On Jan 16, 2019, the Youtube Premium Original “Wayne” was released, taking the world of television by storm. After receiving a 100% on “Rotten Tomatoes” and equally stellar streaming numbers, this brutally graphic yet heartwarming series was a shoo-in for a second season as fans patiently waited to hear the good news… until disaster struck. Youtube canceled all original scripted television shows, which included “Wayne”. 

After the news broke in August of 2019, the new action-comedy set out to look for a new home. This meant asking all streaming services ranging from Amazon, Netflix, Hulu and many others, to give “Wayne” a second chance at life. It wasn’t until the fall of this year that viewers finally got the news that Amazon Prime Video would be gaining the rights to the show and re-releasing it on Nov. 6, 2020. 

Of course, the fans of the show were excited about its re-birth, but aside from those previous viewers, “Wayne” was a complete unknown. That was until November came along and the home screen of Amazon opened up with an advertisement for the series. “Wayne” was suddenly in the spotlight once again. 

“Wayne” follows the story of a 16-year-old vigilante type kid named Wayne who always needs to right wrongs (even though it almost always involves violence and him getting new bruises) and his journey to find a car. After Wayne’s dad succumbs to his cancer, Wayne decides to travel from Brockton, Massachusetts to Ocala, Florida on a dirt bike with Del, a trash-talking tough girl with a heart of gold that Wayne has taken a liking to. Wayne’s father told him that when his mother left them for another guy, she also took his 1979 Trans Am which he wants to take back.

Along their slow trek down the east coast, Del and Wayne run into unpredictable circumstances. We see them meet new friends and make new enemies. One of the highlights of the show is seeing these two characters evolve and slowly break out of their shell with each other. Growing up in a tough city like Brockton, they are taught never to show weakness or even emotions, for that matter. With Wayne being pretty socially awkward and Del not being the warmest person around, they don’t make friends too easily. That is until they meet one another and find a real connection.

The part about the show that makes it really interesting is that it does not just follow the journey of Del and Wayne. The episodes are made up of five groups going on the same journey. One being the latter and another being two Brockton police officers wanting to give Wayne a second chance. There is also their high school principal and Wayne’s friend, who are both trying to show that even though his father is gone now, he is not completely alone. And then there is Del’s family. 

Del has two punk twin brothers who can’t tell their left foot from the right. Along with a Father who is meaner than all of them combined. When Wayne “kidnaps” Del (that’s what they like to call it), they set out to find them in the hopes of getting Del back and killing Wayne. 

The fifth perspective shown in the show is not like the others. The man that Wayne’s mother left his father for and his idiot son are seen in sporadic scenes throughout the majority of the season, causing destruction for no reason and riding around in the car that Wayne is determined to possess. 

It is nice to see all of the people who are impacted by a teenage boy who feels insignificant. Wayne leaves Brockton because he feels that there is nothing and nobody left for him there. There is irony in this because we as the viewers know that Wayne could not be more wrong, that there are people who care about him. It isn’t until the show is almost finished that Wayne discovers all of the people who thought he was important enough to follow him cross-country.

Something to be noticed about the show is that while all of the characters are from Brockton, the viewers do not get to know very much about their lives before leaving the city. That is, until the “Del” episode, where Del’s life a year in the past is seen, and how her family was when she still had her mother. It’s particularly interesting because, in the first four episodes, you wonder why Del acts the way she does. Then you meet her mother and realize she is just wanting to be like her. Ciara Bravo excellently portrays the broken girl of Del in this episode that was very moving.

Bravo was not the only one who deserves credit in this series. Mark Mckenna, the actor who plays Wayne, does a Boston accent with his co-star so flawlessly. Many viewers were shocked to discover that neither of them are actually from Massachusetts. In fact, Mckenna is actually Irish. 

Along with the actors comes another aspect just as important to the story: the costumes. The people behind the scenes of this show made the outfits that each person wore subtle and obvious at the same time. For example, Wayne and Del wear about two different outfits throughout the show, since they are on the road. It kind of makes their clothes a part of their character, and anytime that they get a different piece of clothing, the viewers notice. Also, Del’s twin brothers always wear matching tracksuits, making it apparent that they don’t ever see themselves without the other.

The soundtrack and cinematography were also key elements to the series. As a viewer, you always knew when Wayne was about to do something crazy or start a fight. The music would drop to an intense, loud beat and the camera would pan down to his hand making a fist. Or there would be a soft, calm song playing when Wayne and Del were sharing a sweet moment.

“Wayne” was a show with a great story that was brought to life by the creator Shawn Simmons and the actors who made the characters feel real. Although it has hit some bumps in the road, hopefully, “Wayne” will come out on top and get the opportunity to give the viewers what they have wanted for nearly two years: the second season.