The second season of “Wayward Pines” lacks what made the first season so engaging… the mystery. It rehashed much of season one, flowing a lot like the cliff note version as it rushes to get through the set-up. But the crumbling of what feels like a social experiment has me so intrigued that I will be tuning in next week.
The episode continues the story, picking up a short time after the conclusion of season one except, we now follow a new lead character—Dr. Theo Yedlin played by Jason Patric, which was a nice addition to the cast as I’ve always been a fan of his. Theo wakes up in Wayward Pines, wondering where is he and, like in season one, no one is in any kind of rush to inform him of the truth of this town.
What I was interesting in seeing was the comparison between the two seasons and its impact on viewer experience. Last season we saw the story through the eyes of Matt Dillon’s Ethan Burke, a secret service agent who went to Wayward Pines looking for his missing co-workers. Something nefarious seemed to be happening and so it played out like a mystery that kept the viewer coming back to figure out what was going on. How could his co-worker age over ten years? We needed to find out and the answer was satisfying.
Season two has a completely different feel from that perspective. We know what the lead character doesn’t know. And so it’s almost like experiencing it through the eyes of a town folk. You have information that Theo needs, but you also know the danger that comes from divulging that knowledge and quite frankly this lost and confused Theo isn’t your problem until he becomes your problem.
So what would you do if Theo came across your path? How would you handle things? Probably, call the authorities, let them fix it or else you can find yourself on the wrong end of the law.
We see the town in turmoil. And as the ending of season one would indicate—the children have adapted and see this town as a home they must maintain at all cost while some of the adults have a hard time adapting.
How do you go on when you are forced to leave behind a life that’s so ingrained that it defines who you are? How do you go on when all your past hopes, dreams and many relationships were robbed from you without your consent?
On the flip side...
How do you deal with people who are an imminent threat to the only world you’ve ever known and you want to keep that world safe and whole?
And so it plays out like a psychological, social sci-fi thanks to Dr. Jenkins.
Although we know the big answers, the episode did have some mystery to it, though it’s more small scale than the world building variety like in season one. But there is enough of a feeling that things need to unfold to make me curious and the ending had an amazing cliff hanger.
