Summary
Episode 4 brings a shocking ending, but the rest of the chapter meanders too much.
This recap of Amazon original series The Wilds season 2, episode 4, “Day 42/15,” contains spoilers.
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I wish I could say that this series is improving, but it’s finding itself trapped in countless uninteresting dialogue that does not work apart from the odd fleeting moment. Of course, episode 4 brings a shocking ending, but the rest of the chapter meanders too much.
The Wilds season 2, episode 4 recap
Episode 4 opens on the island with the girls — Fatin has figured out that they have been on the island for 42 days, and it’s July 18th. Dot realizes it’s her birthday, and Fatin wants to tell the others so they can celebrate. Dot doesn’t want to celebrate, but Fatin does not care — she wants a boozy celebration. The girls snap into action and plan a party without Dot knowing about it.
In the present, Leah tells Daniel Faber that she cannot tell if she’s getting “warm or cold” with Rafael. Meanwhile, Gretchen tells Dean that they need to know what threw the boys apart. And so, Leah puts on an act and heads to Rafael’s room again, pretending she’s panicking because “they are running out of time.” She asks Rafael about his group, their strengths, weaknesses, and who they can trust.
And so, the episode flits back to the island with the boys as Rafael tells Leah another story — they are planning to bring down the jaguar. Privately, Kirin and Seth measure each other up, and tensions rise. Eventually, they calm down, and Seth describes how he gets too intense when he gets into a girl. He states that’s why he’s on the island because he kidnapped his ex’s cat. Meanwhile, Scotty and Ivan argue about dealing with the jaguar, and Scotty throws a lot of unjustified insults, but the argument is interrupted by Kirin and Seth; they have bait for the creature.
The girls start Dot’s surprise birthday. Dot knew about it anyway because she sensed it. She’s appreciative of Shelby for putting so much effort into the decorating. They all let loose and enjoy the party. When it dies down, Dot tells the girls that this party is the best birthday she’s ever had. Meanwhile, Rachel is chugging alcohol, seemingly drowning her sorrows. She tells the group she only has one birthday to celebrate because of her sister’s death — she says, “fuck all your birthdays,” and walks off.
On the island, the boys get to work and create the trap for the jaguar. Henry does not think the plan is going to work. They check out the trap late into the night, and the jaguar is still alive. Kirin uses a spear to kill the creature by stabbing it repeatedly. Feeling the adrenaline, the boys celebrate and drink. They then make ritualistic noises next to the campfire. Scotty apologizes to Ivan for the insults he said to him earlier and says it was out of line. Ivan accepts his apology.
Seth stands up and gives a speech, discussing what he’s noticed about them with some jokey punchlines. Seth shares his highest appreciation for Rafael, stating there’s “a calm about him.” But then Kirin pulls Seth’s pants down, which upsets him, so he walks off. It was an idiot move by Kirin; Seth was trying to celebrate a victory for the boys by bringing down a jaguar.
Back to the girls, Shelby sits with Rachel to comfort her — she explains to her that her best friend killed herself last year. She states how she kissed her best friend, but they were caught, and their religious families were unsure who to believe in “who came on to who.” The guilt still eats away at her. Rachel and Shelby recite a prayer together.
The ending
The ending of episode 4 is disturbing.
On the island with the boys, Josh tries to make Seth feel better by describing something similar that happened to him. Seth grabs Josh and says, “thank you, but I’m good.” Seth is still reeling. In the present, Rafael continues to tell Leah his story about what happened the day they killed the jaguar; as he’s about to reveal something major, Leah hugs him and says, “they are listening. We’ll find another way.” Gretchen, Daniel, and Dean are furious that Leah changed her mind about getting information for them.
On the island with the boys, Seth wakes up Josh and tells him he’s nothing like him. In a shocking, disturbing scene, Seth masturbates on top of Josh and then walks off. It’s an uncomfortable viewing to end an under-average episode of television.
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