Bill Garrison's Blog, page 2

The Outlaws: When Stereotypes Collide and Become Something More

Amazon’s The Outlaws is a hidden gem that blends comedy, crime, and heart in a way few shows manage. I just finished Season 3 last week after stumbling across it on Amazon—I hadn’t even realized a third season was out. That’s one of the odd things about modern streaming: shows you love sometimes drop new “seasons” without much fanfare. My wife and I really enjoyed this one.

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Created by Stephen Merchant (who also stars) and Elgin James, the series follows a mismatched group of strangers thrown together on community service in Bristol, England. I hadn’t seen Merchant’s previous shows, but knowing he co-created the original British Office gave him instant credibility in my eyes.

The first season opens with a group of characters forced into community service after brushes with the law. On the surface, they’re all stereotypes. But over the course of three seasons, they grow into layered, complicated people you can’t help but root for.

The Casting That Makes It Work

Casting is one of The Outlaws’ greatest strengths. Stephen Merchant not only co-created the show, but also delivers one of its most awkwardly hilarious performances as Greg, the socially inept lawyer. If you’ve seen The Office, you’ll recognize his talent for drawing both humor and heart from painfully human situations.

And then there’s Christopher Walken. Bringing him into this ensemble was a masterstroke. Walken adds gravitas, unpredictability, and plenty of laughs. He’s mischievous, sly, and endlessly watchable—yet at the same time he grounds the series and lifts it beyond just being another quirky comedy.

The Characters and Their Stereotypes

Greg Dillard (Stephen Merchant) – the socially awkward lawyer.

Frank Sheldon (Christopher Walken) – the seasoned con man with equal parts charm and weight.

Rani Rekowski (Rhianne Barreto) – the straight-A honor student rebelling against expectations.

Ben Eastfield (Gamba Cole) – the young man fighting to leave his criminal past behind.

John Halloran Jr. (Darren Boyd) – the outspoken Christian conservative businessman, portrayed with sincerity rather than mockery.

Myrna Okeke (Clare Perkins) – the lifelong left-wing activist, whose clashes with John create some of the show’s sharpest moments.

Lady Gabriella Penrose-Howe (Eleanor Tomlinson) – the spoiled influencer who grows into surprising depth.

And then there’s Diane Pemberly (Jessica Gunning), the overbearing community service supervisor. Diane may have an inflated sense of self-importance, but her heart is in the right place, and she steals nearly every scene she’s in. She’s consistently one of the funniest characters on the show.

Why the Show Works

What sets The Outlaws apart is its sincerity. The conservative Christian character is treated with the same humanity as the radical activist. The spoiled influencer is given the same chance to grow as the ex-gang member. These people may start as clichés, but the show refuses to leave them there.

The humor is sharp, awkward, and often wildly inappropriate—but it’s always grounded in character. And when the group stumbles into a dangerous drug trafficking scheme, the stakes shift from slapstick community service to real danger, forcing them to depend on each other in unexpected ways.

Season Three and Redemption

By season three, each character’s flaws have been exposed—arrogance, selfishness, cowardice, recklessness. But the brilliance of the show is that it doesn’t stop there. It gives them space for redemption, for growth, for second chances. What begins as a comedy about misfits cleaning graffiti evolves into a layered story about unlikely friendships and resilience.

Christian/Conservative Observations

One thing that really stood out to me: The Outlaws includes a Christian conservative character. That alone makes it unique in today’s TV landscape. And the best part? He isn’t treated as a punchline or a throwaway. He’s written sincerely, with flaws and virtues like everyone else.

Pairing him with the left-wing activist was a brilliant move. Watching those two ideological opposites clash—and eventually find common ground—gave the show some of its strongest moments. It’s proof that diversity of worldview can make a story richer, not weaker.

Rating

The Outlaws ranks 9th (9.3 out of 10) out of 64 shows I’ve watched since I started keeping track a few years ago. Pretty good, considering I only watch shows I am interested in.

Final Thoughts

The Outlaws succeeds because it’s funny, heartfelt, and respectful of its characters. It’s about people you’d never expect to share a room—and what happens when circumstances force them to lean on each other. With sharp writing, sincere performances, and a stellar cast led by Stephen Merchant and Christopher Walken, this is one you don’t want to miss.

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Political Thrills on Screen: Netflix’s Hostage and Amazon’s Heads of State

Netflix’s Hostage

I recently watched the five-episode Netflix series Hostage, starring Julie Delpy alongside a cast of talented actors I wasn’t familiar with. The plot revolves around the British and French prime ministers caught in a high-stakes crisis. The British Prime Minister’s husband is taken hostage while on a humanitarian mission, and she is meeting with the French President (Delpy) in London when she finds out. She is given an ultimatum: resign as prime minister, or her husband will be killed. The story was enjoyable, with some sharp twists at the end of the first few episodes that kept me hooked.

What really stood out, though, was the political backdrop. As an American viewer, I found myself intrigued by the interplay between French and British politics—systems I don’t fully understand but enjoyed seeing dramatized. The series raised questions for me, especially around the British health care system and how something like a drug shortage could unfold in a country that has access to global supply. It reminded me how different the NHS is from the U.S. health care system.

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The production also provided an unexpected thrill: a look inside the British prime minister’s residence at 10 Downing Street. The show’s depiction made it seem surprisingly vulnerable, almost too easy to infiltrate, especially compared to the heavily guarded image of the American White House. It was probably about as realistic as villains breaking into the White House in movies like White House Down or Olympus Has Fallen.

Anytime a show weaves political commentary into its narrative, there’s always the risk of oversimplifying or misrepresenting the real motives behind the politics. To the series’ credit, I didn’t feel it leaned too hard in one direction or distorted the issues. Instead, it kept its focus on the drama and the human decisions under pressure, which worked well for the story. If I were British or French, I might have felt differently, but as an American it was nice to see a political action-drama and not have to care too much about the politics.

Heads of State

Right after finishing Hostage, I turned to something completely different: the action-comedy Heads of State with John Cena and Idris Elba. I really enjoyed this one—it was funny, fast-paced, and packed with creative action sequences that stood out from the usual formula.

What I liked most was that the movie didn’t take itself too seriously. While there was a quick nod to the political motivations behind the villains, it never got bogged down in commentary or tried to make a grand statement. Instead, it kept the focus on entertaining set pieces, witty banter, and the chemistry between Cena and Elba.

Overall, Heads of State was just a lot of fun to watch. It reminded me that sometimes a movie doesn’t need to be profound to be thoroughly enjoyable—it just needs to commit to giving the audience a good time, and this one absolutely delivered.

One downside: the entire world thinks the President and Prime Minister are dead. There’s even a scene with John Cena’s wife reacting to the news. It would have been nice to see a few minutes of family and global reactions when they were revealed to be alive.

Christian/Conservative Observations

Neither of these shows portrays Christianity, which is fairly typical. Both include plenty of bad language, violence, and in Hostage, even a strange sexual twist. Politically, Hostage could have easily attacked the right (as entertainment often does), but it didn’t. While the story involved politics, it avoided using “left vs. right” to define good guys and bad guys—which I appreciated.

In Heads of State, Cena’s U.S. President is clearly conservative. But the writers tried to portray the villain as an “America First” type, which made little sense since those views would actually overlap with the President’s. That choice came off clumsy, at best.

Recommendation

Ultimately, I recommend both of these. I wouldn’t watch Hostage again—but then, I rarely rewatch TV shows. On the other hand, I’d gladly watch Heads of State a second time. I watched it alone, but I think it would be even more fun with my wife or family.

When I rate movies, one of my categories is “watch again.” Would I want to watch it again? Most movies get a “no,” even ones I like. But Heads of State gets a “yes,” and that’s a strong endorsement. I might even pick it up in the bargain DVD bin—if DVDs were still a thing.

Watching Heads of State also got me thinking about the bigger picture—how well a film like this could have done in theaters. Over the years, I’ve seen article after article about how the box office is down, making less money each year even as ticket prices keep climbing. Why is that? COVID? Sequel fatigue? Superhero fatigue? Lack of creativity?

I’m sure all of those play a role, but maybe the biggest reason is that countless stars and creative movies have shifted to streaming. That’s a topic I plan to dive into in an upcoming post.

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Why the Final Destination Series Is So Bad It’s Good

With my new novel coming out in December, I thought it would be fun to start writing about the kinds of stories I enjoy most — movies, books, and TV shows. Sometimes that will mean reviews of what I just watched, other times it’ll be lists of old favorites.

And what better way for a Christian conservative suspense writer to kick off a Substack than with….the Final Destination movies? Not because they’re great cinema (they aren’t), but because my wife and I recently binged the whole series.

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These films are technically classified as horror, but I’d call them anything but scary. There’s no real suspense — you always know exactly what’s coming. Each one follows the same formula: a big disaster, a group of survivors, and then a string of over-the-top, comically gory deaths. Predictable? Absolutely. Entertaining? Weirdly, yes.

Final Destination Movies (in release order)

1. Final Destination (2000)
Alex Browning has a vision that his plane will explode after takeoff. He and several others get off the flight, but Death begins stalking them in the order they were supposed to die.

The first two movies look a little dated, probably because of the film stock. Ali Larter and Seann William Scott were the only recognizable names for us. Part of the fun was Googling each cast afterward to see what else they had been in. (Answer: not much.)

2. Final Destination 2 (2003)
Kimberly Corman foresees a massive highway pileup and stops traffic, saving lives. But soon, survivors are picked off in bizarre chain-reaction accidents.

This is the “car pile-up one.” I liked how it tied back to the first film. It also made me paranoid about how many death traps exist in my own house. This might be the only one where the characters actually figure out Death’s plan and survive. The movie introduces the idea that if you die and are revived, you can cheat Death — a theme that comes back later in the series. It might also end the movie on the funniest death in the franchise.

3. Final Destination 3 (2006)
Wendy Christensen foresees a deadly roller coaster crash. Survivors escape, but Death comes calling again. Wendy tries to use photos as clues to stop it.

We actually started here. It was fun seeing Ryan Merriman (an Oklahoma City native, like me). He was also in Deep End of the Ocean with Michelle Pfeiffer. Unlike some of the others, this movie doesn’t really try to tie back into the earlier films.

4. The Final Destination (2009)
Nick O’Bannon has a vision of a horrific racetrack crash. He and others survive, but Death keeps pace.

This is the “race-track one.” The stadium seemed way too small — maybe 200 people tops — which made it hard to take seriously. But I’ll give it credit: the theater scene at the end was pretty good.

5. Final Destination 5 (2011)
Sam Lawton foresees a suspension bridge collapse. Survivors escape, but the film cleverly ties back to the original movie.

This is the “bridge collapse one.” The twist at the end really surprised me and tied things together in a clever way. Honestly, it’s the only one I’d definitely consider rewatching. Well, who am I kidding — I’d probably rewatch them all, because they’re so ridiculous they’re funny.

6. Final Destination: Bloodlines (2025)
College student Stefani Reyes inherits visions from her grandmother Iris, who prevented a skyscraper collapse in 1969. Death now hunts not only the original survivors but their descendants.

My son saw this one in theaters. He thought it might be different, but it wasn’t. The “bloodline” angle is new, but it’s still the same setup: people who should be dead trying to stay alive… and failing.

The Formula That Works

Each Final Destination runs about 90 minutes, and the structure never changes:

First third: the disaster

Middle third: the chain of crazy deaths

Final third: the last survivors fighting to cheat fate

It’s predictable, but in a good way. These movies don’t require much thought — just grab popcorn (or ice cream) and laugh at the absurdity. More than once I paused a movie, shocked that an hour had already flown by.

Recently, on Down to Dunk (one of my favorite OKC Thunder podcasts), one of the hosts said he loves the series because it’s so funny. I nodded in agreement. Many of the deaths are so outrageously tragic they become downright comedic.

My Movie Ratings

Thirty years ago, I started a spreadsheet rating every movie I’ve ever seen — and I still keep it updated. I just added all of these to the list. Final Destination 5, my highest rated of them all, landed in the top 39% of movies I’ve watched. Honestly, that feels high, because none of these are what I’d call “good” films. And yet, I binged the last five in a single week. Clearly, they’ve got something going. They’re unique.

The Christian / Conservative / Moral Component

Part of my ratings always includes a Christian/Moral/Political category. What struck me about this series is that, despite being about death, it never really got dark in a spiritual sense. A mysterious coroner shows up with cryptic warnings, but Death itself isn’t treated as anything beyond the inevitable fate we all face in God’s timing.

Yes, the films are gory, and a couple include gratuitous nudity. But overall, the series avoids deeper nihilism or glorifying evil. They’re simply outrageous, over-the-top “what if” stories built on one strange question: what happens if you cheat death?

Coming Next…

For my next few posts, I plan on talking about a Netflix series and Amazon movie, plus explore the question of “Has Hollywood really run out of ideas?”

Thanks for reading and forward to friends and family who you think may also enjoy this kind of content.

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Intro to my Substack

Hello, and welcome! My name is Bill Garrison, and I’m glad you’re here. Over the next few months, I plan on trying to market my new Christian suspense novel, which will be coming out in December. I decided to use Substack as a landing page for everything I will be writing.

I’ve always loved a good story—whether it’s on the page, on the screen, or on the TV. Movies, books, and television have a way of shaping us, entertaining us, and sometimes even challenging us to see the world differently. This space will be where I share thoughts on the stories I love, as well as a few I don’t.

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My perspective will come from a Christian, conservative worldview. That doesn’t mean every post will be political or theological—it won’t. In fact, if a movie or TV show isn’t overtly political or theological, then I won’t even talk about it. My goal is to enjoy and explore the stories that matter. Still, my faith and values will shape how I see characters, plots, and the messages woven into the stories we consume.

In addition to reviews and reflections on movies, books, and pop culture, I’ll also be sharing some behind-the-scenes updates about my own writing. I have a new novel coming out in December, and I’m excited to let you in on the journey toward publication.

If you love good stories, thoughtful conversation, and a mix of entertainment with a dash of conviction, I think you’ll feel at home here.

Thanks for joining me at the start of this adventure. Let’s talk about the stories that shape our lives.

—Bill

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