Here's a new series for those who've missed the tats, brawls and scraggly hair of Sons of Anarchy.
Outsiders, a tale of struggle for power and control set in the backwoods hills of Appalachia, debuts at 8 p.m. Tuesday on WGN America. You'll be pulling for the mountain folk.
The 13-episode, one-hour drama tells the tale of the Farrell clan, a tight-knit family of "outsiders," who have lived atop Shay Mountain for more than 200 years. Conflict comes as the Farrells fight to defend their land and way of life from the outside world, especially the Big Coal rapers of the land who want to evict them.
There's a reason the clan is named Farrell. It's a none-too-subtle hint at "feral," referring to wild critters.
I've seen five episodes and it's unclear exactly how many "cousins" there are up there on the mountain. Maybe a couple of hundred. But they live an isolated life and above the law, enforcing their own set of long-held values and beliefs.
The Farrells are governed by a tribal authority led by a "Bren'in," or ruler, and a small council of elders.
You'll have to suspend some disbelief to swallow that in the 21st century there can be such a secretive community living on their own in eastern Kentucky (shot on location in the foothills near Pittsburgh), but go with it or the series' premise will be undermined.
The Farrells may be off the grid, but they somehow have all-terrain vehicles, a few amenities and at least some electricity. Maybe there are a few generators hidden somewhere.
While the clan doesn't have much interaction with the outside world, they do come roaring off the mountain in their ATVs on occasion to raid big-box stores and even "dumpster dive" for things from thrift stores.
At any rate, the Farrells are seriously unforgiving when crossed and in perpetual conflict with the residents of Blackburg, the town squatting at the foot of Shay Mountain.
For the Farrells, the folks in Blackburg -- and all others outside the clan -- embody greed and corruption and must be avoided at any cost. Direct contact with the "Losties" is strictly forbidden.
We learn in the first episode that for the past 20 years, an uneasy truce has been in place between the Losties and Farrells. Then a major coal company enters the arena with the deed to mining rights on Shay Mountain and wants the local sheriff to kick the Farrells out.
Bad things happen because the Farrells plan to defend their way of life by any means necessary.
Aside: That way of life includes the occasional use of Chanadh Myrr, or Old Tongue. It combines words and phrases from the clan's original languages -- Scots, Gaelic and Welsh. The language evolved into a unique dialect during the clan's isolation after Foster Farrell the First led the Shay, McGintuk and Farrell families to their mountain home.
Created and written by playwright Peter Mattei (Love in the Time of Money), the series is executive produced by Peter Tolan (Rescue Me, Analyze This) and Paul Giamatti (Billions, John Adams) and stars a large and impressive ensemble.
Here's the main cast.
David Morse (Treme) plays Big Foster, the tough-talking heir to be the next Bren'in.
Thomas M. Wright (The Bridge) plays Sheriff Wade Houghton, a local with a mysterious history with the Farrells and personal troubles of his own.
Ryan Hurst (Sons of Anarchy) is Lil Foster, a hulking, but kind-hearted, mountain man and son of Big Foster.
Joe Anderson (The Divide) has the key role of Asa Farrell, a former clan member looking to rejoin the family after 10 long years in the outside world. His Lostie expertise will come in handy in the battle with Big Coal.
Gillian Alexy (The Americans) plays the comely G'Winveer, a healer, who is currently Lil Foster's woman and was Asa's woman before he left long ago.
Kyle Gallner (American Sniper) plays Hasil, a young clan member who feels alienated and becomes infatuated with a fetching townie.
Christina Jackson (Boardwalk Empire) is Sally-Ann, the fetching townie who is also fascinated with the Farrells, especially sensitive, introspective Hasil.
Francie Swift (House of Cards) portrays Haylie, the slick and cunning community relations manager representing the encroaching coal company.
Phyllis Somerville (The Big C) plays Lady Ray, the tough Bren'in of the Farrell clan and Big Foster's mother.
In a WGN interview, Tolan says, "There's a real beauty to [the Farrells'] civilization, even though they are also very brutal and rough. Everybody is striving for some sense of freedom, and everybody feels like somebody is denying them that freedom."
Outsiders is rated TV-MA for all the usual reasons -- adult language, dialogue, violence and sexual situations.
Style on 01/24/2016