Wayward Pines Episode 1 Review: This Is The LAST Time I Trust Google Maps (Season Premiere)

Fox aired the first episode of "Wayward Pines" on Thursday at 9 PM ET. The show is scheduled to run for 10 episodes so it's not a huge investment of time. The main character, Secret Service Agent Ethan Burke, wakes up in the hospital after an auto accident. He's in the town of Wayward Pines, Idaho. How he got there, I have no idea. I'm going to blame Google Maps though (since that's my fallback excuse when I get lost... which is often).

The list of weird inhabitants of Wayward Pines includes: Beverly the bartender (Juliette Lewis), Pam the crazy nurse (Melissa Leo). Pope the ice cream eating sheriff (Terrence Howard) and the mysterious Dr Jenkins (who may be buying "recruits" from the outside world for his experiments). Ethan is of course played by Matt Dillon (who I might add is looking a little like a cross because between Frankenstein and a zombie in this episode). Ethan is searching for his missing partner Kate (Carla Gugino) and some other agent (who he later finds tied to a bed and very dead). We also meet Ethan's wife, son and a few coworkers. I assume they're all in the "real world" in Seattle.

Wayward Pines: Where The Chief Past Time Is Trying To OutStrange Each Other

The citizens tell Ethan everything will be fine if as long as he follows the rules:

Do not try to leave.
Do not discuss the past.
Do not discuss your life before.
Always answer the phone when it rings.
Work hard.
Be happy.
Enjoy your life in Wayward Pines.

Ethan of course manages to break every rule in the first episode. He enlists the help of Bartender Beverly to escape from Nurse Pam. He tries to flee by car but keeps ending up back on main street. This reminded me of the "The Returned" (French version) scene on the dam. Ethan next hikes through the woods. But he encounters a large electric fence that is built around the entire town. Hmmm. Wonder what's up with that? Are they in some sort of government prison? Or maybe they're actually all dead? Or maybe Ethan just hit his head really, really hard.

Well This Doesnt Look Good

Favorite Quotes:

"There are no crickets in Wayward Pines."- Beverly to Ethan. I have no idea what that's supposed to mean.

Grade: 3 1/2 Monsters (out of 5). I'm not completely sold yet but intrigued enough to tune back in. If we hang in there till episode 5 there is apparently a big reveal of the town's mysteries. Please leave your thoughts and theories about "Wayward Pines" in the comments below.