Wayward Pines
One of the things about big network TV is that they will invariably take a good idea and fuck it up. This show was produced by Fox and involves a secret service agent who, supposedly following a car accident while on the trail of other missing agents, wakes up in a picturesque, but bizarre little town in Idaho.
The cinematography is great and the show has a really mysterious atmosphere and intrigue about it that drew me in very quickly.
But big network money seems to equate to shitty writing. Somewhere in the writing team's mix is at least one person with enough influence to make sure there are enough Eurotunnel-sized plot holes to prevent it from actually being a good show.
For example, Matt Dillon is the secret service agent who wakes up in the Wayward Pines hospital. He's followed closely, has a tracking chip surgically implanted in his leg, yet he roams around at night, talks to people who would either report him to the evil sheriff (but they don't report him), and is never punished for trying to find a way out of the town. Meanwhile, his brief compatriot is quickly apprehended and has her throat slit in front of the entire town, despite the fact she's met with him in the forest, in a house, and generally everywhere else in the town.
See, everyone in the town is from somewhere else and they're not supposed to talk about The Past. I don't know yet if it's supposed to be a government experiment, conspiracy, aliens, or whatever. But whatever the case is, Matt Dillon's character never asks anyone, "What is this place and why can't I leave?" It's a blindingly obvious question, which, by not being asked is the tissue paper thin excuse for the show not challenging itself. And it makes for stupid TV.
But it is an intriguing idea that with a couple of tweaks could be really good. Unfortunately though, there's not much reason to hold out hope. I've watched four episodes but it's only getting dumber as time goes on, which is too bad.
5/10