What happened to Rory in Wayward? Character’s fate explored

Netflix’s Wayward has viewers reeling. The psychological thriller, created by Mae Martin, exposes Tall Pines Academy, a reform school hiding cult-like horrors. Teens endure brainwashing rituals under sinister leaders while a nearby town looks away. Fans describe it as haunting and unforgettable.

However, one character lingers most: Rory, played by John Daniel.

His heartbreaking final scene in season one transformed the show from slow-burning tension into a visceral punch to the gut. Audiences report checking wellness retreat brochures twice since watching.

Rory’s sacrifice in Wayward’s finale

Rory’s arc peaks in a moment that feels deeply human. This sacrifice leaves him etched in viewers’ minds as one of the show’s most heartbreaking ones. For weeks, he’d been quietly scheming with two other patients (Abbie and Leila), dreaming of life beyond Tall Pines’ walls. Their shot finally came when they fooled a staff member (Mule) with a fake note from her fiancé. She drove them through the gates in her bus, believing she was headed to town.

Freedom tasted brief. The institute caught on fast.

Cornered in an empty house, they faced Evelyn Wade herself. She stood there, unsettlingly calm, promising them safety and healing if they returned. Leila broke first, convinced Tall Pines could help her. But Rory and Abbie stand their ground. They’d fight for that sliver of hope, no matter the cost.

Then comes the moment that sticks with you. Rory turns to Abbie, surrounded, and asks for a kiss. It’s a desperate goodbye you see before the first shot rings out. He creates a distraction, draws the guards’ eyes, while Abbie slips away unseen. She makes it to Alex’s car, hidden in the trees. Rory doesn’t follow.

Wayward leaves it there. Just the quiet cruelty of not knowing whether he’s a martyr or just captured again. We are left with that hollow feeling.

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Is Rory dead on Wayward?

Rory's ultimate fate remains unclear. At minimum, he'd have been hauled back to the school. But fans refuse to accept the uncertainty.

Online, theories are exploding: Some claim Evelyn's cult executed Rory quietly. Others swear he's alive, reprogrammed by the cult, and might resurface in a potential second season as her devoted follower. Mae Martin, who created the show and plays Officer Alex, dodges direct answers.

Martin, however, told Deadline:

"It gets pretty weird by the end, but I think in a good way. (...) You kind of have to let it wash over you, like a (...) parable."

Rory's sacrifice lands harder when you think about what Wayward is about: how systems chip away at who we are. He doesn't surely die, but he pushes back. He picks a world meant to crush free will. That kiss with Abbie was defiant. A flicker of real humanity in a place built to stamp it out.

Whether Netflix brings the show back or leaves Wayward as a single-season gut punch, Rory's ending sticks with you. It shows what happens when someone raised to obey suddenly says no. Even once!

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Wayward is streaming on Netflix.

NEXT UP: Fans speculate if the show is based on a real school

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