"Does feel a little unresolved": Wayward showrunners on the possibility of a second season following explosive first chapter 

*Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers for Wayward Season 1. Readers' discretion is advised.*

Netflix's latest mini-series, Wayward, features a shocking ending that leaves many unanswered questions about the sinister Tall Pines Academy and its suspicious headmaster, Evelyn Wade (Toni Collette).

The series follows two teen girls, Leila and Abbie, who are sent to Tall Pines Academy, a teen therapy school, after they are caught smoking in their former school. While the eerie Tall Pines Academy claims to provide behavioral solutions for troubled teens, Abbie and Leila uncover that the town and its school harbor many dark and chilling secrets.

Alex Dempsey was a promising character who arrived as a ray of hope for the girls and even managed to arrange a car for their escape. However, both Leila and Alex made the shocking choices to stay behind in Tall Pines, while Abbie leaves. The ending was definitive for the characters and left little room beyond Season 1.

However, in an interview with Variety, showrunners Mae Martin and Ryan Scott teased that Tall Pines is brimming with opportunities and Wayward Season 2 is possible. The sinister place is creeping up with many secrets and dead bodies, which can be uncovered in a future season:

''There’s a lot of dead people. There are a lot of things at the bottom of that pond to find. I’m so excited to see what people think, but I mean, there’s a part of this that’s a tragedy and it does feel a little unresolved in a sense, but mostly also resolved.''

More on this in our story.

Wayward showrunners explore Alex's unexpected choice in Season 1

Netflix's Wayward finale flipped the narrative on its head and featured an unexpected ending for the main characters. While a majority of the characters spent Season 1 trying to unearth the Tall Pines' secrets and escape that place for good, they made the shocking choice of staying in the finale. The ending, albeit disappointing for fans who were rooting for these characters to escape, was authentic and highlighted the deeply sinister activities of the town.

As Martin and Scott discussed the Wayward ending with Variety, the duo revealed how fans are especially disappointed with Alex's ending in the show. While the character had a promising start and was determined to help Leila and Abbie escape Tall Pines, he chose to stay in the town with his wife, Laura and their newborn baby. Discussing this unexpected choice, Martin said:

''It seems like people have an appetite for more, but also it’s so funny that people are like, “Well, it’s really ambiguous with Alex.” I’m like, “I don’t know if it’s ambiguous — maybe he just didn’t make the choice that you wanted him to make.” Some of the characters make disappointing and very human choices.''

Since Alex grew up in an abnormal home with an abusive father, he grew up to be hypermasculine and deprived of emotions. His decision to stay in Tall Pines in the Wayward finale stemmed from the fact that the town offered him support and it felt like the perfect place to break his toxic behavioural pattern for his child. However, he ignores the fact that his child will essentially grow up in a cult and makes this controversial choice in the end.

Justifying Alex's choice in the Wayward finale, Scott added:

''I think Dempsey makes a very clear decision. It’s a decision that a lot of us make that comes with adulthood, which is that we’re not always willing to risk blowing up our little lives to do what’s right. And sometimes that’s what adulthood feels like.''

Wayward is not renewed for Season 2, but the showrunners' comments suggest that they can surely revisit Tall Pines and its residents in the future.

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