Starring: Matt Dillon, Shannyn Sossamon, Carla Gugino, Toby Jones, Melissa Leo, Charlie Tahan, Reed Diamond, Hope Davis, Siobhan Fallon, Sarah Jeffrey, Terrence Howard, Juliette Lewis
Wayward Pines, for me, had a better first season than Under The Dome. I thought Under The Dome had a great pilot, but by the end of the season, it asked too many questions that were left unanswered. Wayward Pines made the effort to be a fully contained story, wrapping up most of the storyline by the end of the first season. It also had a better evolution of the characters, and some decent surprises. Under The Dome had a stronger pilot, but Wayward Pines had the stronger run. Both are very similar in nature, so I thought I’d compare them.
What I liked about Wayward Pines was that it had a few twists I didn’t see coming. Not planning on ruining any of them, but the truth about Wayward Pines surprised me. I also thought the evolution of Melissa Leo was particularly surprising and strong. If she’s up for Emmy consideration next year, they should definitely take her seriously. Also, Carla Gugino, Toby Jones, and Matt Dillon deliver strong performances over the course of the season. I was a little distracted that Dillon, Sossamon, and Gugino were all suggested to be about the same age, but Dillon is 7 years older than Gugino, who is 7 years older than Sossamon. So, either Matt Dillon’s character waited a really long time to start his training so he would be training with Sossamon, or they thought Sossamon would play the same age as Dillon. She doesn’t.
If you like mysterious sci-fi TV shows, Wayward Pines is a solid bet. The show is mostly contained within the first season, but it does leave a small window open for a second season (should FOX be interested in extending this Limited Series). The full season is currently on Hulu. There’s a lot of unwarranted hate out there for everything with M. Night Shyamalan’s name on it. He only produced this, and directed one episode. It’s an adaptation of a book series, so it’s not even an original concept of his. Ignore the haters. Enjoy Wayward Pines.
FINAL GRADE: B+