "Mad Max" meets "Little House on the Prairie." The Farrells are an amazing group of the people: they don't bother with money, they barter, they don't have electricity, they kill and grow their food, tan hides to make clothing, and live with no technology. That's another interesting point to note the grip that technology has on all of us.
There are no clear good guys and bad guy, the characters are very complex. You've got terrific plot twists and also classic elements like the star-crossed lovers storyline and the old-as-time clashing of worlds and cultures.
There's no other show like it on TV in its look and feel and ideas. It has created a new world which is always fun for
How can people watch "Outsiders"?
The series premiere is Tuesday, Jan. 26, 2016 at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT on WGN America. It's one of those channels that most people have but don't realize, so go to wgnamerica.com and use the Channel Finder.
Follow the series on social media:
• Hashtag: #OutsidersWGN
• Twitter: @OutsidersWGN
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OutsidersWGN
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/OutsidersWGN/
