Netflix's new limited series sees Toni Collette lead an academy clocked in mystery. Wayward ending explained: What is the Leap, and what really happened to Laur

Netflix's new limited series sees Toni Collette lead an academy clocked in mystery.

*Wayward *ending explained: What is the Leap, and what really happened to Laura?

Netflix's new limited series sees Toni Collette lead an academy clocked in mystery.

By Allison DeGrushe

Allison DeGrushe

Allison DeGrushe is a timely SEO writer at **. She has been working at * *since 2025. Her work has previously appeared on Distractify.

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September 25, 2025 6:40 p.m. ET

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Evelyn (Toni Collette) running a group therapy session at Tall Pines Academy on 'Wayward'. Credit:

Michael Gibson/Netflix

- *Wayward *premiered on Netflix on Thursday, Sept. 25.

- The limited series centers on Tall Pines Academy, a school for "troubled teens" that does more harm than good.

- The finale is chaotic, leaving the truth about certain twists open-ended.

From *Feel Good* creator and comedian Mae Martin comes *Wayward*, a twisty limited series that explores teenage rebellion and what happens when institutions claiming to help kids might actually be doing the opposite.

Set in 2003 in the eerie town of Tall Pines, the story kicks off when Abbie (Sydney Topliffe) and Leila (Alyvia Alyn Lind) are taken to a correctional academy for so-called "troubled teens." Eventually, they team up with a new local police officer, Alex (Martin), who's just as suspicious of the school (and town) as they are.

The Netflix series, which premiered on Sept. 25, blends a variety of genres while unraveling the complicated mess that is Tall Pines. If you've finished your binge and are wondering what exactly happened, you've come to the right place. Read on as * *breaks down the ending of *Wayward*.

What is *Wayward *about?

Alyvia Alyn Lind as Leila, Sydney Topliffe as Abbie, and John Daniel as Rory on 'Wayward'.

Courtesy of Netflix

Martin told EW that *Wayward *drew inspiration from films such as *Fargo*, *Get Out*, *One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest*, and *Rosemary's Baby*. The unsettling series revolves around Tall Pines, a town that appears to be idyllic on the outside but is actually filled with *a lot *of darkness (think cults and family secrets).

At the center is Evelyn (Toni Collette), a menacing woman in charge of Tall Pines Academy, a school for troubled youth. But things start to unravel when Abbie and Leila become determined to break free from the facility.

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That's where Alex, a cop who just moved to Tall Pines with his pregnant wife Laura (Sarah Gadon), comes in. As he starts digging into the town, he grows suspicious of Evelyn and believes she's the root of the widespread strange behavior.

What is "the Leap"?

Toni Collette as Evelyn Wade on 'Wayward'.

Michael Gibson/Netflix

Midway through the season, Abbie discovers that Evelyn has been performing a perverse kind of therapy on her students known as "the Leap." From that point on, Abbie, Leila, Alex, and Laura (who, we learn, was Leaped years ago) seek to discover the truth about the unusual treatment.

After some time, Laura confronts Evelyn, accusing the vile woman of "changing" her. Laura says Evelyn drugged her, and now, she's lost "everything" because of it.

Then, a disturbing truth comes to light: Evelyn has been rewiring the teens' brains with psychedelic drugs derived from toad venom. The Leap chemically dulls emotions to erase past trauma, but it also damages one's capacity for emotional depth and meaningful relationships, including with future children. This puts Laura's ability to bond with her unborn child at risk.

What happened to Leila?

Alyvia Alyn Lind as Leila on 'Wayward'.

Michael Gibson/Netflix

Leila's story takes a dark turn once Evelyn sets her sights on her for the Leap. Evelyn recognizes that Leila is carrying a lot of unresolved trauma, particularly regarding her sister Jess drowning, and she uses that to pull her in.

As Evelyn takes Leila under her wing, the truth of what actually transpired the night Jess died is revealed. During her therapy sessions with Evelyn, Leila sees a range of conflicting flashbacks. In one, Leila is unconscious while Jess is already dead in the pool. Despite this, Leila tries to save her. It's then that Evelyn appears in the memory, forcing Leila to give it another go and tell her the truth.

Eventually, Evelyn manipulates Leila into confessing that she "hated" Jess, so much so that she pushed her sister into the pool and watched her drown.

In the finale, Leila opens up to Abbie about the situation. Abbie pushes back, reminding Leila that she called her the morning after Jess' death, utterly heartbroken.

"A part of me wanted her dead," Leila explains, but Abbie doesn't buy it. "You didn't kill Jess," she says. "You're exhausted. Evelyn's f---ing with your mind."

Abbie then tells Leila she has a plan for them to get away from the academy. With help from the other students, the two, along with fellow student Rory (John Daniel), manage to make it out of the property.

The trio soon breaks into a house to gather supplies and change clothes. Just as they're about to leave, Leila tells Abbie she's staying in Tall Pines. Despite everything, she feels taken care of and believes the academy might actually help her heal. Abbie is shattered, but they share one final hug before parting ways.

What happened to Laura?

Sarah Gadon as Laura Redman on 'Wayward'.

Courtesy of Netflix

Alex's wife, Laura, is a crucial character on *Wayward*. Having spent her lonely teenage years at the academy, she concludes that her parents either ditched her or vanished without a trace.

But that's not the case. It turns out Laura's parents actually came to Tall Pines to bring her home, but they disappeared shortly after. This is all but confirmed when Laura swims in a nearby pond and discovers her parents' missing car. Something terrible happened to them, and all signs point to Evelyn, but she has a different explanation.

Evelyn tells Alex that Laura is to blame, having used a rock to bludgeon her parents to death. Evelyn claims she assisted in concealing the evidence and later Leaped Laura to alleviate her pain and remorse. But could she actually have just been covering her tracks by wiping Laura's memory?

We never get a clear answer, but let's just say Evelyn hasn't exactly proven herself to be trustworthy.

Sarah Gadon as Laura Redman on 'Wayward'.

Michael Gibson/Netflix

Though Laura never forgot what Evelyn did to her, Laura gradually begins to resemble her.

Once Laura returns to Tall Pines, she begins moving up the social ladder. By episode 4, Laura's old classmates are fawning over her, and by episode 7, she is leading a movement to help troubled kids "without ego, or torture."**

Even if her intentions are pure, Laura is clearly drunk on power. Her followers are utterly captivated by her, and it's evident in the finale that she has emerged as the new leader of Tall Pines.**

Is Evelyn dead?

Toni Collette as Evelyn Wade on 'Wayward'.

Courtesy of Netflix

Evelyn takes things a step further in the last episode when she kidnaps Alex and tries to Leap him. She insists it's all "for the baby," previously telling Laura that Alex is "tormented" and full of "fear, insecurity, anger, violence." So, the Leap is the only way to shield the child from his father's supposed issues.

However, Rabbit (Tattiawna Jones), a top academy employee, intervenes and injects Evelyn with the toad venom. Alex breaks free and, in a panic, repeatedly stabs Evelyn with the syringe.

Rabbit cradles Evelyn as she enters a hallucinogenic, catatonic state. She is mentally imprisoned in a chamber with an infinite number of green doors when we last see her.

It's never confirmed whether she dies, but after being hit with a *massive *dose of her own drugs, it's likely Evelyn's story ends here.**

What happens at the end of* Wayward*?

Mae Martin as Alex Dempsey on 'Wayward'.

Michael Gibson/Netflix

In the final moments of the *Wayward *finale, Alex makes it home just in time for Laura, who's turning into the new Evelyn, to give birth to their baby. At first, it's a special moment for the new parents; Alex holds the newborn for the first time, doing skin-to-skin.

Unfortunately, things take a sinister turn when Laura's followers enter the room, undress, and begin passing the baby around. "It's everyone's. It's the only way to break the pattern," she tells Alex, who watches in horror as total strangers claim his child as their own.

Later, while Laura is sleeping, Alex considers leaving Tall Pines. We see him grab the infant and escape town with Abbie by his side, but it's all just a fantasy. As it turns out, Alex stays in town, while Abbie leaves Tall Pines alone (Rory ends up staying behind to hold off the academy staff hunting them down).**

Is *Wayward *based on a true story?

Mae Martin as Alex Dempsey on 'Wayward'.

Courtesy of Netflix

No, *Wayward *isn't based on a true story, but it's very personal for Martin. The creator told EW that the series (which has been in the works for years) was inspired by a childhood friend.

"As a teenager, my best friend got sent to a troubled teen institute," Martin shared. "We grew up in Canada, and she was sent to the States. I was so shocked by the stories that she had about it when she came back and started researching that industry, which, especially at the time, was so unregulated and opaque and questionable in its practices."

They continued, "So even when I was about 20, I always knew that I wanted to write something about that industry and about adolescence and the way that we deal with troubled teens. It's really like a lifelong passion project."

Where can I watch Wayward?

Maia Jae Bastidas as Alexandra, John Daniel as Rory, and Sydney Topliffe as Abbie on 'Wayward'.

Michael Gibson/Netflix

*Wayward *is now streaming on Netflix.

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Source: "EW TV"

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