‘The Wilds’ Recap: ‘Day 34/12’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode 202 of ‘The Wilds’. To revisit the season two premiere, click here.
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We are taught when we are very young, that disasters and tough times… bring people together. For when we are at our lowest, we seemingly understand that the only way forward is unity and this lesson is reinforced through television reports and social media posts when bad things happen, that showcase good deeds and selfless acts. But as we grow older, we come to realize that our parents and guardians teach us that lesson in the hopes that we will be the ones to really make that true. For what we see on the news is, but a façade… and the harsh reality is that people don’t quite come together during ugly days and sleepless nights, they tend to be in for themselves and will push their agenda over anything else.

Which is an unfortunate truth that is top of mind today, simply because it served as the focal theme/concern of the next episode of The Wilds on Prime Video. For ‘Day 34/12’ saw Raf deal with the reality that the boys weren’t coming together in the slightest. Instead, it was all about infighting and ostracizing. That high school nonsense that simply goes nowhere, complete with a heavy dose of homophobia from Kirin for good measure. Which in turn, motivated Raf to just… head off into the woods and ponder upon his life and the choices that might have brought him to this point since he couldn’t quite reconcile the reality that this was his life now and that no good was coming from anyone on this island. 

But eventually a little time with Seth, and an epic discovery of beer and food in the woods… helped Raf to realize that he wasn’t just some outcast made to be insulted and abandoned, since his past included plenty of that. But that he was someone of value, someone that could unify people in a time of need and since Seth saw him as the one responsible for this discovery, he painted him as the savior, the unifier. The man that helped people in need and that made Raf one of the boys and helped him to fulfill the promise of that lesson, and Seth and Raf's actions here... really did make it clear how we execute what our parents hoped for us. In that, sometimes it takes good deeds and someone to step up and offer direction and hope to bring people together in a time of need and it was wonderful to see Seth help Raf become that man. 

But of course, this episode didn’t forget to catch up with the girls’ camp. Because Leah found some semblance of peace through Rachel’s kindness. Since she was quick to reconcile with Leah and spend time with her, so they could each sort out their feelings about everything that happened. And this was also an opportunity for everyone else to do something quite important and relax and have fun for a change. Something that was supremely welcome in the girls’ camp and while their journey was simple and calm in nature here, Leah’s journey in this story extended well beyond more memories of her harrowing time on the island. Because in the present-day segment, she was working hard to unite with Raf in the hopes of getting out of the debriefing facility, on her own terms. 

Something she made clear to the good doctor and Gretchen, leaving all of us to wonder… if anyone learned any lessons during this experience or if ugly will persist. But while we wait to learn more about Leah’s power play and have that question answered, we can bask in the wonder of one intelligent tale. One that really did a fine job of expressing how easily people fall apart in times of trouble and how a simple act of kindness and a simple push of gentle leadership can accomplish wonders and well, once again… we are left eager to continue the journey. So, we can indeed see what Leah has planned, and so we can continue to learn more about what happened on these two islands and why so many seem utterly broken from their time… in the wild. Until next time.

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