The Wilds

Come for the mysteries, stay for the raw emotional catharsis of watching these girls scream. The Wilds is a hell of a ride, and the only downside is that in these uncertain times of production, a second season isn't necessarily guaranteed. And that would be quite a shame, because not only does the final episode of this season leave us with plenty of questions to be answered, but by that point, we've gotten to know these girls so well, we genuinely care what happens to them next.

Of course, the girls aren't there by accident — and each episode of The Wilds balances this mystery with woman-vs.-nature drama and flashbacks to the castaways' pre-crash life. Remarkably, both story tracks remain consistently engrossing throughout all 10 episodes, as the writers skillfully weave urgent island dilemmas with each character's personal challenges.

That it lands so directly is credit to the performances of the nine actors at the center of the show: Sarah Pidgeon, Sophia Ali, Jenna Clause, Erana James, Mia Healey, Helena Howard, Reign Edwards, Shannon Berry, and Chi Nguyen.

Of the many peeking over Damon Lindelof's shoulder to copy from Lost's bible, only one has shown the competence to come close to the masterwork of Lost's early seasons. It just took 16 years, and it's about teenage girls.

The Wilds is a show that could have been a kitschy disaster, or one that’s so grim that it turns viewers off. But the girls who have to fend for themselves on this remote island are so well-defined that we’re finding ourselves intrigued by how they’ll change during their time together.

The show’s earnest charge is a nice change of pace from the bleak, empty cynicism and snark that so often infuse contemporary young adult-aimed TV series. The Wilds has slyer elements as well, particularly a canny critique of hashtag-girlboss corporate feminism that unfolds throughout the season’s second half. It helps, too, that the show looks great. ... Even better, The Wilds is the rare streaming series that earns its length.

It’s not quite in that league [“Buffy the Vampire Slayer” and “Veronica Mars”] yet, but it’s much closer than I expected it to be when it started or when I heard the premise. In many ways, it’s the most surprising show of the season. It's wild.

And like slumber parties, The Wilds bounces around from silly to interesting and back. It's helped by some very good performances, particularly that of Sarah Pidgeon (Gotham) as Leah, the kid who embraces literature literally. I was also heartened by a few scenes in which the Gen Zs don't seem to come from a galaxy quite so far, far away.

The new Amazon series, from “Daredevil” writer Sarah Streicher, works best in this mode, i.e. letting its teens be recognizable teens. But when it broadens the story to include the nefarious forces that may have landed them on the island, “The Wilds” loses its focus almost entirely.