The Wilds (TV series)

The Wilds is an American drama streaming television series created by Sarah Streicher for Prime Video. The series centers around a group of teenage girls who are left stranded on a deserted island after a plane crash, but are unaware they are the subjects of a social experiment. The ensemble cast features Sophia Ali, Reign Edwards, Shannon Berry, Jenna Clause, Mia Healey, Helena Howard, Erana James, Sarah Pidgeon, David Sullivan, Troy Winbush, and Rachel Griffiths. The first season was released on Prime Video on December 11, 2020 and received positive reviews from critics, with praise for the performances, writing, and plot. In December 2020, the series was renewed for a second season.

The Wilds
GenreDrama
Created bySarah Streicher
Starring
Music byCliff Martinez
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes10
Production
Executive producers
ProducerGuy J. Louthan
Cinematography
  • Ed Wild
  • Rob Marsh
  • Peter Field
Editors
  • Sophie Corra
  • Brad Katz
  • Susan J. Vinci
  • Steve Edwards
Running time42–61 minutes
Production companies
Release
Original networkPrime Video
Original releaseDecember 11, 2020 (2020-12-11) –
present (present)
External links
Official website

Plot

A group of teenage girls from different backgrounds—Fatin Jadmani, Dot Campbell, Martha Blackburn, Rachel Reid, Shelby Goodkind, Nora Reid, Toni Shalifoe, and Leah Rilke—are on an airplane when it crashes into the ocean while en route to Hawaii for the Dawn of Eve program, a young women's empowerment retreat. They survive the crash and find themselves stranded on a deserted island. As the girls work to survive as castaways and learn about each other, they are unaware that they are subjects of a social experiment; the plane crash was staged and their stranding orchestrated by Gretchen Klein, the head of the Dawn of Eve program. The girls' adventures on the island are intercut with flashback scenes about their lives before the crash, and flashforward scenes where two men claiming to be FBI agents interview the survivors after their supposed rescue.

Cast and characters

Main
  • Sophia Ali as Fatin Jadmani,[1] one of the crash survivors, a rich and promiscuous cellist from Berkeley, California
  • Shannon Berry as Dot Campbell,[1] one of the crash survivors, a tough Texan girl with wilderness survival skills
  • Jenna Clause as Martha Blackburn,[1] one of the crash survivors, a kind and optimistic animal lover from an Ojibwe reservation in Minnesota
  • Reign Edwards as Rachel Reid,[1] one of the crash survivors, a competitive diver from New York
  • Mia Healey as Shelby Goodkind,[1] one of the crash survivors, a closeted beauty pageant queen from a conservative Christian family in Texas
  • Helena Howard as Nora Reid,[1] one of the crash survivors, Rachel's fraternal twin sister, a quiet and intelligent girl from New York
  • Erana James as Toni Shalifoe,[1] one of the crash survivors, Martha's hot-headed and openly lesbian best friend from Minnesota
  • Sarah Pidgeon as Leah Rilke,[1] one of the crash survivors, a romantic and obsessive loner from Berkeley, California
  • David Sullivan as Daniel Faber,[1] a trauma psychologist who interviews the survivors after they are rescued from the island
  • Troy Winbush as Dean Young,[1] ostensibly an FBI agent, also interviewing the survivors after they are rescued
  • Rachel Griffiths as Gretchen Klein,[1] the head of the Dawn of Eve program

Recurring
  • Jarred Blakiston as Alex, a member of Gretchen's team who is hesitant of her methods.
  • Jen Huang as Susan, a member of Gretchen's team.
  • Joe Witkowski as Thom, a member of Gretchen's team.
  • Barbara Eve Harris as Audrey, a member of Gretchen's team.

Guest
  • Chi Nguyen as Jeanette Dao, the ninth girl on the plane. It is revealed that her real name is Linh Bach and is working with Gretchen undercover.
  • James Fraser as Ian Murnen, a friend of Leah's who has a crush on her.
  • Carter Hudson as Jeffrey Galandis, an author who Leah has a brief relationship with due to his predatory attraction to younger women. He breaks things off after discovering that Leah lied to him about being 18.
  • Greg Bryk as Tim Campbell, Dot's ailing father.
  • Shane Callahan as James Reid, Nora and Rachel's father.
  • Ddé Dionne Gipson as Angela Reid, Nora and Rachel's mother.
  • Jose Velazquez as Mateo, a nurse who looks after Dot's father and starts developing feelings for her.
  • Bella Shepard as Regan, Toni's ex-girlfriend.
  • Poorna Jagannathan as Rana Jadmani, Fatin's mother.
  • Ali Ghadir as Ahmad Jadmani, Fatin's father.
  • Warren Kole as Dave Goodkind, Shelby's father. He runs conversion therapy.
  • Stefania LaVie Owen as Becca Gilroy, Shelby's best friend who she secretly has romantic feelings for.
  • Bonnie Soper as JoBeth Goodkind, Shelby's mother.
  • Kimberly Guerrero as Bernice Blackburn, Martha's mother.
  • Lewis Fitz-Gerald as Dr. Ted Wolchak, a doctor who sexually abused Martha, and several other girls, when she was a child.
  • Johnny Berchtold as Quinn, Nora's ex-boyfriend who she meets during summer session at a college campus.

Episodes
No.TitleDirected byWritten byFeatured character(s)Original release date
1"Day One"Susanna FogelSarah StreicherLeahDecember 11, 2020 (2020-12-11)
En route to the Dawn of Eve retreat in Hawaii, nine teenage girls — Rachel, Nora, Martha, Toni, Shelby, Dot, Leah, Fatin, and Jeanette – are stranded on a remote island when their plane crashes. Most of the girls are uninjured, but Jeanette has a serious stomach injury and soon dies from internal bleeding. The girls attempt to call for help using Dot's phone, but its battery dies. Unknown to the girls, Gretchen Klein, the organizer of the Dawn of Eve program, is monitoring them via hidden cameras on the island; Jeanette was an undercover operative working for Gretchen, as is one of the surviving girls. Flashbacks show Leah's life before the crash: she had a romantic and sexual relationship with Jeffrey, a novelist in his 30s; when Jeffrey discovered that Leah had lied about being 18 years old, he immediately broke off the relationship, leaving Leah distraught. In flashforwards, sometime after being rescued from the island, Leah is being debriefed by FBI investigators Daniel Faber and Dean Young. She tells them that while everyone else was asleep, Jeanette's phone started ringing from her grave. Leah used it to call Jeffrey, but was too anxious to say anything before the phone died.
2"Day Two"John PolsonSarah StreicherRachelDecember 11, 2020 (2020-12-11)
Leah tells the others about Jeanette's phone, but does not tell them she called Jeffrey. Rachel is furious that Jeanette had a working phone and didn't tell the others about it. Toni becomes jealous of Shelby and Martha's growing friendship. Rachel leads an expedition to the top of a hill to get a view of the island, planning to use Fatin's mirror to signal for help. Rachel accidentally throws the mirror over a cliff edge during an argument; Leah riskily tries to retrieve it, but fails. Meanwhile, Gretchen continues to watch the girls, and arranges for them to discover a bag containing medicine, ostensibly belonging to the crashed plane's pilot. Flashbacks show Rachel's past; she was a competitive diver whose coach told her she didn't have the body for the sport. This hits hard for Rachel, who develops severe bulimia trying to get her weight under control, straining her relationship with Nora; she hits her head and falls during a crucial dive. Flashforwards to Rachel's interview with Faber and Young reveal that Rachel lost her right hand before being rescued.
3"Day Three"John PolsonDaniel PaigeDotDecember 11, 2020 (2020-12-11)
Dot and Shelby search for shelter for the group and bond along the way before eventually finding a cave. Meanwhile, Rachel, Leah and Nora swim out to the plane wreckage in an attempt to find more supplies. Rachel and Leah make numerous dives in an attempt to retrieve the plane's flight recorder; Rachel nearly drowns Leah by holding her underwater. They eventually retrieve the flight recorder and the girls argue over whether to open it; they eventually vote to open it, and listen to the recording of the pilot calling for help as the plane crashes. Flashbacks show Dot's past; she sold drugs to students at her school (including Shelby's cheating boyfriend) while caring for her ailing father, Tim. Tim eventually asks Dot to euthanize him, which she reluctantly does; his last request is for her to go on the Dawn of Eve retreat. Later, Gretchen meets with Dot and offers her the trip for free. Dot cynically responds that nothing is free, and wonders what Gretchen really wants from her. Flashforward scenes show Dot's interview with Faber and Young.
4"Day Six"Cherie NowlanTonya KongToniDecember 11, 2020 (2020-12-11)
When a bag of chips washes ashore, the girls have a shelter-building contest to determine who gets it. Leah clashes with Fatin over the latter's lack of effort and they fight; Leah shoves Fatin after she teases her about her relationship with Jeffrey. Toni continues to clash with Shelby about her attempts to take charge, and with Martha over her budding friendship with Shelby. She eventually loses control and wrecks their team's shelter in anger, upsetting Martha, who says she's tired of picking up the pieces after her. That night, Fatin leaves the newly-constructed shelter in anger after an argument with Leah. Flashbacks show that Toni is in the foster system as her mother is in rehab. At school, Toni starts dating new girl Regan, but they break up due to Toni's short temper and inability to walk away from conflict. After their breakup, Martha comforts Toni and invites her to stay at her house. In flashforwards, Toni tells Faber and Young that the flight recorder was a "cocktease", as nothing ever came of it.
5"Day Seven"Haifaa Al-MansourShalisha Francis-FeusnerFatinDecember 11, 2020 (2020-12-11)
The next morning, Fatin is still missing, and Toni finds some of Fatin's clothing bloodstained. The group venture into the forest to search for her, with Nora staying behind to tend to the fire. Whilst looking for Fatin, Rachel gets stuck in a puddle of mud, and the others manage to save her. At the same time, Nora prevents the fire from burning out by burning some pages of a journal. Eventually they find Fatin, who has discovered a pond, finally giving the girls a source of fresh water; observing them, Gretchen notes the milestone. Back at camp, Fatin and Leah reconcile and burn Rachel's copy of Jeffrey's book. That night, the girls go to bury Jeanette's body deeper, but discover it missing. Flashbacks reveal Fatin is a star cellist, forced to continue playing by her overbearing mother. When she discovers her father cheating on her mother, she publicly shames him by sending his nude photos to all his contacts; however, her mother takes her father's side, and they decide to transfer Fatin to a religious boarding school after she returns from the retreat. In a flashforward, Fatin is interviewed by Faber and Young.
6"Day Twelve"Alison MacleanSarah StreicherLeahDecember 11, 2020 (2020-12-11)
Jeanette's body is transported back to Gretchen. Rachel discovers mussels, providing a feast for all except Shelby, who claims to be allergic. Shelby's poorly-concealed homophobia toward Toni is criticized by the others. Soon all except Shelby develop food poisoning from the mussels, with Toni suffering the worst symptoms. Leah goes to retrieve the bag of medicine; but seeing Shelby behaving suspiciously, she briefly drops the bag to follow her, losing some of the pills. Once they return, Shelby forces Toni to take the only remaining anti-nausea pill. That night, Martha faints, and Leah admits she lost some of the pills. Meanwhile, Gretchen admits herself into a psychiatric hospital in order to meet Faber and offer him a job. In flashbacks, Leah's friend Ian tries to kiss her during a camping trip, but she storms off when he criticizes Jeffrey's treatment of her; later, she accuses Ian of telling Jeffrey she was under 18. Leah is later hit by a car after attending a party; at the hospital her parents express their worries about her depression. In flashforwards, Faber talks with Leah in her room; he criticizes her tendency to obsessiveness and paranoia and eventually has her sedated.
7"Day Fifteen"Ed WildMelissa BlakeJeanetteDecember 11, 2020 (2020-12-11)
A high tide floods the beach, washing many of the girls' supplies out to sea; they move camp to another location. Shelby finds two more suitcases "washed up", full of valuable supplies; suspicious of the convenient discovery and Shelby's secretive behavior, Leah accuses Shelby of knowing something about their situation. Shelby reveals her secret—she is missing two teeth and wears dentures. Apart from the group, Toni advises Shelby to take advantage of the opportunity to be free from her family's expectations, and Shelby kisses her. Meanwhile, Nora reveals that Rachel was cut from the diving team and is not going to Stanford, causing the two to fight until Dot puts a stop to it. Later, a plane flies over the island and notices the girls, giving them hope of rescue. Flashbacks reveal that Jeanette was actually Linh Bach, a graduate student whom Gretchen recruited as a research assistant for her study on how society would develop in the absence of patriarchy. Linh almost backed out when she saw the girls drugged to stage the fake plane crash, and was injured falling off a dock, but decided to continue with the project.
8"Day Sixteen"Tara Nicole WeyrAmy B. Harris & Melissa BlakeShelbyDecember 11, 2020 (2020-12-11)
Gretchen pulls strings to prevent the pilot who saw the girls from rescuing them. The girls, believing rescue is imminent, eat most of their remaining food, including some cannabis edibles. High, the girls discuss plans for their lives after being rescued. Toni convinces Shelby that she didn't tell Martha about their kiss. Rachel acknowledges her time as a diver is done. In the woods, Martha spots Alex, one of Gretchen's assistants, but under the influence of cannabis she mistakes him for a mannequin; and when she brings the other girls to show them, the mannequin has been placed there. That night, Shelby cuts off some of her hair while having a mental breakdown. Later, Leah apologizes to Shelby for suspecting her. Flashbacks depict Shelby's life as a teen beauty pageant participant; her controlling father runs conversion therapy sessions. Trying on dresses for a pageant, Shelby kisses her best friend, Becca; after her parents find out, Shelby asks Becca to stay away from her. Later, she learns that Becca has committed suicide. Flashforwards show Shelby being interviewed by Faber and Young; she now has a buzz cut. She demands to be allowed to see Leah; when she is, she secretly slips Leah a note.
9"Day Twenty-Two"Sydney FreelandJ.L. TiggettMarthaDecember 11, 2020 (2020-12-11)
Rescue has not arrived, and the girls have been out of food for two days. Toni, Martha and Shelby forage for food in the woods. To Martha's disgust, Shelby suggests they kill an animal. Martha lets a goat escape, angering the others, but later finds it on her own and kills it. Shelby and Toni find a lychee tree; the two kiss again and then have sex. Meanwhile, Nora realizes that Rachel is now afraid of swimming and tries to persuade her to return to the water. Suspicious and delirious, Leah tries to swim away from the island; Rachel dives in and saves her from drowning. That night, Leah discovers Nora talking to Gretchen's team—she is the surviving informant. Flashbacks show that Martha was one of several girls sexually abused by a doctor who helped her after an injury, but remains in denial about it. Martha initially refuses to testify against him; eventually, once she agrees to speak to the grand jury, she lies and says he didn't do anything. In flashforwards, Young reads through files about the girls; he suggests to Gretchen that they could use Martha's perjury as leverage to prevent her family from suing.
10"Day Twenty-Three"John PolsonSarah StreicherNoraDecember 11, 2020 (2020-12-11)
The next morning, Shelby tells Toni she enjoyed their night, but that she isn't ready to talk about it. Martha gets the others to help her carry the goat to camp. Leah pretends not to remember anything from the night before, but follows Nora into the woods to search for hidden cameras; Nora tricks her into falling into a pit. Shelby and Toni talk about their feelings for each other. Leah escapes from the pit and returns to camp, but before she can tell the others about Nora's betrayal, Rachel is attacked by a shark. Flashbacks show Nora dating a boy named Quinn over the summer, but breaking up with him because Rachel dislikes him. In the fall, Nora discovers Quinn was killed in a hazing accident. She meets Gretchen and discovers Quinn was killed by her son; Gretchen then recruits Nora into her study. In flashforwards, Leah reads Shelby's note: "You were right." She convinces Young to let her outside for fresh air; when he returns her to her room, she manages to leave the door unlocked. That night, she leaves her room and discovers a room of screens monitoring a male group of castaways, the "Twilight of Adam".

Production

Development

On June 28, 2018, Amazon Studios gave production a pilot order.[2] On August 3, 2018, it was announced that Susanna Fogel had signed on to direct the pilot and serve as executive producer.[3] On May 28, 2019, it was announced that Amazon Studios had given the production a series order for a first season consisting of ten episodes. The series was developed by Sarah Streicher who is also expected to executive produce alongside Jamie Tarses from Fanfare; and Dylan Clark and Brian Williams of Dylan Clark Productions. It was also announced that Amy B. Harris would be acting as showrunner and executive producer.[4] On December 19, 2020, Amazon Studios renewed the series for a second season.[5]

Casting

On July 31, 2018, Mia Healey, Helena Howard, Reign Edwards, and Shannon Berry were cast as series regulars.[6] On November 7, 2019, Rachel Griffiths, David Sullivan, Troy Winbush, Sophia Ali, Sarah Pidgeon, Jenna Clause, and Erana James joined the main cast.[7]

Filming

Filming for the first season began in October 2019 in New Zealand.[7] Most of the outdoor scenes for the first season were filmed in Bethells Beach, New Zealand.[8]

Release

The series' first season was released on December 11, 2020 on Prime Video.[9]

Critical response

On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the series received an approval rating of 92% based on 25 critic reviews, with an average rating of 7.32/10. The website's critics consensus reads, "An addictive thriller that also captures the complex lives of teenage girls, The Wilds is worth getting lost in."[10] Metacritic gave the series a weighted average score of 76 out of 100 based on 11 critic reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[11]

Kristen Baldwin of Entertainment Weekly gave the series a B+ and wrote, "Here, the mystery isn't so much why these girls are on the island as how being there will change them—and I, for one, want to go back."[12] Richard Roeper of Chicago Sun-Times gave the series 3.5 out of 4 stars and said, "What's so impressive about The Wilds is how creator Sarah Streicher and the deeply talented young cast members immerse us in this world so quickly and create an almost instant interest and empathy for these eight teenage girls."[13]

Accolades

In January 2021, The Wilds was nominated for a GLADD Media Award for Outstanding Drama Series, set to be announced in April 2021.[14]

References
  1. Ramella, Brynne (December 15, 2020). "The Wilds Season 1 Cast Guide: Where You Recognize The Actors From". Screen Rant. Retrieved December 20, 2020.
  2. Goldberg, Lesley (June 28, 2018). "Amazon Makes Play for Younger Viewers With Three YA Pilot Orders". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved December 22, 2020.
  3. Petski, Denise (August 3, 2018). "Susanna Fogel To Direct 'The Wilds' YA Pilot For Amazon Studios". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved December 4, 2020.
  4. Andreeva, Nellie (May 28, 2019). "Amazon Studios Orders YA Series 'The Wilds'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved December 4, 2020.
  5. Andreeva, Nellie (December 19, 2020). "'The Wilds' YA Drama Renewed For Season 2 By Amazon". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved December 19, 2020.
  6. Porter, Rick (July 31, 2018). "Amazon Pilot 'The Wilds' Cast Its First 4 Castaways (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved December 22, 2020.
  7. Petski, Denise (November 7, 2019). "'The Wilds': Rachel Griffiths, David Sullivan Among 7 Cast In Amazon's YA Drama Series". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved December 22, 2020.
  8. Donahue, Ann (December 23, 2020). "'The Wilds': Stunt Coordinator Min Windle Emboldened the Actors to Test Their Limits". IndieWire. Retrieved December 24, 2020.
  9. Mauch, Ally (November 18, 2020). "Teen Girls Get Stranded on a Deserted Island in Trailer for Amazon's The Wilds". People. Retrieved December 4, 2020.
  10. "The Wilds: Season 1 (2020)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved December 22, 2020.
  11. "The Wilds: Season 1". Metacritic. Retrieved December 19, 2020.
  12. Baldwin, Kristen (December 9, 2020). "The Wilds is a soapy teen survival drama: Review". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved December 19, 2020.
  13. Reoper, Richard (December 11, 2020). "Hear the call of 'The Wilds,' a deeply involving soap about teen girls on their own". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved December 19, 2020.
  14. Beresford, Trilby (January 28, 2020). "GLAAD Media Awards: 'Ma Rainey's Black Bottom,' 'Happiest Season' Among Nominees". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved January 28, 2021.
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