9 Burning Questions After the Finale

MAJOR SPOILERS for Netflix’s Wayward are forward!

Netflix’s Wayward contains a genre-bending story that culminates in a really terrifying finale, however it leaves a number of main questions and mysteries unresolved. Creator Mae Martin used their very own private connection to the troubled teen business to deliver to life Netflix’s weirdest and most compelling thriller of the yr.

Somewhat than focusing solely in town cult or the troubled teen “remedy” faculty, the present weaves collectively the 2 threads in an thrilling method. Whereas the ending of Netflix’s Wayward feels conclusive, it additionally feels open-ended.

That is excellent because it was initially made as a miniseries, however streamers typically flip these shorter tasks into multi-season reveals. If Netflix decides to select up Wayward season 2, these 9 mysteries and large questions should be solved.

Did Laura & Leila Truly Homicide Their Households?

Leila in Wayward-1

Some of the tough to observe scenes in Wayward is when Evelyn forces Leila to revisit her sister’s loss of life. Whereas she begins out satisfied that the loss of life was a tragic accident, Evelyn manages to persuade her, after a number of recollections, that she murdered her sister on function. Equally, Evelyn reveals to Alex that Laura killed her personal dad and mom.

Nevertheless, there’s a good cause to imagine that they didn’t really commit homicide. Reminiscence is malleable and simply influenced to start with. Evelyn’s remedy session with Leila used sleep deprivation and suggestive questioning. Whereas I’m satisfied neither Leila nor Laura dedicated homicide, it’s attainable to interpret it in another way. Because it’s left ambiguous, it is technically an unanswered query.

Will Laura’s New Cult Be Any Totally different?

Sarah Gadon as Laura Redman in season 1 episode 2 of Wayward
Sarah Gadon as Laura Redman in season 1 episode 2 of Wayward
Courtesy of Netflix

After realizing her suppressed trauma from Tall Pines Academy, Laura reclaims her energy and unites the opposite members of the city who attended Tall Pines Academy. Sadly, the group turns into more and more cult-like over time. By the terrifying finale of Wayward, everybody will get bare to carry out skin-to-skin with Laura’s child as a result of they view it because the group’s property.

Due to this stuff, it’s clear that Laura has taken over because the cult chief of the city. The one unclear side is whether or not she’s going to really change something. If the frog portrait on her wall and the identical tune being performed are any trace, the cult gained’t change as a lot as anticipated. The patterns of Tall Pines will probably proceed cyclically.

Will Leila Ever Escape Tall Pines?

Leila is reaching for a doorknob in Wayward season 1 episode 3 while looking over her shoulder.
Leila is reaching for a doorknob in Wayward season 1 episode 3 whereas trying over her shoulder.
Courtesy of Netflix

Essentially the most tragic storyline in Wayward is Leila’s character arc, and its devastating ending raises an enormous query. She involves Tall Pines empowered. She is the insurgent whose spirit can’t be crushed. Nevertheless, Evelyn makes use of Leila’s previous trauma and abusive ways to fully pulverize her confidence and spirit. Leila falls into a spot of realized helplessness.

Though she has the uncommon alternative to depart, she decides to remain in Tall Pines, considering there’s nothing exterior the city for her. It’s laborious to depart an abusive scenario, so it’s comprehensible, though it’s heartbreaking. Nevertheless, there nonetheless appears to be an opportunity that Leila may finally escape Tall Pines.

She got here to save lots of Abbie; maybe Abbie may later come again to save lots of her. Alternatively, even Rabbit hit her breaking level, the place her sense of justice kicked in. It would take some time, however Leila may finally notice the injustice of her scenario.

Did We Meet Evelyn’s Little one?

Evelyn Wade glaring while standing in Tall Pines Academy in Netflix's Wayward
Evelyn Wade obtrusive whereas standing in Tall Pines Academy in Netflix’s Wayward
Courtesy of Netflix

When Wayward lastly reveals Evelyn’s previous, we study that she ran away from dwelling within the Nineteen Seventies when she was a 17-year-old teenager due to an sudden being pregnant. Consequently, she joins a cult that teaches her all of the abusive and manipulative ways that she later makes use of at Tall Pines Academy, together with the leap.

Most packages inside the troubled teen business are based mostly on the Nineteen Seventies cult Synanon, which was meant to assist with drug rehabilitation however used bodily and psychological abuse ways.

Whereas this solutions how getting “leaped” started, it brings up one thriller: who’s Evelyn’s baby? Because the flashback is about within the Nineteen Seventies and the present takes place in 2003, the kid could be round 30 years previous. Theoretically, they might have left the city, however it appears they’d face Evelyn’s indoctrination from start, main them to remain.

Throughout an interview with Variety, Martin mentioned that they deliberately left it ambiguous whether or not the viewers is aware of who the kid is. That is one query I’d like to see answered if Netflix transforms the miniseries into a daily collection with season 2.

The place Will Abbie & Toast Go Subsequent?

A road sign says You are now leaving Tall Pines in Wayward's finale
A street signal says You are actually leaving Tall Pines in Wayward’s finale

The top of Wayward reveals Abbie and the canine, Toast, driving out of Tall Pines collectively, lastly escaping the remedy faculty and the culty city. Nevertheless, this causes an enormous query mark. Abbie’s dad and mom willingly employed folks to kidnap her and take her to a reform faculty. They despatched her there. Why would they take her again?

Based mostly on her dad and mom’ conduct initially of the collection, it looks as if they’d think about her operating away from Tall Pines as a behavioral situation and simply ship her to a different troubled teen facility. Her sister needed her again, however I’m not satisfied that her dad and mom would welcome her dwelling.

I’m curious whether or not Abbie would acknowledge that and select to go someplace else. Hopefully, she has a protected place to go so she gained’t be traumatized once more.

Why Don’t Any Strangers Come To Tall Pines?

Alex and Sarah stand in the outdoor market in Wayward.
Alex and Sarah stand within the outside market in Wayward.
Courtesy of Netflix

Some of the weird elements of Wayward is the truth that Tall Pines appears to exist in its personal bubble, separate from the remainder of the world. The one individuals who appear to return to Tall Pines are former college students and youngsters getting kidnapped and dragged to that Academy.

Everybody reacts in the direction of Alex as if he have been the primary new individual they’ve seen coming to the city in a very long time. This creates a thriller concerning the space. Maybe it is a second the place they’re leaning into the surrealist traits used all through the present and the worry of isolation. Nevertheless, it virtually makes me surprise if there’s some in-universe clarification.

That will trace at a science fiction or fantasy element to the present. There could also be one thing extra to it. In spite of everything, Martin instructed within the Selection interview that Evelyn and Laura may have a mystical connection, which might give the present a mystical side of some kind.

How Will Alex Cope With His New Regular?

Alex kneeling in the woods in Wayward
Alex kneeling within the woods in Wayward

Though some considered it with ambiguity, Alex makes a reasonably decisive selection about staying in Tall Pines, which is, for my part, the incorrect selection, and one which many viewers share. Nevertheless, he’s allowed to determine to remain, even when it implies that he and his baby will develop up in a manipulative cult surrounded by overbearing members.

He gained’t get to be the daddy to his baby, with the newborn being considered as communal property. Nevertheless, he can at the very least have a job of their life by staying. Alex can even get to stick with his spouse, whom he genuinely appears to like.

All that being mentioned, Alex may need a tough time acclimating to his new regular. Being the husband to a cult chief will undoubtedly include additional pressures and calls for. Moreover, he has no selection however to simply accept the city members and their overreach if he needs to stay together with his spouse and baby.

Will Evelyn Ever Regain Consciousness?

Toni Collette as Evelyn smiling suspiciously while sitting at a table in Wayward
Toni Collette as Evelyn smiling suspiciously whereas sitting at a desk in Wayward
Courtesy of Netflix

Within the interview with Selection, Mae Martin offered a direct reply to the lingering query of whether or not Evelyn is alive or useless. They mentioned that the Tall Pines Academy headmaster/cult chief is alive however in a vegetative state as a result of drug overdose. The drug journey was primarily what Evelyn noticed when she was going by way of the overdose.

I interpret the ultimate shot of Evelyn surrounded by nonstop doorways as a maze. She should discover the suitable door to get out of the entice in her personal thoughts. This leaves open the chance that Evelyn may come again with a vengeance if Wayward season 2 occurs. Alternatively, she would possibly by no means regain consciousness.

Will Tall Pines Academy Ever Get Shut Down?

Leila and other teenagers in Wayward

The largest query that continues to be after Wayward is whether or not the abusive Tall Pines Academy, based on real-life troubled teen schools, will ever get shut down. At this level, a number of deaths have occurred in Tall Pines, which might theoretically garner consideration from the state or FBI. Nevertheless, the city has additionally completed an incredible job of overlaying up the dangerous issues.

Nevertheless, my headcanon is that Abbie is coming again with a vengeance to show Tall Pines Academy’s abuses and their surrounding cult. Maybe she might be one of many early pioneers to assist mobilize the struggle in opposition to the troubled teen business on this planet of Wayward.


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Launch Date

2025 – 2025-00-00

Community

Netflix

  • Headshot Of Mae Martin

  • Headshot Of Toni Collette


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