By: Robert Murphy
Do you ever feel the tiniest bit of paranoia when you’re
casually walking along? You start to feel like something just isn’t right and
that you’re being watched from somewhere and by someone. Well, for the citizens
of Wayward Pines this feeling is constant as everyone and everything is
carefully monitored by some unknown group of people and if you want to live a
happy life you better do things their way. But, this isn’t how the brooding
Ethan Burke (Matt Dillon) operates and when he finds himself mysteriously
waking in this odd little town he immediately starts to look for answers as to
where he is and what is going on. This is easier said than done though as the
town is ruled by fear and everyone who comes to Wayward Pines knows there is no
leaving it.
I suppose many people were already turned off to Wayward Pines as soon as they realized
that M. Night Shyamalan was the one who picked up the ten episode miniseries.
However, the director’s first entry into the television world starts off on a
high note just as his entry into the world of film. The show is based off of a
three part book series so many people I’m sure had expectations if they have
read the series before hand but as it so often is, I had not read the series and
had no idea what to expect. From my stand point things were handled quite well
in most regards especially when it came to the world you are presented with.
Wayward Pines is a plastic town with flaws all around that any well trained CIA
agent like Ethan Burke could sniff out but most normal everyday citizens should
realize some of the issues no problem. So why is it that he is the only one who
seems to be bothered by it all? Well, once you meet some of the high ranking
officials throughout the town and what happens to those who disobey even the
simplest of rules, you will begin to understand.
Ethan faces more than a few challenges between a town full
of people who are either too scared to fight or somehow on the side of those
behind Wayward Pines but also the dangers that lay beyond the gigantic electric
wall that surrounds the town. Either way, Matt Dillon’s portrayal of the
brooding Ethan Burke was a constant relief throughout the entire series, he is
always the one who acts the most like a human being when it comes to how people
act in Wayward Pines. That and the fact that he was always at the forefront of
all the action for the series, his character was the driving force behind
solving the mysterious behind the bizarre world and it was great to watch him
do so.
Other credit goes to the secret and not so secret forces
behind the town. Sheriff Pope (Terrence Howard) garnishes most of the hate and
frustration for viewers as he plays the devilish judge, jury and executioner
for the town. The last part he enjoys particularly well as the town performs
ceremonies called “reckonings” to kill all those who disobey the rules of
Wayward Pines, publicly too I might add. Terrence Howard is just as
delightful to have on screen as Matt Dillon and the two square off against each
other countless times during the first half of the series, Terrence’s cold and
cool demeanor making for an excellent bad guy. We also have the seemingly
polite Nurse Pam (Melissa Leo) who goes from evil right hand worker one minute
and becomes a surprisingly likeable hero the next. Her characters
transformation is frankly quite believable though as it becomes very obvious
that she believes in the town and does not want any lose of human life for the
sake of a better future.
Not all the characters were as well defined as some of the
show runners, especially when it comes to Ethan Burke’s family. Ethan’s son Ben
(Charlie Tahan) receives far more attention than I would have expected but for
good reason as he serves as a connection to the youth of the town and how
important they’re. I would have loved some more time during the series to have
been focused on the kids of Wayward Pines due to the lessons they’re taught and
the way the mastermind behind the town, Dr. Jenkins (Toby Jones), works on
brainwashing them all. Ben however never feels all that involved in what is
going on, despite how important of a part he has to play and may have to pay in
another season, his character is very flat and never lives up to the potential
of what the show expects of him. Ethan’s wife Theresa (Shannyn Sossamon) also
falls into this category, Shannyn’s performance is a rather stale one as she
displays little emotion or driving force to her role. There should have been
plenty of emotion to work with too consider she has a cheating husband and is
now stuck in a town with the woman he cheated on her with.
So what else can I say about Wayward Pines except that I really want more of it. Matt Dillon and
other cast members were brilliant as they walk through the serene and dangerous
town of Wayward Pines .
There were plenty of twists to the story that I had honestly not expected and
they were presented in a quick and easy to digest fashion that made the series
run at a smooth pace. I do wish that some of the content had a chance to evolve
more such as the brainwashing of the town’s youth which became an integral to
the shows finale. This is coupled with the fact that not all the characters
received the time they needed to develop but what can you do, it was a
miniseries after all and in that regard I believe it accomplished quite a bit
with what time it had.
Good:
- Matt Dillon, Terrence Howard and other main cast members
- Smooth and easy to digest story
- Wayward Pines was an eerie and interesting place to explore
Bad:
- Some character development issues
- Certain storylines would have benefited from a longer run
time
Scully Rating: 8.0 out of 10
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