Wayward Pines

After five episodes: Wayward Pines would improve a lot with a more personal and film-like directorial hand. The mood and the visuals feel like a run-of-the-mill TV mystery series, which is a real shame because the things that take place there are quite interesting. The initial fear of a shallow bunch of mysteries that have no explanation and never will is beginning to prove mistaken. The fifth episode actually reveals the main part of the mystery (what Wayward Pines actually is). The concept is brilliant and, if it’s in the hands of smart people (referring to the author of the book), it’s got great potential. The aforementioned twist raises other questions (I would love see, in particular, a sensible explanation of why the people in the know behave towards the people out of the loop the way they do, and why they don’t tell them! That situation must be a lot more dangerous than a possible reveal of the truth), and I also want to see what the creators will come up with. The overall opinion about the series can change with every new episode, twist or piece of information, so I’m not really sure about my rating, it can be very good, and it can be worse. But I’ll keep on watching, it’s fun. After the end of the series (or 1st season): So I think it’s very good in the end. :) Halfway through the season the mystery became hardcore sci-fi addressing the basic aspect of human civilisation and society, the development and end of a totalitarian system, the birth and functioning of a resistance, the God complex, schools as a fundamental ideological apparatus, etc. We can argue about the logic of the behaviour of the “leadership”, but that would have to take place within a debate about the series as a whole (I don’t think your explanation is fully convincing) and not as a one-sided complaint (WTF?! That doesn’t make sense! You won’t even try to explain that?!). I’m pleased. Wayward Pines is a satisfying story that in 10 episodes achieves an unexpected lot. I also liked the relatively uncompromising ending, which can work as a cliffhanger for the second season, but also as a satisfying closure for a ten-episode series. (15.06.2015)

Because I like books, advertisements on the Internet constantly bombarded me with the fact that the third book of the Wayward Pines series appeared in bookstores. And since book advertising works quite well for me, I thought that in this case I also have the opportunity to watch the HBO Go series based on it, so I didn’t hesitate. The premise looked interesting, and the atmosphere of the first episode reminded me of Jericho, which I used to enjoy. In this case, however, the creators tell the story in a brutal pace, assaulting the audience with as many dramatic events as possible. Matt Dillon and Toby Jones were great. The problem, however, lies with the second series, which relies on new actors and a new threat, but unfortunately declines in quality. If I quote the lead actor of the second series, the enemy is a “young idiot” who in my opinion looks like a pretentious smart ass. And this unfortunately doomed the whole series. Too bad. M. Night Shyamalan, however, has done some solid work, so at least the first season is definitely worthy of your time, as it basically tells a complete story. (22.03.2020)