Written by Marley Ghizzone
Wayward Pines Series Premiere Plot Summary:
FBI agent Ethan Burke (Matt Dillon) finds himself stranded, without his phone or wallet, in the strange yet seemingly idyllic town of Wayward Pines. On his quest to find his belongings and get the hell out of dodge, he uncovers dark secrets about Wayward Pines and its inhabitants.
My startled jump count, by the end of the episode, was three. The Wayward Pines premiere was amazing. It was suspenseful and interesting, I loved it. However, there were times I got a distinct American Horror Story: Asylum vibe. But it was slight and mostly insignificant, lying in the attempt to convince Agent Burke (Dillon) that he is mentally insane.
The narrative set up, with flashbacks to his life and intercut with the present struggle of his family, was delightfully scattered. It enhanced the already creepy feeling of this “picture perfect” town. So far the writers of Wayward Pines are doing a stand up job keeping the audience invested. Unlike other failed mystery or thriller shows, they have given us enough information to hold on to, but left enough mystery to entice us to watch another episode.
The actors cast are all perfect in their own special and lovely way. Matt Dillon will always have my heart and continuous to exude pure excellence in his role as Ethan Burke. We know that he is not actually mentally insane, that the town is messed up and creepy as hell. But, on the other hand, do we actually? He is a strong and stoic FBI agent, but questions his own sanity without overdoing it and making the audience collectively gag at an overhanded portrayal of inward questioning. Matt Dillon for president 2k16.
Then we have Juliette Lewis as Beverly, Burke’s only ally in town. She is so great. Lewis will forever be Maureen from Catch and Release to me, so seeing her in this lady of shadows role is exciting, but also hilarious if you previously knew her as the hippy, tofu eating, aura reading Maureen.
Wayward Pines seems set to be a must see thriller mystery for the spring/summer season. Hopefully, they can continue the thorough pace of information and keep from falling into the trap of befuddlement as most thriller mystery shows do. I am definitely going to continue watching and am praying to the powers that be Wayward Pines doesn’t betray me and go off the rails because I will be personally and deeply hurt. I recommend picking this mini series up as soon as humanly possible.
