Secret Service agent Ethan Burke (Matt Dillon) wakes up in a hospital in the small town of Wayward Pines, Idaho. He was looking for missing agent Kate Huston (Carla Gugino) and her partner when he was in a car accident. The creepy nurse Pam (Melissa Leo) who is attending to him won’t tell Ethan what’s going on, just that she had given his wallet and other personal effects to the Sheriff. When Ethan tries to leave the hospital, she and Doctor Jenkins (Toby Jones) handcuff him to a bed and prep him for surgery. However, bartender Beverly (Juliette Lewis) helps Ethan escape from the hospital and clues him in that this idyllic-looking town may not be all that it appears to be.

Ethan finds that any attempt to make a phone call out of the town is thwarted, and back in Seattle, Ethan’s wife Theresa (Shannyn Sossamon) and son Ben (Charlie Tahan) are getting nervous when they can’t reach him. When Ethan asks Sheriff Arnold Pope (Terrence Howard) for his things, he gets the run-around. So he steals a car and tries to leave town, but discovers it’s physically impossible. And the more he stays in town, the stranger things get—Beverly think’s it’s the year 2000, while Kate says she’s been in town for 12 years, despite Ethan having seen her 5 weeks earlier. And the town has some dark secrets—there appears to be someone listening to everything that is going on, and when a dissenter is discovered, the other residents receive a mysterious phone call telling them to hunted down this neighbor and execute them in the center of town as an example of what happens to non-conformers.

Can Ethan figure out what’s going on in this town and escape back to his family before it’s too late?!

Some shows bill themselves as a “limited series” or “event series”, but then treat the series like an open-ended first season, saving reveals and resolutions, and avoiding killing off characters in case there’s another season. Wayward Pines does not do this—it holds nothing back, telling a complete story from start to finish, providing a satisfying, but still open-to-more, conclusion at the end. The series is based off of a trilogy of novels by Blake Crouch, and stays pretty true to the source material. The first five episodes of the series are pretty much the first book, while the second half of the series pulls from the final two books. I love that the series is willing to kill off main characters at any time, no matter how big the star. This adds a level of unpredictability and real stakes to the show.

As Wayward Pines begins, it feels very much like The Prisoner. A man is trapped in this mysterious small, idyllic-looking town with no way out, as his every move is being watched by surveillance cameras. The other citizens seem content to live in the town—either blissfully unaware of or choosing to ignore the truth. Wayward Pines looks like like a classic suburban village out of the ’50s or ’60s, with no internet or TV. Everyone is friendly and has his or her proper role in the community—at least it seems that way. The mystery of this town deepens as Ethan tries to figure out what’s really going on.

At the halfway point of the series, in an episode aptly named “The Truth”, we are told what’s actually going on in Wayward Pines, and it’s quite the unexpected doozy! It was both shocking and wonderful to see a series actually provide answers its central questions, and so soon in the season! For the second half, the series switches gears into the sci-fi genre. Things gets really creepy and the show becomes more of a supernatural action/thriller. While I really enjoyed the first half of the season, I was also excited by this tonal switch, which worked really well in the world that had been established in the first half of the series.

While many would agree that the quality of M. Night Shyamalan’s films have declined over the years, this series proves that he has still got it. While he didn’t write the series, he did direct the pilot, which set the tone and visually-stunning look for the rest of the series. And screenwriter Chad Hodge’s excitement and love for the novels he adapted can be seen on screen in all the interesting twists and turns the story takes. The series also stars an amazingly-talented cast, with so many recognizable names, many of whom are already starring in new hit shows.

While Wayward Pines was originally aired in HD on FOX, the series is only being released on DVD. The picture quality is very good and the show’s unique visual style still looks quite remarkable. The audio track is also well done, providing clear dialogue and a soundtrack that enhances the action on screen. As for supplemental material, there are only two short but interesting featurettes with the cast/creators of the series. I wish they had included even more!

I really enjoyed this series so much, and it is definitely a show that can be binge-watched. It tells a nice complete story with a satisfying but still open-ended conclusion. I highly recommend picking this up and checking out this fantastic series

What’s Included:
Episodes: (440 min)

• All 10 Episodes of the series:
  “Where Paradise Is Home”, “Do Not Discuss Your Life Before”, “Our Town, Our Law”, “One of Our Senior Realtors Has Chosen to Retire”, “The Truth”, “Choices”, “Betrayal”, “The Friendliest Place on Earth”, “A Reckoning”, “Cycle”
• 480p / Widescreen 1.78:1
• Audio: English 5.1 Dolby Digital, Spanish Surround Dolby Digital 2.0, Portuguese Surround Dolby Digital 2.0
• Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish, French, Portuguese
• Closed Captioned

Extras:
Both bonus featurettes include behind-the-scenes footage and interviews with executive producer/pilot director M. Night Shyamalan, executive producer/writer Chad Hodge, executive producer Donald De Line, consulting producer/author Blake Crouch, and executive producers/writers Ross Duffer and Matt Duffer.

Spanish and Portuguese subtitles are provided on the bonus features.

• Where Paradise Is Home: A Wayward Pines Style Guide (8:59)
  The cast and creators talk about the look, feel and technology of the town of Wayward Pines, and the use of color in the show. Also includes interviews with production designer Curt Beech and stars Juliette Lewis (“Beverly”), Carla Gugino (“Kate Hewson”) and Toby Jones (“David Pilcher”).
• Creating A Mythology (9:57)
  The cast and creators discuss the show’s premise and the biblical nature of the story, the shifting of genres, designing the Abbies, and more. Also includes interviews with stars Matt Dillon (“Ethan Burke”), Terrence Howard (“Sheriff Arnold Pope”) and Melissa Leo (“Pam Pilcher”).

Final Thoughts:

Wayward Pines was a show that sat on the shelves for a couple years before finally being aired by FOX. And after seeing it, I am baffled as to why it took so long to air—I absolutely loved the series. It is a creepy mystery/thriller with a stunning visual look and style, and some amazing performances by a talented cast. It does what few “limited” or “event” series do these days—it tells a complete story, gives answers and comes to a satisfying conclusion. The DVDs look ad sound great, but only contain about 19 minutes of bonus material. However, based on the series alone, I highly recommend picking this DVD up—this is a show that should not be missed!