Briefly: Finally!

just finished the first season of FOX’s Wayward Pines last week (and loved every second of it), and I’ve been eagerly awaiting news of the upcoming second season ever since.

Last week we saw the first teaser poster for the upcoming episodes, and today FOX has debuted an awesome first teaser trailer. Yep, it’s full of mystery and doesn’t explain much of anything, but it shows off new and returning cast, and reminds us that this season is set to be all about some new residents.

The 10-episode psychological thriller picks up after the shocking events of the season 1 finale, with the residents of Wayward Pines battling against the iron-fisted rule of the First Generation. Dr. Theo Yedlin (Jason Patric) — a new resident of Wayward Pines — awakens from suspended animation and finds himself in the middle of this rebellion, as he tries to understand what Wayward Pines really is and help preserve the endangered human race. CJ Mitchum (Djimon Hounsou), an original resident of Wayward Pines and a historian for the town with extensive knowledge of its complex origins, is the only one who can provide a unique bridge between the current world of Wayward Pines and the previous world that humans inhabited. Megan Fisher (Hope Davis), is in charge of the scientific research being conducted on the Abbies, and remains deeply involved in the development of the hearts and minds of the future of humanity — Wayward Pines’ “First Generation”.

Take a look at the teaser below, and be sure to let us know what you think! Wayward Pines returns on May 25th!

https://youtu.be/fvnu2PBiL3k

Briefly: Yesterday evening, my fiancé and I decided to drive around the dilapidated grounds of Riverview Hospital in Coquitlam, BC.

Many of the buildings in the area look as though they are straight out of a horror film, and interestingly enough, most of the less deathly structures are now used as sets in Vancouver’s booming film and television industry.

After driving by both Wayward Pines Academy and Wayward Pines Hospital, last night we decided to give the series a shot, and five episodes later it’s pretty clear that we’ve instantly fallen in love with it.

Like what the hell is happening in this town!?

Today, Fox debuted a new poster for the upcoming second season, which teases the feral creatures that I’ve only just met (no spoilers please). Take a look at the poster below, and be sure to let us know if you’ll be watching when Wayward Pines returns on May 25th!

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Starring Jason Patric (“Rush,” “Narc”), two-time Academy Award nominee Djimon Hounsou (“Blood Diamond,” “In America”) and Emmy Award and Golden Globe nominee Hope Davis (“American Crime,” “The Newsroom”), the 10-episode, second season will pick up after the shocking events of Season One, with the residents of Wayward Pines battling against the iron-fisted rule of the First Generation. Dr. THEO YEDLIN (Patric) – a new resident of Wayward Pines – awakens from suspended animation and finds himself in the middle of this rebellion, as he tries to understand what Wayward Pines really is and help preserve the endangered human race.

 

Also joining the second season are cast members Tom Stevens (“Cedar Cove”), returning from Season One as JASON HIGGINS, a member of the First Generation and Pilcher’s young acolyte; Nimrat Kaur (“Homeland”) as REBECCA, who has her own secrets she keeps from Theo, her husband; Josh Helman (“Mad Max: Fury Road,” “X-Men: Days of Future Past”) as XANDER, a resident working to undermine Wayward Pines from within; and Kacey Rohl (“Hannibal”) as KERRY, one of Jason’s lieutenants in the civil war going on in Wayward Pines.

 

Additionally, several Season One cast members will appear in Season Two, including Terrence Howard (SHERIFF ARNOLD POPE), Carla Gugino (KATE HEWSON), Toby Jones (DR. JENKINS/DAVID PILCHER), Melissa Leo (NURSE PAM), Tim Griffin (ADAM HASSLER), Shannyn Sossamon (THERESA BURKE) and Charlie Tahan (BEN BURKE).

These days it’s not at all uncommon to be a little gun-shy when a new show debuts. Will it deliver? Will the network stick with it as it builds an audience or pull the rug out from under the early adopters? Will it feature often overlooked ice cream flavors? Well, I’m here to tell you, you have nothing to fear with Wayward Pines.

I’m going to attempt two things here. One is to encourage you to watch the season finale with me next Thursday on FOX at 9/8pm. The other is to tell you about the show without telling you about the show—trust me, it’s better that way and you’ll thank me for it later. (If you want spoilers, I’m sure you’ll have no problem finding them around online—but I think a lot of the magic lives in not fully knowing what you’re signing up for.)

I’d like you to imagine a love-fest between The Twilight ZoneThe X-Files, Lost, Twin PeaksThe Matrix and The Prisoner, where some of the best parts of their DNA are harvested and used to create what is easily the best sci-fi show on television right now—and it’s got Carla Gugino. Boom. Don’t believe me? Go ahead and look around and you’ll see that it’s getting solid scores from the critics (Rotten Tomatoes has it at 86% fresh, IMDB is at 8.2/10).

FOX tells it like this:

Based on a best-selling novel and brought to life by suspenseful storyteller M. Night Shyamalan (The Sixth Sense), WAYWARD PINES is an intense, mind-bending 10-episode thriller starring Academy Award nominee Matt Dillon (Crash) as a Secret Service agent on a mission to find two missing federal agents in the bucolic town of Wayward Pines, ID. Every step closer to the truth makes him question if he will ever get out of Wayward Pines alive.

It’s not often the case where a new show will deliver on its promises and then continue to get even better week after week, as is the case here. I feel confident the season finale won’t be letting us down—I anticipate it’ll leave us satisfied and hungry for more at the same time. I’ll spoil one thing and that is this; there are rules to living in Wayward Pines.

1. Enjoy your life in Wayward Pines
2. Be happy
3. Work hard
4. Always answer the phone if it rings
5. Do not discuss the past
6. Do not discuss your life before
7. Do not try to leave

Unlike some other mystery shows of late, Wayward Pines never leaves you hanging for long. The mysteries are solved just as new ones are introduced—it makes for a very satisfying and engaging experience.

So I encourage you to catch up—watching the first 9 episodes on FOX.com is one easy way—and then join us fans in watching the season finale so that the network gets the number of eyeballs it’s looking for and brings the show back for another season.  That is, unless you’d rather just watch a lawyer/doctor/cop/fireman/politician struggling with a love/family/work triangle instead—’cause I think the networks always have a few hundred of those waiting in the wings.

If you’d like a little more background on the show, check out Geekscape’s original piece from the Wayward Pines‘ debut by Dennis Finocchiaro. If you’re just looking for a little visual tease, here’s a replay of FOX’s trailer:

https://youtu.be/QmFPf7I0Jlc

Remember this; there are no crickets in Wayward Pines.

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A new show coming to TV will be the creepy and mysterious, Wayward Pines, which is based on the international bestselling book series by Blake Crouch. Executive producer, Donald De Line, explained how the show was conceived after he read the book and loved it; he said he could not put it down. De Line felt the material was “better served over a longer period of time” because there is too much for just a movie. The other big force behind this show is M. Night Shyamalan who liked the books even more because he could not guess the twist.

Reed Diamond, who plays Harold Balinger, chimed in that he read the book in one sitting. He also explained that early on you find out what is going on and the complexities just expand instead of a long build up only to deflate. After watching the pilot during the panel, the show is definitely intriguing and it is nice to hear that you get some clarification early on instead of being strung along blindly. Tim Griffin, who plays Adam Hassler, added that the show is “very generous on exposing secrets early on.”

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They started to make the show after the first book came out and you learn the truth of what is going on around episode 5, but episode 10 will be just as exciting. It is great to hear that they plan to keep the audience engaged while still satisfying curiosities. For those who are wondering about how closely the show follows the book, the “overall truth is similar to the book” according to Donald De Line. This is a show where they have already outlined where the final episode would go and planned in advance instead of just writing as they went.

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When you are basing a show or movie on a book there is an easy way to find out what most likely will happen. Reed Diamond joked that he felt like the only actor who read the book. He also commented on hearing interviews with cast members from Game of Thrones who have said they do not know what will happen to their character. Which surprised him because “you can find out!” Diamond also added that what the characters think and say are different and that is fun for an actor – lot of subtext to play with. Tim Griffin mentioned another talented actor on the show, Terrence Howard, did not want to know anything about his character. Griffin said he started out the same but then he got desperate and cornered Shyamalan to find out what happens to his character. All of the directors on the show were helpful to the actors by pointing them in the right direction without being too obvious and ruining the surprise.

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This show was a first, in a way, for its creators because Donald De Line had never produced and M. Night Shyamalan had never done television. Shyamalan wanted to do something that was not like what was already on television. So why now? Donald De Line said it is because the show has a “fantastic story” and with a good show, it is all about the story. Reed Diamond agreed saying it is a “high quality show” and what better way to tell a great story than with A-list talent who want to bring the story to life.

Asked to sum up the story, De Line said it is a “great suspense thriller where nothing is what it seems to be but everything reveals itself…in a scientific way.” It does have the vibe of Twin Peaks meets The X-Files. On that alone, I am sold plus the pilot was pretty awesome so I will check it out for sure!

Wayward Pines premieres on May 14th on FOX.