Tweetable Takeaway: Congratulations Ethan, you’re the new sheriff of #WaywardPines. Tweet
Airtime: Thursdays on FOX 9/8 central.
By: Jeff Iblings, Contributor
What in the world is going to happen in WAYWARD PINES in the aftermath of Ethan killing Sheriff Pope? It’s not going to be what you think. Things get progressively weirder for the Burke family.
One of the biggest problems Ethan faces now that his family has joined him in Wayward Pines, is his son doesn’t trust him, and his wife neither trusts nor forgives him. In the aftermath of his affair with Kate, it makes sense that the trust between Ethan and Theresa is fragile at best. It’s tested the minute Theresa finds out Kate lives in the town as well. She’s confused, hurt, and it doesn’t help that she’s completely in the dark about what’s going on in the town. Especially after she finds herself involved with the murder of the sheriff. Ethan does the only thing he can to help her understand the situation they’re in, he tells her everything.
Who ever is in charge in Wayward Pines has plans for Ben. There’s truly nothing creepier than a late night delivery man on a bicycle delivering riding away in the fog. Ben will be going to the Wayward Pines Academy, and you can be sure that however weird everything in the town is, it will be multiplied as they try and plant the seeds of conformity on the young minds at the Academy. Mrs. Fischer, Ben’s new teacher, is a psychotically chipper person who’ll be teaching and possibly corrupting young Ben’s mind.
The big question in the aftermath of Sheriff Pope’s death is, who will take his place. It turns out the town has given Ethan the job whether he wants it or not. The Mayor (who is married to Mrs. Fischer) comes in with Arlene with a cake to celebrate the momentous job promotion. With the keys to the office comes a big surprise. Ethan finds a hidden compartment under the desk with files on every person in Wayward Pines. They detail who each person was, their life before, and who they are now. The even bigger kick in the teeth arrives with Pam and the citizen’s arrest she brings in. The realtor Mr. McCall has been caught painting propaganda graffiti in town, and after 3 offences, he’s to be “reckoned” and Pam insists Ethan does it.
The Wayward Pines Academy seems to be a way to indoctrinate the children into the rules and way of life of the town. Mrs. Fischer pushes Ben, asks him strange questions, and tries to get him to question why the answers he gives her are true. It seems to be a complete mind fuck she’s laying on him, and it’s almost as if she’s trying to turn him against his parents. The one good thing that seems to come out of the academy is that everyone at school seems to like Ben, and he’s met a girl who is interested in him.
Ethan decides he’s going to run the town differently than Sheriff Pope did, which means no more “reckonings”. He lets McCall read his file, and finds out more about how the man ended up in Wayward Pines. McCall was in LA for a convention, took a brunette up to his hotel room, and woke up in a different hotel room and instead of the brunette, he found himself with Pam. Now that’s a rude awakening. McCall walks with a cane from injuries he sustained while climbing up the cliffs which are the only way out of Wayward Pines. Even though Ethan tries to protect McCall, the town just won’t allow it. A call comes through to the sheriff’s office instructing Ethan to “reckon” McCall in front of the town later that night.
To figure out more about the town, Ethan and Theresa invite the Fischer’s out to dinner. Ethan thinks he can get information from the mayor based on the conversation they had earlier. They end up in a bar filled with the rest of the towns residents. When the Mayor asks him how he likes the town, Ethan it’s great, “The mountains, the pine trees, the look of fear in everyone’s eyes.” When the ladies go to the bathroom, Fischer tells Ethan he needs to be careful of Mrs. Fischer. Pam and everyone else at the bar raise a glass to toast Ethan as the new sheriff, to which Ethan responds tongue in cheek that he’ll do everything in his power to assure the real criminals in town are brought to light. He flips her toast on its ear.
Because Ethan can’t bring himself to “reckon” McCall, he asks Ethan to take him to the wall, where he throws himself into the electrified fence and basically “reckons” himself. Now that McCall is dead, Theresa is immediately offered his job. Ethan decides to climb out of Wayward Pines and go to Boise to get help. He just needs Theresa to act like nothing is wrong while he’s gone. Once he gets to the top of the cliff wall, a strange creature watches him.
More thoughts:
- I’ve watched ahead a few episodes, so I know more than I will let on here, but I will say next week’s episode lays out a huge bombshell on viewers. It’s a game changer and will seriously alter where you thought this show was going.
- Kate and Theresa have an awkward confrontation. Will there ever be a time when they can be friends?
- Is everything in Wayward Pines choreographed and acted according to a plan? Is there a guiding hand that scripts out everything, or is it more complicated than this?
- Pam seems to be the real threat in Wayward Pines. How long before there’s a serious confrontation between her and Ethan?
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For six months out of the year Jeff is holed up in his home with nothing to do but shovel snow, watch television, write, and dream of warmer climates. Twitter: @OfSoundnVision
Keep up with all of Jeff’s Wayward Pines reviews here.
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