For better or worse, Wayward Pines begins its second season feeling like a whole new show.Sure, the titular town is still front and center—and those problematic abbies are still scratching at the fortified walls—but this is not the same place that Matt Dillon's Ethan sacrificed himself for at the end of the Fox series' first season. Long gone is the pretense of the peaceful idyll carefully cultivated until the not-so-dearly departed David Pilcher's ( Toby Jones) watch, replaced instead by the fanatical First Generation's martial law. This semi-reboot, and the several fresh faces that come along with it, was born out of necessity, sure—what was originally intended as a one-and-done limited series was given a stay of execution when it became the surprise ratings success of last summer—but as new star Jason Patric told E! News, it's also provided an easy entry point for newcomers. 'If you want to watch last year's, you certainly can, but otherwise, you're going to completely understand it because you're going to be in my shoes,' he admitted. 'My character Theo gets dropped right in there and, I think, in a lot of ways, I'm a subjective surrogate for the audience, and that's how I've tried to play this guy who does not understand and is trying to figure out the logic of everything.' Theo Yedlin is the latest Wayward Pines resident to be taken out of suspended animation at the start of season two, finding himself thrust into the unfamiliar town where nothing is quite as it seems—and if you find yourself thinking, 'Wait a minute, isn't that exactly how season one began?'

2 seasons available. A Secret Service agent travels to Wayward Pines, Idaho, in search of two federal agents who have gone missing. From executive producer M. Night Shyamalan and based on the world created by author Blake Crouch in his international best-selling series of books, the 10-episode, second season will pick up after the shocking events of Season One, with the residents of Wayward Pines battling against the iron-fisted rule of the First Generation.

You're not wrong. But Patric insists there's plenty there for returning fans, as well. 'And people who loved it last year, there's so much of what was last year,' he added. 'But it really is like a new showIt's a new show.'

While much of season one consisted around the mystery of exactly what the heck was going on in Wayward Pines, the big question heading into season two is, now that we know the series actually takes place in 4028, with Earth a virtual wasteland and the human race all but extinct, what's left to be surprised by? According to Patric, there's plenty. 'The first season, the star was Wayward Pines.Now, the cat's out of the bag, so it is about the characters,' he admitted. 'It's not about finding out what happened, it's how do people then live in this environment and the pressures of it. So, I think the characters are forefront.' And don't forget about those abbies. While we may know much of Wayward Pines' secrets this time around, the genetically mutated monsters doing their damndest to get past those electric fences still offer plenty of mystery on their own. 'The abbies have been underestimated,' Patric teased.

'As opposed to, I think people think they were some aberration, some zombie-like aberration, they're far more intelligent than that. It's going to be a struggle to survive and see who wins.' While several familiar faces from season one will pop up in the new episodes—and under some surprising circumstances, too—there's a host of new players in the game. Aside from Patric, Kacey Rohl, and Nimrat Kaur are all on board as new series regulars, while Hope Davis and Tom Stevens return with more to do than ever before as creepy Wayward Pines Academy principal Megan Fisher and lunatic First Generation leader Jason Higgins, respectively.

Oh, and as for Ethan's son Ben ( Charlie Tahan), who we last saw stumbling down Main Street in the season one finale, much like his father did in the series premiere? He's still out there—doing what, we'll leave that a surprise. But, as Patric warned, no one is safe. 'Trust me, as the season goes on, there's lots of carnage,' he teased. 'So, get attached to the characters, but they're going to drop off.'

With the abbies closing in, we'd expect nothing less.Wayward Pines returns for season two Wednesday, May 25 at 9 p.m.

So, uh, where were we? Ah, right: Pam Pilcher tells us in a series of dream-filtered flashbacks that she once thought of the story of Wayward Pines as a fairy tale about a baby boy named Jason Higgins. He’s special — he’s The One — because he’s an Original. “The little boy was the firstborn son of Wayward Pines, raised by a kind and clever man and his strong sister,” Pam editorializes in her voiceover. Growing up, Jason inquires after the people Pam and David have captured to bring to town, and CJ (!) wanders in to help Jason understand. CJ mentions that “it’s not natural, what we do,” sowing the seeds of doubt in young Jason, who aches to know more. Over time, he does.

As a boy, he starts feeling the burden of being The One and feels like an outcast, unable to become friends with the other children the Pilchers have brought to town to play with him. While Pam tries to make him happy no matter what, Megan offers him an enticing alternative: She tells him that he can be moody all he wants, even on his birthday, and that he can always talk to her about anything. She gets her first test on this promise quickly enough: When he asks if Pam and David are his real parents, she bristles and gives him a vague, uncomfortable answer. Eventually, we catch up with the Jason of season 1. He reports to Pam, ecstatic about killing Harold Ballinger and the rebels, but Pam just cries, telling him his murder isn’t something historic, something to be celebrated. Instead, it’s tragic to lose anyone, considering how few humans are left.Aaaaand fast-forward to today, when Jason thinks he finally has everything under control.

The Abbies are “gone,” suspicious doc Theo‘s stuck in the hospital with Arlene hitting on him (“What happens in Wayward Pines stays in Wayward Pines,” she says, unwittingly offering a perfect new motto for that welcome sign), and even Kerry‘s warnings can’t quell his confidence. That is, until Pam and her new haircut show up to cockblock him talk in his house, having wormed her way past Mario. She cheerfully speechifies about why she killed her brother and calmly berates Jason about wandering off the path Pilcher had planned (the goal is to settle beyond the fence), reminding him that she can guide him with every step. He worries about the PR, but eventually accepts her, and the next day, he presents her to everyone on Main Street. Jason spins a tale of how Pam was tested after killing Pilcher — Megan just shakes her head and rolls away — and asks the crowd to forgive her. They do, and the First Generation pounds their fists in solidarity. Of course, that doesn’t last long.

Pam returns to the hospital seemingly ready to return to her job, but then sneaks off into a room by herself. Before she finds what she’s after, Theo approaches.

Pam immediately recognizes the new Ethan: She asks about Rebecca before ecstatically realizing that the Yedlins haven’t re-consummated their marriage despite being separated for thousands of years. Affronted, Theo asks what Pam’s up to, but Pam brushes him off, asking, “Do you really think Hawaii was all about you?” It’s a tease she’s not willing to explain, so Theo leaves her alone to rummage the supplies and grab a needle. I’m on Pam’s side here — Megan should appreciate having another medical professional around. After all, she’s been teaching the tweens of Wayward Pines they need to “put the ‘pro’ back in procreation” (those groans are appropriate, kids) and even cheers on those who have already gotten pregnant. The lecture’s disturbing, but perhaps even more disturbing is the way the four girls who “haven’t experienced blooming” (read: haven’t gotten their periods) are told to leave so the rest can “fully participate.” Also, those “Love is in the air” posters in the halls? I get that you need to save humanity, but raising the teen pregnancy rate only does part of the job. Do you want more immature town leaders, Megan?

NEXT: “That’s that, then.”Nurse Pam is on a mission like never before. In the house on the outskirts of town, where she stayed after killing her brother, she lays out a sheer red dress on her bed, inserts the needle into the vial, and prepares to inject herself. Right before she does, she notices Theo walking up her driveway — what is with everyone stopping by at the most inopportune times in Wayward Pines?

— to interrogate her about her past. He asks her about shooting David, about how she and David chose people to save, and what that remark about Hawaii meant.

(It really bothered him — he even stopped by Rebecca’s beauty shop to wonder about it.) Pam just sighs and dismisses him as quickly as she can. “Everyone was chosen for a reason,” she says. “Thank you so much for stopping by.”. Upstairs, she injects herself with the concoction — and considering the biohazard labels that covered the cabinet from where she took the vial, whatever’s inside is going to do more harm than good. Megan realizes this after having the cabinet inspected — when one is found missing, she immediately goes into action and calls on Theo.They’re too late: By the time Theo and Megan arrive in Jason’s lair, Pam has already arrived and begun attempting to spread what she took — smallpox — by kissing Jason on the lips. In her red dress, she admits she wanted to infect everyone because Wayward Pines is no longer the town David dreamed about or promised humanity.

“It’s over,” she says. “This is how the story ends.” Cornered by Megan and her glare, Pam pleads to Jason, trying to make him understand. “Sweetie, I am trying to give you a gift,” she says.

“I raised you to be a leader, and I’m begging you to lead your people to a peaceful end.”. Too bad Jason isn’t interested in making everyone drink the Kool-aid. Instead, he has Pam taken away and quarantined, where they talk face to face. Pam tells him he’s her son, and that she isn’t insane just because she wants to kill everyone in town — after all, he and the First Generation have already done too much killing. At the end, she offers him an ultimatum: “You can let me die of smallpox or you can kill me.” Jason, who hasn’t been infected because of the incubation period, cries and nods. But don’t cry for Nurse Pam!

Image: NintendoAs with Hopkins, it is uncomfortable to contemplate precisely when his consciousness came into being. This alarming animal Pinocchio has Xs instead of eyes, and seems to be a spirit of some kind, trapped in the body of a nightmare doll that looks like it’s about to pull out a knife and demand that you play with him forever. He’s always full of hot air.” Image: NintendoBut most disturbing of all is Stitches, a teddy bear whose body has been Frankensteined together from seemingly haphazard scraps of fabric — or, possibly, the bodies of other bears. Animal crossing update. He also reflexively refers to you as “stuffin,’” which sounds like a threat in a way that I do not wish to investigate.

She wouldn’t want that. Besides, David’s plan could still work — Jason tells Kerry they’ll have to get experts in the field, to start sending out groups beyond the fence to explore — and some Wayward Pinesians have other worries in mind. At the Yedlin house, Theo remembers how he always met his father on Thursdays at 5:30 for a drink. He wonders what happened to the people they left behind (hmm, has Theo watched The Leftovers?) and what they thought after they disappeared. Rebecca cries for him — come on, work those tears, Jason Patric! — and the two hold hands. The hour ends with Pam’s body getting tossed onto a bonfire, while CJ walks in to watch.

CJ sure likes to walk in and stare at things and sometimes offer some strange wisdom which reminds me, it’s QUESTIONS TIME: What’s up with CJ? What does CJ know?

What does CJ think? What does “CJ” stand for? Also, does Jason actually believe, 100 percent, that the Abbies are gone? Why can’t Kerry talk him into caring a bit more? Where did Kerry come from if she’s not an Original?

Is she therefore Crispy? Was that a bad joke? What does Theo have to do with any of this now that he’s settled in? Is his ego wounded about not being the target in Hawaii, or is he just sad he lost his watch? Was Terrence Howard — I mean Sheriff Pope — in Hawaii to get Rebecca instead of him, but he just screwed up badly and figured two heads are better than one when it comes to survivors? Where did Ben’s mom go?

Where did Xander go? Where did the Abbies go? Must we call them Abbies?!