Wayward Episode 1 recap: Abbie is abducted and taken to Tall Pines

Wayward, the new Netflix show, is set in the small town of Tall Pines, where a school claims to help traumatized teenagers. But deep down, the academy is engaged in deep manipulation and cryptic practices involving children. All eight episodes dropped on September 25, 2025, and offer a rollercoaster ride into the seemingly disciplined and ideal Tall Pines Academy.

Wayward episode 1 starts with a kid fleeing from the academy. He jumps the fence and runs through the woods. Suddenly, a cryptic inner voice engulfs him, and he starts to feel disoriented. In Toronto, Leila and Abbie are best friends, while Leila is dealing with the aftermath of her sister's demise, Abbie is trying to fit in as being dyslexic. One day, Leila is pulled aside by her teacher, Mr Turner, who suggests that she should get into Tall Pines Academy. Read the full recap of episode 1 of Warward here.

Here is what happened in Episode 1 of Wayward.

As mentioned, Wayward sets its eerie tone from the start when it shows Riley Warren escaping the Academy and witnessing glimpses of a mysterious door in the woods. He goes frantic, suggesting there's more to what the world outside knows about the academy. The narrative then shows a parallel story of Leila and Abbie in Toronto.

Leila is traumatized after the death of her sister and is suggested to join Tall Pine Academy for some healing and help from her teacher. Abbie is dyslexic and is burdened by her parents, who want her to fit in with normal students. This leads her to cling to Leila's friendship as their bond deepens further. The two of them don't fit into an ideal image of the student, as they are missing classes and end up stealing the exam papers while being high on shrooms.

In parallel, we meet two more characters: Alex, a cop with a troubled past, and Laura, a Tall Pines alumna. Laura and Alex are queer couple and are about to have a child. This is why they are moving to Tall Pines and are greeted by Evelyn, Tall Pines' head. In a sudden turn of events, Alex encounters Riley, barging into their home, shaken and desperate. Alex first tries to talk to him, but when Laura enters, he gets paranoid and picks up a knife. In the heat of the moment, Alex ends up stabbing him. During his last few breaths, Riley warns that Laura is "one of them", suggesting some mysterious tale the woods are hiding. When Alex asks who, it is already too late.

This is how episode 1 of Wayward ended

Abbie and Leila have stolen the papers successfully, but when Abbie comes home and falls asleep, he is abducted by a group of men, who take her away in a van while her family watches helplessly. This makes it clear that Tall Pines is a trap disguised as therapy, hiding psychological torture and manipulation beneath its polished image. One story of Riley has ended after witnessing and surviving the school, while another story of Abbie is about to unfold.

Meanwhile, Evelyn Wade files a missing report about Riley, claiming he hurt a student before running away. She painted him as a deviant rather than a victim, which gave the viewers a glimpse of her controlling nature.

In the Academy, Abbie is welcomed by some girls while Alex is giving their statement on Riley's death. She revisits the entire incident but leaves out those crucial details he said about Laura being one of them. Leila is in the school, then gets to know that Abbie has been shifted to Tall Pines by Mr Turner.

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Episode 1 refuses to resolve its mysteries. Instead, it leaves viewers hanging, haunted by the question of what dark secrets the academy is really hiding. Wayward is less concerned with linear answers than with pulling viewers deeper into its labyrinth.

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