Grade (B+)
An ambitiously fun story that adds a breath of creative air to the mass of shows filling the networks.
Synopsis
A Secret Service agent awakens in the forest after a deadly car accident while on the hunt for two missing federal agents in rural Idaho, and stumbles wounded into the community of Wayward Pines, a seemingly normal town that is not what it appears to be.
My Thoughts
I had really no expectations for this show before I started it. I knew little about it, only having a short description of the premise and other than that I had seen nothing in regards to promo material. From the first episode my intrigue was high as this show managed to deliver one of the more solid pilots out there for a new series. A pilot is designed to introduce the viewer to the setting, the general plot, the characters and most important, it is supposed to build intrigue, something it did perfectly.
It must be noted that most shows focus on being either, character driven, or carried by an excellent story, the great great shows out there do both. This first season clearly focused on the story, most of the characters, although well acted are rather simplistic and none are the real reason you tune to each episode. The captivation is absolutely in the story, where it will go next, and exactly what is happening, and for that I would have to say this show was successful. It was entertaining throughout and with a short run, it keeps a swift pace.
There was also a solid amount of, not necessarily star power, but a well known cast to make of the most of the simplistic characters. Matt Dillon, Terrance Howard, Shannyn Sossamon, Juliette Lewis, Melissa Leo, Hope Davis and Carla Gugino were all very good in their respected roles. Dillon created a character the show could easily wrap itself around and he carried the lead on his shoulders with ease. It was entertaining to watch his characters initial reaction to the seemingly quaint, perfect town, as well as his bewilderment as he tries to leave to get back to his family, finding many roadblocks in his way.
Again it all goes back to the story being the driving force of this series. Every episode does an effective job of peeling the layers of the story back each time to give the viewer more information as to what is really happening. It was also nice to see the show keep its focus, there was not a ton of subplots to fill time and what side stories there were all were integral to the main plot. With each episode more is revealed as to what is really going on in the town of Wayward Pines, as well as how and why it was created, and it builds a great amount of viewer appeal with massive spikes of curiosity.
The show creates an intriguing mystery and as it progresses it seamlessly integrates a solid dose of science-fiction. It was a great blend and very reminiscent to that of “The X-Files”. The unpredictability was high and with the addition of a unique premise it was a highly entertaining combination. The script keeps you in the dark and hanging on every episode to see how the season will finish out. There are a ton of shows out there and most are of genres and themes were are more than familiar with. The ambition taken into the creativity was fresh and it made the show feel compelling because it is not what you see all the time.
The first season of “Wayward Pines” is creative, fast paced and manages to surprise you with each new episode. The cliffhangers are well placed and with a short episode run you can easily binge watch the entire run over a nice relaxing weekend. The writing is solid, not extraordinary but more than enough to fill in the detail of the plot. If you are looking for a show that will change up the monotony of common police-drama’s and hospital shows, and something that will give you high amounts of mystery and science-fiction in a story that is easy to keep up with, I recommend checking this one out.
– Starring –
Matt Dillon, Shannyn Sossamon, Carla Gugino, Toby Jones, Melissa Leo, Hope Davis, Reed Diamond, Charlie Tahan, Sarah Jeffery, Siobhan Fallon Hogan, Terrence Howard, Juliette Lewis, Tim Griffin
– Created By –
Chad Hodge
Episode Count: 10
Rated: TV-14 (For some scenes of strong graphic violence and grisly images)