When “Our Town, Our Rules” ended, a crazed Sheriff Pope had just been run over been Ben Burke, shot dead by Ethan Burke, and then snatched by the monsters that live on the other side of the electrified wall running the perimeter of Wayward Pines. Now that Pope is dead and very much gone, what will happen next? If the first three episodes were strange, “One of Our Senior Realtors” is even more twisted.
When we open Ben is hyperventilating over what he’s just done and seen his father do. Instead of fleeing Wayward Pines as planned, Ethan guns Pope’s SUV and heads back toward the home his family inherited from dead Beverly. And this is only the beginning.
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Congratulations, Sheriff Burke
Ethan drops off his stunned wife and son at the house after telling Theresa that their every action is being watched. By whom, he does not know. He explains that he came to Wayward Pines to find Bill and Kate. Their only way to survive, he says, is to pretend to be happy and go along with the craziness until he can figure things out.
Next, Ethan takes Pope’s keys and heads to the Sheriff’s office to raid the stockpile of guns. There he is met by Mayor Brad Fisher, some other young kid, and Pope’s secretary Arlene, all gathered to congratulate him on his new position as sheriff and to eat celebratory cake. What the hell? Seriously? Dang.
Ethan confidently asks who appointed him Sheriff and gets no answer whatsoever. Fischer, however, does admit he’s relieved to have a new sheriff. Why? We will soon find out.
Theresa Takes Ben to Wayward Pines Academy
At school the next morning, Ben and Theresa are met by student counselor, Megan Fisher. Immediately Megan hones in on Ben’s artistic ability and he admits he plays guitar. Spooky.
Megan meets with Ben in her office and asks three questions. Where are you from, where do you live, and where is home? Ben suspiciously answers all three questions the same: Seattle. Does he miss it? Yes. Why? He can’t really say. Why aren’t his parents taking him home? Because they can’t. How do you know you can trust your father after he’s lied to you before? That question stumps poor Ben. I think it’s safe to say there’s going to be some brainwashing going on in Ben’s life fairly soon.
At the end of the school day Ben eschews Theresa’s directive that he wait for her to walk him home. He meets an attractive schoolmate who befriends him and offers to walk him home. Ben asks the girl about the monsters he saw on the other side of the wall. She avoids answering and shows interest in him before a frantic Theresa
Nurse Pam Makes a Citizens’ Arrest of an Insurgent Graffiti Artist
Nurse Pam bursts into the Sheriff’s office dragging Peter McCall (Justin Kirk, Weeds) and demands a reckoning against the realtor. McCall had spray-painted one of the downtown buildings with “In a time of universal deceit, the telling the truth is a revolutionary act.” Ethan refuses to have anyone killed, Nurse Pam gets snarky and then leaves.
Ethan explores his new office looking for answers. Under the area rug he finds a hidden cubby containing files on every single person in Wayward Pines. The files reveal each residents’ origins.
Theresa Explores Downtown Wayward Pines
A map in hand, Theresa walks down the wide main street set against a lovely backdrop of craggy mountain and blue sky. When she stops into the toy store where Kate works, Kate winds-up a music box to allow them a moment of private discussion. Theresa reveals that she was once a secret service agent. That was unexpected. She accuses Kate of hurting her family and leaves.
Ethan Interrogates Peter McCall
Ethan finally finds another person who is willing to be straight with him. McCall says he’s been in Wayward Pines for at least eight years. Nurse Pam calls once again, demanding McCall’s reckoning. Ethan shows Peter the file Sheriff Pope was keeping on him. Peter gets misty-eyes when he sees a photo of himself with his wife and kids. He tells Ethan how he cheated on his family back in his real life. One night he took a girl to his hotel room, then awoke to find Nurse Pam in his room.
McCall reveals that he now walks with a cane because he tried to escape once by climbing the face of the mountains surrounding the town. That’s the only way to escape, he tells Ethan, except death.
Wayward Pines Focuses on the Children
Surprise, surprise. School counselor Megan used to be a hypnotherapist before she came to Wayward Pines. It turns out Megan is married to Mayor Brad Fisher. Theresa invites Megan to dinner and they agree to meet at the Biergarten with their husbands later.
At dinner, Megan emphasizes that boundaries, and consequences for ignoring those boundaries, are very important. She’s not that subtle about it either.
While the wives are in the bathroom, Ethan mentions the look of fear in everyone’s eyes to Fisher. He is going to get to the bottom of the mystery if he has to work his way through every single resident trapped there, by George. During a moment of privacy, Fisher tells Ethan in a low voice that Wayward Pines, especially the school, focuses on developing the minds of the children. Hmm … interesting.
When the wives return, Ethan wastes no time in asking the group what they think about the public executions. Talk about confronting the elephant in the room!
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Ben Gets a Guitar For Doubting His Past
In Ben’s next counseling session with Megan, he is asked the same three questions, but this time when asked where he lives he says he doesn’t know. Megan reinforces his ambiguity by surprising him with a brand new guitar.
Later while his parents are out with the Fishers, the girl from school throws pebbles at Ben’s bedroom window, inviting him out into the forest. Don’t trust the siren, Ben!
Ethan Cuts Off Nurse Pam During Her Speech
The whole town seems to be out to dinner at the Biergarten that night. Nurse Pam stands and makes a manic and righteous speech about the law until Ethan interrupts her. Ethan promises the assembled that he will bring whomever is responsible to justice.
On their walk home, Ethan and Theresa run into Dr. Jenkins, (who looks a lot like Mr. MaGoo), as he’s checking on his hybrid foliage. Ethan tells Jenkins about the pressure to have a reckoning for McCall to which MaGoo Jenkins responds, “Perhaps the best things in the world require the biggest sacrifices.” Yowsa, this guy is clearly a Frootloop dingus. Ethan tells Theresa to head home while he heads back to McCall at the jail house.
Ethan Emancipates McCall, then McCall Emancipates Himself
Ethan takes McCall from his jail cell to hide him, so he’s not executed by someone willing to kill him if Ethan won’t. While Ethan is gone, Theresa gets a note offering her the job of realtor, taking Peter’s job.
McCall says you can’t escape your past, and that his past has caught up with him. McCall manipulates Ethan into a hug, then throws himself at the electric fence where he is fried. McCall figured that Ethan needed to be seen killing him in order to maintain his status in the town.
Nurse Pam shows up at the sheriff’s office after finding out McCall is dead and admits that she is better suited to be in charge of the town. She’s scary, that one.
Ethan Climbs Out of Wayward Pines
Ethan tells Theresa to stay safe while he’s gone for a while. He takes supplies and guns and starts to climb the face of the mountain like McCall once did. What next, folks?
Wayward Pines airs Thursdays at 9pm on FOX.
(Images courtesy of FOX)
Contributing Writer, BuddyTV
