Outer Range is a show that can be split into two distinct halves, the crime drama brought via a murder investigation and time-traveling science-fiction thanks to a mysterious, alien portal. The crime element of Outer Range Season 1 makes for a gripping depiction of family feuds and the depths people will sink to for the ones they love. The disappearance of Trevor Tillerson and the subsequent murder investigation are both spearheaded by Deputy Sheriff Joy, who brings a morality to the series in her search for justice.
Deputy Sheriff Joy
Played by Tamara Podemski, the acting Sheriff is a smart and personable individual, who wants to win the Sheriff’s title in the upcoming election. She is the moral compass of the show, stopping at nothing to find the truth, in the hopes of bringing justice to all criminal activities. Her involvement in the Trevor Tillerson case unearths a seedier side to the Abbott family and a fantastical conspiracy she can’t quite come to grips with.
We are first introduced to Deputy Sheriff Joy as she explains to the Abbott family that the FBI will not be pursuing the case of the disappearance of Rebecca Abbott any further.
Rebecca is Perry’s wife and Amy’s mother, having gone missing nine months prior. She is respectful and comforting to Perry, with a laid back temperament. Her previous history with the Abbotts means she doesn’t suspect the family of any foul play, which blindsides her in the ensuing investigation.
The Tillerson brothers instantly blame the Abbotts and Joy questions the suspects thoroughly. She has the belt buckle tested, probes witnesses and tackles the case in a generally professional manner.
The blood on the buckle ends up being bull rider Rhett’s and when Royal steals this incriminating evidence Joy quickly shifts her attitudes, believing the Abbotts are actually in on this. She questions Rhett and Perry separately at the station, using mind games and classic detective tactics to instigate a response. Rhett admits to fighting with Trevor and later Perry confesses to the murder.
Joy is applauded for the arrest, but she isn’t totally satisfied with the confession, everything doesn’t quite add up in her opinion. The coroner’s report stated the time of death was ten hours before the body was discovered, not days earlier. She keeps hunting for the truth, rejecting the easy way out at all turns.
Her sleuthing leads to a mystical alternative, hinted at by Billy Tillerson and then confirmed by Joy’s final discovery. She time travels herself by following a black mineral trail, witnessing a herd of bison and tepees in the distance.
Interestingly, Deputy Sheriff Joy is vaguely distinguishable in the future sequence too, meaning she must be victorious in becoming the county Sheriff.
