S01.E06: Choices

[mavigogun]

If there was any doubt, episode 6 has laid it to rest:   Wayward Pines has "jumped the shark".   Worse yet, it has done so relying on an "idiot plot"- that is to say, a plot that only works as long as characters, viewers, or both remain ignorant of the particulars.

Now, the shark in question is not the evolution of mutants, nor the cryogenics- not even the conceit that a mad scientist began recruiting folks into abducting people.    Sadly, the shark jumped here is a fundamental misapprehension of human nature.

In the real world, Pilcher has no need to abduct anyone- they line-up in droves.   Today it is for a mission to Mars, tomorrow, an ark, maybe.   It ain't just that there's a sucker born every minute, either; rather, the spectrum of human values, tolerance, and character can easily accommodate volunteers for such a proposal.

Equally egregious is the presumed fragile human psyche.   Heretofore, humanity has survived in the face of true horror and depravity.   Genocide, incarceration, chronic pain, hopelessness of such scale that this fantasy doesn't come close to approaching.

Those crafting the story thus far have done a remarkable job- but, sadly, it isn't enough to save the show  from this fatal wound revealed at it's core.    For Wayward Pines to work, the viewer has to suspend disbelief- not about science, fantasy, or future-fiction, but human nature.   I won't be the idiot the plot demands.   There are far better things to give my time to than episode 7.

[alias1]

I actually agree with what you said about people lining up for an experiment of this type, so yes, the way he has gone about it doesn't make sense.  But I do plan to watch episode 7 to see where they go with this.  The thing that jumps the shark for me, is that in 2014, as far as I know there was no science to put people in suspended animation and then program them to wake up 2000 years later.  Even assuming that Pilcher (and maybe the nurse) were awakened several times throughout the 2000 years to check on the progress (of what) it doesn't make sense to me that he would know in 2014 that there would be abbies.  Unless he created them of course.  And that also jumps the shark for me. 

[peach]

I also agree that it would be easy to find volunteers to do this, but it could be that David Pilcher is a crazy megalomaniac that preferred kidnapping people to make his new world.  My beef is that if this many people had gone missing for no reason in or around this area, Wayward Pines would be a bigger deal than the Bermuda Triangle or Area 51.

[Free]

 

If there was any doubt, episode 6 has laid it to rest:   Wayward Pines has "jumped the shark".   Worse yet, it has done so relying on an "idiot plot"- that is to say, a plot that only works as long as characters, viewers, or both remain ignorant of the particulars.

 

I'd have to agree, it was majorly disappointing with all the good things I've heard about the books and the build up which was kind of slow and boring and relied on the major plot twist for half a season.

 

I'll watch the remaining episodes but I continue to hope it's self contained to this season only because I feel like the air has been let out ever since the twist.

Edited June 18, 2015 by Free

[seamusk]

I think this post jumped the shark. How do we know there aren't other motives involved? Did you read the books? 

 

I agree that human nature means people would be willing to volunteer. But with the season just over half complete, and the overall review having just happened, and still not knowing everything we need to know about character motivations, we don't know that the author doesn't address this very question.

[ottoDbusdriver]

The thing that jumps the shark for me, is that in 2014, as far as I know there was no science to put people in suspended animation and then program them to wake up 2000 years later.

 

Even if you accept the fact that Pilcher invented the cryostasis tech used in this show, there weren't any power sources in 2014 that would run continuously for 2000+ years so they would have to develop that too.  What/who was doing all the maintenance and upkeep for all that time -- self-repairing robotic systems ?  Did they also develop tech for the long term storage of everything else besides the people -- cars, food, fuel, tech, meds, helicopters, washers, weapons, paper, clothes washers, etc. ?  I think all that kind of tech would take a lot longer than 15-20 years to develop from the time Pilcher first discovered the aberration, and Pilcher should probably have mentioned it if they did (because that would be breakthrough tech).

 

And it doesn't explain why the cars in the storage facility only looked like they had been there for 15 or 20 years -- unless the storage tech used to preserve everything else also preserved them, and that's why they have approx. 14 years of dirt/dust on them (since Pilcher was woken in 4014 and it is currently 4028).

 

If everyone in cryostasis was being maintained at a temperature of -180C, where was all the cooling equipment for the nitrogen or whatever they used to keep people cold ? And who maintained that ?

 

Did Pilcher stow away all the building materials for the fence beforehand as well ?

 

And it still doesn't explain why there aren't any crickets in WP.  There should be some since they are so close to the forests (or did the Abbies eat them all).

 

ETA: In addition to people, how many different breeds of animals did they freeze with all the people ? There was someone walking a dog when Theresa was looking at Plot 33, so at least one dog.

Edited June 18, 2015 by ottoDbusdriver

[photo fox]

Ethan gets a tour of the facility and personnel that manage the day-to-day operations of Wayward Pines and learns more about the history and how the residents ended up in the eerie town. Meanwhile, at the realty office, Theresa finds a map of an unusual plot of land she wants to investigate and Kate and Harold are planning a covert operation.

[photo fox]

Please note: this episode has been leaked. Since this is an episode topic, it's fine to talk about it here without spoiler tags.

IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN THE EPISODE, be aware that there may be people discussing the episode in here.

[grandemocha]

I thought this was a really good episode. Pretty sure I like it even more than Episode 5. The focus was on Ethan (which I prefer) and the uprising plot with Kate, Harold, and other guy seems intriguing.

 

The show keeps explaining things and I sure as hell appreciate it.

[ottoDbusdriver]

Some of the post-defrost math isn't really adding up -- if Kate has been in WP for 12 years, and people have only been defrosted since 14 years ago, that means that the Group A meltdown occurred after only 2 years when they just finished rebuilding the town.  Otherwise Kate would know what's going on.

 

How long did it take to rebuild the town AFTER the Group A meltdown such that Group B weren't aware that the town had just recently been through ?  Were all the people that survived the Group A meltdown (because Pilcher saw a couple of people running through town) killed so that they could start fresh with no contamination of the knowledge that Group A had ?  

 

I'm even more curious how they would explain to first bunches of Group B people that were defrosted why the town was so empty.

 

Apparently they abducted people from all over the US as the person that Ethan saw freshly defrosted was Sarah the school teacher from Missouri -- haven't seen any mention yet that anyone is from another nationality.  Were the abductees chosen for certain genetic attributes -- because Pilcher seemed to know everything about Pope when he recruited him ?

 

Ben doesn't appear to be dealing with the whole 2000 year time jump information very well -- whereas Ethan seemed to have taken it all in stride.  Theresa also doesn't seem too concerned about where Ethan has got to.

 

I'm curious what the deal is with Plot 33 that Theresa is investigating -- it's fenced off, and there is a dilapidated shack in the middle of the property.  The plot of land appears to have been cleared when they first rebuilt the town, but that shack looks about to be in the same condition as the house where Ethan found Bill Evans and Beverly post-reckoning.

 

Are Kate and her husband really expecting to blow a hole in that fence with a bomb that small ?  Because the fence looks pretty tough.  And where would they have gotten the explosives to be able to do that kind of damage ?  There hasn't been any new C4 made in over 2000 years.

[Lebanna]

That's what's bugging me too - how much of this stuff would hold up for 2 thousand years? Where is the electricity coming from? How did the electricity stay on for two thousand years with no maintenance, especially since for at least eighty years of that time, civilization still existed. If the Abies are so incredibly dangerous, how did they build the massive fence?

This show is making no sense. I mean, I'm enjoying it. But it's nonsense.

[grandemocha]

 

Where is the electricity coming from?

If I were you, I'd come to terms with the fact that we may not get a solid answer for this. It wouldn't be very entertaining if Pilcher sat Ethan down and answered 1,001 questions about how the mountain facility is run and how every single little thing functions. I'm not psychic, but I'm 90% sure we won't find out. 

 

If the Abies are so incredibly dangerous, how did they build the massive fence?

Why are you phrasing that as though they couldn't have built the massive fence, but also had people die from attacks during it? I reasonably assumed that people died during the building of the town and the fence. It's normal and expected to deal with some casualties during something like that. That's what I concluded at least..

 

because Pilcher seemed to know everything about Pope when he recruited him ?

Of course Pilcher knew everything about Pope. Pilcher is the boss, Pope was the employee. It's as easy as running a background check. This isn't remotely a plot hole or unrealistic. As he said in the facility with Ethan "You can get away with anything when you have money". Pilcher was filthy filthy rich...so he looked into Pope's background. 

 

Some of the post-defrost math isn't really adding up -- if Kate has been in WP for 12 years, and people have only been defrosted since 14 years ago, that means that the Group A meltdown occurred after only 2 years when they just finished rebuilding the town.

So? What's wrong with that timeline? Pilcher tells the first group the truth, they start freaking out, run or kill themselves over months to a year. Destruction occurs so then Pilcher and his team start over.

[Free]

Some people will be unhappy and unsatisfied no matter what happens in the episodes. I'm pretty sure no explanation would have been satisfying enough for a few people, based on the comments I've seen. That's fine though, I remember being overly nitpicky toward some shows too and then hate watching.

 

It depends on the show, this show hasn't been nearly as criticized compared to some other shows.

[Lebanna]

It's not that I'm assuming that the Abies wouldn't have killed people while they were building the fence. It's that they are supposed to be hyper dangerous practically unstoppable monsters who kill everything they come in contact with, and there is a finite number of volunteers building the facility. And it is a very big, very long fence.

So they're either they're not so dangerous, or they froze a few thousand extra people just to have them get eaten. Which I guess is possible, but I can't imagine that many people willingly going out week after week to watch their thousands of friends become monster chow, when they presumably could just stay inside the compound and start rebuilding the human race in there. I'd start wondering why we all had to die for some kitch picket fence Americana that I was going to be too chewed up and dead to enjoy.

But hey. Just me. Never been a volunteer.

Edited June 19, 2015 by Lebanna

[dr pepper]

No. I'm still not sold. Yeah, some people who've read the book have hinted that it is as it says and we're just stupid for not accepting it.

 

But locking the bunker, getting into your hibernation capsules, setting the alarm clock for 2000 years, and everything keeps working?

 

And humanity manages to off itself on schedule, presumably after a long and agonizing continuation of today's bad news?

 

Leaving behind the ruins of cities that show no signs of last ditch efforts such as giant water treatment plants or hydroponic plantations?

 

Or fortifications to keep other places from raiding them?

 

Or for that matter, to keep out the morlocks while their numbers were still manageable?

 

And the bunker slept safely without any other survivalist cult identifying this place as somewhere to hide out?

 

Without any scavengers from the immediate aftermath finding it? Even former external supporters who knew that this place with its stockpiles were there?

 

Without any morlocks breaking in in all the centuries before there was a wall?

 

And are we to believe that Doctor God was able to run a secret society of selfless kidnappers for years with only the occassional blip on law enforcement?

 

And he had a plan for every one of the hundreds of people shanghaied into his brave new world?

 

And figured sometimes he'd need to take a whole family?

 

If this really and truly is the explanation, then i hope the book justifies it better.

Edited June 19, 2015 by dr pepper

[Free]

 

No. I'm still not sold. Yeah, some people who've read the book have hinted that it is as it says and we're just stupid for not accepting it.

 

Exactly, maybe the book is better, but the show itself feels disappointing and it's not the lack of answers that's the problem.

[FishyJoe]

They built the town in 2 years with 200 people. Baloney! The wall alone would take years and billions of dollars to construct. Then paving roads, digging sewers, building hundreds of structures, laying electrical systems. Not only that, you would have to store all the stuff to build the town. That alone would have required as much storage as the entire town itself. Even Bill Gates wouldn't have been able to create underground storage that big. This would make Yucca mountain look like child's play. 

 

Everyone cracked when they learned the truth in Group A? What about all the people who built the town in the first place? Why didn't they crack?

 

I burst out laughing when Ethan was handed his jacket while randomly walking through the warehouse.

[grandemocha]

 

What about all the people who built the town in the first place? Why didn't they crack?

Why in the world would they crack and lose it mentally? The people who built the town in the first place worked for Pilcher. They knew ALL along what was going to happen, what to expect. They VOLUNTEERED their lives for this project, like Pilcher said. No lies, no mystery for them. It took him awhile to construct everything based from the flashbacks, and he steadily gained willing volunteer workers.

 

Group A people were essentially kidnapped, dropped into a new situation and couldn't handle it. Happens more often than people might think. While people probably consider themselves to be resilient, the truth is a large majority of adults probably would not be able to handle it if the life they knew no longer existed. It's hard to accept.

[FishyJoe]

Why in the world would they crack and lose it mentally? The people who built the town in the first place worked for Pilcher. They knew ALL along what was going to happen, what to expect. They VOLUNTEERED their lives for this project, like Pilcher said. No lies, no mystery for them. It took him awhile to construct everything based from the flashbacks, and he steadily gained willing volunteer workers.

 

Group A people were essentially kidnapped, dropped into a new situation and couldn't handle it. Happens more often than people might think. While people probably consider themselves to be resilient, the truth is a large majority of adults probably would not be able to handle it if the life they knew no longer existed. It's hard to accept.

 

I disagree. Yeah, there would be more than a handful of people that wouldn't be able to cope. But there would be also be many who would be able to deal with it. I don't believe that everyone would just go nuts.  I can think of a lot more stressful positions people have been placed in throughout history.

 

As for the volunteers. I believe that some of them would crack as well. It's one thing to imagine what it is to rebuild a destroyed world. It would be quite another thing to experience it. Not only experience it. But to witness a town destroy itself after you invested your entire life building it. Now THAT I believe would make people crack. 

Edited June 19, 2015 by FishyJoe

[grandemocha]

 

I disagree. Yeah, there would be more than a handful of people that wouldn't be able to cope. But there would be also be many who would be able to deal with it. I don't believe that everyone would just go nuts.

That's cool, to each his own. But I look at the news now and then. see stories of natural disasters, murders, etc and see how people function, and while some do persevere, others just completely shut down, need to be rescued, and plain cannot function in times of adversity. People killing other people due to paranoia, unfounded hatred or suspicion. IMO, people are fragile. Adults are more set in their ways than they may realize, alot of people are comforted by their daily routines and if that was suddenly destroyed, I can easily believe people would become depressed and eventually find life meaningless.

 

Not everyone went nuts. Did you not see the scene where Pilcher said that some left Wayward Pines and tried to run for it? They were killed by the abbies. Pilcher told them the exact truth, they didn't necessarily go nuts..they just chose to leave and try and make a run for it.

[DashinDutt]

If you guys remember my previous post on the previous episode's thread, you'll remember that I said-

 

 

It all makes sense. I don't see any major plot holes yet and I have no reason not to believe the supposed theory of Mrs. Fisher. Do you guys remember when Ethan saw his family in the hospital before they "woke up after the accident" and took it as a hallucination? IT MAKES SENSE. It means that this particular corporation/organisation that made Wayward Pines and other towns happen, had the government in on it in `1990-2014ish times (hence the Secret Service classified the details of Ethan's disappearance and how everything was Top Secret). It was a well thought plan. The Pope(Terrence Howard) was hired in in the 1990-2014ish times by the company to make all the "accidents" happen so that even if the residents did spot the cause (Pope) of their accidents and did not consider them as coincidences, the adults would never even come close to thinking about the fact that they are so ahead in the future. Maybe, they were all abducted in different times during the 1990-2014ish times and put into hibernation or whatever. And the key staff which was required (Pope and Doctor included) to run the show in the future put themselves to sleep too, with some kinda alarm clocks, of course. And all of them are being woken up strategically. 
The town is in quite a pristine condition for its age, if you haven't noticed. This could mean that it was either preserved all those years or it was restored/built by the first ones to wake (probably hired or chosen builders).
Now, why aren't they letting the adults in on the secret. It's quite simple, actually. It's something that you see today in every government in the world. If aliens existed, would the government release an official statement? Nope. Why? People taking it as a joke, panic, mass hysteria, global riots---- not something you'd want if you are ensuring the survival of the human race. On the other hand, the children's mind is like clay, you can give it whatever shape you want to and after all, they are the future. The adults will die of old age sooner or later but are currently required to run things for the children's proper upbringings, give it a town feel.
As to answer, how is food and other stuff being supplied? The hi-tech facility that Ethan visited probably answers that.

Well, how about that?

Didn't read the books, just pure reasoning. And come on guys, why are most of you disappointed by this episode? It's simple, the Doctor was 100% sure about his theory. And he was just mad enough to save the human race-- people are on a very wide spectrum. If you knew what the Doctor knew and believed it, some of you might not have cared for your future generation's life but some of you might just have. Environmentalists want to preserve fossil fuel and it's not like we are gonna ever face shortage in our lives but still, there are some people who want save rivers, trees and stuff. It's a completely okay thing and understandable. If he had the resources, why shouldn't he have saved them. With the reason out of the way, the people who have problems with the science behind it, well, Walking Dead happened.

And have you guys considered that this will probably happen if you believe in Darwin, that is. I mean, not the cryogenics part (who knows? US government has a lot of top secret stuff going on) but the mutation. Think about it, the way resources are getting scarcer everyday, one day mankind might just go straight into apocalypse with collapse of society, people doing everything to survive just like animals. And animals, they become after some point. 

I saw some posts saying that why are so many unnecessary peeps required and why weren't the people who actually had survival instincts were only recruited/abducted. Well, it's simple, you can't have pack of men with guns running around fighting monsters, that's not how a civilisations are formed. The previous generation always know less stuff than the next. If it was fitted into the tiny brains of apes that the earth is round and space exists, they absolutely would have gone crazy. As the doctor said, change is gradual.

And now, I'm actually surprised with how I much I feel sad for Pope, how differently I feel about the nurse and the doc. It would be interesting to see how Ethan becomes the secretive "Welcome to Wayward Pines" sinister Sheriff that he hated in the beginning, but this time, I'm rooting for sinister. At least, his son wouldn't hate him.

I can't really complain, this is by far, the best crafted story I've seen in years. I hope they don't "Lost" it.

Edited June 19, 2015 by DashinDutt

[FishyJoe]

It doesn't take a genius to figure out that people will resist being held a prisoner, no matter how nice the cage is. You can't just lock people up in a town and tell them they can't leave. That guarantees disaster. It's probably even worse than just telling people the 'truth'.

[Free]

Why in the world would they crack and lose it mentally? The people who built the town in the first place worked for Pilcher. They knew ALL along what was going to happen, what to expect. They VOLUNTEERED their lives for this project, like Pilcher said. No lies, no mystery for them. It took him awhile to construct everything based from the flashbacks, and he steadily gained willing volunteer workers.

 

Group A people were essentially kidnapped, dropped into a new situation and couldn't handle it. Happens more often than people might think. While people probably consider themselves to be resilient, the truth is a large majority of adults probably would not be able to handle it if the life they knew no longer existed. It's hard to accept.

 

The very fact that there are people being fed up, people building a bomb, a rebellion starting up, etc. proves how foolish their tactics of kidnapping, lying, forcing this new life on them are.  In almost every in carnation of the 'keeping people in the dark' trope is almost never a good idea, it usually backfires on them, betrays the trust of said characters, and/or makes everything worse in the end.

Edited June 20, 2015 by Free

[LittleIggy]

So fat, sexist, douchenozzle Bill was one of those chosen to rebuild society? :-D

[Notwisconsin]

Sorry, is everyone here Canadian? Where was it shown?

[Free]

Sorry, is everyone here Canadian? Where was it shown?

 

I think it aired in Austrailia, so it was then available to watch online, the US had a break because they aired golf.

[Latverian Diplomat]

That's cool, to each his own. But I look at the news now and then. see stories of natural disasters, murders, etc and see how people function, and while some do persevere, others just completely shut down, need to be rescued, and plain cannot function in times of adversity. People killing other people due to paranoia, unfounded hatred or suspicion. IMO, people are fragile. Adults are more set in their ways than they may realize, alot of people are comforted by their daily routines and if that was suddenly destroyed, I can easily believe people would become depressed and eventually find life meaningless.

 

It's not a natural disaster though. It's the gymnasium with the Red Cross after the evacuation. Yes, people are shocked and dismayed, but ultimately they become determined to rebuild. 

 

I get that there would be depression, suicides, substance abuse problems (assuming there are substances to abuse). But in the main, most people would want to try to reclaim what there was before. 

 

I accept than the author has a darker view of human nature than I do. But I also think there was just a desire to make Wayward Pines a grimmer, more dystopian place than really fits the situation because of the kind of story the creators want to tell. Which is a little frustrating.

 

And maybe I'm a little weird, but I would actually find a more psychologically plausible story of "bamm, your in the future now, what's that like" more compelling than this. (Not that I'm not enjoying this, I am, and I will continue to watch).

 

Just to throw in another nitpick (sorry). If they weren't planning to run a surveillance state in the first place, why did they bring all the surveillance infrastructure with them into the future (cameras, microphones, tracking chips). I could see them improvising things like the "first generation" spiel and ritual, but not the tech. If I trusted the show more, I might find this a delightful inconsistency in Pilcher's story that hints that he's lying. But I think it's just something they didn't think through. (Also, the vivid flashback strongly implies Pilcher is telling the truth).  

Edited June 20, 2015 by Latverian Diplomat

[ottoDbusdriver]

why did they bring all the surveillance infrastructure with them into the future (cameras, microphones, tracking chips). I could see them improvising things like the "first generation" spiel and ritual, but not the tech.

 

In addition to why -- how did they bring this tech into the future with them ?  Unless they also invented a nullentropy warehouse á la Dune (http://dune.wikia.com/wiki/Nullentropy) any high-tech would have disintegrated over 2000 years.

[halkatla]

I wanted this to be a about a really sinister and crazy government experiment, that would have made sense. Maybe something to do with the future but as it is, it has lost all charm and mystery.

[Ronin Jackson]

I'm not particularly worried about the plausibility of the premise. I think it's a central conceit of appreciating almost any type of fictional narrative, but particularly sci-fi, to accept the conditions of the premise and that the events of the story exist within that frame of logic.

Just to give a non Sci fi example, the premise of the show "The Americans" is that the KGB trained a bunch of their Russian agents to mimic perfect American accents during the height of the Cold War. This is not a particularly realistic scenario... if you attempt to train 1000 people from non English speaking nations who learned English after puberty to speak English in perfect American accents, you'd be lucky to get a couple of successful ones. So you can either accept or not accept the intrigue that would occur in the alternative reality where it could happen.

I accept whatever the premise of Wayward Pines has dished out so far. It's more concerning that I don't feel particularly invested in any of the characters... particularly Ethan and his son. But I am interested and curious how the rest of the scenario will play out. Right now it seems too easy for Ethan to solve everything by one by one, showing the truth to people.

[Free]

 

It's more concerning that I don't feel particularly invested in any of the characters... particularly Ethan and his son.

 

That is concerning because once the scenario plays out, that's all this show is pretty much left with for the most part.  Just the characters stuck in this town with some ridiculous stuff happening each week if they continue this past its initial order of course.

[Ronin Jackson]

Yeah, the characters are what separate watchable shows from the great ones. The most interesting trait of any character so far in this one is Pope's ice cream fetish.

[FishyJoe]

The only interesting person was Juliette Lewis, and she was quickly killed off. I think I know why. She was the only one that showed any real fear. There was a sense of urgency. Nobody else seems really afraid of anything, even though they should be terrified. 

[Free]

The only interesting person was Juliette Lewis, and she was quickly killed off. I think I know why. She was the only one that showed any real fear. There was a sense of urgency. Nobody else seems really afraid of anything, even though they should be terrified. 

 

 Agreed, especially after learning what the twist is.  The characters are either bland/going through the motions or they're ott cartoon characters like Pam (before the reveal) and the Sheriff was.

[JanwaTheRebelCook]

The most interesting trait of any character so far in this one is Pope's ice cream fetish.

It's interesting that you mentioned Pope and his ice cream fetish because it made me think that he came from a much older time (a time when ice cream was still relatively new.) What made it more significant to me was when he mentioned rum raisin -- a flavor first introduced in the early 1930s. And in a way, the way he's dressed in his sheriff's uniform and all speaks old school to me as well.

I don't know, maybe Pilcher and Pope are from that era...Pilcher either discovered or created the mutating gene around this time or even earlier for biological warfare (funded by the government perhaps?) but didn't go as planned. So that was when he thought of creating WP and started building it around that time which would explain the odd mix of really old structures (the hospital, the toy store, etc) to new ones (the coffee shop and academy). It does take a long time to build a place such as WP even with the fences alone. And the cemetery is also an indication that WP is not newly inhabited but was previously inhabited by a good number of people (when they started living in WP AND how long they have been dead is a mystery though.).

But it also brings to question the need to even freeze these people to supposedly save the human race if they still carry that gene which makes turning into abbies inevitable. And what makes it even more interesting is why freeze them for 2,000 years exactly? Why not just a hundred years or less than 2,000 years? Why choose to awaken them during the time when the abbies already exist and normal humans are at the bottom of the food chain? Unless...unless they are looking for a cure and the only cure is within the abbies themselves which is sort of like creating anti-venom which relies on extracting venom from the poisonous creature and chemically transforming it to neutralize the poison. Obviously in 2,000 years there will be no one to cure because of the "devolution" so it became "necessary" to freeze people to which they will attempt to cure. And maybe the only ones that can be cured are the 1st and 2nd generation carriers?

Ok I'm rambling but really, so many questions and It's quite hard to determine which details of the show to believe and which ones to doubt.

http://youtu.be/Z4GRGv0kVg0

Edited June 22, 2015 by JanwaTheRebelCook

[Ronin Jackson]

I don't think Pilcher predicted the Abbies... he predicted an environmental global catastrophe that would wipe out humanity. Two thousand years was enough time for the environment to "reset"... at least that's what he explained.

It is an interesting thought about some of the characters being from an earlier time... there does seem to be something that needs to be explained on that end. I'm particularly thinking of the realtor guy who killed himself... in his flashback he talked about encountering the nurse before arriving at WW but she was much younger. He didn't say much but considering it started as seemingly a bar hookup and you never see her face, I'd assume she was decades younger. But when we see her in Pilcher's flashback as they are starting the operation she's about the same age as she was in WW (though she must have spent some time in WW... considering there were two groups and Carla Gugino's character has been there for 12 years).

[Neurochick]

What exactly did Pitcher predict that would totally destroy the world? Global warming?

Dude just tell everybody what'a going on, don't be a douche.

[grandemocha]

 

Dude just tell everybody what'a going on, don't be a douche.

Pilcher clearly stated that he told the first group of citizens the truth and they then proceeded to slit their wrists till they bled to death, suffocate themselves and their children, kill each other, and run off to be eaten by the Abbies. We saw this in a flashback tonight...it's not as simple as "don't be a douche" ....some people are emotionally/psychologically fragile as hell and cannot handle the truth.

 

They could not handle knowing that everyone they ever met, loved, worked with, talked to from home is now dead and has been dead for thousands of years. It's a mindblowing revelation and while SOME people could handle it, alot could not.

Edited June 26, 2015 by grandemocha

[SimoneS]

I agree with the earlier posts that the technology premise is unbelievable, but I love this show so I am buying it. It makes no sense that Pilcher did not get volunteers. However, my biggest peeve is that the psychological trauma of people waking up from suspended animation to be told that they are thousands of years in the future and that most of the world that they know is gone and that most humans have devolved is beyond predictable. As a scientist, Pilcher should have brought in psychologists/psychiatrists to help them adjust and accept their new reality.

 

Also, Pilcher's decision to put Group B under constant surveillance, have them live in terror, and demand that they kill their neighbors was not just stupid, it was cruel and inhumane. Of course, there would be a group that is revolting and be determined fight back. I am excited to see how Ethan deals with the disbelieving people in the revolt and Pilcher. It won't be easy, especially since he does not want to kill anyone. A  helicopter tour outside the compound might convince some of them.

Edited June 26, 2015 by SimoneS

[Free]

 

Also, Pilcher's decision to put Group B under constant surveillance, have them live in terror, and demand that they kill their neighbors was not just stupid, it was cruel and inhumane. Of course, there is a group that is revolting and determined fight back. I am excited to see how Ethan deals with the disbelieving people in the revolt and Pilcher. It won't be easy, especially since he does not want to kill anyone. A  helicopter tour outside the compound might convince some of them.

 

Exactly, he's just making things worse, it should be common sense to know that this is not going to end up well, so the 'keeping people in the dark', almost never works out well at all.

Edited June 26, 2015 by Free

[grandemocha]

 

A  helicopter tour outside the compound might convince some of them.

In all likelihood, they'd try to conserve the helicopter fuel they have left. How exactly would they take approx. ~1000 people on a helicopter tour so that they could see the truth with their own eyes? Obviously Pilcher's current plan isn't working either, but he seems to have a big ego and control issues anyway, so I'm not seeing him as entirely sane.

[ottoDbusdriver]

In all likelihood, they'd try to conserve the helicopter fuel they have left.

 

Unless they are drilling for oil on the other side of the mountains ringing WP, I still want to know where the fuel came from let alone a working helicopter.  After 2000 years.

Edited June 26, 2015 by ottoDbusdriver

[kat165]

What was the twist? I watched the last ep & as it was 2 wks I forgot most of it.

 

I hope we have another twist coming because I'm really not liking the story. Too many plot holes that have been mentioned about. I will stick it out, however.

[Free]

I hope we have another twist coming because I'm really not liking the story. Too many plot holes that have been mentioned about. I will stick it out, however.

 

I wonder what else is next, it's been underwhelming imo given all the praise and hype from the fans (again maybe the book is better), but the show...

[legaleagle53]

What was the twist? I watched the last ep & as it was 2 wks I forgot most of it.

 

The twist was that it's actually 4028, not 2014.  Everything in Ethan's life that happened prior to his waking up in Wayward Pines had actually happened more than 2,000 years earlier.  Ethan, like every other resident of Wayward Pines, had been in cryogenic suspended animation since 2014 or earlier (Beverly was frozen in 1999, for example).  So, it turns out, had Theresa and Ben.

 

And I called all this in the Episode 5 discussion thread even before I did my marathon watch on Hulu last weekend to get caught up.  As I said then, regarding the various and sundry theories:  Occam's Razor applies.

Edited June 26, 2015 by legaleagle53

[Tabasco Cat]

This is awful now. It's just not believable even after suspending disbelief as most good science fiction requires. I've seen this movie before and it's one of those where you wish you had those hours of your life back when it's over.

 

You know how they have those ratings they flash in the corner for shows, like TV-14 etc.? They need one that shows the letter V to mean, "Warning: the plot of this program contains elements that constitute a 'resistance' movement." That would have saved me a hell of a lot of hours over the years because with very few exceptions all plots and sub-plots involving "the resistance" are awful. If that's the centerpiece of Wayward Pines now, well, like I said at the beginning, it's now just dreadfully awful.

 

Oh, and how much of a Chekov's Gun is Pilcher's luxurious mountain living quarters? If that doesn't scream, "will get his comeuppance" then I don't know what would. Not interested in watching him get torn limb from limb by the abbies in the finale, and you KNOW that's how it's going to end.

[kat165]

Thanks, Legaleagle. I went back to the previous ep thread to see what the twist was. Still didn't get it. But your reply says it all.

And what a shitty twist. I'm so disappointed with this show. I really miss 12 Monkeys even more now.

[Actionmage]

Dude just tell everybody what'a going on, don't be a douche.

 

He did.  If you mean the 20th/21st century world, he wrote a book telling folks his idea of what was coming. From Pilcher and Pam's dialogue, the folks who could mobilize things on a grand scale did not take him seriously. Which is what can happen to cutting edge science folks.

 

If you mean the adults and the kids in Wayward Pines?  That is why we have Group B currently planning anarchy on the dl and the Yankee Candle Kult.  While there may very well have been a family killed in their garage after Group A was told the honest truth? I still believe that the scare story about Why We Don't Tell Grown-Ups was made up. How better to lie than to wrap it up in a bit of truth?  A nice lie burrito with some truth sprinkled inside and as garnish.  I do have to echo the poster upthread who asked: so the trio of WP residents running off and seemingly ignoring Doc Pilcher? Were they killed by abbies or by WP security?  It's not 100%, absolutely must know now!!!! information, but it's a reasonable one. It goes to how fanatical Pilcher and his volunteers are about everyone being on lockdown and ignorant now. Excepting, of course, the Children of the Kult.

 

IT's getting harder to stay interested, though I'm going to try.  If I am more able to  go through old papers and decide which to throw out and what to keep than be glued to my set, watching for clues? Something is a bit off. The great cast, the lovely sets, the enjoyable score and the script aren't doing their main job: keeping me engaged. I kept up with the episode, but after two weeks, the impact was a little blunted. Intriguing, yes, but  not if I was seriously wondering if I would ditch this for Under the Dome, a lesser project, imo.  (Good cast, varying production values, but inane scripting.)

 

I'm used to suspending my disbelief, but this can sometimes feel like a badly knitted sweater when some questions are posed- the little holes can grow and be annoying to acknowledge. We are just over the halfway mark and I'm willing to give it space to explain.

 

edited because, apparently, Hannibal ate some of my mind.

Edited June 26, 2015 by Actionmage

[KaveDweller]

Pilcher clearly stated that he told the first group of citizens the truth and they then proceeded to slit their wrists till they bled to death, suffocate themselves and their children, kill each other, and run off to be eaten by the Abbies. We saw this in a flashback tonight...it's not as simple as "don't be a douche" ....some people are emotionally/psychologically fragile as hell and cannot handle the truth.

 

They could not handle knowing that everyone they ever met, loved, worked with, talked to from home is now dead and has been dead for thousands of years. It's a mindblowing revelation and while SOME people could handle it, alot could not.

 

What they should do is some kind of psychological testing to determine when people are ready to be told the truth.  Or ease them into it, or something.  Of course most people who be in shock/denial to wake up from a "car accident" and be told it is 4028 and the world is now run by zombie-like creatures.

[Free]

 

Intriguing, yes, but  not if I was seriously wondering if I would ditch this for Under the Dome, a lesser project, imo.  (Good cast, varying production values, but inane scripting.)

 

If the competition is supposed to be Under the Dome...