Organizer Gretchen Klein (Rachel Griffiths) wanted to prove that a traumatic experience would bring out the best in the female subjects, which would inspire them to create a harmonious community. A “gynotopia,” if you will.
Of course, being a YA drama, the experiment had its fair share of nail-biting moments. I’m talking physical altercations, a near-deadly case of food poisoning, a shark attack and more.
In no reality would this type of psychological study ever occur, no matter how much private funding was acquired. While this part of the plot did seem a bit preposterous, The Wilds didn’t rely on any supernatural or wildly far-fetched villains to drive the narrative. Plus, it was a plot that was easy to follow. No need to analyze 4, 8, 15, 16, 23 and 42.