• Pop Culture
    • Movies
    • Television
    • Comic Books
    • Video Games
    • Toys & Collectibles
  • Features
    • News
    • Reviews
    • Articles and Opinions
    • Interviews
    • Exclusives
    • Flickering Myth Films
    • FMTV
  • About
    • About Flickering Myth
    • Write for Flickering Myth
    • Advertise on Flickering Myth
  • Socials
    • Facebook
    • YouTube
    • Bluesky
    • Instagram
    • Flipboard
    • Linktree
    • X
  • Terms
    • Terms of Use
    • Privacy Policy

Flickering Myth

Geek Culture | Movies, TV, Comic Books & Video Games

  • News
  • Reviews
  • Articles & Opinions
  • Write for Us
  • The Baby in the Basket

Wayward Pines Season 1 Episode 10 Review – ‘Cycle’

July 28, 2015 by Gary Collinson

Martin Carr reviews the season finale of Wayward Pines…

This review has been started over three times now. I keep going back and deleting huge chunks of text because nothing feels right. Whether I am preoccupied or not it’s hard to say, but one thing is certain Wayward Pines deserves better. For a ‘mini drama’ which has consistently delivered every week for the last nine, it would be sad if this finale let the side down.

Thankfully what we get is a smartly paced conclusion which leaves a lot of narrative doors open. There is more than enough source material to continue Pines on into a second season, but whether a similar cast can be found remains an issue. Because ultimately what lifts this above the competition, are some stellar performances from world-class talent. After all with Oscar nominees, globally recognised character actors and a solid gold premise, by God you have a show. Something which executive producer M. Night Shyamalan knew all too well.

Without giving the game away, it is fair to say that this high production closer rarely puts a foot wrong. Never opting for a plain fire fight when there are still character beats to be gleaned, Pines remains on top of things throughout. Dillon still supplies that moral centre, while Leo and Jones play out the brother sister act impeccably. There are some barmpot crazy moments which force others to pull out the artillery, but nothing massively clichéd or needlessly overblown.

What you get instead is a steady increase in tension. Some good character pay offs and enough action to satisfy your average gun totting US civilian. As expected once those aberrations start snacking on the residents we drift into World War Z, Walking Dead territory very quickly. Comeuppance’s are decisive but never feel forced or plot driven. Those that do end up taking an early bath, are merely the victim of their own actions rather than bumper fodder to satisfy a need. What can be garnered above and beyond the obvious however, is that Pines still thinks with its head up until that final frame.

There are no easy answers or simple explanations designed to tie everything off. Ultimately Wayward Pines is a morality play dressed up for mainstream audiences. Those questions which writers have chosen to address week after week remain the same. What does it mean to be human? What defines us from others? But more importantly perhaps, does human nature get in the way of progress? Are we destined to permanently struggle for supremacy, power and independence perpetually ham stringing any baby steps we might make? Going on the evidence here things do not look good. Let’s hope they do the decent thing and give us all a second season.

Martin Carr – Follow me on Twitter

https://youtu.be/IWWtOQOZSTI?list=PL18yMRIfoszEaHYNDTy5C-cH9Oa2gN5ng

Filed Under: Martin Carr, Reviews, Television Tagged With: Wayward Pines

About Gary Collinson

Gary Collinson is a film, TV and digital content producer and writer, who is the founder of the pop culture website Flickering Myth and producer of the gothic horror feature film 'The Baby in the Basket' and the upcoming suspense thriller 'Death Among the Pines'.

FMTV – Watch Our Latest Video Here

WATCH OUR MOVIE NOW FOR FREE ON PRIME VIDEO!

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE:

Great 2010s Thrillers You May Have Missed

The Essential Tony Scott Movies

Ten Action Sequels The World Needs To See

20 Essential Criterion Collection Films

The Essential 90s Action Movies

Great 90s Neo-Noir Movies You Might Have Missed

Ten Essential Films of the 1940s

An Exploration of Bro Camp: The Best of Campy Guy Movies

Ten Essential Films of the 1960s

The Return of Cameron Diaz: Her Best Movies Worth Revisiting

Top Stories:

Movie Review – Superman (2025)

4K Ultra HD Review – Quatermass 2 (1957)

Movie Review – Sovereign (2025)

“Dexter In Space” – Michael C. Hall talks 20 years of Dexter and where the killer will go next

Movie Review – Abraham’s Boys (2025)

Matilda Lutz is Red Sonja in trailer for long-delayed fantasy reboot

Great Tarantino-esque Movies You Need To See

Crazy Cult 90s Horror Movies You May Have Missed

STREAM FREE ON PRIME VIDEO!

FEATURED POSTS:

The Best ‘So Bad It’s Good’ Horror Movies

Classic Retro Video Games Based on 80s UK TV Game Shows

Speed: The Story Behind the Pulse-Pounding Action-Thriller

Awful Video Game Movie Adaptations You’ve Probably Forgotten

Our Partners

  • Pop Culture
    • Movies
    • Television
    • Comic Books
    • Video Games
    • Toys & Collectibles
  • Features
    • News
    • Reviews
    • Articles and Opinions
    • Interviews
    • Exclusives
    • Flickering Myth Films
    • FMTV
  • About
    • About Flickering Myth
    • Write for Flickering Myth
    • Advertise on Flickering Myth
  • Socials
    • Facebook
    • YouTube
    • Bluesky
    • Instagram
    • Flipboard
    • Linktree
    • X
  • Terms
    • Terms of Use
    • Privacy Policy

© Flickering Myth Limited. All rights reserved. The reproduction, modification, distribution, or republication of the content without permission is strictly prohibited. Movie titles, images, etc. are registered trademarks / copyright their respective rights holders. Read our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. If you can read this, you don't need glasses.


 

Flickering MythLogo Header Menu
  • News
  • Reviews
  • Articles & Opinions
  • Write for Us
  • The Baby in the Basket