The Wilds is an angst-driven show about nine teen girls, headed to a women’s empowerment retreat at the behest of their parents. Their plane crashes, and they become stranded on an island, left to survive with the help of only the items that wash up on shore. The show has a similar setup to Lost in the way the story is told, with each episode focusing on the present day, along with a character and their life before the crash.
It’s the story of the girls needing to survive the elements, forage for food, and find a way to stay alive—all while surviving one another. They grow more despondent as the days wear on without rescue, and the interspersed stories of their lives beforehand and the events that led them to the plane in the first place help show how each girl has become the version of herself you see on the island.
The twist, fairly early on, is that they are part of an experiment, plucked from diverse backgrounds that clash often. While their inability to leave the island is real, their placement there is wholly intentional, constantly monitored as part of something that is slowly revealed throughout the first season.
The cast is wide and includes some fun to watch – if a little predictable at times – characters and tropes.
You have:
- Shelby, the southern belle
- Toni, the foster kid basketball player and lesbian character
- Leah, lover of literature and the broken hearted
- Fatin, incredible cellist and sex positive rebel
- Nora, the scholar, bookworm and sister to Rachel
- Rachel, the athlete who pushes to the limit
- Dot, the survival fan and realist
- Martha, the upbeat and positive character
- Jeanette, the ditzy one
While the experiments’ goal is for no subjects to be harmed, that doesn’t stop some true losses, brushes with death and deep revelations.
The Technical Side
Sheena: This was a truly impressive show from a visual standpoint. The characters got progressively dirtier and more sunburned and the continuity of that alone must have been a nightmare to do.
And props to the excellent sound despite the series being shot on a windy beach.
It wasn’t a visual spectacle the way it could have been but it is a solid and technically good show.
Monica: Sheena has always been more technologically minded about shows we’ve watched together, but I fully agree with her that the evolution of the guck and grime they find themselves in roots the show in a sense of growing desperation. Even their voices become strained as the episodes wear on from dehydration. It was so refreshing (though difficult to watch) the difficulty the girls encountered, but it never felt like they glossed over some of the more realistic situations in favor of making it more aesthetically pleasing.
My Favourite Parts
Sheena: I enjoyed the different characters and how it all begins to interlink. I enjoy visual storytelling as a medium because you can tell great stories with poignant revelations by intercutting past and present.
And a big shoutout to Toni. She is a lesbian and watching her story unfold was absolutely my favourite part. I also particularly loved how wonderful she and Martha were as best friends and their journey.
Monica: I would be lying if I said I didn’t show up to this show for the women loving women (wlw) storyline. But I stayed for the complex characters, all of which are different representations of what it means to be a girl in today’s world, trying to find autonomy, and developing a sense of self in spite of other people telling them who they think they should be.
This isn’t a funny show, but there are some really funny moments and exceptional one liners. Putting so many girls with different personalities together lends to some interesting situations, and I loved watching how they clashed (and bonded) with one another.
Heads Up
Sheena: Heads up about a storyline that involved the mention of child abuse. It wasn’t graphic, it was just mentioned a few times.
Monica: There’s no person stranded who hasn’t suffered a serious trauma in their young lives already, which is likely why they were chosen for the experiment. Death, sexual abuse, sexual assault, eating disorders, unsafe sex, suicide, and homophobia are all mentioned through the course of the show.
The Conclusion
Sheena: It is absolutely worth watching if you enjoy dramas that interweave multiple character stories with one another. It was not super new in any of the stories told and yet it was a solid piece of work. I liked it both times I watched it and found it even more engaging the second time.
Monica: Ditto what Sheena said above. Even if the tropes weren’t new, watching nine different personalities stranded together made their interactions interesting and more than a little combustible. I mentioned above that this is not a funny show, and it’s also not a happy show, per se, but there are moments of growth, reflection, and community that make you feel like you’re watching something important happen.
Watch the Trailer
Where To Watch The Wilds
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The Wilds is an Amazon Prime exclusive show
Bits and Bobs
- Created by Sarah Streicher
- Produced by Guy J. Louthan
- Actors: Mia Healey; Erana James; Sarah Pidgeon; Sophia Taylor Ali; Helena Howard; Shannon Berry; Reign Edwards; Rachel Griffiths; Jenna Clause; Chi Nguyen; Barbara Ever Harris
- Number Of Seasons: 1 Released so far with another on the way
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