I was excited for Wayward Pines for all kinds of reasons. Maybe being so attracted to shows which circle around the dark and unusual towns where life is captured in a really small-town reflective way. I am a fan of shows such as Under The Dome, Top of the lake, Intruders, Happy Towns, Les Revnants, Hemlock Grove so this kind of theme and how it is portrayed is not new to me and not new to anybody. So being my favourite kind of show, I geared myself for the twisted and realistic utopian reflection of America. And alright, it does fulfill that instantly. The empty space, the pyscological terror which felt occasionally flat (but not necessarily branding it as a bad show, after all it's only the pilot) and the terrified but stoic like a true 'secret agent' who begins to unravel (Reminiscent of Kevin from The Leftovers but not quite achieving it fully.) With a town that looks like Eureka's which I do like but felt a little exhausted but the scenery is one of the main things I like about shows like this so I enjoyed it however the plot felt slightly lifeless and the characters were slightly wooden (such as the secetary for the sheriff) however the nurse in Wayward Pines's hospital was a character which succeeded in disturbing me. So whereas Ethan (Ethan - why are all main characters called Ethan?) seemed like a washed-up Matthew Mcconaughey at the moment, walking around aimlessly and still having time to lust over his old partner. (But he was looking for her, it's understandable and you can't not stare if you've just found her in a way too suburban town you can't escape and "she never would have styled her hair like that, geez!") So, I like the plot of Ethan being unable to escape and unlike other shows, I feel like almost everyone is out to get him and if it continued like that, I think I'd be really interested in the motive for that/if the town is an experiment/and why. I liked the inclusion of the decomposed body in the house and I felt that had a good effect (which might eventually turn out to be him - I watch too much television, the tropes begin to feel natural.) Tough-guy sheriff tested by limits is something I've seen hundreds of times but I remain hopeful as new characters begin to solidify. Nothing is genuinely chilling yet and Ethan's wife and son initially feel like they were together in a casting call that isn't entirely right and I can't put my finger on it. Not much seemed to happen but again I will say that it's a pilot and it's setting up but I am going to continue watching because I'm hoping for better things because it could have the potential. I can see a relationship will probably form between Ethan and Beverly and she'll probably offer him something to wear from her dead husband-s closet is a slight hunch I have. The biggest incentive(aside from Terence Howard eating an ice cream cone sassily enjoying Ethan's internal pain at what is happening) to keep watching is Toby Jones who is an incredible actor who be an intensely troubling character without even breaking a sweat. It has the Twin Peaks aspiration (why the sign of 'wayward pines' although I love homages made me cringe a little bit only because it's so overdone) but so far its only shadowing it but I really hope it can come into its own. I'm really intrigued by the digital episodes and I'm ready to become addicted to this show if it starts performing.
I'm looking forward to finding out.
Wayward Pines 1x01 'Where paradise is home.' 3 out of five stars.
Check out the trailer for yourself and check it out and feel free to let me know what you think of it.