Warning: Spoilers for the Wayward season 1 finale are ahead!

Wayward‘s showrunners delve into the season finale ending and its significant Alex twist. The Netflix thriller was released on September 25 and currently holds a Rotten Tomatoes rating of 75%. Created by and starring Mae Martin, the show follows two troubled teens teaming up with a newly local police officer to investigate sinister happenings in the town of Tall Pines.

The Wayward finale revealed several shocking truths about Tall Pines Academy, its chilling headmistress Evelyn, and the town of Tall Pines itself. One of the most significant surprises occurred when Martin’s cop, Alex, decided to remain in Tall Pines with his now-cult leader wife Sarah and their newborn, instead of fleeing with the baby.

According to Variety, Martin and co-showrunner Ryan Scott discussed the ending, what Alex’s decision signifies, and how this alters the character’s journey. Scott mentioned that the skin-to-skin scene at the end, as the baby is welcomed into the cult, was beautiful yet eerie, reminiscent of a Rosemary’s Baby moment.

Martin explained that Alex’s choice to stay with his wife and baby was not the outcome he envisioned for parenthood, and he realizes he has made a grave mistake. Check out Martin and Scott’s comments below:

The skin-to-skin scene at the end is so scary and strange. How did it gestate in your mind?

Scott: I’m not sure. I think it came for me because I’ve got two kids, and one of them was born in the middle of the night after a very long labor. It was a strenuous thing. I remember that skin-to-skin moment and how bizarre and strange and connecting and visceral and messy it was. It’s a thing that people don’t see a lot, and it’s very intimate when that happens and it’s your first moment of connecting. It’s the beginning of the story of your life with this person and of that connection. I thought it would be particularly interesting in this show, given Mae’s character. All of a sudden, you’re like, “How does everyone connect to this in this world where this is the first kid? What if they all started taking off their clothes?” That was our moment at the end of “Rosemary’s Baby” where there’s a little hand that comes out. It seemed like a really beautiful but eerie, progressive, messy way of telling a story of how perverted it would be if that were the case.

Martin: For Alex, who’s so yearning for this heteronormative nuclear family and to be the guy for this baby — to have that moment ripped away from him and, in that moment, have it dawn on Alex that this is not going to be what he thought it was. I think it’s such a jarring image and so deeply icky that he instantly knows he’s made a huge mistake. He’s so desperate for all those rites of passage of fatherhood and all the moments, but he doesn’t get to cut the umbilical cord and things like that. So tragic.

What This Means For Alex’s Wayward Journey

Alex makes a decision that many would find difficult to comprehend, choosing to stay in town with the cult rather than taking his baby to safety. As Martin points out, Alex has a strong desire for a nuclear family likely stemming from his abusive relationship with his father, which is taken away from him at the end.

There may be an impression that the baby will receive love and adoration from the cult, especially since there are no babies in Tall Pines. However, it’s evident from Alex’s reaction and Martin’s comments that Alex instantly regrets his choice and recognizes he has made a significant mistake—one that may haunt him later.

Our Take On Wayward’s Finale Episode

One reason Wayward has been well received by critics is its clever writing that conveys significant themes. The finale’s revelation about Alex serves as an unexpected twist for his character, concluding with an ambiguous yet final denouement for many characters as Alex appears to accept his fate.

There are clear references to Robert Rodriguez’s The Faculty and The Stepford Wives throughout Wayward, making it intriguing to see if Martin has plans for additional episodes. Initially intended as a miniseries, there are enough unresolved elements suggesting that the show could potentially return for another season.

<a href="Here you can find the original article;[nospin]The images used in our article also come from this source. We are not their authors but have used them solely for informational purposes with proper attribution.[nospin]

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