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May 13, 2015 By Cody Ray Shafer Issue #53 - April/May 2015 - Tame Impala

For all the inevitable Twin Peaks comparisons, it is a strange choice that Wayward Pines opens with a nearly identical series of shots to Lost. Perhaps the creators (including executive producer M. Night Shyamalan) are signaling that the television legacy Pines will follow is more akin to the ABC’s island-fantasy than David Lynch’s seminal small-town mystery.

As for the Twin Peaks references, they aren’t entirely out of place. Pines is based on a book by Blake Crouch, who admitted his goal with the series was to recapture the mystery and intrigue of “who killed Laura Palmer?” that gripped the nation during Twin Peaks’ first season. The similarities are intentional, the vibe is necessary, but the payoff is, hopefully, more substantial. Which is why the Lost nod at the beginning might not be a misstep, either. Where Twin Peaks faded into a jumble of convoluted narratives, Lost wrapped them up in an earnest effort of finality. Two episodes in, and its already clear Pines is keen on this trajectory.

It is far better than most “event series” dramas in recent memory. Matt Dillon is perfectly cast in the lead, and though some themes and visual cues are a little hokey at first, Wayward Pines soon enough turns into thrilling network television. (www.fox.com/wayward-pines/)

Author rating: 7/10