Wonderfalls Season 1 Episode 1 Wax Lion

In the first episode of Wonderfalls, titled "Wax Lion," viewers are introduced to the show's protagonist, Jaye Tyler (played by Caroline Dhavernas). Jaye is a disenchanted 24-year-old who is working a dead-end job in a Niagara Falls gift shop. She spends most of her days feeling unfulfilled and uninspired, until she has a life-changing experience while on a smoke break outside her job.

While standing outside, a wax lion in the gift shop window suddenly comes to life and starts speaking to her. At first, Jaye is understandably freaked out and thinks she's losing her mind. But as the lion continues to talk to her and offer her advice, Jaye starts to realize that there may be something more going on.

The wax lion tells Jaye that she has a "higher purpose" in life, and that she needs to start being more attentive to the "signs" around her. Initially skeptical, Jaye starts to see that there may be some truth to what the lion is saying. For example, a man comes into the gift shop moments after the lion talks to Jaye and asks her for a particular item that she had mistakenly put out on the shelf earlier. Jaye is then able to find the item and help the man out, suggesting that the lion's advice may actually be helpful.

Throughout the episode, Jaye has a number of other "encounters" with inanimate objects that come to life and seemingly have messages for her. For example, a statue of a woman in a park tells her to "save him" while she's out for a run, leading Jaye to come across a man in obvious distress who she is able to help. And a brass monkey figurine in a neighbor's house tells Jaye that someone is going to die, causing her to become increasingly obsessive about trying to prevent this from happening.

While all of this is going on, Jaye is also dealing with some pretty significant family drama. Her parents and younger siblings have come to visit her in Niagara Falls, but Jaye is distant and cold to them. She blames her family for not supporting her creative endeavors (she has a degree in philosophy and was planning on going to law school), and doesn't seem interested in connecting with them at all.

Overall, "Wax Lion" sets the stage for what looks to be a quirky and unconventional show. Jaye is a complex character who, despite seeming jaded and cynical, clearly has a compassionate heart. The fact that she can hear the voices of inanimate objects is the kind of fantastical plot point that could easily have been cheesy or eye-roll-inducing, but the show handles it with a lot of humor and sincerity.

It's also worth noting that the show has a pretty impressive ensemble cast. In addition to Dhavernas, the first episode features guest star Jewel Staite as Jaye's best friend Mahandra, as well as other recognizable faces like William Sadler and Katie Finneran.

Overall, "Wax Lion" is a strong start to Wonderfalls and does a good job of laying out the show's unique premise and introducing its cast of characters.