Wayward Pines

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