WAYWARD PINES SEASON 2 EPISODE 2 RECAP: ONCE UPON A TIME IN WAYWARD PINES

Wayward Pines is has taken another step back to its feet. After a poor previous two episodes, they have given us probably their best episode this season so far. The episode tells us the story of Jason Higgins, as narrated by Pam (who returns in this episode).

Melissa Leo (Pam)

It turns out Jason is not just some David Pilcher fanatic, he is just not some power hungry kid. It turns out he was actually bred by Pam and David for this. Jason is the first born of Wayward Pines, and so he was taught to lead the town when he grew up. We also find out that David killed the rest of the people who turned against David Pilcher in the first season.

Tom Stevens (Jason Higgins) and Kacey Rohl (Kerry Campbell)

After Pam killed David Pilcher, Jason sent her away to a house on the outskirts of Wayward Pines and in this episode, she returns and wants to help Jason in fulfilling David's Plan for the town. She tells Jason she was around when David was making those plans and so she would be useful. Jason accepts and asks the whole town to forgive her.

Jason Patric, Djimon Hounsou, Nimrat Kaur, Michael Garza, and Emma Tremblay

Later that day, Theo Yedlin talks to Pam and it seems she is back to her old self. She asks Theo whether he thought Hawaii was all about him. This makes Theo start to wonder whether he was in Wayward Pines because of Vanessa. He asks Rebecca why she wasn't wearing her wedding ring (She had been there three years with no hope of seeing Theo so one would understand why she didn't wear her ring anymore). But she says she didn't receive a ring when she was awoken.
Pam goes and steals drugs from Megan Fisher's office who almost catches her in the act. (Pam was once a drug addict so one may assume that she is using again). Pam returns home and a group of kids have sprayed murderer on the walls of her house. Theo then goes to Pam's house and questions her about shooting David and after Hawaii but gets no answer.
Megan finds out that a vial with Variola Major (smallpox) is missing and she calls Theo. Theo and Megan interrupt Jason's meeting and tell him about Pam stealing the small pox vial. Pam confesses to doing this and says she is doing this because everyone in Wayward Pines has turned against each other(Pam sounds like she is doing everyone a favor, like her killing everyone in the town is helping them). 

Jason Patric (Dr. Theo Yedlin) and Hope Davis (Megan Fisher)

Later, when Jason is talking to Pam, he asks her whether she always knew that David Pilcher's plan would fail, she says that she hoped not. She also tells him that he is her son (either biologically or since she raised him, she didn't elaborate.
Jason takes Pam to the forest and kills her by strangulation (though it takes and awfully short time, unless he broke her neck.)

Djimon Hounsou (CJ Mitchum), Tom Stevens (Jason Higgins), and Christopher Meyer

Theo tells Rebecca about how got his watch (which he couldn't find). He says that he had never gotten a gift from his father until his mom's funeral when his dad took off his retirement watch and gives it to him. He also says that he had never had a beer with his dad until that day and from that day every Thursday at 5:30, he would have a beer with his dad. And so he is wondering what his dad did that first Thursday after he was taken.
Verdict: The episode was okay (for season two standards) though it is weird that Pam only returned to risk everyone's life with a deadly disease, yet she is supposed to be the sane Pilcher sibling. Jason though had a few good moments during the episode where one realizes the pressure he has due to his leadership position. This was another episode where Theo Yedlin did almost nothing though we learnt a little about him and why he was brought to Wayward Pines.