Did Alex leave Tall Pines in Wayward? Details explored

We are sure you are still reeling with questions after that shocking (and ambiguous) ending to Netflix's latest thriller mini-series, Wayward. Created by Mae Martin, the show follows a string of sinister events at Tall Pines, an academy for troubled teens. However, when teenagers Abbie and Leila are forcefully sent to Tall Pines, they discover the town's long-buried secrets.

Alex Dempsey, the young police officer played by Martin in Wayward, was the only hope for Abbie and Leila. The teenage girls believed Alex to be their savior and the only person who could help them escape the clutches of Tall Pines.

For fans wondering if Alex left Tall Pines in Wayward, the answer is no. After Alex discovered his wife Laura's sinister connection to Tall Pines, he decided to stay in the town in the finale.

More on this in our story.

Decoding Alex's fantasy in the Wayward finale

All the action in Wayward was boiled down to the central mystery in Tall Pines and the uncertainty about Alex, Abbie, and Leila's futures in the show. While Alex had arrived in the mysterious town as Abbie and Leila's protector, he was eventually sucked into the town's mystery after he uncovered his wife's mysterious connection with the creepy town.

In the final moments of the Wayward finale, after Alex escapes Evelyn's clutches thanks to Rabbit's awakening, he makes his way to Laura, who is just moments away from giving birth. The scene is bone-chilling for Alex as he sees the whole town watching his wife's delivery and they even take turns holding the baby in their arms. It is at this point that Alex realizes that while Laura managed to neutralize Evelyn's threat, she became the new cult leader in the process.

While Alex is shocked to discover his wife's new role in the Wayward finale, she says:

“It’s everyone’s ... it’s the only way to break the pattern.”

For a moment, it looks like this is the last straw that will force Alex out of Tall Pines and he will leave this cult-y town with Laura and his baby. In a scene, we are even given a glimpse into Alex's choice, where he sits in the car with Abbie and his baby, considering to leave Tall Pines forever.

However, the scene abruptly cuts to Alex and Laura's room in Tall Pines and we realize that it was just a dream. Alex was probably fantasizing about leaving Tall Pines with Abbie and his baby, but in reality, he stayed behind and chose to nurture his baby in a cult.

While Alex's choice in the Wayward finale is unconventional and has confused many fans, Martin thinks it was the best for the character. In an interview with Netflix Tudum, Martin justified Alex's choice as

“Alex stays because he cares more about his fantasy of this nuclear family and heteronormative life than he does about his moral compass. He thinks he can turn things around. But I think it’s mainly that he just loves Laura.”

Like Laura, Alex is ready to forgo his moral compass if it means stability for his family. The welcoming nature of Tall Pines' community provides him with a sense of family he did not have while growing up. His experiences with an abusive father and a complicated childhood directly affected his final choice and he eventually decided to stay in Tall Pines simply because it offered him support like never before in his life.

Martin further justifies Alex's choice (in an interview with Variety) as:

''I think Dempsey makes a very clear decision. It’s a decision that a lot of us make that comes with adulthood, which is that we’re not always willing to risk blowing up our little lives to do what’s right. And sometimes that’s what adulthood feels like.''

Wayward is streaming on Netflix.

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