It’s not at all difficult to recall many a comparable film or television outing opening in such a manner as “Wayward,” with its introductory scenes of an unnamed youth escaping from the confines of a nondescript hospital-type facility. As sirens blare, searchlights illuminate and, most notably, an amplified voice recites perplexing lines presumably meant to calm the boy, a trip over a barbed wire fence and refuge sought at the depths of a nearby pond seem to imply he’s made a successful getaway. From what, however, remains to be seen. “Disturbing Behavior,” perhaps?
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Rather, so opens “Wayward,” the brainchild of comedian Mae Martin; set in 2003, made immediately evident by the shot of a Discman moments later, the show is just as quick to introduce Abbie (Sydney Topliffe) and Leila (Alyvia Alyn Lind), best friends and as troubled as it gets, with the two seen shortly after taking mushrooms and making mischief with a copy machine. It’s this sort of behavior that prompts their antagonistic principal (Patrick J. Adams) recommend Leila attend nearby Tall Pines Academy, with the peculiar Evelyn Wade (Toni Collette) as the school’s head honcho projecting overwhelming cult leader vibes as a promotional video (yes, a videotape; this is the early aughts, after all) conveys all the positive attributes Tall Pines has to offer.
Wade’s MO seems focused on “fixing the problem of adolescence,” but Leila will have none of it; meanwhile, Abbie’s home life has taken a turn for the severely worse, with rising tensions stemming from her own behavioral issues eventually prompting her parents to secretly enroll the girl at Tall Pines, making way for an induction scene straight out of one’s worst nightmare where what appears to be a violent kidnapping as Abbie is ripped from the comforts of her own bed is soon revealed to be merely an induction into the world of Tall Pines. Unsurprisingly, when phone calls go unanswered, a worried Leila decides to track down Abbie through any means necessary. Still, her eventual success at breaking into Tall Pines quickly backfires as school authorities swiftly remand her to Wade’s custody, with one phone call to Leila’s mother being all it takes to see Leila become a prisoner…I mean, student, herself. It’s a place meant to create a new version of oneself, or so Wade says repeatedly.
Meanwhile, Alex (Martin) and Laura (Sarah Gadon) are new to Tall Pines, with Alex, a trans man, on the cusp of starting a new position a part of Tall Pines’ police department as he and Laura count down the days to the birth of their first child. As Alex adjusts to their new life in the somewhat off-putting town that is Tall Pines, their first day on the job sees them, along with their new partner Dwayne (Brandon Jay McLaren), encounter Riley (Gage Munroe), none other than the young man last seen escaping in the prologue. It’s clear, by now, that the place from which he was so desperate to leave was none other than Tall Pines Academy. It’s here that Alex begins his own investigation into what may actually be happening behind Tall Pines’ closed doors, even as every question meets a stonewalled response, whether it’s from his Chief of Police (Patrick Gallagher), his own partner, or the enigmatic Wade herself, who soon arrives at the station armed with her own explanation as to what happened with Riley. Don’t worry; if it seems that the dual plotlines of Alex’s detective work and the plight of Abbie and Leila will remain separate, by Episode Two, things begin to converge. It’s a testament to the show’s pace, allowing the dialogue and gradual unfolding to reel the audience in, as questions start to mount. What, exactly, is happening at Tall Pines Academy?
It doesn’t take long to see what such a place looks like from the inside, with each girl paired with roommates that run the gamut from combative to ladder climbing-yes, there exists a hierarchy at Tall Pines, with each level designated by a bracelet every inmate…I mean, student, is to wear. One harrowing support group scene later and the girls are ready to put their plans for escape into motion, but not before an encounter with Alex, having stopped by to see what else can be learned about Riley’s background, helps to put their plan in a different direction. Did I mention his wife, Laura, graduated from Tall Pines? Is it clear by the ever-present expression on Alex’s face that this small town transplant and new father may very well be drowning in a sea of anxiety?
It’s a show chock full of as many formulaic moments as there are outstanding performances; for every well-handled line delivery, there’s a scene that feels just as oddly familiar, be it a sensation not foreign to any fan of Stephen King or those who grew up watching the still-underrated “Eerie, Indiana.” At the heart of it all, what indeed is the mystery at play? Undoubtedly, things are happening at Tall Pines Academy, none of which seem beneficial to the overall long-term well-being of those housed within, and though the show sticks to the groundwork laid early on, there’s enough waiting in the wings to keep a curious mind engaged. Come for the premise but stay for the allegories, of which there exist plenty; Alex’s own journey up until now, for example, seems to run parallel to that which Tall Pines’ student body is currently ensnared. You certainly can’t help but cling to his ever-increasing uphill battle as his investigation into Wade and the world she’s created continues to grow; this is one undeniably compelling character, and Martin inhabits his persona with ease, as does Collette, even if her portrayal of Wade draws clear inspiration from any aloof presence wearing two faces; we even saw this, quite recently, in “Weapons.” Another hindrance also comes from an overreliance on close-ups, even if they fortunately never reach Shyamalan-esque intensity levels.
However, it’s ultimately a show about an unsettling town with a dangerous secret, another in a long lineage of precursors that seem content with drawing from the same communal pot and doing little to alter the recipe. Were one to venture into the world of ‘Wayward,’ the greatest takeaways come from its cast, characters, and outstanding screenplay, with enough gas left in the tank by the end to pique the right amount of curiosity into what the future might hold. It’s an idea with nowhere to go but up, far from living up to the word from which the show gets its name. [B]
