WonderCon 2015: Wayward Pines Panel

In a few days TV viewers will get a glimpse inside the small, mysterious town of Wayward Pines, a seemingly idyllic community where everyone is happy – almost too happy; and one lone FBI agent is working hard to not only find his missing partner but also desperately hoping to return to his wife and teenage son.

During WonderCon 2015, held in Anaheim over Easter weekend, executive producer Donald DeLine and cast members Reed Diamond and Tim Griffin participated in a panel to discuss this new thriller series that is a very reminiscent of Twin Peaks. In providing a summary of the show, the panelists shared that “it is a great suspense thriller where nothing is what it appears to be”. And after getting to screen the pilot episode during that panel, that summary is picture perfect.

Based on the book by Blake Crouch entitled “Pines”, Secret Service Agent Ethan Burke (Matt Dillion) arrives in Wayward Pines, Idaho to locate and recover two missing federal agents; but he winds up being involved in a violent accident, leaving him in the local hospital without any ID, no cell phone and no briefcase.

The series will explore what happens when Burke wakes up in Wayward Pines Hospital and meets the unique and strange inhabitants of that bucolic town, including his former partner (and one-time love) Kate Hewson (Carla Gugino) and husband Harold Balinger (Diamond); Nurse Pam (Melissa Leo), Sheriff Pope (Terrence Howard) and Beverly (Juliette Lewis). It will also show how Burke’s wife Theresa (Shannon Sossamon) attempts to learn where her husband has gone from one of his colleagues Adam Hassler (Griffin). Beyond that I cannot reveal the events that take place in Wayward Pines, but suffice it to say, there are twists and turns that you will not expect.

Each of the men talked about what drew them to this specific project with DeLine sharing that he “picked it up and couldn’t put it down”. He further explained that the project started out as a movie property, but he thought it should be a limited series so he went to Chad Hodge (one of the other executive producers) and that eventually led them to film director M. Night Shyamalan. Reed shared that he read the pilot and needed to know how it ended: “I read the book in three hours straight. It was the most amazing thing I’ve ever read”. Tim had much the same reaction stating that he had to know what happened next.

The series will be a 10-episode limited series which means the action will move a lot faster than expected. In fact DeLine shared that a “big reveal come at the end of episode five and episode ten is as revealing as episode five”. And if the reveals and the end of the pilot episode are any indication, then the entire run of the show is going to drive viewers crazy.

Wayward Pines will debut on FOX this Thursday, May 14 at 9 PM. Make sure to check it out.

Photo Credit: Rueben