Last week in Wayward Pines it was made fairly clear that Margaret was the leader of the Abbies. Megan Fisher also proved that she was not above ignoring any rule she was dissatisfied with. Opting to take the painful sample from Margaret sans any pain medication, the former academy head sealed her fate. This slow episode sees a satisfying end to the annoying Fisher.
Dr. Yedlin has, despite his somewhat querulous attitude, proven that he is far more humane than the current ruling class in Wayward Pines. (To be fair, Yedlin has come into his own since being put in charge of studying the Abbies.) It was priceless to see Fisher’s reaction to Theo’s “Dr. Doolittle” routine (or conversely his Henry Higgins impression) where he attempts to teach Margaret how to communicate.
Perhaps Dr. Doolittle is not really appropriate as the Abbies leader is definitely not an animal, nor are her followers. The male underlings just lack the sophistication of their leader and her self control.
Speaking of self control…
Jason Higgins proves once and for all that he is a grown petulant child whose answer to anything he does not like or understand is violence.
The start of “Time Will Tell” is all about CJ. Apparently he was the watchman or caretaker for Pilcher. Waking once a century for 100 days each time, the horticultural expert kept an eye on the outside world.
Some interesting facts about CJ’s solitary vigil are brought to light. Mitchum’s wife did not “make the cut” so he is alone in more ways than one. Abbies, it is revealed, were the result of the HR13 virus that spread worldwide. It is also learned that crops were failing from the beginning.
CJ’s lonely mission is intermixed with Yedlin’s attempts to communicate with Margaret. Via the flashbacks to Mitchum’s journey much about Pilcher’s misconceptions about the Abbies is revealed. Clearly in his scenario nothing was meant to survive. When he and CJ encounter the creatures Pilcher is disturbed and annoyed.
Mitchum points out that the Abbies are non-violent, as was the man he met years before who was transitioning into one of the creatures. In that instance, CJ kills the “aberration.” Did the caretaker inadvertently teach the new species about killing? Notably it is Pilcher who decides that the Abbies are not human at all.
Back at the complex, Adam Hassler (Tim Griffin) shows up and he tells Yedlin and Megan to release Margaret immediately. He confirms that the mark on her hand signifies leadership and that it takes months to apply. Hassler also tells the two that Abbies are still amassing outside the fence for Margaret. Fisher goes to get Jason and Kerry.
The Wayward Pines leader and his partner arrive in the lab and immediately Higgins begins arguing with Yedlin. The doctor explains that the Abbies are an intelligent species. Kerry takes Yedlin’s side and Fisher gets angry. She reminds Jason’s partner that she should have borne a child already.
Higgins and Fisher are angry that they are being questioned. Hassler is bemused (bordering on panic) and Dr. Yedlin is explaining that Pilcher stole the Abbies’ land from them.
Margaret, as Yedlin points out, watches it all.
Back to CJ. He is shown living through the meltdown and destruction of Group A, the denizens of Pilcher’s town who were BB (Before Burke.).
Yedlin explains to Margaret that Jason is the leader. Using the crown card, she disagrees. Higgins argues and Kerry questions why the Abbie leader is cooperating. To prove his point, Theo enters a male Abbie cage. Margaret stops the thing from attacking him.
Higgins reacts true to form and kills all the male Abbies in their cages. As he points his gun at Margaret Yedlin interferes and disarms the leader. Kerry splits from Higgins and sides with the doctor. Jason leaves.
Hassler is despondent and he reminds Yedlin that the Abbies are the new replacements to Pilcher’s little pocket of humanity. Fisher argues that they are the superior species and refuses to acknowledge that Jason was the real animal in the lab.
Theo leaves; with the gun.
Kerry and Jason ask CJ about the Abbies and Higgins reveals that he is not about to give up. Back at the lab Fisher looks down to see blood flowing from her leg. The lab floor is covered in it. She turns her wheelchair to find Margaret standing over her with a knife, or scalpel.
The Abbie leader learned the combination and released herself. Megan says the Abbie leaders name and dies.
Margaret is free.
It has taken a while but the show’s producers have managed to kill off all the season one adult survivors, sans receptionist Arlene (Siobhan Fallon Hogan). At the current rate of Group B deaths Jason Higgins should not be far behind. (Although emotionally he is not an adult.)
This was a slow episode. CJ’s story had to be a crawl so the audience could feel his pain at the solitude and the despair of watching the world destroy itself. This was, perhaps, the most satisfying episode of season two. At long last Megan Fisher is dead, “ding dong the witch is dead.” What a delusional and hateful woman she was and the former headteacher was instrumental in putting the emotionally immature Higgins in charge of Wayward Pines.
Her death sentence was a just one.
Higgins may yet destroy Wayward Pines despite Theo Yedlin’s best attempts to save it.
The series airs Wednesdays on FOX. There are only two episodes left in this season. Tune in and see what happens to the last of humanity.
CAST:
- Jason Patric – Dr. Theo Yedlin
- Djimon Hounsou – CJ MItchum
- Toby Jones – Pilcher
- Hope Davis – Megan Fisher
- Tom Stevens – Jason Higgins
- Nimrat Kaur – Rebecca Yedlin
- Rochelle Okoye – Margaret
Mikes Film Talk 