Wayward Pines episode 6, “Choices,” aired tonight. Read our recap and discuss the episode with fellow fans!
Secret base
The helicopter brings Pilcher, Ethan, and Pam to a mountain base. It’s an orange warehouse, much like the one Ethan saw previously, and it is brimming with volunteer workers. This base houses many of the town’s necessities and those who are manufacturing those necessities. The warehouse Ethan was in previously housed Wayward Pines’ food. When Pilcher is called away, Pam takes Ethan to treat his wound.
Meanwhile, Kate receives a delivery at the toy store. Kate and Ted, the delivery man, head into the back, where Harold is working. Harold’s workshop is clean, and Ted says he can’t find Peter McCall’s package.
At the realty office, Henrietta, the receptionist, quits. Theresa tries to convince her that she doesn’t want the job Henrietta feels passed over for. Henrietta says Peter McCall was killed for looking into Plot 33.
Back at the lab, Pam stitches Ethan’s arm up. Revealing that she is David Pilcher’s sister, Pam says there is a purpose to all the strangeness of Wayward Pines; Wayward Pines is bigger than Ethan, his family, or any one person. Pilcher needs Ethan to take responsibility for all of Wayward Pines.
Aberration
Pam is then called away. As Ethan waits for Pilcher to return, he hears a horrible noise. He follows it to a darkened lab. In the lab, he comes face to face with an Abby in a glass cage.
Pilcher arrives and sedates the Abby. He reveals that in the late 1990s, his company discovered human DNA was mutating in response to the damage being done to the Earth. No one would listen to his warnings, though. Together, Pilcher and Pam realized they couldn’t save the entire world, but they could save a select few (like Pope, who was a security guard at Pilcher’s company). With this in mind, he redirected all his research and finances into cryonics.
At the realty office, Theresa looks into Plot 33 until Bill warns her off. Kate arrives then, and she and Theresa head to the cafe. Though Kate begins with a story about wanting a new house, she eventually relents and admits she wants to change things. Now more than ever, she says, “we all need to be friends.”
While the ladies speak, Ted comes into the realty office to “drop off a delivery,” slides an empty box over the package he was looking for, and leaves. He brings the package to Harold, who uses the contents of the package to hook up a bomb.
Burden of sacrifice
At the lab, Pam tends to a woman who is coming out of stasis. When Ethan asks how many more there are, Pilcher brings Ethan to see the cryo tubes. There are a lot.
Ethan, though, is horrified that none of the people who are frozen volunteered; they were abducted. Pilcher calls his decision a burden and says he didn’t choose to do what he’s doing — he did it because he had to.
In a flashback, Pilcher and Megan Fisher meet for the first time at one of Pilcher’s book signings. Megan believes intensely in Pilcher, and she says that he must leave those who refuse to see what he’s revealed behind. Pilcher then recruits Pope for the project. He knows all about Pope’s spotty past and says he’s looking for people who deserve second chances. Pope helps abduct Pilcher’s first subject.
In the present, Bill leaves the realty office for the day, and Theresa uses the opportunity steals a page from a book about Plot 33. She then goes to see the plot; it’s an undeveloped lot in the middle of town.
Instability and fear
Pilcher tells Ethan he is trying to create a space for people to grow and thrive, but Ethan says that’s not possible in an environment ruled by fear. Pilcher defends his decisions, saying people’s lives are shaped by countless decisions made by others. Ethan calls this fate, saying it’s different, but Pilcher disagrees.
He reveals that his group left the world in 2014 and slept for 2,000 years — enough time for the world to reset. Waking up 2,000 years later vindicated his choices.
Though it only took two years to rebuild, keeping Wayward Pines safe was harder. The fence was designed to keep Abbies out, but it’s not enough. To keep the citizens safe, they are spied on and sometimes executed. Ethan sees this as a callback to Stalin.
Pilcher says he woke Ethan because the town has become unstable. The town needs someone to look up to, to make things better. Ethan calls for the secrecy and executions to stop. Pilcher agrees but is worried about losing control.
Ethan believes the people need to learn the truth. Pilcher, though, says that won’t work — he tried it. The current town is a part of Group B; Group A learned the truth immediately after waking, and the people either ran away (to be killed by Abbies) or killed themselves.
“These are the Dark Ages, but enlightenment is coming,” Pilcher promises. The new generation will be that enlightenment because children’s minds are more able to adjust to the new world order. Ethan realizes Ben knows the truth. Ben, though, is really struggling with the knowledge.
Pilcher asks Ethan to help him protect the town and the First Generation. There is a new threat: a faction in the town removing their chips and planning to take down the fence. Ethan promises to help stop them from succeeding, though he still doesn’t trust Pilcher either.
Meanwhile, Harold worries about innocent casualties of their bomb while Kate wants to know the truth. Harold agrees to continue on their path.