Walcott Prep, is the penultimate episode of the season and I think that the episode should have been called, "EWWWWWW". Damn Wayward Pines. Clearly the purpose of Walcott Prep is to build yet more anticipation for the coming conflict between the humans of Wayward Pines and the Abberations. Tension has been building as the Abbies have been gathering outside of the fence and now that Margaret has returned to the Abbies, things seem bleaker than ever.
Theo decides that it's time to take action. He has no idea whether he is going to live or die but the one thing he is certain of is that Wayward Pines needs a leadership change. To that end, he approaches Xander, who believes that Theo is there because he's upset that he wasn't chosen by Rebecca. Theo explains that he is there to seek Xander's support in overthrowing Jason. Xander is down with this idea but then questions what Theo's plan going forward from there is. Theo really has no answers but before he can really begin to discuss options, CJ arrives to announce that they've both been requested at the mountain. Theo vows that with or without Xander's support, Jason's time is over.
With few options left remaining to the citizens of Wayward Pines, for the first time ever, Jason makes a pragmatic decision - everyone should return to stasis until such time as the Abbies go extinct and the humans can once again inhabit the earth. There's a couple of things wrong with this thinking that no one really brings up. They don't know for sure how long to stay asleep for, or even if when they do choose to wake whether the Abbies will in fact be gone, or have expanded their control of the globe. As of now, they have one month's worth of food but seem to have no plan to preserve said food for when they awaken. There's very little discussion about environmental changes which will occur and how it will affect life in Wayward Pines. There are so many unknowns but they refuse to address them in their eagerness to get away from the Abbies. Interestingly enough, this is the solution that Blake Crouch, the author of the Wayward Pines trilogy chose for the residents of Wayward Pines.
With the decision made, Jason decides to announce it to the town. Those who survived stasis the first time aren't very concerned but that isn't the case for the First Generation. C.J. takes the time to talk to the kids assuring them that they will be just fine. He's asked if people dream in stasis and responds sometimes you do, clearly a reflection to his hallucination of his long dead wife.
It's flashback time. Pilcher is preparing to go into stasis with the future residents of Wayward Pines but feels that he cannot do so until he finds a baby to pass on his legacy. To that end, visits Walcott Prep and watches the pregnant Abigail, who is from a rich family. The family wishes to cover up Abigail's pregnancy and so Pilcher's desire to adopt is a perfect option for them. Later, Pilcher meets Abigail and the two quote Animal Farm to each other and actually bond. As Pilcher takes his leave, Abigail announces that she wants her child to be called Jason. Things that make you say hmmmm. Proving that the best-laid plans of mice and man oft go astray, Pilcher later gets a call informing him that something has gone wrong with Abigail's pregnancy.
Pilcher now must secure another child and he locates said child in Boise, Idaho public hospital. A nice donation to the hospital cements his plans but he is told that the mother wants to meet him. And just who is this mother? Well, it's Kerry. Take a deep breathe. Yes, this means that Jason has been fucking his own mother. EWWWWW. Cannot unsee. Cannot Unsee.
Kerry talks to Pilcher about wanting to move beyond her past. She says that she got pregnant by someone she didn't know very well but she's a survivor because she's lived through years of abuse from her father and stepbrother. This raises Pilcher's concern and so Kerry quickly denies that neither her father or stepbrother are the father of the baby. Somehow, I don't believe her. Kerry then talks about her desire to use the money from the adoption sale of her child to travel the world. The more Kerry talks, the more it seems that Pilcher is beginning to feel a connection with her. Ultimately, Pilcher promises Kerry that she can indeed be a different person and have a different life.
Early into the tenure of Jason's dictatorship of Wayward Pines, he decides that it's time for him to get a partner. Not content with the first generation women who are currently alive in Wayward Pines, Jason looks through a folder containing information on the still frozen women. It's as gross as it sounds and reminds me way too much of the marriage catalogue of Fundamentalist Mormon Cults. He quickly dismisses Abigail and pauses when he sees a picture of Kerry.
The first face that Kerry sees when she awakens is the very awkward Jason. Having been a survivor of abuse, Kerry doesn't trust Jason and draws away when he tries to touch her leg. Jason promises to tell her everything and that she is safe. Because Pilcher is now dead, neither Jason or Kerry is aware that they are actually mother and son.
In the present day, CJ has begun to get the pods ready for the residents to head back into stasis. Unfortunately, due to the energy which has been expended to run Wayward Pines, only 571 pods are ready to go. This means that only about half of the residents will be able to return to stasis. Jason is infuriated when he learns but deciding that their options have not changed, makes plans to go ahead. To that end, Jason heads to see Theo to request that he create a list categorizing the citizens by their health. Theo is quick on the uptake and suggests that what Jason is looking to do is to eliminate the so-called defectives. Jason is clearly not prepared to deal with the realities of his plan and this is evidenced by his reaction when Theo points out that Jason's plan would make Kerry a defective, since she cannot have children any longer.
With tears in his eyes, Jason stumbles through a defense of Kerry. Theo then drops his trump card and points out that Pilcher would have left Kerry behind. The conversation is cut short when Kerry arrives. Jason quickly wipes his tears, gives Kerry a kiss and leaves. As soon as Jason leaves, Theo drops the bomb on Kerry about the shortage of pods and Jason's desire to sift through the residents of Wayward Pines to ensure they only take the most fit people. Kerry insists that Jason loves her, but Theo counters that Jason loves Pilcher more. Kerry clearly doesn't want to believe Theo but she clearly has doubts.
In his office, Jason gets a report regarding the structures in Wayward Pines and the chances that they will be still be standing or have viable foundations after the citizens comes out of stasis. Rebecca notices that Jason is distracted and troubled. While Jason doesn't quite confide what the issue is, he turns to Rebecca for advise and she suggests that he follow his heart. When the meeting comes to and end, Jason gets back to work picking the citizens to go into stasis, as outside the residents begin to line up ignorance of the reality of the situation. Jason then comes across Kerry's folder and finds a section marked confidential. This is when Jason learns that Kerry is his mother. Proving that he is unstable, Jason's first reaction is to reach for his weapon. Was Jason planning on killing himself?
Naturally, this is when Kerry chooses to show up in his office. Jason talks about the difficult decision he has in regard to choosing citizens to go into stasis and Kerry agrees to help him. Jason talks about the fact that Kerry is supposed to be the one person that he can depend on and trust and then questions why it is that she never told him that she had a child before going into stasis. Kerry is shocked by this and explains that it was a long time ago and that Pilcher arranged for the child to go a family in Texas. Jason then questions how Kerry can be sure that the child did indeed end up in Texas. The tensions rise and Jason reaches for his gun. Kerry struggles with him and the two end up fighting over it. With gun between them, the gun goes off and it's Jason who ends up being shot. Kerry rolls Jason onto his back and he says, “Walcott Prep, it taught you well,” obviously referring to Abigail.
Outside the walls, Margaret is receiving treatment from her fellow Aberrations. Clearly, the Abbies are even further along then even Theo had guessed. Margaret stands, seemingly recovered from being shot and lets loose a long screech, alerting the amassed male abbies outside the wall.
