Wayward Pines 2.02 “Blood Harvest”

Hope Davis is having far too much fun on this show. Rolling around in a wheelchair in front of a bunch of “pregnant 12-year-olds,” she gets to say a lot of ridiculous stuff, this time with an Abbie Cadaver on a table under a cloth for just that most dramatic flourish of a reveal possible. Good teachers/hypnotists always keep their audience’s attention, don’t they?

Seems she’s head of the “science project” investigating abbies since Pilcher died, leaving her less time to practice mind control at the school than three years ago. But what matters most is that she gets to say stuff like: “But don’t worry, they’re caged with the highest security. And they’re often sedated!” with a sort of casual glee.

She and Arlene (Siobhan Fallon Hogan) are the two residents giving us the most of what’s left of last year’s loopy off-key weirdness, as Arlene is done with her electro-shock “tune-up” that Yedlin witnessed and is now 100% and just as pleased to be Dr. Yedlin’s receptionist as possible. And yes, after some last flailings of denial, Theo has accepted that he’s the “small town doctor” they need him to be, and that he needs to whip the hospital into shape pronto. Being unrealistic children, of course, the town’s ruling First Generation expect him to solve everything immediately, whereas of course he knows his expertise is limited and not really aimed at being the only small town medic.

Theo has no choice about this, just as his wife (and architect) Rebecca had no choice about running the main street beauty shop. Just like Theresa has no means of rescuing Ben, who was put outside the wall by stupid Jason even after the rebels were promised forgiveness if they came forward. Jason is a zealot, like Megan (Hope Davis) and believes that he is the anointed leader who should be followed without question. Even girlfriend Kerry seems to know this is an idiotic stance.

What Theo knows is that it’s pretty easy to push Jason’s buttons, especially if you’ve got the leverage of doing a job no one else can do. So he foments a quiet daily rebellion, just as Theresa makes a very vocal (but non-violent) appeal to those members of the First Generation who might want to aid Ben.

We also meet Djimon Hounsou’s new character, Mitchum, who seems like a wise elder and the village horticulturist at the moment, growing a crop outside the walls to augment their dwindling food supplies. This is the case of a cast member (like Reed Diamond last season) who could do a lot if given the chance by the writers. We’ve already lost Carla Gugino, so I hope they have big plans for Mitchum. Trailers indicate another major return next week, too, someone who just might be able to curb Jason’s ignorance. I mean, she kept Ethan Burke and her brother in line pretty well last season.

Ben, however, doesn’t make it back inside, though it’s left unclear what the Abbie attack meant, as they’re behaving differently than last year in a variety of ways. That’s fine by us, though; we don’t come to Wayward Pines looking for logic. This was just an episode of moving around the chess pieces, but the potential for a good game remains.