(theblackox.com)

By Katharine Everett

Wayward Pines, the new creepy thriller brought to you by Fox, seems like the strange but wonderful offspring of the noire genre and the TV show Lost. Similar to Lost, Wayward Pines follows a formula where the intent is to surprise the viewer with its unusual writing style and plot while greater and smaller mysteries are slowly unraveled over time. This formula is immediately apparent in the first episode, “Where Paradise is Home,” as we meet special agent, Ethan Burke, who wakes up in the middle of the woods with various small wounds and no memory of how he got there. He is supposed to be searching for two missing agents in Idaho—Kate Houston, Ethan’s former partner and mistress (he’s married), and Bill Evans. After stumbling through the woods, Ethan comes across the quaint and creepy town of Wayward Pines, where not everything is as it seems and where the situation quickly goes from bad to worse. We’ll be examining each episode for its “hay-makers” and “head-scratchers” while analyzing the story as it unfolds.

Hay-Makers:
Wayward Pines is brilliantly set up from the beginning to leave its audience with more questions than answers but also desperate for more. Matt Dillon who plays Ethan Burke plays a very believable character who struggles constantly with his confusion and frustration while trying to maintain some semblance of sanity. Another memorable actor is Melissa Leo who plays the very scary nurse, Pam, who is guaranteed to send shivers down the spines of viewers as she threatens the main character with an agonizing surgery with no anesthetic. Besides the many talented actors involved in this show, the set-up of the first episode was done very well. One unsolved mystery after another is presented to the audience and everything feels like it’s on the verge of tipping at any moment. This is certainly a TV show that makes you think and keeps you on the edge of your seat.

Head-Scratchers:
There are almost so many questions that it’s difficult to know where to start. From the beginning, what is the deal with this town? Everyone seems to be in on some big secret that Ethan knows nothing about. How does time work here? The bartender thought she had only been there a year but had actually been there for more than a decade, while Kate, Ethan’s partner, was missing for five weeks but had actually been in Wayward Pines for twelve years! What is going on with the crickets? Ethan found a recording of crickets hidden in a bush and the bartender told him there were no crickets in Wayward Pines. Why is that significant? Who killed the special agent that Ethan found tortured in an abandoned house? Why can’t Ethan leave Wayward Pines and what is up with the gigantic fence that runs around the perimeter? Finally, Adam and the shrink are clearly in on what is happening in Wayward Pines and insinuate that Ethan was chosen for some reason? Is there some sick psychological experiment going on? Who’s behind it? It’s all a bit overwhelming but I’m sure we’ll just have to keep watching if we want any answers.