Ethan Burke (Matt Dillon); Source: FOX |
If you haven’t been watching FOX’s sci-fi thriller series Wayward Pines, now is the time to tune in. The TV show will be airing its sixth episode 6/25, and it’s really getting deep into the story. If you’re not familiar with it, here’s a rundown and five reasons you should catch the next episode.
1. It Has a Great Premise – The show’s concept is killer. On the surface, Wayward Pines resembles a cross between Twin Peaks, The Prisoner, and The Village. But it takes the best elements of those, and comes up with something unique. Secret Service agent Ethan Burke travels to a mysterious town in Idaho in search of a missing fellow agent. But he wakes up in a Wayward Pines hospital to find he’s been in a horrific car accident. And while everything seems idyllic in the town, he soon discovers nothing is what it seems, and there are rigid rules that must be followed. Rules like #1 – “Do not try to leave.” It doesn’t take long for Burke to discover horrific secrets in the town, and he gets buried deeper and deeper in its web of lies. I can’t say much more without spoiling the show, so let’s move on to the next reason.
2. It’s a Great Show – Right off the bat, you should know Wayward Pines is an amazing show. The actors – including such high caliber as Juliette Lewis, Terrence Howard, Matt Dillon, and Carla Gugino – deliver stellar performances. The sets and direction are all moody and atmospheric, capturing the feel of a town that’s simultaneously picture-perfect on one side and dark and menacing on the other. The writing is top-notch with haunting scenes, engaging characters that are more than they appear, surprising plot twists, and questions begging for answers. It’s also directed by M. Night Shyalaman, but don’t hold that against it.
3. It’s a Mini-Series – Binge-watching is really in these days, and it seems like every episodic TV show is dedicated to stretching out their plot over five or six seasons. Wayward Pines is an intriguing concept that could keep going for a long time, but the network has taken the bold step of making it a mini-series. The season is only ten episodes, and will tell a complete story. That’s right, no need to carve out a week to binge-watch twenty episodes or three seasons. If it’s successful, the series might go another season, but we can enjoy it for what it is now.
4. There’s an Ending – When any new TV series comes out with a science fiction mystery at its core, everyone always asks the same thing: “Is it like The X-Files?” or “Is it like Lost?” In other words, will it be a mystery that never really gets solved, is more interested in raising questions than providing answers, that gets padded out for season after season, only to either get cancelled before the solution or ends in an unsatisfactory way? No one wants to invest their time into something that might not be rewarding at the end. Well, the cast and crew of Wayward Pines have said since before it aired that the solution to the mystery would not only be revealed in this season, but not even held back until the ending. In fact, the big secret behind the town has already been revealed in episode five, appropriately titled “The Truth.” And more details will be appearing in episode six. And yes, the twist is original and great.
5. It’s On a Network – Usually, at this point of describing a great episodic show, someone would be trying to get you to subscribe to Netflix or HBO. But this show is on FOX. You know, the channel you can get free over the air? Remember those? If you’re not watching the show, you don’t need to pay anything to watch. Go to FOX’s official website, where you can catch up with full episodes. You can also get the FOX app, and watch it on a smartphone, tablet or smart TV.
Honestly, I can’t think of a sci-fi TV show in the last five years I’ve seen as engrossing and entertaining as Wayward Pines that didn’t come with a subscription. So let’s support it. Get into Wayward Pines, and remember…always answer the phone if it rings.
Will you be watching Wayward Pines?
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<span class="dsq-postid" data-dsqidentifier="32928 ">9 Comments
I remember a Twilight Zone episode where there was a town this guy accidentally drove into and then they wouldn't let him leave because they had made this machine that could make anything sort of like a Star Trek replicator and didn't want the secret to get out. Back in 2006 I wrote a series called Children of Eternity about an island where a group of kids have been living for 300 years and a new girl washes up and has to learn the brutal rules and the secret of the place. And then of course there's Hotel California: You can check out anytime you want, but you can never leave.
I haven't heard of this show before. Thank you for pointing it out. It does look engaging.
Those are good ones. The town with a mystery is a familiar trope, but Wayward still managed to do something original
Oh, I'll be binge-watching this later…
Its not getting near enough press for what it's doing. Glad I could clue you in.
I haven't seen it, but it's nice to know it has an ending. It won't overstay its welcome.
I don't know how people find the time? If the television is on, it's background noise I never, or very, very seldom just sit and watch a show. But you're right there are a lot of new shows, cable shows that are engrossing, i just don't want to be engrossed, I guess.
I want to read the books, too. And it's in Kindle Worlds, so I'd like to write one. And yeah, I avoid the phone, too
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