If you’ve been left thinking ‘WTF’ following the Wayward season one ending last night, you’re not alone. Episode eight’s ‘messed-up fairytale’ rounded out a gripping first season directed by Mae Martin that had viewers shocked at every twist and has probably left you with more questions than answers. Mainly, is Evelyn really dead? And what happened to Leila? Let us break down Wayward‘s controversial ending. Oh, and, obviously, beware, spoilers for Wayward ahead!

The Wayward ending explained…

If you’ve already seen the ending of Wayward, you’ll know that Evelyn Wade (played by the incomparable scream queen Toni Collette), the controlling headteacher of the Tall Pines Academy, offers to ‘Leap’ troubled teen Leila (Alyvia Alyn Lind). The process involves injecting them with a hallucinogenic toad venom and chanting the “You’re lying on your back, crying out for your mother” mantra, which aims to psychologically and spiritually separate the student from their parents. Not only that, but it strips them of their empathy, leaving them unable to bond with their peers.

During these Leaps and intense therapy sessions with Evelyn, Leila soon begins unearthing deeply hidden traumas like her sister’s death and her mother’s neglect. Through the sessions, Evelyn manages to convince Leila that she drowned her older sister, Jess (Devin Cecchetto). But did she really? Leila has been getting conflicting memories, so we’ll have to wait until season two to find out.

Meanwhile, protagonist Alex Dempsey (played by the show’s director, Mae) has come to the realisation that the domestic bliss he’s experiencing at home has twisted into more of a nightmare. His wife, Laura (Sarah Gadon), has become a cult-like figure in the small town of Tall Pines — a place reminiscent of Twin Peaks — and has gone into labour early. She’s declared the baby as ‘everyone’s’ and has allowed her standing in the community to go to her head. Alex takes the baby and flees, along with Tall Pines Academy escapee Abbie (Sydney Topliffe).

While on the run, cop Alex, who had discovered the body of missing Daniel, was captured by colleague Dwayne and imprisoned in a water-filled cell at Tall Pines — the place where Evelyn performs her Leap ceremonies. Alex manages to break free and stabs Evelyn with the drug instead, leaving us wondering whether she’s alive or dead.

In the heartstopping finale, friends Abby, Leila and Rory manage to get out of Tall Pines and, thankfully, Leila’s final Leap. But Abby and Rory are shocked when Leila makes the decision to stay behind.

Why did Leila stay in the Wayward ending?

“Leila genuinely, deep down believes that there’s community there [in Tall Pines] for her,” shared Alyvia, who plays Leila, in a chat with Netflix Tudum. “She felt unloved her whole childhood and overlooked by her older sister, even if it’s in a really messed-up, manipulative way. Leila is feeling those things for the first time.”

Wayward‘s ending has sparked lots of debate online about why Leila chose to stay behind, especially in a place that’s been so traumatic for her, as well as the ambiguity over Evelyn’s death (especially given those trippy Leap scenes), but director Mae Martin is happy with the final episode: “I like the moral ambiguity and grey area of the finale,” she told Netflix Tudum. “I hope people feel satisfied that they watched a really messed-up kind of fairy tale. Ultimately, I just hope it stays with people.”

Season two of Wayward has yet to be announced, but we’re waiting anxiously for the date to drop. In the meantime, we think we might just give this one a re-watch and see if we missed any clues…