Wayward Pines went in a completely different direction with their season 2 finale than they did with their first. Did they go too deep this time, or not deep enough? Did what we saw in the final scene make any sense? Better yet, what in the hell even happened? If you had an overwhelming sense of underwhelm when the final credits rolled, you were not alone, fellow WP viewer.
Instead of a cliffy shocker with blood splashing across the camera lens, we got another day in the nursery school neighborhood of Mother Abbie. What were we supposed to think happened? It’s just a big what the what …?
Three Possible Interpretations of That Non-Ending
A female Abbie with her chest welted in tribal symbols (which means she must be the leader) sits in a sunny glade comforting a squealing infant. And then the curtain falls? Okay, I need to get past this, right? So let’s think of what we are supposed to believe this final scene is supposed to mean.
It took me at least 24 hours after my first viewing of the finale screener to glean the scientific vs. spiritual essence of the episode, but even at that I felt I was stretching. Regardless of the intellectual intention, what are we supposed to believe literally happened as inferred by that final scene? I have some ideas, and I’ll bet you do as well. Sound off below after a glance at mine.
Interpretation #1: The Abbies Bounced Back
In the final scene, there is no indication of what year it is and not a single human to be seen. One interpretation is that the Abbies survived the aftermath of Wayward Pines’ second implosion as well as the onslaught of bubonic plague, typhoid, and marburg that Kerry exposed them to. They have continued to live their lives as before.
Interpretation #2: Wayward Pines Was A Dream
Perhaps that final scene of the crying baby is meant to infer that Wayward Pines never existed in the first place. Perhaps the mental imagery was a vestige left over from Abbie lore of the days before all humans were eradicated in (pick a century) the year 2116. Mama Abbies tell stories to their squirmy offspring just like the rest of us do. Or maybe the scary story is completely fabricated for the baby’s entertainment. I’m reaching here, and I know it. But what else are we supposed to think? That mother Abbie wasn’t Margaret, so the scene could very well be set in the past or the future.
Interpretation #3: The Abbies and the Humans Are Interbreeding
My final interpretation is a bit far-fetched, but there is a sound basis for it. The last we saw of Hassler was when he was communing with the Abbies under Margaret’s protection. We rarely saw Abbies kill humans for reasons other than self-defense or a presumption of attack, so it is plausible that Hassler could have lived and even mated with the species.
Look closely at the final scene of the crying baby in its mother’s arms. Notice that the skin is quite pale, paler than that of all the Abbies we’ve seen on screen to date. Also, where the others have been bald, this one has curly hair … which is also pale. Finally, the fingers of this baby show no signs of having claw-like nails. Take a look at one of the promotional images for season 2 and compare the infant’s hands. Was this image supposed to be a clue?
This is by far the most interesting interpretation — one that lends itself to all kinds of possibilities for a third season — so I have to confess that it wasn’t my idea. It came from a viewer who commented after a BuddyTV penultimate episode editorial. That’s the power of social media, folks. So, what is your interpretation of Wayward Pines season 2 finale?
(Images courtesy of FOX)
Contributing Writer, BuddyTV
