Cinemax drama ‘Outcast’ shifts apocalypse from zombies to demons

Isn’t it always the way? Just when some of us felt ready for the zombie apocalypse — mountain cabin near lake, water purification system, flame throwers — turns out we’ve been prepping for the wrong apocalypse.

Zombies out, demons in.

Well, not out out. “The Walking Dead” and “Fear the Walking Dead” continue to dominate the AMC landscape in continuous, carnivorous perambulation.

But with his new Cinemax drama “Outcast,” their creator, graphic novelist Robert Kirkman, is going basic, i.e. demonic possession.

It was “The Exorcist,” after all, that lifted horror from its moldering B-movie shroud and unleashed a high-production, deep-themed army of demons, devils and monsters into serious film and television.

Vampires and werewolves, witches and zombies have all had their day in the, er, moon, often (“Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” “Supernatural,” “True Blood,” “Penny Dreadful”) in the same show.

Still, we knew what lay behind it all: Satan and his army of depraved demon wanderers, who posed the ultimate threat because they t couldn’t be killed, only dispelled.

Preparation is useless. As “Outcast” makes instantly clear, we, and those we love, are just one ill-fated breath away from becoming a bug-eating, child-abusing, floor-scuttling demonic vessel.

And no wholesale, brain-piercing, high-volume gamer action is going to help, either. Our only hope, apparently, is Christian faith and prayer. Which is also bringing the heat, albeit in a cheekier, more inclusive way, in AMC’s “Preacher.”

It’s also a bit more complicated than you garden-variety exorcism in “Outcast,” where the traditional holy warrior-- one Reverend Anderson (Philip Glenister) quickly realizes that sage and Scripture aren’t going to cut it. To effectively fight evil, he needs Kyle Barnes (Patrick Fugit), the requisite emotionally tortured, morally ambivalent and ill-shaven “hero” who appears to have some sort of connection with/power over the demon horde threatening his small fictional West Virginia hometown of Rome.

Horde because “Outcast” may be based on a graphic novel, but that novel was written in conjunction with the television series, and in modern television, the apocalypse ethos still rules.

West Virginia, because, well, it’s a truly beautiful state with wide-ranging topography and social demographics. Also, and this could just be me showing my age and penchant for over-analysis, it has been famously characterized as “almost heaven.”

Not that this applies to Barnes, who has returned only recently to his dilapidated family house to squat in filth and horrific memories.

“Outcast” is nothing if not creepy, which the presence of young children only amplifies. But the pilot’s real strength comes from Kirkman and show runner Chris Black’s ability to create an immersive state of panicked confusion by projecting fear into easily accepted normalcy. Kyle clearly had a traumatic childhood, but he also has an adopted sister, Megan (Wrenn Schmidt), who wants to help him overcome it. At the Piggly Wiggly, the ladies of the town encourage others to pray for the young boy afflicted by the community’s peculiar brand of madness as if it were a very bad case of the flu.

No one uses the word “possession,” but it’s the preacher who’s sent for, in this case Anderson, a man whose faith does not prevent a regular, and very boozy, poker game. He faces the demon squarely and with great courage, but he doesn’t get very far until Kyle shows up. Kyle is, as it turns out, an “outcast,” and though he does not know what this means, he is clearly feared and sought by demons. Certainly, his methods err on the side of the Old Testament, which makes him reluctant to commit to this new line of work.

Strangely, “Outcast” is equally reluctant. Though there are undeniable “Buffy” elements (a slayer has been chosen), the writers have larger and more brutal ambitions. Some of which fuel the story — from where was ol’ Kyle cast out in the first place? — some of which, at least initially, work against it.

In “Fargo” fashion, there are many characters loosely connected by disturbing things and as many backstories and plot lines as there are characters. (In the second episode, an old man in a hat shows up, which is almost as hilarious as it is chilling). Some assembly is required of any newly mythic series, but too many portents, no matter how eerie, lose their power with replication. Three hours in, the main character may not grasp the nature of his story, but the viewers should have at least a general understanding.

Though Fugit is the star, it’s Glenister who does a lot of the heavy lifting; his Anderson not only keeps the plot grounded and moving but he also saves Fugit’s Kyle from sinking too far into the broody, moody morass that too often passes for depth in tales of the supernatural. Kyle gives “Outcast” dimension, but Anderson makes it vital.

Unfortunately, the crowded script slows them down. Too often, “Outcast,” like it’s demons, depends on the terrifying seductions of possession to hold our attention. But at some point, even the most wily demon learns that fear is not enough; there has to be a purpose to its antics.

mary.mcnamara@latimes.com

‘Outcast’

Where: Cinemax

When: 10 p.m. Friday

Rating: TV-MA (may be unsuitable for children under the age of 17)