Wayward Pines: Cycle

"He pulled the plug."

A good series finale means a lot more than it did in the past. Come up with a great ending, and your series could grab even more of an audience in syndication or on Netflix. Screw up the ending, and word of mouth will pretty much guarantee that your magnum opus will languish and be quickly forgotten.

Wayward Pines: A Reckoning

"Is this really what you want?"

A penultimate episode, in which a lot of penultimate-y things happened.

Wayward Pines: The Friendliest Place on Earth

"Freedom or safety. Not both."

This episode served as a massive indictment of David Pilcher's management style. How could he possibly be more incompetent?

Wayward Pines: Betrayal

"This fake little town is all that's left."

Ethan had a really tough day at his new job, what with the pipe bombs and all.

Wayward Pines: Choices

I like Gugino, but this smile is outright creepy.

"You didn't think Wayward Pines ran itself, did you?"

Do you think this episode might have been about choices?

Wayward Pines: The Truth

"Welcome to Orientation."

Tense, engrossing and well-constructed episode. Considering that it was also a great big exposition dump, that's impressive.

Wayward Pines: One of Our Senior Realtors Has Chosen to Retire

"How does everyone feel about public executions?"

I honestly thought Wayward Pines would have lost me by now, but each episode has gotten a little stronger. And more fun, for some reason. Ethan made me laugh out loud a couple of times in this one, and I didn't expect that.

Wayward Pines: Our Town, Our Law

Could that be deliberate crucifixy symbolism?

"The only way to stay alive here is to play along."

Much less frustrating this time. I enjoyed this episode.

Wayward Pines: Do Not Discuss Your Life Before

"Don't try to leave, Mr. Burke. That's rule number one."

Wayward Pines: Where Paradise is Home

Any resemblance to Twin Peaks is purely coincidental.

"There are no crickets in Wayward Pines."

I nearly stopped watching this pilot a minute after it started. Why? Because the first shot was of an eye opening, followed by a pull back to an injured man in a suit lying on the ground. Seriously. Do they think we've all forgotten? Or was M. Night simply gifting us with an obvious homage?

The Wayward Pines series of books by Blake Crouch

Please note! that this brief review includes spoilers for the entire book series and is intended primarily as a place for us to talk about the Fox television miniseries in relationship to the books.

Wayward Pines

Season 1 | Season 2 |
Books | Cast

Wayward Pines (2015-2016) was a Fox summer series about the tiny mountain town of Wayward Pines, Idaho, where no one is allowed to speak about their past life, and no one can ever leave. Although the ratings were pretty good, I found the first season disappointing. Which is why I didn't review the second season.

Season One

1.1 Where Paradise is Home
1.2 Do Not Discuss Your Life Before
1.3 Our Town, Our Law
1.4 One of Our Senior Realtors Has Chosen to Retire
1.5 The Truth
1.6 Choices
1.7 Betrayal
1.8 The Friendliest Place on Earth
1.9 A Reckoning
1.10 Cycle

Season Two

(not reviewed)
2.1 Enemy Lines
2.2 Blood Harvest
2.3 Once Upon a Time in Wayward Pines
2.4 Exit Strategy
2.5 Sound the Alarm
2.6 City Upon a Hill
2.7 Time Will Tell
2.8 Pass Judgment
2.9 Walcott Prep
2.10 Bedtime Story

Books

The Wayward Pines series of books by Blake Crouch review by Billie Doux

Cast

Matt Dillon (Ethan Burke)
Carla Gugino (Kate Hewson)
Toby Jones (Dr. Jenkins)
Shannyn Sossamon (Theresa Burke)
Reed Diamond (Harold Ballinger)
Tim Griffin (Adam Hassler)
Charlie Tahan (Ben Burke)
Juliette Lewis (Beverly)
Melissa Leo (Nurse Pam)
Terrence Howard (Sheriff Pope)