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Season 1 – Wayward

Play trailer 2:00 Poster for Season 1 – Wayward Sep 2025 Drama Mystery & Thriller Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
78% Tomatometer 55 Reviews 46% Popcornmeter 250+ Ratings
Nothing is what it seems in Tall Pines. After an escape attempt from an academy for “troubled teens", two students join forces with a newly local police officer, unearthing the town's dark and deeply rooted secrets.
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Wayward — Season 1

Wayward — Season 1

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Critics Consensus

An eerie mystery that eschews easy answers, Wayward can occasionally feel as listless as its title, but surprising twists and Toni Collette's committed performance keep this thriller intriguing.

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Critics Reviews

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Em Win Autostraddle An evocative, eerie reflection of the present. Oct 28, 2025 Full Review Wenlei Ma The Nightly (AU) Toni Collette has always been such a magnetic performer across every genre, but she’s always at her best when a role calls on her to be a little bit spiky and arch. It’s a mix of impeccable timing, instincts and oodles of charisma. Oct 1, 2025 Full Review Linda Holmes Pop Culture Happy Hour (NPR Podcast) It's so perfect because it's so creepy, and yet, it's so dorky. Sep 30, 2025 Full Review Hannah Brown Jerusalem Post It plays like a combination of The Handmaid’s Tale and Schitt’s Creek, but as strange as that might sound, it works. Toni Collette is both charismatic and creepy as the head of the school. Oct 21, 2025 Full Review Álvaro Onieva Fotogramas This psychological thriller alone is worth watching (and the rest of the cast delivers as well), but the story's development is engaging enough to hold your attention the whole way through. [Full review in Spanish] Rated: 3/5 Oct 6, 2025 Full Review Bethan Ackerley New Scientist There are so many interesting ideas in Wayward, but it is often more stimulating to think about the show than watch it. Sadly, after some stellar first episodes, it falls apart, ending mundanely. Oct 6, 2025 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Gareth v Wayward is a compelling watch with strong performances and a haunting central idea. While it doesn’t always stick the landing, the ride is intriguing and the atmosphere memorable. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 11/13/25 Full Review Audience Member The need to be dorky and funny and edgy started turning me off after the third episode. Not that I don’t think that there would be characters similar or situations like this in a troubled teen lockup but at times it seemed like they were busy having goofy comic fun about a subject that I don’t find funny at all. Colette grounded that a little bit for me, but she wasn’t enough. Man, can she play weird characters though. The lead actor is very likable, but not a solid actor at this point in their career. I didn’t feel that the two teen characters had much chemistry between them and they often seemed like Disney Channel kid actors but that may have been more about the writing. Terrible dialogue at times. Rated 1 out of 5 stars 11/09/25 Full Review Michael C Great series definitely need another season!!! Rated 5 out of 5 stars 11/08/25 Full Review Kashgar A Had its issues. But overall, very good. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 11/07/25 Full Review Andrei D it has the actors and the initial idea, but it struggles to find something truly interesting to do with them, especially when it comes to the actual academy Rated 3 out of 5 stars 11/06/25 Full Review Jeff J The show itself feels a bit unsettling, and I’m not sure the casting choice for one of the lead roles works. The performance doesn’t quite match the tone or believability of the character, which made parts of the story harder to connect with. Rated 2 out of 5 stars 11/06/25 Full Review Read all reviews
Wayward — Season 1

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Cast & Crew

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Mae Martin

Creator

Mae Martin

Actor

Toni Collette

Leanne

Sarah Gadon

Laura

Patrick J. Adams

Actor

Brandon Jay McLaren

Actor

Episodes

Episode 1 Aired Sep 25, 2025 Tall Pines After a student escapes, newly arrived local cop Alex Dempsey grows suspicious of the goings on at Tall Pines Academy, a school for troubled teens. Details Episode 2 Aired Sep 25, 2025 Burrow As a terrified Abbie takes stock of her new surroundings, Leila attempts a daring rescue; Alex discovers there's no privacy in a small town. Details Episode 3 Aired Sep 25, 2025 Break Abbie and Leila get a taste of Tall Pines' unconventional approach to rehabilitation; Alex gains new insight into the school's history and Laura's. Details Episode 4 Aired Sep 25, 2025 Mud Laura grows weary of Alex's suspicions; Leila endures a punishment; Rory and Abbie team up to find crucial evidence that could help them escape. Details Episode 5 Aired Sep 25, 2025 Build Alex connects with a blogger who's convinced the school is hiding something; Leila divulges a secret that spirals out of control. Details Episode 6 Aired Sep 25, 2025 Mirror A wilderness excursion grows vicious as the students vie for a chance at freedom; Evelyn forces Leila to revisit the night of her sister's death. Details Episode 7 Aired Sep 25, 2025 Ascend As Evelyn exploits the growing rift between Leila and Abbie, Laura finds an opening to drive a wedge of her own; Alex sees the true face of Tall Pines. Details Episode 8 Aired Sep 25, 2025 Leap Evelyn desperately tries to regain control; Abbie, Leila and Rory set their escape plan in motion; Alex discovers his purpose. Details

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Wayward — Season 1

Wayward: Limited Series Trailer Wayward: Limited Series Trailer 2:00 Wayward: Season 1 Teaser Wayward: Season 1 Teaser 0:39 View more videos
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Wayward — Season 1

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Season Info

Creator
Mae Martin
Executive Producer
Mae Martin, Ben Farrell, Hannah MacKay, Bruno Dubé, Jennifer Kawaja, Euros Lyn
Network
Netflix
Rating
TV-MA
Genre
Drama, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language
English
Release Date
Sep 25, 2025
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