Wayward Pines season 2, episode 7, “Time Will Tell,” explored the end of the world and the rise of the Abbies.
“Time Will Tell” was, perhaps surprisingly, my favorite episode of season 2 to date. It helps that the episode focused on the most interesting part of this season — the Abbies — and cut down on the disparate plotlines that have not been working.
Instead, “Time Will Tell” told one story in the present — of Theo and Megan trying to teach their captive female Abbie to communicate — and one in the past — of CJ periodically coming out of stasis to check on the destruction of the world and care for those still asleep.
Let’s start with CJ’s story. I’ve been waiting to see more of this character, since an Academy Award-nominated actor is playing him. We learn that CJ was appointed to take care of the other members of Pilcher’s group while they slept. He did this by coming out of stasis for 24 hours every 20 years between the years 2014 and 4014.
We followed CJ over a number of days as he would set his clock for 24 hours, open windows, check the radio and television for news (which implies it is a virus that is responsible for changing human beings), play chess against himself, talk to the files of various future Wayward Pines residents (like poor Beverley, who was reckoned in the beginning of season 1), clean the stasis chambers, hit a heavy bag and so on.
CJ’s existence during these days was obviously lonely, but he was one of Pilcher’s true devotees so was willing to make the sacrifice. Near the end of his work, CJ spoke with a hallucination of his wife, who had been dead for centuries. She continually reminded him that he is doing his job — though whether that is what CJ wanted to hear or what his wife would actually have said remains a mystery.
One day, CJ also had a notable interaction, as he went outside to test the soil. He ran into a man named Griffin and the two spent the afternoon and evening together, but CJ quickly discovered that Griffin had claws — he was evolving into what will be an Abbie in 4014. CJ ended up killing Griffin when he wouldn’t let CJ return to the bunker alone, and it’s clear that this incident haunts him.
Eventually, the year 4014 arrived and CJ awakened Pilcher and his devotees. He and Pilcher headed outside and saw their first Abbie. CJ suggested they return to sleep, but Pilcher wanted to go ahead with his plans. The Abbie did not attack Pilcher and CJ, which is further evidence that the Abbies were not a violent species until provoked — which Pilcher and co. did in order to clear the land that would become Wayward Pines.
CJ was clearly haunted by this, and we saw him outside of the town proper when Group A self-destructed. His horror at what happened makes for a logical explanation as to why we never met him in season 1 — haunted by everything he’s seen, he’s remained on the fringes of the town.
As for the present day, Theo has decided that they should try to communicate with their captive female Abbie, Margaret. He gives her cards to indicate yes, no, friend and leader. He convinces Megan of the advantage of getting her to cooperate, but Adam Hassler barges in, believing they need to let Margaret go; the other Abbies are gathering outside the fence — for her, Hassler believes. Theo further proves that Margaret is controlling the other Abbies when he enters a cage with a different Abbie and she stops it from attacking Theo.
Jason, however, is not interested in the advancements of science. He’s a soldier and believes in fighting. He wants to show the brute strength of humanity. (This is definitely influenced by the fact that Margaret names Theo leader, not Jason.) He shoots the captive male Abbies, but Theo stops him from killing Margaret.
However, Margaret is furious. And she retaliates by slicing the back of Megan’s ankles with a scalpel; paralyzed, Megan didn’t feel it until she’d lost too much blood. She dies from blood loss, and Margaret leaves the lab. Farewell another season 1 character (though I can’t bring myself to be particularly sorry about Megan’s loss since her fanaticism is tiresome).
Hassler, unlike Jason, believes that the Abbies are meant to be humanity’s replacement. They are a superior species and will prove it. I think the show’s determination to show that the Abbies were peaceful before humanity returned also confirms this. The Abbies are the next step in human evolution, and violence isn’t necessarily part of their lives — until they are provoked. And humans are very good at provoking.
Humans like Theo provide promise for the future cooperation between Abbies and humans, but people like Jason are more likely to lead humanity to its permanent end. And sometimes it’s hard to argue that the end of humanity wouldn’t be the best ending to Wayward Pines.