Since its premiere on September 25, Netflix’s Wayward has skyrocketed its way to the top of the charts. Just five days after its release, it became Netflix’s most-watched scripted drama, and for good reason. The eerie, unsettling thriller gripped audiences with its twisted story. What’s scarier, and that many don’t know, is that its spine-chilling story is actually inspired by true events, cults, and the entirety of the troubled teen industry.
The limited series follows a newlywed couple, Alex (Mae Martin) and Laura (Sarah Gadon), as they move to a new, seemingly serene area to settle and raise their on-the-way baby. In tandem, the series also follows two teenagers, Abbie (Sydney Topliffe) and Leila (Alyvia Alyn Lind), who are navigating the ups and downs that are the territory of being a teenager, until they find themselves in a “therapeutic” school called Tall Pines Academy, run by the superficially charismatic, but truly sinister, Evelyn Wade (Toni Collette).
The limited thriller series, created, written by, and starring Mae Martin, explores generational trauma and its exploitation through the psychological torment, manipulation, and brainwashing that is used in the troubled teen industry, or rather the teen ‘rehabilitation’ industry.
Real-Life Cults Served as Inspiration for ‘Wayward’
Martin, known for their knee-slapping comedy and sharp stand-up routines, ventured into darker territory when creating Wayward. Behind the comedy, its subject matter is one that has always weighed heavy on their mind. Martin told Tudum:
“I often talk around adolescence, or I write characters who are processing their teens. It was such an intense time for me, and is for everyone, but I’ve always known I wanted to more directly dive into that time and all the visceral feelings of adolescence.”
Martin also drew from their own personal experiences with troubled teen institutes, as their friend was actually sent to one when she was only 16. Upon their friend’s arrival home, Martin explained that she had the “craziest stories,” which sparked Martin to do a deep dive into the industry and its dark origins. That very friend, Nicole, wound up becoming a consultant for the series. During Martin’s extensive research, they quickly learned “that a lot of its origins actually came from self-help groups and cults in the ’70s and how there can be huge profits and often questionable practices. I knew it was rich for thriller territory.” The particular ‘organization’ (cult) Martin is referring to? Synanon.
Synanon’s Dark History
Created in the 1950s by Charles Dederich, Synanon was supposedly an organization to help those who suffered from substance abuse disorder. However, Dederich, a former Alcohols Anonymous member, had less than savory methods for rehabilitating its members. The program sought to help people through “self-reliance and making the person responsible for his own actions.” What began as a small community in Venice, California called the “Tender Loving Care Club” was anything but. The group would ‘play’ something not-so-subtly called “The Game,” in which anyone in the group was allowed to “say anything to debunk excuses given by people for their substance-use disorders.” “Anything” could include mockery and degradation.
Dederich envisioned his program as a two-year residential program in a facility. In, what is now, a shocking turn of events, Synanon grew popular, causing Dederich to set his sights on expanding his organization. He ultimately bought an 18-room Victorian mansion located in Westport, Connecticut in 1963. Wayward is also set in New England, specifically the ‘picture-perfect’ town of the fictional Tall Pines in Vermont. But as quickly as Synanon moved and settled in Connecticut, it was forced out three short years later when the Connecticut Supreme Court ordered the non-profit to vacate the property due to violating zoning laws. The year after their departure, Synanon saw drastic changes. The organization converted from rehabilitating to “a fully fledged cult.” In what used to be a ceremonious program, where attendees would graduate after being rehabilitated, Synanon no longer allowed members to graduate. With this change, a domino effect of horrible consequences became of it — couples being separated, children being raised communally, and infants living in “the hatchery.”
Despite all of this, throughout the 1970s, juvenile agencies and the California court system continued to send juvenile delinquents to Synanon’s Malibu agency. Although, unlike the willing adult participants, the teenagers did not consent to being sent to the facility, and the ‘methods’ Dederich used were ineffective, at best. Violence soon ensued and became a norm at Synanon. “The Game” was no longer verbal, often resulting in physical abuse. Teenagers tried to escape the facility, but by 1974, Synanon had reached religious status and the organization “numbered 1,300 members and had more than $30 million in assets.” Synanon started as non-violent, but with the addition of teenagers, Dederich fully abandoned that notion and Synano used the “Imperial Marines” to maintain order within the walls of the facility. It got to the point where if someone tried to escape, such as former member Phil Ritter, they were nearly beaten to death.
Once community members and lawmakers caught the scent of the true horrors of Synanon, and with an incident leading Dederich to his eventual fall from the reign of Synanon, the organization filed for bankruptcy in 1991. However, Synanon’s horrors still live on. To this day, the group’s “tough love” approach has emanated throughout all teenage rehabilitation programs. Most famously, Paris Hilton has spoken out about being institutionalized as a teenager, and the trauma that came along with her experience.
Ultimately, Wayward delves deeper than most conventional thriller stories. Martin has expressed guilt at not going after their friend Nicole during her time at an institution, and that Wayward serves as the ‘what if.’ Martin also told the Los Angeles Times that “It’s not like we are exposing any particular institution, I just want people to think about it.” The eight-part thriller series is available to stream on Netflix.
- Release Date
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2025 – 2025-00-00
- Network
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Netflix
