‘Wayward Pines’, the 10-episode series from executive producer M. Night Shymalan, made it’s debut tonight and based on episode 1 this is must-see TV.
The show is as creepy as the promo’s promised and while this first episode doesn’t give us many answers, it is intriguing enough to keep viewers watching until they do.
Matt Dillon stars as Secret Service Agent Ethan Burke, who goes to the town of Wayward Pines, Idaho in search of 2 missing agents.
One of those agents happens to be his former partner (and the woman who almost ruined his marriage) Kate, who was sent to the town and hasn’t been heard from since.
When Burke arrives he ends up in a car accident (by design?) and wakes up in the hospital with no wallet, no ID and no way out it seems.
The town looks like its straight out of Mayberry circs 1965, but it’s clear from the start this is anything but a sleepy little town and each scene that follows the opening sequence seems to confirm that.
So does the appearance of the super-creepy Sheriff, Arnold Pope (the brilliant Terrence Howard), who is anything but helpful or law-abiding it appears.
Burke eventually finds the other detective, dead and mutilated, but the Sheriff seems neither concerned nor in a hurry to go check out what he found.
While Burke is stuck in this town, leaving messages for his wife, son and other Secret Service agents with no results his wife is searching for him with little help from the bureau (which makes you wonder how or what they really sent him there for).
She meets with his fellow agent and friend, who says he can’t give her any answers but appears to know more than he says.
From there things quickly get worse for Burke, who starts to feel like he’s losing it as he tries to find Kate: when he goes to the bar he was in the night before asking to speak to a waitress the bartender says doesn’t exist he gets irate and is knocked out.
When he wakes up he’s tied to a hospital bed where a suspicious doctor tries to explain what is wrong with him and gives him a story about him not being right in the head.
Burke naturally fights this idea and is about to be attacked by a nurse with a needle when a woman, Beverly (Juliette Lewis), comes and sneaks him out- after they attack the crazy nurse.
Beverly gets Burke someplace safe, explaining she had an “accident” years ago when she got to the town and was told, like him, that she was delusional- which is why she is helping him.
Burke finally gets a break (and viewers get some hope for figuring out what is going on)when he spots Kate the next day at a town party.
He follows her and her husband or boyfriend home, then rings the bell asking for her.
Kate appears and pretends not to know him, but when they step out on the porch she quickly tells him they are being watched and that he should go-which is easier said than done.
We then get a new clue as the show ends when we see the doctor from Wayward Pines meeting with the same agent Burke’s wife spoke with to find him- the agent tells the doc to call “it” off, but the doc says it’s too late now.
The show ends with Burke attempting to drive out of town and being stopped by the Sherriff- who tells him leaving is NOT an option.
Why can’t he leave? Why is his agent friend working with the shady doctor? We don’t know yet, but one thing is for sure- thanks to an all-star cast and a promising premise I’ll be watching to find out.
What did you think of ‘Wayward Pines’? Tell us your thoughts below.
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