Who would have thought last summer that we'd ever meet again here? Season 1 of "Wayward Pines" came to an explosive and grim end on July 23, 2015, and I figured that the show was over. It was scheduled originally to be a 10-episode event, and that was it. But, thankfully, due to its surprise popularity, it was announced in the fall that the show was renewed and would start a new season in 2016. After months of anticipation, we collectively step foot back into our weird little TV town this week and we'd all better buckle up because it looks like it's going to be a wild ride.
General Season 1 and Season 2: Episode 1 spoilers to follow.
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Here's what we already know:
- When last we left our beloved community, the year was 4032. Ben Burke was waking up in the hospital three years after the demise of Wayward Pines "Group B." His father, the esteemed Sheriff Ethan Burke, is dead. Ben wandered out of the hospital and into the turbulent mess that was the First Generation's new town, complete with bodies hanging in the streets with signs saying, "Do not try to escape." Yikes.
- Dr. David Pilcher, the visionary behind Wayward Pines, is also dead. He was shot by his sister, Pamela, after shutting down the Fence and letting the Abbies run amok as a twisted sort of "reset button." The First Generation (youth who have grown up in the sheltered community and were foreordained by Pilcher to take over the town in the event of a catastrophe) is not happy about the death of their so-called savior. But they, led by Jason Higgins, the reputable leader of the first graduating class of Wayward Pines Academy, holed themselves up in the Ark, a secure room in the Complex which apparently had everything they needed to survive.
- There are still a whole lot of cryogenically frozen citizens at the Complex. Repopulating the community shouldn't be an issue.
- Pam Pilcher and Kate Hewson came to an apparent truce at the end of Season 1, promising never again to spy on the town the way that David Pilcher did. Uh... based on the commercials we've seen leading up to Season 2, it doesn't seem like that worked out very well for them.
- Theresa Burke is presumably alive. Mrs. Megan Fisher is presumably dead.
- Jason Higgins has taken over the role of sheriff. He was last seen having an ice cream cone on Main Street. That's not a good sign.
Now that we've got that out of the way, let's move on to the Season 2 premiere, "Enemy Lines," which aired on May 25, 2016.
Who we met:
- Theo Yedlin: A doctor. A struggling husband. He woke up thinking that he was still on vacation in Hawaii. (Needless to say, he ain't on vacation in Hawaii anymore.)
- Rebecca Yedlin: Theo's wife. She didn't seem happy in Hawaii.
- Jason Higgins: The aforementioned leader of the new Wayward Pines. He seems frustrated with the responsibility of filling the shoes left by David Pilcher.
- Kerry Campbell: Jason Higgins' right-hand woman. She appears to have taken over Pam's responsibility of breaking up all the important, juicy conversations.
- Xander Beck: A member of the First Generation leadership who is also part of a secret rebellion to take down those who employ him.
What we learned:
- Wayward Pines is now a militaristic society. There's a curfew at night and they ration the food. The ground is riddled with bullet shells and people randomly throw grenades from the bushes. Nobody seems particularly bothered by this.
- The First Generation is searching for Ben Burke, who they deem to be a major threat to society.
- Mrs. Megan Fisher is miraculously still alive, yet confined to a wheelchair. "Clear rules, severe punishment," she reminded us.
- Xander is part of the First Generation leadership but is secretly working with Ben as part of a revolution. Ben wants to avenge the deaths of his father and those who fought and died in the fall of Group B. This rebellion has been going on for a month and has caused more than a few casualties.
- Theo's wife, Rebecca, is also in Wayward Pines.
- We overhear in a discussion that the hospital has been short-staffed on doctors and nurses "since they lost [Pamela Pilcher]." Initially, I thought that implied that she was dead, but that may not be the case, as it was not implicitly stated.
Wayward Points:
- Sheriff Pope! Pope is back (in flashback form)! Ice cream all around! ("Do you like rum raisin?") In a flashback, Pope warns Theo of the "evolutionary transition" at the Hawaiian beach house. He asks Theo if he'd like the opportunity to save many people that he didn't know - to have the power to put them down, then bring them back to life. (Sounds like Pilcher understood that Wayward Pines would need some pretty good doctors.) We don't see how Theo actually got to Wayward Pines, but we can assume for now that he was abducted by Pope, like so many others before him.
- Upon Theo's arrival in Idaho, Jason Higgins tells him that Wayward Pines is part of "a secret government study determining the psychological effects of war trauma on individuals." Jason has taken it upon himself to embrace and enforce David Pilcher's philosophies.
- In a public display on Main Street, Jason offers a general amnesty to anyone who would come forward and confess their involvement in Ben's revolution. No one comes forward, so he Reckons Ruby, a member of the Season 1 rebellion. This prompts Ben Burke and a couple of his rebel buddies to show up to stop Jason from killing anyone else. Suspected rebels begin to be sequestered for questioning.
- We learn that Theo was brought to Wayward Pines to operate on former Secret Service agent Kate Hewson (yes, that Kate Hewson), who took recently a bullet to the collar bone. Jason tells Theo that it is very important that he save Kate's life. Xander later questions Theo about his interaction with Kate to find out if she has given the First Generation any information that would be detrimental to the rebellion.
- Arlene! At one point, we see our favorite sheriff's office secretary getting some sort of shock therapy at the hospital. She looks to be in terrible condition.
- Kate kills her self as a sign of refusal to take part in the new society.
- Sensing that Theo will not be cooperative, the First Generation drives him, Ben and a couple other rebels out to the fence, where they tie a weight to the gas pedal and send the vehicle hurtling out into the woods. It's only a matter of time before Theo gets his first glimpse of the Abbies - one promptly smashes in the windshield, much to the passengers' horror.
- The Abbies have gone kamikaze. They've intellectually evolved beyond what we saw in Season 1 because they're no longer afraid of the Fence. As Theo, Ben and the rebels remain trapped in their vehicle, we see frequent flashes of light. The Abbies are... intentionally running into the Fence? One by one, the continue to crash into the wall. "It looks like World War Z," my brother Cody commented. And then we understood. They're making a hill. They're climbing over the Fence!
The Rules:
- When Theo asks his driver, Mario, about whether he wishes to travel outside of the city limits: "I think that having a happy and productive life in Wayward Pines is the most important contribution I can make to the preservation of our species, sir."
- While Theo is walking down Main Street, we see some First Generation officers prying a mother away from her child in one of the stores. She tells the child that she has to "go with these men for a while" because "it's just the Rules."
- A new rule: the First Generation apparently cannot harm each other. This seems to have created great animosity between Jason and Ben.
- Kate tells Mrs. Fisher that she cannot discuss the past.
- Phones ring in the middle of the night. The hospital phone in Kate's room symbolically remains unanswered.
Wayward Lines:
- Theo: "I want to get home."
- Neighbor: "He wants to borrow our cell phone."
- Pam and Xander: "Clear and severe." "It's the only way."
- Xander: "Routine is the building block of happiness. That's what Pilcher says, right?"
Wayward Whines:
- How on earth did Mrs. Fisher survive her encounter with the Abbies? I demand an explanation.
Wayward Signs:
- At one point in the episode, Theo drinks a soda from an old-timey vending machine. Did the label say "Carbonated Celery"??
Easter Eggs:
- Theo first awakens in Wayward Pines inside David Pilcher's former office at the Complex.
- Familiar faces: Nice to see Season 1 regulars Pope, Arlene, Ruby, Ben and Kate again. In the preview for next week's show, we also see Theresa Burke, who is not happy about her son being outside the Fence.
- Hector Gaither still plays the piano on the radio. He's probably, like, 43 now.
- We see the base of the statue dedicated to David Pilcher over by the carousel. Prominent paintings of Pilcher are also spotted in the hospital.
What we don't know:
- What happened at the bloody wall that Theo saw before being taken to meet Jason? Executions, probably, but who knows?
- Why were the officers taking that woman away from her child and where were they going? Perhaps she had broken the Rules. Perhaps she is a suspected rebel. Perhaps this isn't significant whatsoever.
- What happened to Pam?
- How long has Theo's wife Rebecca been in Wayward Pines?
Obituaries:
RIP Ruby
Season 1 - Season 2: Episode 1
RIP Pamela Pilcher (allegedly)
Season 1 - ???
RIP Agent Kate Hewson
(#NeverForget that one time she awkwardly answered the phone...)
Season 1 - Season 2: Episode 1
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What did you think about the Season 2 premiere? What got you excited? What questions do you have? We'd love to hear all about it in the comments section below!
Until next week,
Work hard and be happy.
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