‘Wilderness’ Recap: ‘Where White Knights Go To Die’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

Jenna Coleman and Morgana Van Peebles as Liv Taylor and Ash in Episode 106 of ‘Wilderness’ – ‘Where White Knights Go To Die’. (Photo Courtesy of David Giesbrecht/Prime Video.)

Caution: This article contains spoilers for the Series Finale of ‘Wilderness’. To revisit the show’s penultimate episode, click here.
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It is definitely safe to say, that the Prime Video series, Wilderness, has done a phenomenal job of exploring some very dark corners/questions regarding the human condition. Since we’ve come to learn that yes, even the most innocent of people can be driven to commit dark acts if they are abused and pushed hard enough. Plus, we’ve also come to learn, that yes… they can in fact, live with what they’ve done if the circumstances call for it. But what the show hasn’t answered yet from a question perspective… is what does that person become when they’ve escaped accountability and moved into a new chapter in their life, post darkness?

Because the decisions they’ve made and actions they’ve taken part in, must fundamentally change a person and well, it turns out that the show saved such answers for the end of the journey. For the show’s series finale explored all of that in a devastating manner. A feat that ‘Where White Knights Go To Die’ accomplished by having Liv make deal with tough decisions after that harrowing incident in her apartment. In that, the attack was the last straw for her when it came to her relationship with Will. So, she demanded a divorce and demanded her freedom and agency and that request immediately backfired.

For Will wanted a marriage, with Liv at his side, and was ready to move them back to England to get that accomplished. Regardless of the fact that Liv was already moving on and exploring a relationship with Ash and looking for her freedom. Which meant, it was time for our first lesson in who we become after getting away with murder, and if needed… we will call upon ugly skills again to have what we want. Which was why Liv was eager to send the police the video of Will and Cara and to play the innocent wife in the matter to bring down legal hell upon Will. Which worked and gave her the freedom she wanted, since Will took the fall for Cara’s murder. A move that he wanted to flip back upon Liv when he figured it out… but could not. Because this transformed woman… was ten steps ahead. 

Which was perhaps… a bright spot to find since she finally found agency and finally found power over a man that wanted submission. But that doesn’t mean one would be better for wear after doing what Liv has done in this tale. Which was why the conclusion of this story pointed out… that if we did as she did and crossed all those lines, we would never be the same. We would be haunted, angry, and see the path that it took us down, giving rise to a tough future for certain, and a bleak ending to this fascinating tale. One where Liv will never be the same and all we are left with, are some sorrowful lessons on how all of this was preventable so that perhaps… we can ensure others in this life don’t go down Liv’s path.

Because she’s not alone, and there are indeed emotionally and physically battered women ready to cross whatever line to heal because they feel alone, and feel broken, and feel as though they don’t matter. Which more or less makes Wilderness, less an examination of what we are capable of and who we become when we cross certain lines and more of a cautionary tale. One that tasks us to be kind to those in need in our lives who are struggling to find a way out of a toxic relationship and to be better partners ourselves and/or expect better of our own. So that no one has to go what Liv went through there, and see their life ruined through pain and fury, and bad choices that cannot be fixed.

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