This review may contain spoilers.

The opening episode of "Outcasts" turned out to be a dud; it was poorly paced and lacked any real incident worth watching.

Thankfully, the second episode does not make the same mistakes and takes a more driven approach to the lives of the colonists and the situation they find themselves in, with the expeditionary teams now tracking down escape pods from the downed CT9. As the search for survivors goes on, "Outcasts" delves deeper into the political situation of Carpathia -- and of Humanity in general -- whilst also offering more in the way of character development, revealing some seriously questionable actions on several of the characters.

Among them is President Tate who in the previous episode rallied an entire transport craft and inspired hope. The decisions that clearly haunt him not only include the quarantine of sick colonists (including his wife and children) but also the exile of those who could have been saved. It is hard to imagine Tate as a man that puts the good of the colony over his own morality given his fatherly influence, but Cunningham has an air of wisdom about him that could conceivably have come from past mistakes.

Also in his ranks is Julius Berger (Eric Mabius), the former Vice President of the Earth evacuation. Mabius has a sense of arrogance about him (as he does in every series he is a part of) that translates perfectly to the complex and morally destitute character. As Stella (Hermione Norris) clearly establishes, he is important but not essential, a status that has led to a substantial ego and high political ambitions.

All of the other characters are all shown to have blood on their hands – some quite literally – and a past they can’t quite escape no matter how hard they try, and it only gets worse when Stella’s daughter is taken captive by survivors from a past atrocity. Their leader, Rudi (Langley Kirkwood), has a Ben Linus presence with a serious grievance against the Carpathian administration, and against President Tate in particular.

Episode 2 also provides some much needed background on the evacuation of Earth, but keeps enough back that we’ll keep watching in the hopes of more answers. However, it is the stories of the initial settlement of Carpathia that holds the greatest interest, showing that Humanity is making many of the same mistakes here as it did on Earth … a premise that the series will be smart to stick with.

Points Of Interest

1. Cloned units takes the series away from realistic science-fiction and into the blah realms of Star Wars.

2. It is a pity that Mitchell (Jamie Bamber) was killed off in the opening episode, as his presence could have helped intensive the dealings with the Ace’s.

What Worked

The opening sequence of Fleur (Amy Manson) saying her goodbyes was touching, and helps to again establish the show as a character drama more than a science-fiction series.

In much the same way, there is something so elegant about the simple way the episode showcases a multitude of reactions to the survivors arrival in Forthaven; some stare in awe, others drop to their knees and there are a few that marvel at the natural beauty this new world holds.

The second episode also had featured some comedic banter that makes these characters likeable and even goes as far as making us care whether or not they live or die.

Again, the visuals and landscapes are simply stunning, showing Carpathia to be a vast and lifeless world just waiting for the Human race to tame (or destroy).

What Didn't Work

Episode 2 offers snippets of the information we want, but keeps too much to guessing games.

Again, the fate of Earth is relegated to a smattering of idle conversations and could have done with more exposition. Just how vital is the colonization of Carpathia to the future of the Human race?

Also among the questions being asked is the significance of the plummeting birthrate on Carpathia and how the others have been able to breed without the help of Forthaven’s facilities.

Giving Credit Where Credit Is Due

“Outcasts” was written by Ben Richards and directed by Bharat Nalluri.

“Outcasts” airs Mondays and Tuesdays at 9 p.m. GMT on BBC One.