Though the Farrells have been under siege by One Planet for quite a while, there hasn’t really been a major physical threat to come their way that was connected to the coal company’s thirst for their land. Breece and his group of disgruntled miners were easily dispatched and G’win diffused the conflict led by Wade that could’ve resulted in plenty of death on the sides of both the Farrells and Blackburg law enforcement, so with the coal company making their moves from a distance and using tactics like the fence and extra guards in lieu of another physical confrontation, the Farrells have mostly been the targets of psychological (and often passive aggressive) warfare. However, since One Planet knows that this hasn’t managed to push the Farrells off of Shay Mountain, and since the county has already had to deal with the arrest (and eventual escape) of Lil Foster, now might be the time they step their game up.
On the next episode of Outsiders, One Planet goes to a new extreme in their battle with the Farrells, opting to poison the Shay Mountain soil and water supply. Their plan is to starve the Farrells out and force them off the mountain by means of self-preservation; even though the family has been masterful at living off the land and sustaining themselves with very little influence from civilization, not even they could survive with significantly reduced food and water, not with the cold closing in and not with morale as low as it is. But the Farrells don’t know the meaning of the phrase “give up,” so rather than lamenting at this latest development, they devise a plan to kidnap a One Planet employee with the intent of showing them (in person) the impact that poisoning the soil and water will have on their community. The distance the coal company has kept from the Farrells has depersonalized their conflict, dehumanizing the very people they’re trying to run off the mountain, and the Farrells believe that putting a face to these despicable actions could swing things in their favor. But even if the Farrells successfully get one of the coal executives up on Shay Mountain, will they be able to get their point across given the manner in which they procured their audience?
Elsewhere on Outsiders, Wade’s run-in with an old friend causes him to confront the emotions he’s had to bottle up, while Gordon makes his first move after successfully hacking Haylie’s email and Sally Ann confronts Hasil after yet another mountain crisis comes to their attention.
Outsiders airs Tuesdays at 9:00 on WGN America.
Rather than helping their cause, could this latest plan from the Farrells make things worse by drawing more of One Planet’s ire and a stronger police presence on their mountain? Is Wade being forced to deal with the reality of his situation going to ultimately be a healthy thing? Can Hasil and Sally Ann come to an understanding about the role the mountain plays in their relationship?
