Common Sense Media Review
By Kari Croop
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Moody mystery has bloody moments and a sinister undertone.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 14+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Wayward Pines
What's the Story?
When injured Secret Service agent Ethan Burke (Matt Dillon) wakes up in an eerily quiet hospital room, the nurse in charge (Melissa Leo) informs him that he was in a serious car accident and must remain in the small town of WAYWARD PINES until he's feeling better. But it doesn't take long for Ethan to remember why he came to Wayward Pines in the first place: to find his missing partner, Kate Hewson (Carla Gugino), a fellow agent with whom he shared much more than on-the-job risks. Trouble is, no one in town wants to talk -- not even the local sheriff (Terrence Howard) -- and they'll go to any lengths to keep Ethan quiet.
Is It Any Good?
You get a weird feeling when you get to Wayward Pines that you've already been there, and in many ways that's because you have. For in spite of the show's attempts to be twisty, the whole outsider-trapped-in-a-strange-town premise is nothing new, and we've certainly seen the whole Nurse Ratched thing before.
So why watch? Well, the series boasts some big-name actors (including Academy Award winner Leo and nominee Howard) and marks Oscar nominee M. Night Shyamalan's debut as a small-screen director. It's also surprisingly tame when it comes to sex and language, making it a decent choice for older teens who don't mind a little blood and uncertainty. It's no Twin Peaks, but there's some potential in this eerie town.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about Wayward Pines' premise and how believable it is. Could something like this actually happen? Is the series more fantasy than reality?
How does director M. Night Shyamalan's signature suspense style translate to the small screen? Do you see any visual similarities between Wayward Pines and Shyamalan's best-known films (The Sixth Sense, The Village)?
How does Wayward Pines compare to the trilogy of books (by author Blake Crouch) that inspired it? How well would TV and film adaptations of popular books work if they stayed 100 percent faithful to the source material? Why might a book not automatically make for "good TV"?
TV Details
- Premiere date : May 14, 2015
- Cast : Matt Dillon , Melissa Leo , Carla Gugino
- Network : Fox
- Genre : Drama
- TV rating :
- Last updated : October 25, 2022
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
Suggest an Update
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate