It’s been months since the season 2 finale, and with summer approaching, the fate of Wayward Pines season 3 is still unknown.
With plenty of threads still left hanging from its season 2 finale, news of a Wayward Pines season 3 renewal would be welcome to fans, but FOX still has not confirmed one way or the other whether the show will make a return to the network. Although the series didn’t get stellar ratings or critical reviews in its sophomore season, it did average 2.4 million viewers and the finale numbers spiked significantly.
So what’s taking so long? During last summer’s TCA press tour, FOX CEO Dana Walden did give a glimmer of hope that Wayward Pines season 3 could be in the cards. Walden hinted at a “really compelling plan for season 3 that I liked very much,” but she also was waiting for the bigger picture to form. “We don’t know yet what we’re going to find when the multi-platform numbers roll up, ultimately how big that audience [can be],” she said.
With the Abbies about to overrun the town of Wayward Pines and with (almost) everyone ready to enter a second cryogenic sleep, the show could certainly reinvent itself as it did between the first two seasons. Just as Matt Dillon’s lead role gave way to Jason Patric’s different perspective, the series has no shortage of directions it could go in a season 3. The introduction of female Abbies and some compelling backstories for many of the characters that led to shocking twists (Kerry and Jason anyone?) brought depth to the show that’s begging to be explored.
Traditionally an early summer show, Wayward Pines season 3 is overdue if it’s set to happen at all. However, with some thinking the stellar first season could have stood on its own, perhaps it’s better to let a cryogenically sleeping dog lie.