Wayward features a Queer cop as the lead, which makes it different from any other cop drama you've ever watched. 

The new Netflix show Wayward features a secluded school amidst a town engulfed by tall Pine trees. The Tall Pines Academy is marketed as a place of healing for kids who are "unfit" for society, usually traumatized by an incident or who have turned out to be junkies or rogues. The Academy head, Evelyn, is portrayed as a highly influential woman, and the Tall Pines town doesn't have any local kids other than the Tall Pine Graduates.

The arrangement is questioned by a deputy cop, Alex Dempsey, when he moves to the town along with his wife, Laura, who is another Tall Pines graduate. When most of the cop drama features hyper-masculine, heteronormative leads, Wayward choose to tell the investigation through the lens of Alex, who identifies as Queer. This refreshes familiar tropes and has also complemented the narrative of Wayward. Read on to know what makes Wayward different from normal cop dramas.

Here is how Wayward is a lot different from any cop drama you have ever watched

Alex and Laura are expecting a child, and they decide to move to Laura's hometown when Alex loses his job because of misconduct. The show hasn't shed light on the same, but it was enough to question his law enforcement capabilities. This was the reason why Alex first appeared to be doubting himself despite sensing something off within the town. He naturally doesn't want to lose his job again by questioning the authority or going against the flow of things. When he tries to clarify his past to his chief cop, Dwaney, the latter quickly shows trust and points out how his previous team doesn't consider him to be part of the "brotherhood".

Wayward is created by Mae Martin, who stars as Alex Dempsey, and this has made the portrayal more authentic, acknowledging that Martin himself is a nonbinary artist and uses pronouns such as they/them. While speaking with NBC, he mentioned that Alex is a transgender man who desperately wants to be accepted in society and start a nuclear family of his own.

"Alex, who is a transgender man, is grappling with his moral compass and also his intense yearning to have that nuclear family and mainstream acceptance that he’s always wanted,” Martin says.

Some incidents in the show just mark how the cop profession is dominated by heteronormative males. Like when on his first day of the job, he gets an oversized uniform that also led him to fall eventually while chasing Riley, losing a prominent lead to what's happening inside the school. Therefore, by centring a queer cop, Wayward challenges expectations and refreshes familiar tropes, keeping the narrative unpredictable and engaging.

Wayward also comments on the patriarchal nature of cops and law enforcement via Alex's character

When Abbie and Leila are finding ways to escape the academy after witnessing the hot seat therapy for the first time, they see Alex on the CCTV surveillance screen. Leila suggests that they take his help, which is when Abbie points out the patriarchal nature of cop culture. She mentions how even the cops are under Evelyn's influence.

“Cops just swing their dicks around” Abbie says.

Leila quickly replies,

"I don't think he has a dick."

The writing is raw and serves the characters; however, it rightly suggests how Alex's presence undercuts the stereotype of toxic, masculine, authoritative cops, making him more trustworthy for the girls. The girl's comments highlight Alex's transness and that he doesn’t embody the same patriarchal aggression.

Trending

This is how the show here establishes how Alex's identity is what makes him stand apart from the oppressive structure. While for Abbie and Leila, this distinction was what made him someone they could reach out to, subtly framing queerness with empathy, vulnerability, or allyship.

×

Was this article helpful?

Thank You for feedback