Aahana Swrup
The sci-fi show’ Outer Range’ finds a unique setting at a family ranch, where the appearance of a mystical black hole messes up with the local time and space. The Abbot family and their patriarch, Royal, have their own fair share of problems to solve, such as the looming threat of the Tillersons’ move on their ranch land and the arrival of Autumn, a drifter camping out on their pastures. Therefore, once Royal comes across the giant Void in his land, with a tendency to swallow people only to spit them out at a different point in time, his life becomes exponentially more complicated.
The Wyoming town of Wabang— the mystery-driven show’s background— brings in a Western element to the setting that harmonizes with the narrative’s sci-fi genre to create a supernaturally unnerving story. Therefore, due to the town’s relevance within the show, viewers must find themselves curious about the town’s possible roots in reality.
Outer Range Fabricates the Town of Wabang
As a show partially defined by its Neo-Western genre tag, ‘Outer Range’s’ geographical setting in Wabang, Wyoming, remains a crucial part of its identity. Nevertheless, Wabang, the town itself, lacks a basis in reality, standing as a fictional town crafted in the image of Western America for the show’s narrative. As such, the place emulates the feeling of any small town across the country to emulate a familiar backdrop while also holding on to its functionality. As such, it retains a sense of separation that allows fans to suspend their disbelief as the show’s fantastical narrative unfolds.
In that regard, Wabang’s fictionality, alongside its resemblance to a realistic local ranching community, ends up informing its on-screen depiction. The town sports several staple local establishments, such as The Handsome Gambler Bar, the sheriff’s station, the bank, the motel, and other hotspots that create a town’s personality. Furthermore, through engaging characters, such as Deputy Sheriff Joy and the generational ranchers, The Tillerson or The Abbots, the Wabang town also retains a lore specific to its locality.
Consequently, these elements create a rich presence for Wabang on the screen. Nevertheless, the show achieves the same through a mix of location shootings and post-production magic rather than one off-screen geographical counterpart. In fact, the mountains that scenically surround Wabang for most of the show are reportedly a work of special effects. In real life, several downtown Las Vegas, Santa Fe, and Albuquerque areas create the backdrop for the town of Wabang, shifting the Wyoming town’s real-life location to California and New Mexico instead.
Still, through a mix of pre-existing historic buildings, community spaces, or sets built from scratch, ‘Outer Range’ builds its fictional town, infusing it with a sense of realism. Ultimately, the small town’s universality and Western quirks make the area appear authentic to the audience. Nonetheless, the town of Wabang does not exist outside of the show’s confines.
Read More: Outer Range Season 2 Ending, Explained
