Debapriya Bhattacharya
Created by and starring Mae Martin, the events of ‘Wayward’ take place in the small town of Tall Pines, where police officer Alex Dempsey (Mae) and their pregnant wife Laura (Sarah Gadon) move into. The region famously has an institution for troubled teens, the Tall Pines Academy, run by Evelyn Wade (Toni Collette) in the bowels of nature. When they come across two children who seem desperate to get away from the place, Alex tries to investigate the situation. Despite opposition, they come across details about Evelyn that have been suppressed by the villagers for years. The mystery thriller drama highlights the tendency of every truth coming to light. If you have enjoyed the watch, here is a list of shows similar to ‘Wayward’ that you can pick up next.
12. Greenhouse Academy (2017-2020)
Adapted from the Israeli television series ‘The Greenhouse,’ the Giora Chamizer creation ‘Greenhouse Academy’ follows siblings Alex (Finn Roberts) and Hayley Woods (Ariel Mortman), who enroll at a private boarding school for gifted students months after losing their astronaut mother in a rocket explosion. They are placed in rival houses of Eagles and Ravens, respectively. However, as mysterious events begin to unfold on the premises, members of both houses, including the siblings, come together in an effort to solve it. Their attempt to uncover the truth forces something truly sinister to come to light, much like what happens in ‘Wayward’ following the effort of some students at the Tall Pines Academy in ‘Wayward.’
11. Outer Banks (2020-)
Created by Josh Pate, Jonas Pate, and Shannon Burke, ‘Outer Banks’ chronicles life in the eponymous coastal town in North Carolina, where society is divided between the wealthy seasonal residents called Kooks and working-class permanent inhabitants known as Pogues. When the father of Pogue ringleader John B. Routledge (Chase Stokes) goes missing, a group of youngsters band together to solve the mystery. The things that they discover challenge their own social standings. Nevertheless, they push forward even in the face of strong opposition from the Kooks. The grouping of youngsters and their collective efforts is reminiscent of the events of ‘Wayward.’
10. Glitch (2015-2019)
From the minds of Tony Ayres and Louise Fox, ‘Glitch’ is an Australian supernatural series that tells the story of the fictional town of Yoorana in southeastern Australia, where long-deceased individuals rise up from their graves completely healthy, but without any memory of their previous lives. The incident is witnessed by police officer James Hayes (Patrick Brammall), who tries to keep it secret from the rest of the population, except local doctor Elishia McKellar (Genevieve O’Reilly). The revived humans get desperate to know their origin, and James leads the search to uncover the truth. Much like Alex Dempsey in ‘Wayward,’ James tries to solve the small-town mystery by piecing together the link between the people who have returned.
9. The Watcher (2022-)
Loosely based on the New York Magazine story ‘The Haunting of a Dream House’ by Reeves Wiedeman, ‘The Watcher,’ created by Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan, is set around the house at 657 Boulevard in a fictionalized version of Westfield, New Jersey. When married couple Nora (Naomi Watts) and Dean Brannock (Bobby Cannavale) move into the place, they start to receive letters from an anonymous stalker who signs off as “The Watcher.” Despite seeking help from the police, things get progressively worse for the family. The creepy sensation of being constantly observed is reminiscent of how the troubled teen institution functions in ‘Wayward.’
8. Harlan Coben’s Shelter (2023)
Deriving its name from the Harlan Coben novel on which it is based, ‘Harlan Coben’s Shelter’ revolves around teenager Mickey Bolitar (Jaden Michael), who moves to Kasselton in New Jersey following the untimely death of his father. However, life does not get any easier for him, as his schoolmate, Ashley Kent, disappears without a trace, and Mickey gets involved in investigating the incident. As he goes looking around, Mickey comes across something far sinister than his expectations in the seemingly nice suburban community. Much like ‘Wayward,’ the town wears a facade of bliss and hides its true face.
7. One of Us is Lying (2021-2022)
Adapted from Karen M. McManus’ novel of the same name by Erica Saleh, ‘One of Us is Lying’ chronicles five students at Bayview High, Simon (Mark McKenna), Addy (Annalisa Cochrane), Cooper (Chibuikem Uche), Bronwyn (Marianly Tejada), and Nate (Cooper van Grootel), who go into detention together. Infamous for starting an online gossip group to snitch on his classmates, Simon gets an allergic reaction while in detention and drops dead. When his death is determined not to be an accident, a formal investigation is opened, and everyone in detention with him becomes a suspect. The fatal plot in which the teenagers get involved brings to mind what they are subjected to in ‘Wayward.’
6. The Wilds (2020-2022)
Created by Sarah Streicher, ‘The Wilds’ is set around a group of teenage girls who sign up for a young women’s empowerment retreat in Hawaii. While travelling to their destination, their flight crashes into the ocean, and Fatin Jadmani (Sophia Ali), Dot Campbell (Shannon Berry), Martha Blackburn (Jenna Clause), Rachel Reid (Reign Edwards), Shelby Goodkind (Mia Healey), Nora Reid (Helena Howard), Toni Shalifoe (Erana James), and Leah Rilke (Sarah Pidgeon) find themselves on a deserted island, fighting for survival. As the castaways band together to face mounting challenges, they remain unaware that their plight is part of a controlled social experiment being conducted by Gretchen Klein, the head of the Dawn of Eve program. Gretchen’s work holds much similarity with what Evelyn Wade does with teenagers in ‘Wayward.’
5. The A List (2018)
From the minds of Dan Berlinka and Nina Metivier, ‘The A List’ centers around Mia Blackwood (Lisa Ambalavanar), a headstrong teenager who goes off to an idyllic island summer camp expecting to have the time of her life. However, her plans are marred by the arrival of a new girl, Amber (Ellie Duckles), who takes the spotlight away from Mia. As Mia loses her followers and stardom in the area, she notices a hunger in Amber that goes deeper than winning a popularity contest. The teens navigate through their complicated social dynamics, similar to how the newcomers try to make sense of Tall Pines Academy rules in ‘Wayward.’
4. Wayward Pines (2015-2016)
Developed by Chad Hodge based on the eponymous series of novels by Blake Crouch, ‘Wayward Pines’ is set in the titular small town in Idaho, where the inhabitants find themselves trapped by an electrified fence and forced to obey the rules laid down by Sheriff Arnold Pope (Terrence Howard). Secret Service agent Ethan Burke (Matt Dillon) finds himself in the town investigating the disappearance of two fellow agents. He suffers a car crash and wakes up with all his contact with the outer world cut off. Despite the danger that surrounds him, he takes it upon himself to uncover the truth about the mysterious town. The control that the Sheriff has on the town is similar to what Evelyn Wade demonstrates in her institution in ‘Wayward.’
3. Dark (2017-2020)
‘Dark,’ created by Baran bo Odar and Jantje Friese, is premised on the disappearance of a child from the fictional town of Winden in Germany. The search for him leads to a mystery that spans several generations, connecting four estranged families across the timeline. The presence of a wormhole at the base of a nuclear power plant in town makes the narrative uniquely complex yet gripping. The eerie situation of the town brings to mind Tall Pines from ‘Wayward.’
2. Lost (2004-2010)
Created by Jeffrey Lieber, J.J. Abrams, and Damon Lindelof, ‘Lost’ follows the survivors of a plane crash who find themselves on an uninhabited tropical island. They band together to face the natural threats that surround them, which mysteriously include creatures such as the polar bear. Trying to establish contact with the outer world, they soon find out that the island is home to a group of malevolent inhabitants, putting their lives in further peril. Forced to survive on their wits, the situation of the survivors mirrors that of the teenagers in the Tall Pines Academy in ‘Wayward.’
1. The Society (2019)
Helmed by Christopher Keyser, ‘The Society’ chronicles a group of high school teenagers who return from a cancelled school trip to find the entire population of their town missing. A dense forest mysteriously appears along the border of the town, and the youngsters are forced to rely on themselves to run the community. With limited resources and no connection to the outside world, the challenges keep mounting for them. Much like the teenagers in ‘Wayward,’ the hardships that they face come out of the blue, and there is little hope of rescue from the ordeal. However, they proceed undauntedly to uncover the mystery that lies underneath.
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