Television series

Outsiders

Name: Outsiders
Genre: Drama, Adventure, Crime
Released: 2016
Cast: David Morse, Gillian Alexy, Kyle Gallner, Thomas M. Wright, Ryan Hurst

Family drama

Outsiders is a gritty Appalachian crime drama about the Farrell family, fierce mountain outsiders protecting their off-grid existence against encroaching law and civilization. Raw, violent, and deeply atmospheric, it's for viewers who want their dramas unvarnished—a story of clan loyalty and generational conflict where the landscape itself feels like a character.

TVMaze rating

3.9

Should you watch it?

Watch it if you like slow-burn family sagas where loyalty, land and old grudges carry more weight than tidy plotting, and you don't mind a rough, violent world with a dry sense of place.

Skip it if you want a brisk, action-led crime show, since this one lingers on family rituals, slow setup and bleak, brutal stretches that can feel heavy over its 26 episodes.

What it asks of you: Two seasons and 26 hour-long episodes, with a patient, grim tone and a slow build that rewards staying put rather than skimming.

Not sure? Find tonight's pick in a minute.

If you liked this

Banshee2013

A small-town crime saga with similarly intense family dynamics, morally compromised characters, and the same appetite for brutal confrontation. Fantastic ensemble cast and relentless momentum.

But Extremely graphic violence and sexual content. The plotting can feel pulpy and occasionally ridiculous, which won't work if you want grounded realism.

Rectify2013

Southern Gothic atmosphere, complicated family bonds under pressure, and a protagonist grappling with identity and belonging. Deliberately paced but hypnotic, with outstanding performances.

But Moves slowly and philosophically. If you want plot-driven action rather than character immersion and moral ambiguity, this will frustrate you.

Justified2010

Set in rural Kentucky with a lawman protagonist clashing against mountain culture and criminal enterprise. Sharp dialogue, genuine tension, and a charismatic lead. Eight seasons of consistent quality.

But Primarily focused on the cop's perspective rather than the outsiders' world view, which is a different angle entirely.

Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from Outsiders

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

Winter's Bone2010

Both inhabit the same Appalachian underworld of poverty, isolation, and family-before-law survival ethics. Same emotional temperature and regional specificity.

A young woman navigates rural Ozark meth country to save her family's land. Jennifer Lawrence in a haunting performance, bleak visual poetry, and the exact moral economy of Outsiders distilled into two hours. Feels like the film Outsiders spun off from.

But Glacially paced and deeply pessimistic. Very little plot momentum; it's purely about atmosphere and character endurance. Some viewers find it punishing rather than rewarding.

Hell on Wheels2011

Epic Western about outsiders and rebels building empire in harsh terrain. Strong sense of place, brutal honesty about violence, and characters forged by circumstance rather than choice.

But Production values and pacing vary season to season. Some plots strain credibility; it's less interested in grounded realism than Outsiders.

Penny Dreadful2014

Gothic family saga where outcasts band together against external threats. Lush, operatic, and genuinely dark. Eva Green is mesmerizing.

But Very different tone—theatrical and supernatural rather than grounded. Relies on horror and literary pastiche more than crime realism.

Homicide: Life on the Street1993

The gold standard for ensemble crime drama. Urban Baltimore instead of rural Appalachia, but the same commitment to character depth and institutional systems grinding people down.

But Episodic rather than serialized. Older production aesthetic. The operating logic is procedural, not clan-based.

The Wire2002

Baltimore crime epic with the same unflinching worldview about how systems fail communities. Five seasons of meticulous worldbuilding and genuine consequences.

But Deliberately opaque plotting and a huge cast. Demands active engagement; it won't hold your hand. Slow burn throughout.

Sons of Anarchy2008

Motorcycle club family drama with the same clan protection ethic and generational conflict. Fast-paced, operatic at times, and fully committed to exploring loyalty's price.

But Later seasons deteriorate significantly. Becomes increasingly melodramatic and contrived compared to Outsiders' grounded tension.

Godless2017

Both are about communities defending their autonomy against external authority. Both use landscape and isolation as narrative engines rather than backdrop.

A miniseries Western about a woman-run mining town visited by criminals. Only four episodes, gorgeously shot, and obsessed with power structures and outsider codes. Entirely different genre framework applied to identical thematic questions.

But Short commitment but Western aesthetics and pacing are very different. If you want ongoing serialization, this ends just as you settle in.