‘The Wilds’ Recap: ‘Exodus’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

Caution: This article contains spoilers for the season two finale of ‘The Wilds’. To revisit the previous episode, click here.
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It really is quite fascinating how endings… are never quite what we expect them to be in any capacity. Because in real life, the end just… arrives. We simply quit a bad job and move on, forget about the ex-partner that drove us mad and pay little mind to the annoying friend that we wasted time upon, when in our minds… we expected there to be drama of some kind when the end to those scenarios arrived. Something of substance that would make for a stunning story we could tell often and wow people. But that’s just it, endings really aren’t endings. Nor are they designed for cinematic drama. They’re just another chapter in our story, coming to a close, and we enter the new one as quickly as the old one ends.

If anything, the subtle nature of an ‘ending’ and how quickly we transition to new chapters in our lives is top of mind today… because it was put on full display in the season two finale of The Wilds on Prime Video. For ‘Exodus’ is a story that well… was set up to be that perfect ending. Where the boys and the girls left their islands under powerful circumstances and found rescue thanks to Leah’s brave decision to make a phone call in a narrow window and send that all-important SOS everyone has been waiting to see come to fruition. But alas, this finale was far more realistic in nature. Since it really did just feature, a simple turning of the pages. 

For instance, with the girls at their lowest, it really seemed as though even darker times and acts were going to trigger their exodus from their island. But instead… Gretchen decided… they’d had enough and just rescued them before things went to a true place of concern. As for the boys, well, Seth’s attempt to make nice by showing everyone the boat he swiped from an associate, led to off island violence when he once again went toxic, the kind that simply came to an abrupt end… as did everyone else’s time on their island… when a boat was reached in the middle of the water. Which means there was no pomp and circumstance to be found regarding the two groups exit from the wild, just an ending. A closed chapter and a harrowing beginning to a new one.

Because Leah’s phone call… brought down the heat upon Gretchen’s operation, forcing her to move post haste to save her hide. For the authorities would soon be after her and her operation and well… she used that reality to try to move her experiment into a bold new phase. One that saw her and most of her team, head off to a new observation location to see how both groups would handle integration and more isolation. A feat she accomplished, by unlocking the doors and letting everyone out and quietly informing them… they were still stranded, with no hope of rescue once again. Setting the stage for a harrowing new season of storytelling… one where the experiment can go anywhere and that’s terrifying for certain. Since everyone was close to their breaking point before their ‘rescue’.

But what matters more here, is that this is a brilliant ending to a brilliant season of storytelling. For in many ways, we were lulled into the belief that this finale would bring this journey to a close. Since rescue and debriefing and that phone call… had to lead to an end that was traditional and epic. One where good triumphed over evil. But instead… the heroes took an L here, in a shockingly realistic manner and kudos to the writers’ room for going this route and reminding us that endings are indeed subjective and hopefully it won’t be long before we learn that a third season of this show is on the way. So, we can see if these two groups can survive more strife and isolation… or if darker times and a more finite ending await them.

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