What I’m Watching: Wayward Pines (Season Premiere)

Wayward Pines: Season 2, Episode 1 “Enemy Lines” (B-)

I’m truly surprised that this show is back for a second season, though I suppose there’s really no such thing as a miniseries any more, just all these “limited series” that have different characters and storylines each year. This a bit of a hybrid, since a handful of players from season one are still around, though most of them bit the dust either in the finale or in this hour. What’s interesting about this show is that what I didn’t like about it in season one was that it was a strange mystery series about a cult-like town that then transformed into a science fiction dystopia drama, and never quite came to a good understanding of what it wanted to be. Now, we know what’s going on and we’re aware that most residents of Wayward Pines do too, but the town is still operating with secrecy as its chief driver, which will obviously lead to revolutionary circumstances like Ethan and the rebellious forces that were finally quelled at the end of season one with the return of the public hangings. Jason Patric is a fitting substitute for Matt Dillon in many ways, not the most terrific actor cast in a role of constant doubt and concerned rabble-rousing. I’m glad Hope Davis is still around, and we didn’t get to meet Djimon Hounsou’s character yet. I couldn’t figure out where I knew Nimrat Kaur, who plays Dr. Yedlin’s wife Rebeca, and some quick research reveals that she played Tasneem on “Homeland.” I’m not sure that I’m so interested in where this show is ultimately headed, but with summer TV lightening up and me now finding myself closer to being finally caught up, I might see this season through to find out where it all leads.

What I’m Watching: Wayward Pines (Season Finale)

Wayward Pines: Season 1, Episode 10 “Cycle” (B-)

Technically, this is the series finale, though I think that this show could be back for another run. I’m not exactly sure what the point would be since this sorts of ties things up neatly in one sense and ends it on a very depressing, haunting note. It also serves as the crucial connector of the first half of the show’s season and the second half, explaining the role of the first generation and why Wayward Pines operated and continues to operate in a totalitarian fashion. This finale was action-packed, with Kate immediately reclassified as a spokeswoman for the people rather than someone they wanted to reckon, and Pam also redefined as someone with true good in her heart rather than her brother, who acted more like a jealous god. I’m not sure that some of the plot developments fully tracked, but this show has always been more about the ideal and its premise than what actually transpires. Megan meeting her end because she refused to run and to address what was happening was telling, and Ethan made a triumphant sacrifice, blowing himself up to ensure that the creatures didn’t permeate their safe space. But then this show returned to its horror origins and revealed that, despite all this success, the threat was never really external. Even with the beings kept out, it was the first generation who rose back up and took power, not content with an occasional reckoning but instead intent on stringing up those who would dare to leave, no longer leaving anything to the imagination. If this show did return for a second season, I’d probably watch because I like dystopias, but I do feel that overall this cool concept needed some finessing.

Season grade: B-
Season MVP: Toby Jones as Dr. Pilcher

What I'm Watching: Wayward Pines

Wayward Pines: Season 1, Episode 9 “A Reckoning” (C+)

There's just one episode left of this show, a fact that should be obvious given the major cliffhanger that ended this hour and the knowledge that a mess has been created that will be near impossible to clean up. What's frustrating about this show is that it goes from zero to sixty without any warning, with armed first generation militants breaking into a jail and executing four out of five prisoners moments later and Theresa and Kate switching sides completely after seeing video footage of a destroyed Golden Gate Bridge. That video makes me wonder whether something like “Fear the Walking Dead,” a prequel about how things changed, might be interesting, but I think that understanding how Wayward Pines was built and the institutions that were created might be more worthwhile. The problem is that there are far too many holes in the way that this show has been arranged, which is a shame because I think the premise is really solid. Pilcher shutting off all the power in the city after Ethan decided to start telling everyone what's really going on was vindictive rather than practical, and shutting off the fence so that the beasts humans have evolved into can get in was a poor choice that is going to bring down everything he worked so hard to build. Kate and Ethan are firmly on the same side now, which is good, but Megan and the first generation are not going to be able to see Pilcher's arrogance before they burn the city down.

What I'm Watching; Wayward Pines

Wayward Pines: Season 1, Episode 8 “The Friendliest Place on Earth” (C+)

This episode didn't accomplish too much, bridging a gap between the two worlds this show has created for itself. The pursuit of Harold and the other rebels was a drawn-out process that didn't need to take that long, and the more interesting part was seeing a harrowed Kate towards the beginning of her stay being analyzed and treated as a crazy person because she couldn't come to terms with the situation in which she was now existing. That she has been told what is really going on and chooses not to accept it is intriguing, and I suspect that she, like Ethan, would have been more receptive to coming around to the idea given her investigative nature and general understanding of the need to protect the people first. That's where this show seems to be heading, as we see a crucial divide between the previously angelic David Pilcher and his previously terrifying sister Pam. They both see the reckonings in play town in Wayward Pines as a necessary evil, something to keep the populace in line, but now that has gotten out of control as David deems punishment of those alleged collaborators, who are really just human bystanders, the next logical step in maintaining order. Now that she and Kate are best friends, Theresa has another woman in Wayward Pines to hate with all her energy, and that's the extraordinarily manipulative and unsubtle Megan, who managed to poison Ben against his father with very little effort. At least he's not dead – that would have been a tragedy this show would have had a lot of trouble dealing with and recovering from.

What I’m Watching: Wayward Pines

Wayward Pines: Season 1, Episode 7 “Betrayal” (B-)

I can’t help but feel that, now that the cat is out of the bag, there’s nowhere to go but down. After receiving strict instructions not to tell anyone what he had learned, Ethan went and blabbed about the true year to every single person who would listen. Theresa and Kate finally found common ground, able to agree that Ethan’s story about it being 4028 felt more than a bit contrived. Where we stand now is that Ethan has fully stepped into his role of protectorate of the city, tracking down insurgents like Harold and Kate who are behaving a whole lot like he was only a short time ago (I’ve lost track of what weeks, days, years, decades, and centuries actually represent on this show). Clearly the educational system is focused too much on procreation and indoctrination and not enough on common sense, as anyone in the twenty-first century wouldn’t open a random music box and think that nothing shady could possibly be going on, suggesting that sex in the back of a truck is the logical next step. Ben being dead, which seems all but certain given the final shot of the episode, changes things in an irreversible way, since it doesn’t appear that Wayward Pines has experienced any outright murders not witnessed by the whole town, and Kate, Harold, and their merry band of insurgents have crossed a line that puts them firmly against everyone in the town. I’m not sure what happens from here, but it’s definitely going to be a miserable mess.

What I’m Watching: Wayward Pines

Wayward Pines: Season 1, Episode 6 “Choices” (B)

This show is a completely different show than it was just two episodes ago, and this entirely expository hour is an important analysis and explanation of how these two vastly incompatible universes exist alongside one another. Ethan got his own personal tour of the world as it actually exists in 4028, with the seemingly kindly Dr. Pilcher filling him in on why they do what they do. The flashbacks to David and his sister trying to discuss and spread their opinions and the Sherriff being hired from his security guard job were effective, and it’s clear that it’s all such a distant memory. Obviously certain things are far from perfect, like the public executions designed to keep all thoughts of rebellion from everyone’s minds, but it doesn’t seem like anything is meant to be malicious. Theresa is going to get herself into trouble by pushing too much, but I think that’s the Burke family gene, and until Ethan clues her in, which I’m sure he won’t, she’s just going to continue pressing and alerting others to the fact that she knows too much (or thinks she does, since she actually has no clue). The best part of the episode was its final scene, in which Ethan learned about a small faction that was trying to remove their chips to stage a revolution, and everything involving Kate from the hour was revealed to be connected, as Kate and Harold, who seemed like such phone-answering, law-abiding citizens, are actually the two culprits right at the forefront of the movement that could bring down civilization as it still exists in Wayward Pines.

What I’m Watching: Wayward Pines

Wayward Pines: Season 1, Episode 5 “The Truth” (B-)

Well, this is something different. After a few creepy hours that made it seem like this was a town full of pitchfork-wielding Neanderthals, it turns out that it’s actually the opposite. This episode feels very much like a reboot, unconnected to the four installments that led up to it, redefining the show in a major and irreversible way. Truth be told, I’m much more intrigued now, though so much is still unclear, namely the way in which people like the late Sherriff can travel to 2014 to bring new residents to Wayward Pines and why their society is based on so much cultish secrecy. The manner in which Ben learned the truth while his father uncovered it for himself and Theresa made a lot of progress without really discovering anything was relatively well-executed, a nice surprise for this show, which has been big on the mystery but not so big on the payoff. I very much appreciate the revelation of Toby Jones’ Dr. Jenkins as David Pilcher, the engineer of all this who represents the first source of answers and isn’t nearly as eerie getting out of a helicopter out in the wasteland. Pam too for that matter! I’d love it if Wayward Pines was almost a thing of the past, and we could move on to this 4028-set universe full-time. Hope Davis being the one to explain the history of Wayward Pines as Megan Fisher was perfect, offering up an eerily calm story that’s quite a lot to digest.

What I’m Watching: Wayward Pines

Wayward Pines: Season 1, Episode 4 “One of Our Senior Realtors Has Chosen to Retire” (C+)

This episode offered up a fresh attitude from Ethan on how to survive in Wayward Pines as his circumstances changed considerably, yet, as always, this show is in a rush to marathon through its developments, not content to leave Ethan in a positive position even just for a full episode. Ethan being appointed sheriff is a surprising turn of events in one sense but also the logical choice given his background, and he actually did well and decided to play along to see what it would do for him. Truth be told, Pam was the only one who was opposing him and insisting that Peter be reckoned, and Ethan might have actually been able to mold the town into something less sinister. That doesn’t account, of course, for whatever took his predecessor and whatever was watching him at the end of the episode. Pam as sheriff is a worrisome notion, and I think the town may turn against her since she doesn’t have the personality for it. Pope understood that he had to be liked and managed to do alright despite his posthumous reviews. Ben’s induction into his new school is certainly unsettling, as a refusal to call Seattle the place that he lives earns him the right to play guitar and start classes with other students. It’s never a bad thing to see Hope Davis cast in a role that I hope is worthy of her talents. It was interesting to learn that Theresa was training to become a Secret Service agent, and to see her icy interaction with Kate. At least she’s smart enough to play along from the start as an act of allegiance to her husband and his ongoing case.

Take Three: Wayward Pines

Wayward Pines: Season 1, Episode 3 “Our Town, Our Law” (C+)

This show certainly feels like a limited series, killing off multiple major characters within the span of its first few episodes and bringing and grounding a few of its fringe players into Wayward Pines without giving them too much time to exist on the outside unsure of whether Ethan was dead or alive. It seems like Wayward Pines is awfully easy to locate and enter, as Theresa and Ben found out where Ethan was and then within minutes were close enough for Sheriff Pope to pull them over and sabotage their car so that they too would be stranded in his town. Also, time doesn’t add up – if five weeks meant ten years for Kate, how does several days for Ethan also equal several days for his wife and son? It appeared that events had aligned themselves so that Theresa and Ben would be furious at Ethan because based on what they saw he was continuing his affair with Kate, but there’s no time for such uncertainty on this show, and instead they’ve already progressed to Ethan needing to protect his family within Wayward Pines. Pope’s death was a bit of a surprise, but apparently the town may be more than just controlled by creepiness and instead actually haunted by some demon force. I don’t suspect we’ll get any sort of answers anytime soon, especially since the Secret Service appears to be complicit in whatever’s going on, but it would be nice to at least have some sense of where things are headed. It’s good to know that Kate is an ally, though she’s definitely come to terms with where she is and had long stopped trying to leave before Ethan showed up.

Round Two: Wayward Pines

Wayward Pines: Season 1, Episode 2 “Do Not Discuss Your Life Before” (B-)

I’m not entirely sure what to make of this show, because in one sense it seems to be proceeding along at an accelerated rate, revealing quite a bit about its town and its rules and even publicly executing one of its main characters in its second episode. Certain major questions still remain, like why everyone thinks it’s 2000 and why they all comply with these rules if most of them are in fact outsiders who have been deemed not allowed to try to leave, to talk about their lives before, etc. It’s hardest to read Kate, who we know tried to communicate some secret message by the porch fan to Ethan and now emotionlessly converses with all the. She also seemed somewhat turned off by watching Beverly’s execution, signifying that maybe she isn’t as completely in line with the town and its rules as it seems. I like that Ethan is figuring out subtler ways to push the boundaries, like calling the Seattle office and tricking the secretary into admitting that she isn’t actually in a real place. Theresa and Ben driving to Idaho is worrisome, but I suspect that they won’t be able to find Ethan since only a fatal car crash or some other devastating incident can actually send you to Wayward Pines. We’ll see if this show continues to be alluring and intriguing or if it gets lost in its own convoluted rabbit hole instead as it unfurls more and more of its mystery and what it is that makes this town so creepy.

Pilot Review: Wayward Pines

Wayward Pines (FOX)
Premiered May 14 at 9pm

This isn’t a great time for network shows to premiere, and so the barometer really isn’t that high. My main concern with this show, which I learned about only days before it premiered after seeing advertisements all around New York City, was not that it wouldn’t be good but rather that it would be scary, since “The Sixth Sense,” which I wrote about this weekend because it’s available via Netflix Instant Streaming, is one of the best movies I’ve seen but also one of the scariest. I love thrillers of all kinds as long as they don’t involve people coming back to life (conspiracies are okay, demons and ghosts are not), and it seems from this first hour that this show might be creepy but will still fall under the thriller classification rather than horror. It is reminiscent in some ways of a supernatural “Under the Dome,” which might not be a bad thing since that show, in concept, was much cooler than in execution. I’m definitely intrigued by all the elements of the town that seem unchangeable but the distinct presence of rebels who know that something is going on and are doing different things to deal with it – Juliette Lewis’ Beverly actively leading Matt Dillon’s Ethan to important evidence and Carla Gugino’s Kate trying to blend in and not cause problems. Following Ethan’s family and boss in the outside helps to emphasize the spooky nature of whatever is going on in Wayward Pines. I didn’t expect to want to come back for a second look, and now I’m eager to see if it can match its intrigue in episode two with quality answers and plot progression.

How will it work as a series? Its mystery framing worked well in this episode as did its insular nature, trapping Ethan in a cyclical situation with no answers. He made a lot of noise and now knows that he’s stuck, so it’s a question of whether the show can continue to exist and enthrall now that he’s going to be primarily focused on figuring out how to get the hell out of his current prison of sorts.
How long will it last? This ten-episode first season is being billed as a miniseries, and from the way it started, it looks like that’s all this show will end up being. Airing original episodes when everything else on network TV is headed into reruns could help, but it’s going to need a serious surge to merit a second season.

Pilot grade: B