WAYWARD
Starring: Mae Martin, Toni Collette, Sarah Gadon, Sidney Topliffe, Alyvia Alyn Lind, John Daniel, Tattiawna Jones, Brandon Jay McLaren, Joshua Close, and Patrick J. Adams
Creator: Mae Martin
NICK
Netflix’s latest limited series Wayward is a spirited effort from comedian Mae Martin. Martin has their hands all over this as star, writer, showrunner, and producer, and they’ve done enough here to welcome more work in this genre. While I loved this series in the early going, it couldn’t maintain that momentum as it went along; despite a devilishly good Toni Collette. The story began to spin its wheels a little, the reveals didn't land as they should, and it didn’t quite stick the landing. I still enjoyed the series and think it was quite well done; just a couple creative decisions held things back.
PAIGE
Wayward attempts to be this generation's Twin Peaks, but fumbles its premise miserably. Weak writing, subpar performances, and choppy editing kill the tone. Not even the great Toni Collette, who tries her best to carry it on her shoulders, can get it across the finish line as a somewhat satisfying season of television. This stale show presents no real consequences for its characters' actions and merely dips its toes into its intended themes. It’s got the right ideas, but doesn’t know how to use them to make a compelling experience.
BODE
I wouldn’t have anticipated that Mae Martin’s scripted follow-up to Feel Good would be a very Canadian answer to Twin Peaks. But credit where it’s due, Wayward shows they have the chops to pull this mystery off. Though it occasionally stumbles, the show mostly does a good job building layers upon its plot – getting progressively surreal, but also surprisingly thoughtful with each episode. It helps that it has memorable performances, especially from Alyvia Alyn Lind and Sydney Topliffe. It’s enjoyable all-around, and though this was green-lit as a limited series, I wouldn’t be opposed to another season.
