WAYWARD FANS, HOLD YOUR BREATH — Netflix just dropped a MAJOR update on whether the breakout hit will return for Season 2 

After that SHOCKING finale left everyone screaming for answers, creator Mae Martin finally speaks out — and what they revealed CHANGES EVERYTHING

From early production whispers to a potential Release Date window, here’s everything you need to know before Season 2 becomes OFFICIAL.

Will Neflix’s Wayward Return for Season 2?

Spoilers below.

Mae Martin has made fans with their stand-up comedy and their semi-autobiographical show Feel Good. Now, they’ve created Wayward, an eight-episode Netflix series. Set in Tall Pines, a small and beautiful (maybe Twin Peaks-esque?) town that’s home to Tall Pines Academy, an intense program run by Toni Collette’s Evelyn, who claims it’s a therapeutic place for teens. Martin plays Alex Dempsey, a police officer new to the town who starts questioning what’s actually going on with the kids in Evelyn’s care. “It’s kind of if you took the girls from Booksmart and put them in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest,” Martin said to describe the show, at a Toronto International Film Festival event in 2025.

three women around a dinner table
Michael Gibson

Will there be a season 2 of Wayward?

As of now, there has been no suggestion from Netflix or Martin that Wayward will return. It was billed as a limited series, which indicated that it would end after these eight episodes. There’s been a recent tendency, however, to continue limited series that have been built up an enthusiastic audience. Big Little Lies and Bad Sisters came back for future seasons, and a more recent limited series like Presumed Innocent was well-regarded enough that it’ll soon return for a second season.

And it’s something Martin would potentially be up for, something they revealed to TV Insider: “I was told it was a miniseries, but there’s definitely more story to tell, I think. We left all those characters in crisis, basically. Hopefully it’s tied up enough that it’s satisfying to watch as a series.”

Toni Collette also spoke with TV Insider, saying, “It’s endlessly intriguing. Endlessly. So many places it could go, for sure.”

Martin had additional thoughts in a conversation with Variety. “I’ve been doing so much press and I’m so interested in people’s reactions to the ending. It seems like people have an appetite for more, but also it’s so funny that people are like, ‘Well, it’s really ambiguous with Alex.’ I’m like, ‘I don’t know if it’s ambiguous—maybe he just didn’t make the choice that you wanted him to make.’ Some of the characters make disappointing and very human choices. I think, hopefully, it works as a mini-series, but then it’s also obviously fun to imagine what would happen.”

a police officer sits at a desk
Courtesy of Netflix

Who could be in the season 2 cast?

With the amount of death that occurred on season 1, there are more than a few actors who won’t be returning for a second season. Alex kills Riley (Gage Munroe) in episode 1 and Evelyn (Toni Collette) and Dwayne (Brandon Jay McLaren) in the finale.

A major factor would be Martin’s schedule. Earlier this year they went on tour for their album I’m a TV and they have typically divided their time between comedy, writing, and acting. Collette also has a packed calendar, with five films in the works in various stages of production.