John, watching news coverage of the incident, is told by his wife that she heard someone in the house. He rushes downstairs and apprehends one of the perpetrators, beating him before his wife stops him. A small interaction between Frank, Myrna, and John also reveals that Frank has been outvoted by the two to take the money to the police. ..
The group of porn stars playing a game of naming a porn star name for themselves play an interesting game. They each name a pet and the street they grew up on. However, one of the stars, Rani, is having a really bad day. She’s been mugged and her first pet has been stolen. John helps her out by getting a notice from the burglar for a legal case he’s going to be working on in the future.
Myrna’s demonstration of protest against hate crimes outside the city hall becomes the focus of attention for the group, with Myrna’s background probed a little. ..
Bristol Collective Justice ousted Myrna after her little stunt with the recruitment vehicle. Myrna really has BCJ as her family and friends, choosing not to raise a family due to her vehement commitment to the cause of racial justice. Christian’s former mates know of his betrayal and are after him to retrieve the money. ..
Gabriella and Greg are busy organizing the former’s dream music festival. Since the deadline is the next day, Greg hurries to complete the paperwork. Gabriella promises to help Greg realize some of his innocent dreams - like flying in a private plane and dating a supermodel. The Chinese deal not going through is slowly realized in Josh’s company’s fractured financials. Without timely intervention, it runs the risk of going under. ..
Rani and Christian spend some time together, but before that Christian’s gang mates catch up to them. A short chase sequence sees them just avoid them and accidentally land on Gabriella’s party cruise. The scene shifts to the Halloran’s where the father-son duo has a verbal tussle regarding who is in charge of the company. John’s alternative to the Chinese investment is instantly rejected by his father, sounding ominous signs for him. Myrna joins up with her sister, to her surprise. They, along with her friends, go for a gentle stroll in the park but frown upon Myrna’s radical views. ..
At the cruise party, Gabriella asks Greg to pick up the stash for her. Rani and Christian are on the precipice of developing mutual feelings for each other. John makes a u-turn on the decision to hand over the money to the police, as he is scared for his enterprise. The episode ends with a heady montage involving all the characters sans Frank.
Gabriella feels bad about her casual attitude and returns to Greg apologetically and in full seriousness to complete the filings. Rani is still gushing over her day with Christian, who picks up his sister and walks back home to find it broken into and vandalized.
Frank convinces his gang mates that he didn’t steal the money; Rani is paid a visit by the police but her parents save the day by lying for her. Myrna makes it back to BCJ when she offers the money to keep it going. The climax crescendos with Frank, Myrna, and John agreeing to keep the money. ..
The Episode Review
The Outlaws is a nervy, thriller-toned series that has a consistent tone with each character’s life being explored as representative of a different subset of the British political and social ecosystem.
The showrunners have crafted a strong story that places the characters in each others’ vicinity. Episode 3 has a good balance of story-building and exposition about the country’s fractured legal system. Many social tropes that have been popular in the television space find a place here.
The group of people who are trying to learn about different cultures and personalities are an exciting opportunity that Stephen Merchant does a better job of creating an underdog identity for. He makes the group relatable and makes it an interesting opportunity to explore the many facets of diverse human personalities.
The drug line/stolen money plotline seems to be taking off. Episode 3 was also pivotal in further warming up the group to the audience by showing their vulnerable and caring sides.
The creators have left some events unfinished for the sake of avoiding complexity, but overall this episode is one of the most compelling of the series.
