S01.E03: Our Town, Our Law

[Almost 3000]

I don't get the fence... Shouldn't the other side of the huge fence surrounding the town just be... The rest if the world? Or is there an even bigger fence around that fence keeping whatever this is sandwiched in between? But then you'd think other people would notice a giant fence where the town is supposed to be....

I mean, I'm assuming there will be some wacky supernatural explanation that the town isn't really where we think it is... And there is some tunnel or something that transports you from Idaho to magic Wayward Pines land.,,

Yep, and why would those kids at the convenience store who said Wayward Pines is down the road not have noticed the Great Wall of Wayward.

[izabella]

Sorry, I worded my post a bit funny.  I believe that Kate really has been in Wayward Pines (I'm just going to use WP for short) for twelve years (her hair is much much longer now than it was when Ethan was interacting with her outside of WP).  But by my math, every day that Ethan's family spent looking for him equated to over four months in WP.  I'm not clear how long Ethan's wife and son had been trying to reconnect with him since he disappeared, but it had surely been more than a day.  So, at this point, Ethan has been a resident of WP for many months, but it sure doesn't seem like that.  Unless maybe as others have suggested, he had been asleep for awhile, or his perception of time is all messed up, or time moves differently for different people?  Why do I feel like the big reveal on this show is going to be a massive disappointment?

 

I don't know that Kate saying she'd been there 12 years is useful as a measuring stick for time, i.e., 12 WP years = 5 real-world weeks.  Juliette Lewis said she'd been there only one year, thinks it's 2000, so it must have been 14 years that she'd been there?  Kate's timeline wouldn't match Juliette's 1 WP year = 14 real-world years  timeline.  And, she hasn't aged to look 54 if she'd really been in WP 14 years.

 

Yeah, it's confusing and doesn't seem to follow any specific logic at this point.

[Laurie4H]

In WP time Beverly and Kate are supposed to be 39/40 years old. In real world time Beverly would be 54 and Kate 27. Yes it's confusing but intreging.

[SlackerInc]

Finally, a good character kills a baddie without letting them stupidly get away! Bye bye ice cream loving' Sheriff Pope.    Will anyone carry on your love of ice cream now? I kind of looked forward if he'd eat ice cream every week. :)

 

Have to say, I was surprised Ethan's got together already with his wife and kid, thought they'd drag that out longer or not happen at all.

 

Me too!  Or if they encountered each other in the town, it would be with lots of angst and action in the hospital like in the pilot.  I definitely was not expecting it to be with the realtor getting them settled in their new house.  Though that was creepy and interesting in its own way.

 

I loved that Matt Dillon just killed off the sheriff. Didn't let him live.

 

That was shocking!  He was totally incapacitated, yet Dillon just killed him in cold blood.  I don't think you could get that past the network censors in days gone by (or, I'd have thought, even now).

 

But speaking of that stocked refrigerator, the way they left the doors hanging open while they had a chat (and then walked away!) made me a bit crazy. Don't normal people kind of automatically close the doors?! *sigh*

 

That was driving me nuts.  But they were just reunited, so I actually bought it.  And I was glad they didn't have a cut and then magically the doors were closed, without anyone closing them.

 

I don't get the fence... Shouldn't the other side of the huge fence surrounding the town just be... The rest if the world? Or is there an even bigger fence around that fence keeping whatever this is sandwiched in between? But then you'd think other people would notice a giant fence where the town is supposed to be....

I mean, I'm assuming there will be some wacky supernatural explanation that the town isn't really where we think it is... And there is some tunnel or something that transports you from Idaho to magic Wayward Pines land.,,

 

That seems like a definite possibility.  But also, it seems like there might be steep mountains encircling the town, which in a remote place like Idaho could actually keep outsiders from even seeing the outside of the fence.

 

There also is clearly some kind of time manipulation going on, since Ethan claims Kate has only been missing for five weeks, but Kate thinks she was gone for twelve years.  Add all that to the Beverly stuff, and either time is different in Wayward Pines, or if just feels that way for the residents.  But since they don't seem to age any differently, I have to think it's more then likely time itself is being screwed with.

 

Kate definitely aged differently.

 

I think that the time line where Ethan woke up is different from when he disappeared.  Kate really is 12 years older.  Ethan has either been out/suspended animation/something for a long time or he has been re-booted a number of times and has never been able to "come around" to life in WP.  Remember Beverly said that she "always believed" him.  Like this wasn't the first time he woke up in the woods and stumbled into her bar.

 

The wife and kid have also been suspended somewhere for a while.  Their encounter with the sheriff and their "accident" happened twelve years ago.  Hence the dust on the car.

 

Why Ethan is special is still a mystery.  TPTB want him in town and keep giving him chances.  Really!  They know he tried to escape and he is still free to wander around.  And he's got to be a really bad secret agent if his time spent "on the run" consists of him going to Beverly's house and to the death house at 604.  The two most likely places for anyone to go looking for him.  Just stupid.

 

 

Nice post!  A bunch of intriguing theories, and good points about the stupidity too.

 

I don't know that Kate saying she'd been there 12 years is useful as a measuring stick for time, i.e., 12 WP years = 5 real-world weeks.  Juliette Lewis said she'd been there only one year, thinks it's 2000, so it must have been 14 years that she'd been there?  Kate's timeline wouldn't match Juliette's 1 WP year = 14 real-world years  timeline.  And, she hasn't aged to look 54 if she'd really been in WP 14 years.

 

Yeah, it's confusing and doesn't seem to follow any specific logic at this point.

 

I kind of like that the time stuff isn't all the same, with everyone either experiencing it more slowly or faster than the outside world.  I think this is part of the key to "don't talk about the past": Juliette Lewis still thought the president was Clinton, for instance, so that would confuse some people.  The money and the technology is all '80s or earlier, presumably so no one feels like it's more futuristic than the time they feel like it is?  (But haven't we seen cars that are newer?)

[SlackerInc]

Okay, I read an interesting theory in the comments on another site (this was from someone who swore they had not read the books but was just speculating, but just in case they were lying you might not want to read the rest if you want to be really careful) that what seem to be confusing, inconsistent timelines can be explained if the "present day" in Wayward Pines is (at least) 2026.  People are kept on ice and then thawed out when the authorities decide to do so.  So Beverly was on ice from 1999 until 2025, Bill was on ice from 2014 to 2024, and Kate was not put on ice at all (unless it is later than 2026).  Ethan really did see his wife and son in the hospital, because they were preparing to thaw them out.

 

So all the stuff we seemed to be seeing going on concurrently (his wife and son looking for him) was actually many years earlier.  Would make sense!

[johntfs]

But if I'm right about WP being in a different timeline then there's no correlation between the time Ethan arrived in WP and the time his wife and kid got there. They could have been searching for months or years, it wouldn't matter, they could be zapped (or whatever) to WP to a time before or after Ethan got there. We've just been assuming that the storyline outside WP has been happening concurrent to the storyline inside WP and I don't think that's true. So the doctor/scientist guy who told Ethan they needed someone like him and wanted him to stay isn't coming and going from this town, he's always been there, and the scenes we've seen where he's talking to the Secret Service guy outside WP took place in another timeline before he ultimately went to WP.

 

By the same token, Kate could have been zapped to WP right after Ethan was (or even before) but arrived there twelve years earlier.

 

One thing this story didn't really need, however, is the affair between Ethan and Kate and the additional angst of the extra-marital affair. I guess it serviced his wife's suspicion that he'd run off with a former lover but at this point it serves no purpose other than making Theresa wring her hands and be bitchy every time Ethan talks to Kate. Seems like there's enough inherent conflict going on with these characters without the standard soap opera trope.

 

We know that Kate went to WP before Ethan because he went to look for her after she'd been missing for five weeks. 

 

That said, there's definitely some time travellish shenanigans happening her.  Let's think of it like a Doctor Who plot featuring The Master.

 

So, there's two timelines.  One is standard day with 1999 AD, 2014 AD, etc.  The other is Wayward Pines time which occurs something like 2 billion years in the future where the only life is in this small town and the rest of the world is a hellscape stalked by monsters.  So, The Master kidnaps Kate from 2014 and takes her to year 2 billion and 1.  He goes to year 1999 and kidnaps Beverly, then brings her to WP in the year 2 billion 13.  Finally, he grabs Ethan and brings him to WP in year 2 billion and 14.  So, even though Beverly was taken 15 years before Ethan, she only aged a year.  Meanwhile, Kate, who was taken only 5 weeks before Ethan, has aged 13 years in Wayward Pines.

[theatremouse]

I find it hard to believe that two people billed as regulars have already been killed off, so I assume that they either aren't really dead or are somehow brought back.

 

I think this is the type of show I would have been better off binge watching.  Ten weeks of head scratching is probably going to drive me nuts.

I have two thoughts about this: one "regular" is really just a contractual thing. It's possible in order to "get" the people they wanted for the roles they had to guarantee them that type of billing. They could be getting paid for every episode whether they're in it or not, to guarantee their avaiability. It's also possible they were always only planned for some small subset, and paid for those, but again, billed as "regulars" for marketing purposes.

The other theory, and I hope this is true but I have low expectations since it's network television: the show wanted the freedom to suddenly surprise kill anyone off at any moment, even those who had been presented as major characters. So they made them all regulars so no one would suspect they'd be getting killed off so early, as one might guess if one had been billed only as guest star. So it's an intentional misdirect.

Or third theory: flashbacks and/or other timeywimeyness that doesn't involve un-killing off the characters.

Edited May 29, 2015 by theatremouse

[Fable]

I have two thoughts about this: one "regular" is really just a contractual thing. It's possible in order to "get" the people they wanted for the roles they had to guarantee them that type of billing. They could be getting paid for every episode whether they're in it or not, to guarantee their avaiability. It's also possible they were always only planned for some small subset, and paid for those, but again, billed as "regulars" for marketing purposes.

The other theory, and I hope this is true but I have low expectations since it's network television: the show wanted the freedom to suddenly surprise kill anyone off at any moment, even those who had been presented as major characters. So they made them all regulars so no one would suspect they'd be getting killed off so early, as one might guess if one had been billed only as guest star. So it's an intentional misdirect.

Or third theory: flashbacks and/or other timeywimeyness that doesn't involve un-killing off the characters.

 

I thought about these things, but theory #1 seems farfetched.  I can't see a network and/or producer paying needless money when the actor never got any real character development, so why would the the person who played them matter?  Theory #2 might have worked if it had only been 1 regular who died, and in fact, I believed initially Beverly died, but once the sheriff died, all bets were off.  Theory #3 I can completely buy,  except I don't because I think this show is going to try and "shock and awe" us.

 

I like the show, and I am intrigued, but I am not confidant that I will like the ending

[theatremouse]

I may not have been clear, but one distinct possibility in #1 is someone was booked for 3 episodes. Always. Contractually. Never planned for more. Paid for three episodes. But part of the deal was to credit them in the opening credits with the main cast (for vanity? for marketing? why doesn't matter). It doesn't necessarily involve extra money. I also mentioned the possibility of "regular so we can use you if we want to" because that's a real thing and not uncommon way to book an actor for a series. You can be a "regular" on a 22-episode a year show but only be booked for 15 episodes a year, and that just means you need to be available for 15 and get paid for 15. You can also be a regular booked for all 22 but if they decide your character isn't in one, you're still paid for 22. It's also possible they got paid a fixed amount for being on the show, rather than a "per episode" contract. So the amount they paid the actor to be involved at all was whatever it was. Especially if at the time this was made it was conceived as a miniseries, which would even more so lend itself to a sort of...the cast is the cast-type scenario in terms of billing.

[Fable]

I see what you are saying theatremouse, I just disagree.  i just don't see why they would bring in named actors if they didn't matter.  I've been wrong too many times, so we will just have to see. 

[Quickbeam]

Matt Dillon is really selling this for me but the rest of the leads? Hammy over acting, especially Leo and Howard. I liked Juliette Lewis and am sorry she's gone. I just got done with a Prisoner marathon so that's my leading comparison.

Edited May 30, 2015 by Quickbeam

[Free]

 

Or third theory: flashbacks and/or other timeywimeyness that doesn't involve un-killing off the characters.

 

That would be a sure fire way to kill any tension left in the series especially if it somehow continues past this season.

[kat165]

I was intrigued with the first 2 eps and Matt Dillon is not a real motivator for me to watch this show. However, this ep kind of lost me. I think a bit of it is that I watched on a tv that had too dark of a picture so I didn't really see the "monster" or whatever it was that took

the sheriff. That was all vague and blurry kind. But what I could see made me think that we're in for aliens and I really don't want to watch something with aliens. It's such a disappointment.

[Guest]

I see what you are saying theatremouse, I just disagree.  i just don't see why they would bring in named actors if they didn't matter.  I've been wrong too many times, so we will just have to see. 

I think it's pretty common to have big name actors that are killed in the first ep or two or three.  It's more like a cameo role.  They have full plates and don't need a full 10-ep filler job.  A recent one I saw was Sam Shepard on Bloodline.   The producers probably pay a lot to attach some more big names to the show for the early episodes to draw viewers and hope the story is enough to keep them.  

[Texasmom1970]

Bit surprised they killed off two well-known actors so quickly. Maybe the think they can shock viewers into staying tuned.

Good or bad I am stuck watching. I am too stubborn once I start a show I stick it out. I was confused and intrigued throughout "Fortitude" but did not quit. sometimes I am glad I stuck it out and other times I say to myself what a collossal waste of time.

[jhlipton]

I'm still intrigued and won't mind if it's aliens as long as the story makes sense.
 
I like the "time-grabbing" theory.
 
Let's say that the current year in WP is IMR (In Media Res) 1
NOTE: The current year (the year this was taped) is 2014
 
IMR - ???: Town is built, infrastructure set-up, core inhabitants, like Pope and the nurse, move in
IMR - 12: Kate (and Evans?) is grabbed from AD 2014
IMR - 1: Beverly is grabbed from AD 1999
IMR - 2 weeks (or so) -- Theresa and Ben are grabbed from 2014 (and taken to the hospital)
IMR -  3 days -- Ethan is grabbed from 2014
IMR - 0: Theresa and Ben are released and moved into Beverly's house.
 
Time in the town progresses normally -- Ethan's wounds are healing at Standard Healing Time
 
===============================================
 
From the recap:

Why did no one think to put cameras in the forest?

 
Forget the forest -- why not have cameras in the cemetery???
 

Evil squid monsters who can operate telephones are the worst kind of evil squid monsters.

Octopots Cutlery Fish (knives and tentacles for the win) are pretty darn intelligent and resourceful, so finding one that can operate 8/10/??? telephones at once shouldn't be that hard to find.

Edited May 30, 2015 by jhlipton

[placate]

As a book reader, I love that many of you are clever.

[JenE4]

I didn't watch very carefully and I'm really terrible with keeping track of names so I got a little confused when they just talk about people. So forgive my questions. Was the male agent who was killed/found in episode 1 the same guy who was in the car with Ethan, they had their "accident," Ethan woke up in the middle of the woods nowhere near a car, and the guy had already been there a minimum of two years (married plus however long dating his wife)? Or, was the guy in the car someone else and just "didn't make it" and the dead guy and Kate were both missing from the precinct? Actually, now that I typed that I think that's what I remember--Ethan and the guy who disappeared and we don't currently know where he is were both going to look for the other guy and Kate. And the Secret Service agent that's on the outside knows about WP and knows that this whole chain of events--going to look for the other guy and Kate was all simply to get Ethan there because he's special and someone more important than the sheriff sees something in him. So the dead agent and Kate were only sent there as pawns--kill the guy to scare Ethan and have Kate show him how life has to be. Actually I think Beverly was a sacrifice for the good of the town, too--tell Ethan just enough that he knows how things need to be, and then a christ-like sacrifice to show Ethan the importance of following the rules. Hmm. Interesting parallel with the Easter bombings--sacrifice in the square, reserrection in WP.

Speaking of the Easter bombings, that shows one of the few things that we know about Ethan is that he will follow orders. That was an order handed down from the Secret Service (the president??) and Agent Whatshisface (the blonde agent that his wife was calling) is the bridge between that life of the outside and WP, so I tend to think that this is some government-controlled experiment/world of creating an idyllic life (as long as you follow the rules and forget about the outside world). I'm rambling... Anyway, I think that Sheriff Pope was so hard on Ethan because he knows that TPTB are grooming Ethan to take over running this town. This Secret Service agent who can bomb people on Easter without question has a better resume than a small-town cop who spends 50% of his time eating ice cream cones and 50% of his time giving long-winded speeches with a 25% Venn diagram overlap. Granted, Ethan isn't ready to assume the role of leader yet, so it might be somewhat problematic that he killed off the sheriff already.

As for the monster outside the fence, I'm going with another government experiment. I think this is an Area 51 type of place. And they have some super cougar hybrid monster thing out around the area as additional security to keep people in WP. Supplies come in and out of that garage--it looked like chutes to different places outside WP. I think the Wisconsin license plate was just for show but the truck never gets outside of the garage. It did look like the cleaning crew was going to go off somewhere else but it's possible that they were just getting their cars to go to their homes in WP--not actually leave WP via chute. Then again, we know that the doctor can come and go. I was confused by Agent Blondie on the outside. He was looking at Ethan's car, but Ethan's car was in WP. So was he on the outside or the inside? Wait, that was his wife's car on the inside! Ugh! Just when I think I'm getting somewhere I realize I'm remembering incorrectly with ALL of this! Lol! I need to rewatch these episodes!!!

Edited May 30, 2015 by JenE4

[theatremouse]

I didn't watch very carefully and I'm really terrible with keeping track of names so I got a little confused when they just talk about people. So forgive my questions. Was the male agent who was killed/found in episode 1 the same guy who was in the car with Ethan, they had their "accident," Ethan woke up in the middle of the woods nowhere near a car, and the guy had already been there a minimum of two years (married plus however long dating his wife)? Or, was the guy in the car someone else and just "didn't make it" and the dead guy and Kate were both missing from the precinct?

The latter, or more specifically Ethan was in the car with another agent and they were only in Idaho to look for: male agent found dead in decrepit house in episode 1 and Kate. Car-guy supposedly died in the car accident.

[Johnny Dollar]

Boy did this show veer into "What The Ever Living Fuck" territory pretty quickly. It's like that YA movie about the maze (I can't remember what it was called) mixed with a generous dollop of Under the Dome (I can't wait for that crapfest to begin) and a sprinkling of Lost.

[Jel]

I was confused by Agent Blondie on the outside. He was looking at Ethan's car, but Ethan's car was in WP. So was he on the outside or the inside? Wait, that was his wife's car on the inside! Ugh! Just when I think I'm getting somewhere I realize I'm remembering incorrectly with ALL of this! Lol! I need to rewatch these episodes!!!

I think that was Ethan's car that they had at the Secret Service Headquarters, which they collected from the road just outside WP, that exists in Idaho.  (The real WP exists somewhere else/in another dimension/beyond Thunderdome.)  In it (or somewhere nearby-don't recall exactly) they found the body of the other agent Burke was driving with, but absolutely no evidence that Burke had ever even been in the car.

Edited May 30, 2015 by Jel

[beaker73]

Never mind. I totally missed KDeFlane's post which pretty much said the same thing I just did.

Edited May 30, 2015 by beaker73

[DEM]

 

Or third theory: flashbacks and/or other timeywimeyness that doesn't involve un-killing off the characters.

Although I'm leaning toward your 2nd theory ("surprise!"), I suspect Theory #3 (or something similar) might have merit.  I was struck in the first episode when they showed the photo of Agent Bill Evans (Kate's partner). That was a photo of Ryan Robbins, a very active Vancouver actor. Spit anywhere near a BC sci-fi show, and you'll probably hit Robbins among the main/featured cast.  I wouldn't be surprised if he showed up later in the series.

[tv4sho]

Wow, this episode certainly deviated from the book in a major way and i'm not too sure I like the changes.  I'm going to stick it out but I'm really disappointed thus far.

[peach]

Speaking of the Easter bombings, that shows one of the few things that we know about Ethan is that he will follow orders. That was an order handed down from the Secret Service (the president??) and Agent Whatshisface (the blonde agent that his wife was calling) is the bridge between that life of the outside and WP, so I tend to think that this is some government-controlled experiment/world of creating an idyllic life (as long as you follow the rules and forget about the outside world). I'm rambling... Anyway, I think that Sheriff Pope was so hard on Ethan because he knows that TPTB are grooming Ethan to take over running this town. This Secret Service agent who can bomb people on Easter without question has a better resume than a small-town cop who spends 50% of his time eating ice cream cones and 50% of his time giving long-winded speeches with a 25% Venn diagram overlap. Granted, Ethan isn't ready to assume the role of leader yet, so it might be somewhat problematic that he killed off the sheriff already.

 

 

Neither Ethan nor the Secret Service bombed anyone.  The Easter bombings were some kind of terrorist attack.  He feels guilty because the perpetrator was let go from custody or something (before the bombings), and his therapist says he had no choice but to let him go.  Then Ethan says something about knowing that guy was dirty and not continuing to watch him anyway.  So, yes, he followed his orders, but just let a suspect go and then that person committed a terrible crime, killing a bunch of people.   He feels responsible for not PREVENTING it.

Wow, this episode certainly deviated from the book in a major way and i'm not too sure I like the changes.  I'm going to stick it out but I'm really disappointed thus far.

 

Check out the Books vs Show thread, where we are talking about that same thing.

[JenE4]

Thanks, everyone, for clearing up my confusion! I haven't REALLY paid attention to a show since Lost. I'm always multitasking. I need to put down my phone and tell my kids not to talk to me during this show, as I apparently have no idea what is happening! I mean, most of us have no idea what is happening, but I'm not even following BASIC plot details! Lol

[alias1]

I was intrigued with the first 2 eps and Matt Dillon is not a real motivator for me to watch this show. However, this ep kind of lost me. I think a bit of it is that I watched on a tv that had too dark of a picture so I didn't really see the "monster" or whatever it was that took

the sheriff. That was all vague and blurry kind. But what I could see made me think that we're in for aliens and I really don't want to watch something with aliens. It's such a disappointment.

This is exactly how I feel right now.  I hope it's not going to be about aliens.  Obviously there is someone behind all of it and that someone seems to favor Ethan.   If the 4th episode doesn't have something of interest to reel me back in I think I'm going to be very disappointed in the end result.  But I am getting a kick out of reading all the serious speculation on how and why there are such diverging timelines for the residents of WP.  Loved the Doctor Who and The Master reference.  I feel like I'm in for a major disappointment (and yes, Fortitude, I'm looking at you).

[theatremouse]

Obviously there is someone behind all of it and that someone seems to favor Ethan.

Favor, or prefers to torment (rather than kill), perhaps.

[KDeFlane]

I like this approach by jhlipton, so I'm expanding on the previous post.

 

Let's say that the current year in WP is IMR (In Media Res) 1
NOTE: The current year (the year this was taped) is 2014 

 

Kate and Bill disappear at the same time, but pop up at different times.  The two timelines are not at all synchronized.

 

Seattle/Boise:

1999-unknown: Town is built or discovered?
1999: Beverly disappears from I.T. job.
2014 -5 weeks: Kate Hewson and Bill Evans go missing together.
now -5 days: Ethan and Stallings are sent on assignment and crash.
now: Theresa and Ben are abducted (by Sheriff Pope!)

 

Let's say that the current year in WP is IMR (In Media Res) 0

IMR -???: Town is built, infrastructure set-up,
IMR -???: core inhabitants, like Pope and the nurse, move in
IMR -12 yrs: Kate arrives in WP
IMR -2 yrs: Bill Evans arrives.
IMR -1 year: Beverly awakens in WP
IMR -2 weeks: Bill Evans is reckoned. (how long was he dead?)
IMR -3 days: Ethan arrives.
IMR -1 days: Theresa and Ben are seen in the hospital
IMR = 0: Theresa and Ben are released and moved into Beverly's house.

 

(I might be off on a few days of elapsed time.)

I'm increasingly curious about the involvement of Adam Hassler in sending these agents off to Boise.  Did he know that Kate and Bill were being sent into the void?  Did he set that up as a pretext for having Ethan abducted? Was the death of Stallings necessary? Yeah, I can imagine Hassler transferred Kate to Boise, and only then was read in on The WP Project.  (The companion series "GONE" has just started referring to it as "The Mountain Project".) Maybe he thought he was sending Ethan in to rescue his agents?  I think Hassler doesn't know as much of the details as "Doctor" Jenkins does, or he wouldn't need reassurances. 

 

I cannot stop thinking about this show!

Edited May 31, 2015 by KDeFlane

[potatoradio]

So, the Sheriff knew more about WP than Ethan and yet Ethan kills him instead of trying to extract some info? Good move, agent! I see you paid attention in interrogation class.

And I'm among those hoping that aliens or supernatural tomfoolery does not lie beyond those steely gates. Hoping for a Truman show/ Pleasantville kind of dark twist.

[Free]

 

So, the Sheriff knew more about WP than Ethan and yet Ethan kills him instead of trying to extract some info? Good move, agent! I see you paid attention in interrogation class.

 

These things are really annoying in these shows when they get rid of anyone/thing that has answers, just so they can drag things out and pile on more questions until the reveal which usually ends up mostly being a disappointment from the built up hype.

[jhlipton]

So, the Sheriff knew more about WP than Ethan and yet Ethan kills him instead of trying to extract some info? Good move, agent! I see you paid attention in interrogation class.

The sheriff was extremely dangerous. I don't think I would have risked him getting free, either.

===========================================

So Kate and Bill were grabbed at roughly the same time but inserted into WP 10 years apart...

Occam's Razor says the someone has the power to pull people from anytime in our timeline to any time in the SP timeline.

[alias1]

Favor, or prefers to torment (rather than kill), perhaps.

The only person really tormenting Ethan was the sheriff, who it seems was overstepping his bounds (based on the phone call to the nurse).  The nurse seems to be following orders to drug Ethan.  And maybe that's to cause the timey wimey thing that everyone is experiencing differently.  Ethan is allowed to have his family with him now.  The town could have just made them disappear after their "accident."  Instead they were reunited and given this nice house (Beverly's house, albeit) with a well stocked refrigerator.  They obviously want him to stay and be happy (like they've brainwashed Kate to be, it seems).  I'm just afraid the reason for all of this is going to turn out to be really, really lame.

[AntaresTCH]

I've seen references to so many other Twilight 'Zone episodes, Lost episodes, stories (Shirley Jackson's "The Lottery") and classic movies in only the first three episodes. I'm really enjoying the show and can't wait to read the books after the show ends. The huge white creature at the end of the third episode strongly reminds me of the Morlocks in "The Time Machine". They were mutants from the atomic wars, lived in caves and preyed on the humans that were left. I can't wait to see where we are taken to next. I'm glad that the "will he ever see his wife again" question has been answered early. It makes me feel that this show has several more layers to it then the obvious mundane plot lines that seem to linger without resolution in other shows.

[Gregg247]

I wasn't too sure about this show when I watched Episode 1, but now I'm hooked.  I'm really enjoying all the mysteries involved in this town, and I can't wait for next week.

 

In terms of cast billing, I think WP is like a TV miniseries from the 70s and 80s, where the cast is set, whether they last for 1 episode or all of them.  WP is like a big event miniseries, but broken up into 13 weekly episodes rather than a "6 nights in a row event".

 

Everyone in town seems to live and die by these "rules" they have, but no one bothered to explain ay of them to Ethan.  That's not really fair, if you think about it.  I'm assuming MOST new residents go through some kind of scary orientation when the first arrive in order to show them who's boss.  Ethan may behave very differently if he was clued in to some of this. 

 

In any event, I think he'd be more effective in getting to the bottom of things if he pretended to go along with things rather than running around yelling at people.

[KDeFlane]

I added a notation to my timeline to point out that Sheriff Pope was there in 2014 to aid in the abduction of Theresa and Ben.  While some might take this as proof people can cross the boundary, my brain is fixated on 2014 being the past in relation to the WP scenes.  Pope's hair was shorter in 2014 (or maybe just slicked down) compared to the thicker layer he's hiding with his cowboy hat.  In 2014, he's wearing a highway patrol or police officer's uniform, complete with blue dress shirt and tie.  (I noticed the blue scarf he was wearing at the Reckoning rig, which was a nice touch of costume design.)

 

Episode 3 has the sheriff frequently repeating "This is my town" like a mantra (or a bad improv actor reminding himself of his role).  It has me looking more closely at the roles people have been assigned.  Who thinks Nurse Pam is a registered nurse?  She seems both more relaxed and more honest when she is seen outside the hospital, while her line of "I made them all better" sounds like someone merely play acting.  Then we have the hotel clerk with a look of pride at being told he "seems like the manager", well, you get the idea.

[Tabasco Cat]

So, the Sheriff knew more about WP than Ethan and yet Ethan kills him instead of trying to extract some info? Good move, agent! I see you paid attention in interrogation class.

 

Ethan warned the Sheriff, "Leave my family alone or I will kill you." A man of his word. He probably strongly suspects the sheriff isn't the only guy in town who knows the real story. Plenty of other people to interrogate so no need to delay making good on his word. I'm not so sure we've seen the last of the sheriff. But in the story, Ethan wouldn't be thinking about that.

[jhlipton]

Episode 3 has the sheriff frequently repeating "This is my town" like a mantra (or a bad improv actor reminding himself of his role).  It has me looking more closely at the roles people have been assigned.

Oooh, good point. The Realtor and Kate's hubby seem pretty comfortable on their roles. The Police Receptionist seems to fit being the receptionist, but she's one of the few who were appalled by the "reckoning". Other than that, we've caught glimpses of people, like the barista.

[dr pepper]

Why do I feel like the big reveal on this show is going to be a massive disappointment?

 

Because you've seen Lost.

Yep, and why would those kids at the convenience store who said Wayward Pines is down the road not have noticed the Great Wall of Wayward.

 

There are 2 Wayward Pines's. One non descript cluster of buildings on a road that branches off the highway, and the one that the abductees end up in.

[jhlipton]

There are 2 Wayward Pines's. One non descript cluster of buildings on a road that branches off the highway, and the one that the abductees end up in.

 

It's possible that "our" WP is just being built (so there wouldn't be much there) or is a ghost town now that its "mission" is complete.  Obviously, we need Billy Pilgrim to investigate!

[JenE4]

Yes. Good point. They're ALL play-acting because these aren't their real lives. They all had some other career in the past that they can't speak of, and now they have to pretend to be whatever new life role they're forced into. We know Beverly was in IT before being told to be a bartender in WP and Kate was a Secret Service agent before owing a toy store. So you're probably right that the nurse likely isn't a nurse and the hotel "manager" has no hospitality industry background. I wonder how they're assigned roles. They are just assigned a house based on who broke the rules and was killed off, I guess, so I presume the same thing happens with jobs. No wonder why that terrible police receptionist doesn't get fired for just sitting around doing her nails and acting sassy. WP does have an opening for bartender, sherrif, and I guess whatever job Bill had. Has that been mentioned? I wonder if Ethan and his wife will have to take those jobs, presuming they pretend to assimilate while figuring out how to escape. I think endgame might be Ethan as Sherrif, but he can't do that yet. However, I think one of them as bartender would be a good way to get exposure to various people in WP, as Beverly had even said that her job was to talk to people or listen to people...I think. I may have made that part up when I was only half watching episode 1.

Edited May 31, 2015 by JenE4

[Happytobehere]

The minute the government psychiatrist told Ethan WP needed someone like him, I knew he was going to replace Terreance Howard as sheriff because what other role would he serve in the town. That's why there were all those confrontational scenes between the two, it was setting up the killing and replacement.

I still don't like Ethan. I think he is a dick and I hate that his family is now stuck there with this jerk.

Guess TH's murder answers the question of whether or not he will be doing double-duty on Empire and WP.

[DesertCyclist]

They're ALL play-acting because these aren't their real lives. They all had some other career in the past that they can't speak of, and now they have to pretend to be whatever new life role they're forced into.

 

What I can't wrap my head around is this:  what is the point of not talking about anything when everyone seems to know what is going on?  Is this Fight Club???

Edited May 31, 2015 by DesertCyclist

[Awesomesauce]

What I can't wrap my head around is this: what is the point of not talking about anything when everyone seems to know what is going on? Is this Fight Club???

This. Why don't they just tell Ethan the truth? Clearly he is not going to be convinced to just play along, and some residents like Pope and the nurse do know, so why not? Wouldn't it be easier than dealing with his craziness?

I think the time-grabbing theory is a good one and explains a lot, but my main problem with it is, how could the charade of normalcy work at all if everyone believes it is a different year? Beverly had to think it was 2000, Kate must think it is 2026, and obviously Ethan thinks it's 2014. Not talking about your past might help some inconsistencies, but there's no rule saying not to talk about what year it is. Are there no calendars in WP? I did notice that the Wyoming license plate had a "14" sticker on it, but perhaps it could be 100 years or more in the future (or this could just be a prop error.)

I added a notation to my timeline to point out that Sheriff Pope was there in 2014 to aid in the abduction of Theresa and Ben. While some might take this as proof people can cross the boundary, my brain is fixated on 2014 being the past in relation to the WP scenes. Pope's hair was shorter in 2014 (or maybe just slicked down) compared to the thicker layer he's hiding with his cowboy hat. In 2014, he's wearing a highway patrol or police officer's uniform, complete with blue dress shirt and tie.

I don't know. I rewatched the sheriff scenes and aside from the slicked-back hair, he looks the same in "2014" as in WP. Same with Dr. Jenkins, who has thinning hair so it would have been easy for them to just give him less hair in WP. With Kate, they went overboard to show she'd aged, not just a soft-focus lens but I think they even used digital effects to make her look younger in her "past". So at this point I'm not sure what to think.

As for TH and Empire, here's an article that sheds some light and maybe gives a few tiny hints as well: http://www.ew.com/article/2015/05/28/wayward-pines-ep-chad-hodge-episode-3-our-town-our-law

Edited May 31, 2015 by Awesomesauce

[Jel]

What I can't wrap my head around is this:  what is the point of not talking about anything when everyone seems to know what is going on?  Is this Fight Club???

Lol, it is messed up. But does everyone know what's going on? Are there two kinds of people in WP or something? The snatched from lives and then some other kind? The kind who are cool with public executions, for example? This is getting to Lost levels of messing with my head. 

[ottoDbusdriver]

Are there two kinds of people in WP or something?

 

Make that three kinds of people -- don't forget the delivery guy and the house cleaning crew.  They must know what is going on, but are allowed to enter WP and then leave (where they go, who knows ?).

[Lrdmordain]

Why did Ethan stop his escape plan after seeing what happened to his friend? He was hiding in the woods, dodging patrols then he just forgot all about his special map and never tried to use it to escape. Did I miss some sort of reason why?

[peach]

 WP does have an opening for bartender, sherrif, and I guess whatever job Bill had. Has that been mentioned?

 

His widow said that Bill mowed lawns.

 

Why did Ethan stop his escape plan after seeing what happened to his friend? He was hiding in the woods, dodging patrols then he just forgot all about his special map and never tried to use it to escape. Did I miss some sort of reason why?

I felt like it was because he still had "villagers" with flashlights still hot on his heels, and he didn't think he was going to make it out.  He was more worried about getting caught and murdered at that moment, so he sneaked back to Kate's because he wanted more answers before he tried to do anything else.  That was my take.  It wasn't made very clear, though.

[KDeFlane]

I felt like it was because he still had "villagers" with flashlights still hot on his heels, and he didn't think he was going to make it out.  He was more worried about getting caught and murdered at that moment, ...

 

More than flashlights and villagers, I saw military guys with advanced assault rifles.  (I bet you can't buy those at the place on Main that sells fishing licenses.)

 

(edit to add, rather than double-post, not sure of the local etiquette)

 

Now after watching this ep a third time, I just noticed the mention of the name Pilcher.  When Hassler is on the phone in Seattle, he's telling "Mr. Pilcher" that Theresa had just logged into the computer and will be headed "your way".  Then later, in the woods with Kate, Ethan asks her, "Tell me about this Pilcher..." (not the exact wording, maybe).  I don't see that name in the IMDB character list (yet), but it's worth keeping an ear out for it in the future.  I might need to go back for more rewatches to confirm, but I don't think Ethan ever heard that name before, so Kate must have said something else and we were not privvy to their full conversation in the woods.

Edited May 31, 2015 by KDeFlane

[sally-can-wait]

Maybe it’s because I saw the amazing British show Black Mirror recently but (I’m putting the rest in spoiler tags for those who have not seen Black Mirror)

I keep thinking the town is all actors and they are all playing a part to torment Matt Dillon for some past crimes that he committed just like the Black Mirror episode “White Bear”. I especially thought this was the case when Juliette Lewis’s character was killed and it was going to be revealed that the town folk were just taking part in a reenactment of some sort. After this episode I think that theory kind of flies out the window but I am curious to see where this thing goes. I highly doubt it can top that Black Mirror reveal though because it was truly shocking.