Wayne, An underrated, Under viewed, Gem.

These days, a good TV show is incredibly hard to find; my Netflix watch history could probably prove my point. It’s because of this rarity that I’m here to tell you about a true diamond in the rough and its title is “Wayne”.

This masterwork of a series debuted in 2019 which as we all know was a curse of a year. I doubt that when someone mentions the year 2019 to you; that your first thought is of the best show you watched at that time.

Still, I’m here to tell you about the amazing and almost underdog-esque show that completely stole my heart. Much like most people during COVID; I was secluded at home during lockdown but instead of broadening my horizons; I found myself swaddled up in my favorite shows, movies, and fanworks.

I hadn’t felt comfortable enough to explore new shows, much less take on new subscriptions which meant that ‘Wayne’ which found its home on YouTube as a “YouTube Original” was clear under my radar.

Still, I’ve spent the last few years branching out (no doubt in thanks to shorts/reels that leave me hooked on something I’ve never even seen) and its because of those reels that I found ‘Wayne’.

The fans of this show have done more promoting than YouTube probably ever has; I was hooked from the first clip I watched and then proceeded to be dragged in by every other clip after it. My new found interest led me to binging the entire show in the span of two days and a yearning for more.

Imagine my shock, dare I say despair when I learned that it had never been renewed for a second season and that it barely had a living fandom! It’s then that I discover that YouTube Originals didn’t have much of a subscriber base which makes make the equivalent of a masterpiece in an empty museum.

While revered by critics and viewers alike, this show didn’t get much of a chance to shine; especially when stuck in the limbo that is YouTube Originals. Now we have the opportunity to give it a much larger and much more appreciative audience as its finally switched to a larger platform; Amazon Prime Video!

Wayne is a hilarious, gut wrenching and rather violent coming of age story centering on a newly orphaned boy named well- Wayne, and his love interest Del. While they’re both vastly different in personality; they complete each other in the best way.

Over the course of ten episodes; we get to follow Wayne and Del on this multi-state road trip to track down a prized possession. It’s on this roadtrip they find friendship, love, self revelations and quite a few stitches.

This show sheds a light on so many issues, poverty,neglect,the results of unsafe work environments and its fallout, drug addiction and even the toll that unwell guardians can take on a child.

While my heart definitely belongs to Wayne and Del; I’d also like to shine a light on the supporting cast of characters. They without a doubt keep the laughs rolling in and preform some of the most grounding scenes.

The friendship between Wayne and Orlando is probably one of my favorite things in the entire series because it shows the complexities of friendship in your teenage years while having the sincerity of two kids who lookout for one another and recognize struggle.

The friendship between Orlando and Wayne is definitely a soft spot but its not the only time Orlando appears in a dynamic duo. His story arc has him following Wayne cross country with the most unlikely of characters; Their high school principal.

There’s growth on both sides during their ten episode adventure that leads to laughs, puppies and of course; a heart to heart or two.

Now that we’ve discussed the leaders of the A & B plots, I’d like to shine a brief light on the cops chasing after Wayne, never have I seen such character depth from what essentially boils down to comedic relief. They have some of the funniest scenes in the entire show.

All of this being said, even with the shows cancelation and title hope of renewal; Wayne is a show that deserves to be seen and felt the entire time through. Let it move you and make you laugh, I promise you wont regret it.