Wayward Pines: One of Our Senior Realtors Has Chosen to Retire
June 4, 2015 8:25 PM - Season 1, Episode 4 - Subscribe
Ethan starts a new adventure. Ben enrolls at Wayward Pines Academy and makes a friend. Theresa is extended an offer of employment.
I realized during this episode there are two things I love about this show:
1) I'm always entertained, and I know it's only 10 episodes so I don't spend emotionally energy worrying that somehow the plot twists in later seasons will make me feel like I've wasted my time. (I try not to do this anyway, but it's nice to not even have to expend the effort.)
2) The cast members who play creepy town folk just seem to be enjoy being able to play weird and it shows in their performance. Even if I wasn't entertained, it's just a joy to be exposed to people obviously loving their work.
posted by MCMikeNamara at 10:33 AM on June 5, 2015 [1 favorite]
1) I'm always entertained, and I know it's only 10 episodes so I don't spend emotionally energy worrying that somehow the plot twists in later seasons will make me feel like I've wasted my time. (I try not to do this anyway, but it's nice to not even have to expend the effort.)
2) The cast members who play creepy town folk just seem to be enjoy being able to play weird and it shows in their performance. Even if I wasn't entertained, it's just a joy to be exposed to people obviously loving their work.
posted by MCMikeNamara at 10:33 AM on June 5, 2015 [1 favorite]
As long as they don't end up dragging it into multiple seasons, I'm good. That ruined Under the Dome. (Okay, it was pretty awful from the get-go, but it spiraled into absolute absurdity.)
I'm just glad they're not dragging out the mystery too much. Every episode we are actually learning a little more. Unlike, say, Lost. It's a fun ride.
Here's a little fun fact, intentional or not. Arlene, played by Siobhan Fallon, had her previous occupation listed as bus driver. The actress also played the bus driver in Forrest Gump.
posted by 2ht at 11:01 AM on June 5, 2015 [6 favorites]
I'm just glad they're not dragging out the mystery too much. Every episode we are actually learning a little more. Unlike, say, Lost. It's a fun ride.
Here's a little fun fact, intentional or not. Arlene, played by Siobhan Fallon, had her previous occupation listed as bus driver. The actress also played the bus driver in Forrest Gump.
posted by 2ht at 11:01 AM on June 5, 2015 [6 favorites]
I am so eager to see each new episode, I don't even wait to watch it on DVR. I can't think of any other show where I'm willing to watch the commercials.
posted by Lil Bit of Pepper at 3:55 PM on June 5, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by Lil Bit of Pepper at 3:55 PM on June 5, 2015 [1 favorite]
Man, I wonder if there's really a Highlander rule for jobs. That would make a completely different show, but one I'd also see.
I do want some some of those metal binders..
posted by lmfsilva at 10:39 PM on June 5, 2015
I do want some some of those metal binders..
posted by lmfsilva at 10:39 PM on June 5, 2015
As long as they don't end up dragging it into multiple seasons, I'm good. That ruined Under the Dome. (Okay, it was pretty awful from the get-go, but it spiraled into absolute absurdity.)
Under the Dome could have been good, though! The story itself is happens over a short period of time. I was excited when I heard they were going to do a show and then they totally ruined by turning it into a multi-season show. I pretty much only gave it a shot because Hank is in it.
I am really a fan of the miniseries format. I think its being rediscovered as a way to tell really in-depth, complex stories, but with a known end. This allows the writers to set the right pacing, know which questions will be answered, and define an end, which I think can create better stories than a show with an unknown run-time from the start.
It would have been better for UTD to be one season. They could have even done a Stephen King mini-series each summer! Get good enough writers and good actors will come. Oh the potential!
Anyways, all this to say that I have high hopes for Wayward Pines because of the miniseries format.
posted by LizBoBiz at 6:04 AM on June 6, 2015 [3 favorites]
Under the Dome could have been good, though! The story itself is happens over a short period of time. I was excited when I heard they were going to do a show and then they totally ruined by turning it into a multi-season show. I pretty much only gave it a shot because Hank is in it.
I am really a fan of the miniseries format. I think its being rediscovered as a way to tell really in-depth, complex stories, but with a known end. This allows the writers to set the right pacing, know which questions will be answered, and define an end, which I think can create better stories than a show with an unknown run-time from the start.
It would have been better for UTD to be one season. They could have even done a Stephen King mini-series each summer! Get good enough writers and good actors will come. Oh the potential!
Anyways, all this to say that I have high hopes for Wayward Pines because of the miniseries format.
posted by LizBoBiz at 6:04 AM on June 6, 2015 [3 favorites]
Considering movies these days are mostly just capes, CGI action fests, oscar bait (usually of the "bibliographical with an asterisk" kind) and comedies (romance optional), I wonder if a few more actors, directors and writers would consider more prime mini-series in the future. Instead of trying to cram plot/development/resolution in two hours they could, as LizBoBiz said, explore the world and the characters better in 6-9 hours, knowing they won't have to compromise to cuts on story and development (and said time should be plenty enough), while not being chained to a regular TV show schedule, as great as it is to have regular income.
Also, if Six Feet Under (it's really been 10 years? yikes) started with someone dying, Wayward Pines seems to be closing episodes this way.
posted by lmfsilva at 6:42 AM on June 6, 2015 [1 favorite]
Also, if Six Feet Under (it's really been 10 years? yikes) started with someone dying, Wayward Pines seems to be closing episodes this way.
posted by lmfsilva at 6:42 AM on June 6, 2015 [1 favorite]
I would have loved to see this miniseries treatment for Under The Dome! Jericho would have also been great in 10 episodes -- instead, you just got a lot of soapy drama and spent a lot of time wondering how they found the gas to drive everywhere all the time and why their hair and clothes always looked so clean.
I'm really pleased with how this series is going. I was hoping Justin Kirk would stay for longer (I thought he was great in this) -- his character does not appear in the books but his appearance here added a lot. I was happy to see Hope Davis as Megan Fisher. Melissa Leo continues to be awesome.
I wish Theresa had more to do. She was trained as an agent -- I get that she's shellshocked but I hope that her arc moves a little higher.
posted by mochapickle at 9:31 AM on June 7, 2015 [1 favorite]
I'm really pleased with how this series is going. I was hoping Justin Kirk would stay for longer (I thought he was great in this) -- his character does not appear in the books but his appearance here added a lot. I was happy to see Hope Davis as Megan Fisher. Melissa Leo continues to be awesome.
I wish Theresa had more to do. She was trained as an agent -- I get that she's shellshocked but I hope that her arc moves a little higher.
posted by mochapickle at 9:31 AM on June 7, 2015 [1 favorite]
This show is do much fun! I like that every episode has had a big reveal while also doling out the small things to move to the story forward. I do miss Terrence Howard, though. He was reason enough to tune in. And is it just me, or is anyone else getting an awesome Frau Blücher vibe from Pam?
I would have loved to see this miniseries treatment for Under The Dome!
Wasn't that the original plan? I really, really wish Under The Dome was as good as this. I don't think that's too much too ask.
I am so eager to see each new episode
Me, too, and more and more each episode which is a good sign.
PS - it's never wolves.
posted by Room 641-A at 12:07 PM on June 7, 2015
I would have loved to see this miniseries treatment for Under The Dome!
Wasn't that the original plan? I really, really wish Under The Dome was as good as this. I don't think that's too much too ask.
I am so eager to see each new episode
Me, too, and more and more each episode which is a good sign.
PS - it's never wolves.
posted by Room 641-A at 12:07 PM on June 7, 2015
It's alien-wolf-clone-vampire-zombie prison guards!
posted by mochapickle at 3:15 PM on June 7, 2015
posted by mochapickle at 3:15 PM on June 7, 2015
Perfect! All we need is in the next episode we find out they are beneath a giant, clear bubble of unknown origin!
Oh, and I know the tilt-shift effect is popular but I have to think the opening is a nod to Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood.
posted by Room 641-A at 4:11 PM on June 7, 2015 [1 favorite]
Oh, and I know the tilt-shift effect is popular but I have to think the opening is a nod to Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood.
posted by Room 641-A at 4:11 PM on June 7, 2015 [1 favorite]
I thought they were model train people?
Which clearly reveals that these characters are assuming they are real people but are in fact mass-produced plastic figures set in a model train village. In the next episode, the giant heads of children in adorable conductor caps will loom over the rocky horizon.
posted by mochapickle at 4:31 PM on June 7, 2015 [1 favorite]
Which clearly reveals that these characters are assuming they are real people but are in fact mass-produced plastic figures set in a model train village. In the next episode, the giant heads of children in adorable conductor caps will loom over the rocky horizon.
posted by mochapickle at 4:31 PM on June 7, 2015 [1 favorite]
Not the people so much as the scale town, which is very evocative of the Mr. Rogers' opening.
In the next episode, the giant heads of children in adorable conductor caps will loom over the rocky horizon.
I was just telling someone that each episode has its only little Twilight Zone vibe so I think you're on to something. I'd love for that to happen if they could continue to evolve the story in an interesting way. But if we're mashing everything up, just please don't let it turn out that they're in purgatory.
posted by Room 641-A at 6:13 PM on June 7, 2015 [1 favorite]
In the next episode, the giant heads of children in adorable conductor caps will loom over the rocky horizon.
I was just telling someone that each episode has its only little Twilight Zone vibe so I think you're on to something. I'd love for that to happen if they could continue to evolve the story in an interesting way. But if we're mashing everything up, just please don't let it turn out that they're in purgatory.
posted by Room 641-A at 6:13 PM on June 7, 2015 [1 favorite]
So a little thing I noticed, the series title and town name is "Wayward Pines," and in this episode we saw Dr. Jenkins (WP hospital "psychiatrist" slash apparent government/secret service bigwig on the outside) in a seemingly mostly throwaway scene where he's checking the growth and condition of young pines he's planted (right? I don't really remember exactly what he said about them, and most of the recaps don't even include this scene).
For a show that covers a whole lot of ground and has only 10 episodes to wrap it all up, I wonder if that was more significant than it seemed? I mean, I can't really imagine what it might indicate, but hey, the pines are WAYWARD, not just plain old compliant conifers.
posted by taz at 9:20 AM on June 9, 2015 [2 favorites]
For a show that covers a whole lot of ground and has only 10 episodes to wrap it all up, I wonder if that was more significant than it seemed? I mean, I can't really imagine what it might indicate, but hey, the pines are WAYWARD, not just plain old compliant conifers.
posted by taz at 9:20 AM on June 9, 2015 [2 favorites]
I thought they were model train people?
The title sequence made me think immediately of this Twilight Zone ep where the reveal is that the couple is trapped in a model train town. With the circular road loop in the first episode and the idyllic creepiness of Wayward Pines, I couldn't help but think something similar was going on here.
posted by phunniemee at 3:09 PM on June 12, 2015 [1 favorite]
The title sequence made me think immediately of this Twilight Zone ep where the reveal is that the couple is trapped in a model train town. With the circular road loop in the first episode and the idyllic creepiness of Wayward Pines, I couldn't help but think something similar was going on here.
posted by phunniemee at 3:09 PM on June 12, 2015 [1 favorite]
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posted by trunk muffins at 8:26 PM on June 4, 2015 [1 favorite]