The story starts when Secret Service Agent Ethan Burke (Matt Dillon), on the trail of two missing agents, finds himself in the remote and picturesque Wayward Pines: a town that it seems impossible to leave. He soon discovers this superficially “nice” town has a dark undercurrent and serious consequences for anyone who breaks the rules.
This series, based on the trilogy by Blake Crouch, had me hooked from the beginning. Whilst the idea of someone waking up in a mysterious town is not new – The Prisoner & Persons Unknown come to mind – Wayward Pines quickly & cleverly shifts the emphasis away from the traditional goodies-versus-unseen-foe style of storytelling.
Part way through the season when Agent Burke encounters the enigmatic Dr Jenkins (Toby Jones) there are some major revelations about what is going on, which allows the story to progress towards a gripping, action-packed conclusion. The fact that Fox has packed the contents of the entire trilogy into a 10-part season contributes to the well-paced and taut nature of the series.
Although the final couple of episodes are clearly setting up the premise for a potential second season, this is a story Fox may do well to let finish on a high. Unless they can secure Blake Crouch’s writing talents to come up with more episodes of the same calibre, there is a risk of any second season turning into a flop.
That said, if another season does come along, you can be sure that I’ll be tuning in to give it a try…