The Wilds: An Incoherent and Knee Jerk Review

1) The only likable character was Dot and I started not liking her when she suddenly gave up like half way through the series. I initially liked Shelby at the very very beginning when I was still hoping she would be a good, positive, well portrayed Christian character even though I knew deep down in my soul from the very moment she went to look for water with Toni they’d both end up gay. Leah was the most annoying character and I kept unrealistically hoping for her death. Rachel was okay but super bland and cliche. Nora was bland. She wasn’t quirky or quiet, she was just boring. Martha was also boring and cliche. Everyone was really. They were all just archetypes.

2) The “survival” was a joke. They changed clothes like every day. I know they had a suitcase but at each given time they only had one total. So they shouldn’t each have that many changes of clothes. They survived without water on soda for multiple days which should not be possible. They found food EASILY except for one instance. And they went through a monsoon with no shelter and no fire afterwards yet no one died of exposure or hypothermia. Dot’s survival know-how was extremely expansive. I know she said she watched a lot of survivor shows but she still did stuff really easily for a city girl. Like...they built a fire so easily.

3) The swearing was too much. As a teenager, I know teenagers don’t swear that much, especially ones that are good students like Leah or Martha or Nora or Rachel supposedly were. And the parents also swore excessively, which parents definitely do not. It was cringy how much they swore.

4) The only redeemable male characters were- this feels familiar- the ones from Dot’s backstory. Almost everyone else- shocker!- turned out to be an awful sex-driven crazy person. I was really hoping ANY character would have a solid relationship, but no, they were all with awful cheating a-holes. I hope Dot gets her life with Mateo because he’s so nice. He’ll probably turn out to be a jerk though. Leah’s entire backstory was unbelievably cringy. Were we supposed to feel bad for her? Everything she had coming for her was on her. She got involved with a guy quite a few years older than her. And he was a creep. He got with a girl immediately when she “turned eighteen”. He’s so gross. They both were. Man, I hate Leah.

5) I was so hopeful Shelby would be a good Christian who’d actually stick with her beliefs but of course not, of course she’s shamed by the group and abandons her beliefs and becomes a lesbian. She’s completely shamed by the group for not supporting Toni’s relationship as if no one can have an opinion other than “woke”. They are completely intolerant of her, even though she didn’t treat Toni any differently than the other girls, she just asked that they not make explicit jokes. Which is a perfectly reasonable request! And of course her religion is portrayed as “bad” and “controlling” because no one in this show has any morals whatsoever. And every character who did have some kind of morality quickly abandoned it anyway (@Martha)

6) No character had a real arc, we just learned more about their backstory, which isn’t an arc, it’s just background for why they act the way they do. They didn’t change or grow, except Shelby who changed for the worst. Because of course she did. Toni never learned to get over her anger issues or manage them, Leah just got crazier and more erratic with no consequences, Dot just up and decided she was done being a leader with no explanation. I guess Shelby’s “development” is not being a “bigot” anymore. And every single character had some kind of tragedy in their life which is just...not realistic. I liked Martha’s backstory though. It was significantly toned down from the others.

7) Can we talk about the message here? Women are inherently better than men and would do better as the sole leaders of society and are horribly mistreated and abused by men and nothing bad that happens to them is in any way their fault. It’s kind of disgusting. The way the girls acted was fine, I do think that’s mostly how teenage girls would act in that situation- except less swearing and they all should’ve died- but it also didn’t prove they were better than anyone else. And the guys working for the boss lady just went along with her study to prove girls are better than guys even though they should be actively against it. I hope they have an uprising against her. And the fact that almost every single male character was a d-bag was pathetic. Have an original message other than “all men are evil”.

In conclusion, The Wild’s was not worth my time and I am not anxiously awaiting season 2. I wish we didn’t have the stupid flashforwards because then I could still hold out hope that Leah dies in that pit but no, unfortunately I know that every stupid character survives, including Rachel who definitely should die from blood loss. The show is so unrealistic and slow and pushes an agenda so hard it punches its viewers in the face with it. Ten out of ten would not recommend.