Wayward is a slow-burn mystery about a small town, a troubled teen academy, and the police officer who starts asking questions nobody wants answered. Mae Martin created the series for Netflix, and she stars in it too as Alex Dempsey, a newly appointed local officer who stumbles into a case that pulls her deeper than she expected. The show premiered on 25 September 2025 with eight episodes, and it plays like a period crime drama with a psychological edge.
The series is set in 2003 in the fictional town of Tall Pines, Vermont. It follows Alex, who teams up with two students, Leila and Abbie, after they attempt to escape from the local academy for troubled teens. Together they dig into the town’s dark secrets, which run deep and touch everyone they know.
Trailer, via Netflix.
Alex Dempsey and the Academy
Alex is the heart of Wayward. She’s a new officer in a town she barely knows, and she’s drawn to the academy for troubled teens that sits at the center of everything. The show spends time establishing her curiosity, her sense of duty, and her growing unease as she learns more about the place.
Sarah Gadon plays Laura Redman, the dangerously charismatic founder of the academy. She’s the one Alex suspects isn’t telling the truth, and Gadon plays her with a quiet menace that makes every scene she’s in feel tense. Toni Collette rounds out the main trio as Evelyn Wade, a local figure whose role in the town’s history becomes central to the mystery.
The two students, Leila and Abbie, are played by Alyvia Alyn Lind and Sydney Topliffe. Their attempted escape sets the story in motion, and their alliance with Alex drives the investigation forward. Tricia Black plays Mule, a recurring presence who adds texture to the town’s undercurrents.
The Town of Tall Pines
Tall Pines is the character that holds the story together. It’s a small, insular community where everyone knows everyone else’s business, and the academy is the institution that shapes the town’s future. The show spends time showing the streets, the houses, and the daily life of its residents, building a world that feels lived-in rather than staged.
The premise is simple: two students try to leave the academy, and a police officer helps them investigate why. That simplicity is the strength of the show. It doesn’t rush to reveal answers; it lets the tension build through conversations, glances, and small discoveries.
The Dark Secrets
The town’s secrets are the engine of Wayward. Alex uncovers them gradually, piece by piece, and each revelation raises more questions than it answers. The show trusts its audience to keep up with the web of connections between the academy, its founder, and the townspeople.
The pacing is deliberate, which means the middle episodes can feel slow for viewers used to faster TV. But the payoff comes in the final stretch, where the pieces finally snap together and the town’s hidden history is revealed.
The Cast Carries the Weight
The ensemble is strong across the board. Martin brings a grounded sincerity to Alex that anchors the show, and Gadon’s Laura Redman is a commanding presence. Collette’s Evelyn Wade adds a layer of complexity that keeps the audience guessing about her motives.
Lind and Topliffe play Leila and Abbie with a youthful intensity that grounds the story in the stakes of two young people trying to survive a system that’s designed to control them. Black’s Mule brings a street-smart energy that cuts through the town’s polite surface.
A Slow Burn With a Payoff
The show’s biggest strength is its willingness to let the mystery simmer. It doesn’t hand out answers in episode one; it builds a world and then peels back the layers slowly. That patience pays off in the finale, where the pieces finally fit together.
The weakness is that some middle episodes lean on exposition and quiet conversations that don’t move the story forward as quickly as the viewer might want. A few scenes feel like filler, but they’re never so bad that they derail the momentum.
Comparing the Main Characters
| Character | Role | Key Trait |
|---|---|---|
| Alex Dempsey | Police officer | Curious, determined, uneasy |
| Laura Redman | Academy founder | Charismatic, dangerous, secretive |
| Evelyn Wade | Local figure | Complex, central to the mystery |
| Leila and Abbie | Students | Attempted escape, ally of Alex |
The Release Schedule
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 25 September 2025 | Premiere of all eight episodes on Netflix |
What Works Best
The best parts of Wayward are the quiet moments. A conversation between Alex and Laura in a dim hallway, a phone call between Leila and Abbie late at night, a brief exchange between Evelyn and Mule — these scenes carry more weight than any action sequence could. The show trusts its actors to sell the tension, and they deliver.
The finale ties everything together with a twist that feels earned rather than forced. It respects the audience’s investment in the characters and the world, and it leaves the door open for a potential second season without feeling incomplete.
A Solid Debut
Wayward is a confident debut from Mae Martin. It’s a show that knows what it wants to be — a slow-burn mystery with character-driven drama — and it executes that vision with skill. The cast delivers consistently strong performances, the setting feels lived-in, and the mystery pays off in a satisfying way.
There are moments where the pacing drags and the middle episodes feel padded, but those lapses don’t sink the overall experience. The show earns its runtime with careful world-building and a payoff that rewards patience.
Wayward is a solid entry in the Netflix lineup. It won’t appeal to everyone, but for viewers who enjoy character-driven mysteries with a slow burn, it offers a rewarding viewing experience. The show is available to stream now, and it’s worth a watch for anyone curious about small-town secrets and the institutions that hide them.
Get the Notebook.
The day's best stories and every fresh verdict, in plain English, in your inbox by seven. One email a day, no more.
