Commentary: In ‘Wayward,’ Mae Martin takes their modern-day Peter Pan persona deep into a dark thriller

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Mae Martin has a captivating, almost otherworldly presence on screen – with striking blue eyes, a playful blonde hairstyle, and a fluid, nonbinary style. For the past ten years, they’ve moved through the entertainment world like a contemporary take on Peter Pan, but one who’s less worried about avoiding adulthood and more interested in understanding what it truly means.

Martin explores their identity and experiences by building a personal world, a reimagined Neverland, where they confront challenges through their creative work. This includes stand-up comedy, like their 2023 Netflix special ‘Sap’ which begins with imagery of a forest, a podcast called ‘Handsome’ co-hosted with Tig Notaro and Fortune Feimster, books-such as their 2019 young adult guide to sexuality, ‘Can Everyone Please Calm Down?’-and television shows, most notably the excellent 2020 semi-autobiographical series ‘Feel Good’.

Martin, originally from Toronto, recently released an indie rock album after spending twelve years in London and then moving to Los Angeles. Now, they’re starring in the new Netflix drama, “Wayward,” where they venture into a forest to rescue Wendy and the Lost Boys – and it’s all quite fantastical!

The new limited series debuted at the Toronto Film Festival this year, an event Martin described as feeling like his wedding. He explained, while eating breakfast in Silver Lake, that it was a special occasion with family and old friends present, but also incredibly stressful – filled with last-minute wardrobe issues and the pressure to make everything perfect.

I just finished watching “Wayward,” and it’s a really unsettling story that centers around the town of Tall Pines and a mysterious academy for troubled teenagers. The film follows two best friends, Abbie and Leila, whose lives get completely disrupted when Abbie is sent to this academy. Leila is determined to get her friend back, and that’s where things start to unravel. We also meet Officer Dempsey, a cop who recently moved to Tall Pines with his pregnant wife, and it quickly becomes clear that everything isn’t as peaceful as it seems, especially with the head of the academy, Evelyn Wade, involved. It’s a slow burn, but the atmosphere is thick with tension right from the start.

Alex is a transgender man, but the townspeople are more concerned with his past – specifically, that he used to work in Detroit and seems wary of their quiet community. This distrust turns out to be well-founded as strange things begin to happen.

Despite its intense and disturbing content, “Wayward” has a dreamlike feel. Author Martin reportedly wrote it to examine the harmful practices within the “troubled teen” industry – specifically the camps that gained prominence in the 1990s – and it’s surprisingly personal, similar to their memoir, “Feel Good.”

Having been a troubled teen themselves, they understood what it was like when a friend was sent to a place like Tall Pines.

My close friend Nicole used to smoke marijuana, but I didn’t think she needed serious help. She left for two years, traveling by hitchhiking, and when she returned, she shared some disturbing stories about a place she’d been – a place that’s now closed.

You know, talking to Martin, I got the sense he’d been carrying a lot of regret. He admitted he probably needed some serious help at the time, and that’s really what this show explores – the ‘what if?’ scenario of him actually reaching out and being there for her. It’s a deeply personal question at the heart of the whole thing.

The show is definitely a suspenseful thriller, according to Martin, but it also carries an important message. They shared their experience with rehab, describing it as a positive one, and expressed concern about how quickly and easily we label teenagers with problems. Martin believes young people are often very aware when they’re being treated unfairly, and then are made to doubt their own perceptions.

We’re not targeting any specific organization,” they explained. “I simply want to encourage people to consider this issue.

This is reflected in Alex’s own actions. After meeting a runaway student from the academy, he starts to doubt the way things are done there. This leads him to connect with Abbie and Leila, and he tries to assist them.

Martin previously expressed a desire to play a strong, leading role, but realized he needed to let go of that idea. He explained that focusing on that goal could lead to creating a character who is overly confident and effortlessly charming, which wouldn’t be genuine.

Honestly, I really connected with what they said about Alex. They described him as flawed, but with a genuine heart – someone like me, actually! It made me think of characters like John C. Reilly in ‘Magnolia,’ or the ones I adore in ‘Fargo,’ even Agent Dale Cooper from ‘Twin Peaks.’ They’re hoping viewers will fall for Alex, and then be surprised when they see his imperfections, and I think that’s a brilliant approach. I’m already rooting for him!

Alex’s identity as transgender (with Martin identifying as nonbinary) isn’t central to the story or who they are as a character. Martin explained it’s important to see LGBTQ+ characters whose identities aren’t the main focus, mirroring the everyday experiences of many transgender people whose identities aren’t a constant concern.

I have to say, digging into the documentary *Tall Pines*, I was struck by how cleverly it reveals the dark side of the troubled teen industry. What initially seems appealing – the emphasis on equality and personal freedom – is actually a very insidious tactic. The filmmakers point out that these programs didn’t spring up out of nowhere; they have roots in the self-help cults of the 1970s, and that progressive facade is a key part of what makes the whole thing so disturbing and, frankly, effective at drawing people in.

Martin explained that cults often serve as a helpful analogy for understanding how easily we become involved in things, and what we’re willing to overlook just to feel secure. He specifically noted that the traditional idea of a straight, nuclear family is particularly appealing to Alex.

I’ve been following Martin’s work, and I think their new show, “Wayward,” is a really exciting step. They’ve talked about how their previous project, “Feel Good,” while special, might have been *too* focused on their personal experiences, limiting its reach. With “Wayward,” they’re aiming for something bigger – a dark, thrilling series – but still told through a queer perspective. They really want to create something that resonates with a wider audience, and I think they’re absolutely on the right track!

Martin, a stand-up comedian who still performs at places like Largo in Los Angeles, found playing the character of Alex difficult, even though they enjoyed taking on male roles. The part required gun training, but more importantly, Martin had to adjust to not needing to get laughs. As they explained, it’s easy to focus on making the film crew chuckle, but a performer really needs to connect with the silent movie audience, and it feels discouraging when they don’t react.

Initially, the performance was described as a bit too silly, like something Mr. Bean might do, but that was adjusted during editing. I really enjoyed acting in this role, and honestly, I was worried I wasn’t good enough. Working alongside Sarah and Toni helped me feel confident and embrace my role as an actor.

Filming brought Martin back to her hometown of Toronto, where she unexpectedly ran into people from her past. She discovered she’d actually babysat one of the actors in the show. Even more surprisingly, she realized she and the sound designer, Brennan Mercer, had both attended the same summer camp – and Mercer had recorded some of the sound effects for ‘Wayward’ using buildings from that very camp! As Martin explained, the creaking door sounds in Alex’s house are actually from the dining hall at her childhood summer camp.

The ending of “Wayward” hints at a potential second season, though Martin isn’t sure if one is necessary. They explained that the show becomes more symbolic and mythical as it progresses, and they worry viewers might expect a straightforward crime drama instead of what it ultimately became.

Martin jokingly wonders what a show like “Prime Suspect” would be like if *they* were the lead, saying, “I’m the right age to play a police officer.” They both laugh about it. They also mentioned enjoying seeing themselves driving in an earlier role, even though they don’t actually drive in real life.

But then neither did Peter Pan.

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2025-09-25 13:36