Wayward Pines 1×06 – Choices

Another fascinating hour.

So we kicked off the second half of the season in great fashion: a flashback episode that answered some of the most burning questions we’ve had since the mindblowing episode, the biggest one being how Pilcher and Sheriff Pope are able to go back and forth from 2014 to 4028 so easily. Those scenes outside of town turned out to be indeed flashbacks as I’d anticipated, so everything from Pope manipulating Theresa’s car in the snow to Ben and his mom looking for their missing dad before arriving at Wayward Pines was all a flashback. Everyone who is in town now was sent to sleep for 2000 years. My God, the horror.

Once again, the execution (not the “reckoning”) of the episode is what makes this such a captivating show. It was all so breathtaking to see Ethan take a look at how everything works in Wayward Pines, sort of like a behind-the-scenes glance (which often reminded me of The Truman Show). There isn’t a lot of shocking new discoveries this week, but instead more of “oh, it all makes more sense now”, a feeling mystery thrillers rarely provides for its audiences. And while I still can’t figure out how “nurse” Pam transformed from a menacing creep to a heartwarming person so quickly, it was a nice touch to find out—SPOILER ALERT but not that big of a spoiler honestly—she’s Pilcher’s sister and a recovering drug addict. It wasn’t exactly an “aww” moment though, of course, because this is Wayward Pines we’re talking about.

Finding out more about Pilcher’s past and how he came to form his team was very much necessary, especially right after an episode like “The Truth”, and while flashbacks can sometimes be exposition-heavy, his individual scenes with Pam, Dr. Fisher and Sheriff Pope were all incredible. I haven’t touched on this aspect yet, but the show seriously looks beautiful all the time. Did you see that visually stunning image of Wayward Pines from above? Just wow.

I don’t even have anything negative to say on the Theresa-front, who has so far been the least developed on the show, because she finally got more stuff to do this week. I loved her one-on-one with Kate, and Carla Gugino sold that scene perfectly because she’s Carla Gugino and she’s amazing. The show excels at giving out orientation-like speeches while revealing some of its biggest secrets and while it wasn’t exactly as unsettling as Ms. Fisher’s presentation last time, Pilcher’s speech still came off strong as we see what Kate and Harold are up to. Damn, that scene was intense.

That’s exactly the best thing about Wayward Pines now: it’s intense and unsettling in every corner and every scene, and it’s turning into the most entertaining ride of the summer, one that I definitely recommend if you haven’t started watching yet. The show is honestly perfect to bingewatch, especially because it often feels like a very long movie. I have high hopes the final four episodes won’t disappoint at all.

Eerie Bits & Pieces

– This episode hasn’t aired in the U.S. yet, but aired in Australia and can easily be found online in case you can’t wait for next week.

– Loved the teaser. It was just a glorious visual, something I’ve come to admire on this show now. Even better: seeing it again near the end when Pilcher explains about Group B and Group A. Chilling.

– That abbey was creepy as hell. I was scared shitless to be honest.

– Harold had a fiancée outside of Wayward Pines? Hmm, did we already know that? I really want to bingewatch the show again after it ends.

– I’m still waiting to see if Sheriff Pope is alive somehow in the present (and by present I mean 4028).

– I hate to compare this show to Lost (an iconic fan favorite), but this episode really reminded me of the flashback we saw to The Others and how they live (I think it was the season 3 premiere if I’m not mistaken) and that one really sucked to be honest. So did the finale; yeah, I said it.

– I never thought I’d care so much about a stranger stealing a package, but that had me on the edge of my seat for some reason. Damn you, show.

Conclusion
The back half of the season is starting to prove that there’s still a lot of intrigue left in the show. Despite it being less shocking and fast-paced than last time, this was still a highly entertaining and thrilling hour.

Chris Rating
A-