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'The Outsider' Episode 3 promo introduces recurring Stephen King character, unorthodox detective Holly Gibney

Gibney is a recurring Stephen King character from his ‘Bill Hodges’ trilogy. Holly, who will be played by Cynthia Erivo in ‘The Outsider’, suffers from Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, synesthesia, and sensory processing disorder
PUBLISHED JAN 16, 2020
Cynthia Erivo as Holly Gibney in ‘The Outsider’ (Screengrab/HBO)
Cynthia Erivo as Holly Gibney in ‘The Outsider’ (Screengrab/HBO)

HBO’s adaptation of Stephen King’s 2018 southern gothic horror novel ‘The Outsider’ has managed to pique everyone’s interest with its artistic, despairing visuals, compelling acting, and of course, great storytelling. The first two episodes -- ‘Fish in the Barrel’ and ‘Roanoke’ -- that dropped on the same day, introduced the plot.

The sleepy Georgia town of Cherokee Creek wakes up to a start when the ravaged body of 11-year-old Frankie Peterson is discovered in the woods. Mauled, raped and murdered, it was the kind of crime no one for miles ever expected to take place in this small town.

Detective Ralph Anderson’s (Ben Mendelsohn) investigation found local teacher and baseball coach Terry Maitland (Jason Bateman) as the prime suspect. Multiple witnesses tied him to the crime.

He was spotted offering Frankie a ride in a van. Later he was spotted covered in blood. The crime scene, too, was painted with his fingerprints and blood type. It seemed like an open-and-shut case until it didn’t. 

Not only did Terry have a solid alibi, but he was also captured on video in a different town at the time the crime was committed, attending a teaching conference with several colleagues who could all vouch for his presence. And his fingerprints too were found at the conference site. 

And if things seemed messy so far, it got messier still when Frankie’s brother Ollie (Joshua Whichard) shot and killed Terry in front of the courthouse just before Terry’s arraignment. Ralph, who shot Ollie down, was put on administrative leave and ordered to go for therapy.

But he was restless. He could not stop thinking about the case. And he continued to investigate further. So, what will happen in episode 3? Will these paradoxical facts find an answer?

As per TV Guide, the synopsis for the episode titled ‘Dark Uncle’ reads: “Despite being on mandatory leave, Ralph continues to scrutinize the confounding circumstances surrounding the night of the murder. Frustrated by their lack of progress, Ralph and GBI detective Yunis Sablo meet with Alec and Howie, who suggests bringing in unorthodox PI Holly Gibney. Jack has a hair-raising experience at a remote barn where key evidence and a mysterious substance have been found. Glory deals with the fallout at her daughters' school and with Jessa's increasingly concerning nightmares.”

Episode 3 will see the introduction of private investigator Holly Gibney, a recurring Stephen King character from his ‘Bill Hodges’ trilogy. Holly, who will be played by Cynthia Erivo in ‘The Outsider’ (her character, however, is portrayed by Justine Lupe in ‘Mr. Mercedes’), suffers from Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, synesthesia, and sensory processing disorder. Holly is also on the autism spectrum.

In the official promo for ‘Dark Uncle’ on HBO, we see a lot going down. It begins with Ralph declaring they would have to retrace their steps to find “where this whole horror show started”. They come to the conclusion that they need to recruit Holly for this job because admittedly, the Cherokee Creek law enforcement was at a loss. 

In the promo, Holly says, “All these contradicting forensics and videos… sounds like there is a connection.” Holly, if the promo is any indication, will play a major role in the show henceforth.

At one instance, when asked what was going on, Holly responds, “I’m afraid no one is going to believe me,” indicating that the supernatural is indeed at play here. We also see the faceless, hooded man in the promo again, the same man who was previously seen at the scenes of various tragedies in the town -- Terry and Ollie’s death, and Frankie’s father Fred’s (Frank Deal) attempted suicide.

In the promo, we first see him standing in the rain, and the second time, we catch a glimpse of him in the beam of a flashlight held by Ralph inside an abandoned barn. Ralph may say that he has “no tolerance for the unexplainable”, but as the series progresses, his tolerance will definitely be put to test. 

‘The Outsider’ airs Sundays, 9 p.m. EST (8 p.m. CST) on HBO.

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