Wayward Pines has effectively bifurcated its season, separating it into two halves, both of which take place on one side of “The Truth” (which might be my favorite episode of television in 2015). Before that episode, the show just hurled revelation after revelation at the viewer; in the aftermath of that episode, we’ve dealt with the fallout from learning the truth, and we’ve seen how ignorance of it shapes the lives of the town’s citizens. The murky morality at play is one of the best parts of Wayward Pines, and “A Reckoning” is a great example of that.
I’m not going to get into too much plot specifics, because there was a whole hell of a lot of plot happening in this hour. (If nothing else, Wayward Pines deserves commendation for being the busiest show on the air right now.) The thrust of this episode is that the town, including Ben, is losing faith in Ethan. His no-Reckoning policy isn’t exactly popular, as we find out pretty early on, when a group of students storm the sheriff’s station to demand that Ethan Reckon Kate. In a great scene, their leader Jason tries to intimidate Arlene, who’s having none of it. She tells the kids to get the hell out, and they do. Siobhan Fallon hasn’t had a ton to do this season, but you can tell she enjoyed the hell out of playing this scene.
At the hospital, Mrs. Fisher is pouring poison in Ben’s ear, trying to turn him against his father. If Ben, as the victim of a terrorist attack, speaks out against Ethan’s policy, his words will carry more weight. It’s a lot of responsibility for any kid to shoulder, and it’s compounded by the sudden onset of a hemorrhage in Amy’s brain. Can I point out again that Charlie Tahan is just killing it as Ben? Even if he does have the requisite TV/movie kid hair helmet (see also: Jurassic World, Liar Liar, etc).
What “A Reckoning” did with aplomb was show the dangers of groupthink and mob mentality. This has been mined before – especially well in The Mist, which Toby Jones also starred in – so the show isn’t exactly treading new ground, but that’s forgivable if it achieves what it’s trying to do. There’s a genuinely tense, shocking scene where Jason and his pals return to the station, handcuff Arlene to a file cabinet (after she spits in Jason’s face), and execute the insurgents, including Harold. Kate is only spared by a well-timed bullet to Jason’s back. This sequence could have been gratuitous and graphic, but director Nimrod Antal (Predators, Vacancy) wisely shoots from a distance, lending it an air of dreadful inevitability.
I spoke before of the show’s murky morality, and I feel that it requires further explanation. Kate and her fellow insurgents think of Ethan and Pilcher as the villains, but in reality, it’s Kate, et al, who are the villains, only through sheer ignorance. Wayward Pines is so well done that you can sympathize with both sides without having to play devil’s advocate. Ethan and Pilcher know what’s beyond the fence, and they know that they have to keep everyone safely inside – but it’s that selfsame commitment and zeal that leads to the kind of dangerous, fanatical thinking that drove a kid like Jason to murder four people.
I’d like to point out as well that Toby Jones is committing excellently to his newfound role as villain. When Ethan gathers the town to watch him Reckon Kate, only to tell them the truth about Pilcher and Wayward Pines, Pilcher’s response is to kill the power all over town, including to the fence. “A Reckoning” ends with the image of an abbie clawing its way into town.
This is what I mean: after several straight episodes of WTF water cooler moments, Wayward Pines restructured itself midseason to become a damn good sci-fi thriller. No one knew what to make of this show before it premiered (including me), but in many ways I think it might be the most impressive new series on the air.
A Few Thoughts
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You’ll notice there are several subplots and characters I didn’t even mention. Well, that’s cause I didn’t want this review to be 2,000 words long. Wayward Pines has a huge ensemble, and “A Reckoning” made great use of every member of it. That’s no small feat
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Sorry I didn’t review last week’s episode. Comic Con had me pretty busy
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