Episode 4 of *Wayward* kicks off with Abbie recounting her harrowing experiences at Tall Pines to Alex. Alex, having delved deep into his research, reveals that once students are enrolled at the school, it assumes the role of their legal guardian, granting it the authority to undertake certain actions. Abbie remains adamant that the school is nothing but malevolent, prompting Alex to inquire about Riley. He seeks her assistance in locating Riley's notebook, promising to aid them in any way he can.
Just then, Laura strides into the room, and Alex, with a quick lie, claims he was merely talking to himself. Meanwhile, Mules stumbles upon Abbie in the bathroom. Laura, sensing there's more to the story, confronts Alex about talking to a girl. When Alex questions Laura in return, hinting that she might be concealing something, she seizes on the fact that he was conversing with a minor in the dead of night. Alex retorts that the girl appeared as frightened as Riley once did. Laura cautions Alex that his actions could cost him his job and that his behavior appears highly suspect.
Elsewhere, Rabbit escorts Leila from the mirror room to a desolate area dubbed "the mud." Leila and Ello are ordered to transfer a mountain of rocks from one end of the yard to the other. Simultaneously, guards ransack Rory's room, an incident Abbie later questions him about. Abbie suspects they might be searching for Riley's notebook and believes she has a hunch about where Riley might have stashed it. However, reaching the hiding spot proves to be a challenge, necessitating their teamwork.
Given that Riley used to work in the kitchen, Abbie speculates that he might have concealed the notebook there. Mules oversees the kitchen operations, while Alex escorts Laura to the farmers' market, assisting her in setting up the stall. Their path crosses with Francis, who, like Laura, attended Tall Pines. Alex is eager to uncover why Francis was sent there. Francis discloses that his parents believed he was entangled in drugs and hoped Tall Pines would set him straight.
Abbie and Rory hatch a plan to retrieve the notebook, starting with Abbie offering to teach French for Rory's upcoming wedding in exchange for being assigned kitchen duty. As they sift through the kitchen, they encounter Daniel and enlist him in their quest. When Abbie mentions that Rory and Riley were inseparable, Daniel chuckles, revealing that Riley was actually the one who gave Rory the black eye. To make matters worse, Duck has already stumbled upon the notebook. Feeling betrayed, Abbie accuses Rory of lying and storms off.
Leila and Ello drew nearer to each other as they worked together to shift the towering pile of rocks. Ello confided in Leila, revealing that she had once been ensnared in the grips of addiction before arriving at Tall Pines. According to her, the sole path to redemption lay in maintaining a low profile and navigating the system with shrewdness.
At the bustling farmer's market, Laura's path crossed with Harper's. Overwhelmed with emotion, Harper sank to her knees, tears streaming as she clung to Laura's swollen belly in a heartfelt embrace. Francis, concerned, attempted to pull Harper away, but Laura reassured him with a gentle smile that she was fine. Meanwhile, Alex meandered through the market stalls and unexpectedly encountered Donny and his crew, who were in the midst of spray-painting a building with vibrant hues. Alex, ever the rule-follower, inquired about a permit. To his surprise, Donny produced one without hesitation. Through their conversation, Alex discovered that Donny was not Dwayne's progeny but rather a former student of Tall Pines, now under Dwayne's guardianship. Eager to delve deeper into the lives of his newfound acquaintances, Alex found himself met with bemused surprise at his inquisitiveness, for everyone in that circle was a Tall Pines alumnus.
Elsewhere, Stacey excitedly shared with Abbie that she had been chosen for an exclusive therapeutic session known as "the Leap." Though Stacey possessed scant details about the program, she was convinced it would catalyze her healing, filling Abbie with joy for her friend.
As dusk approached, Ello and Leila completed their laborious task of rearranging the rocks. Just as they were about to part ways for dinner, Rabbit intervened, requesting Ello to stay behind and restore the rocks to their original positions while Leila proceeded to eat. Ello, with a knowing glance, reminded Leila to maintain her composure, adhere to the rules, and play the game wisely.
Concurrently, Rory found himself confessing his deceit to Abbie. Eager for more information about Riley, Abbie pressed on, and Rory divulged that Riley had been part of the elite group known as the Ascend. A sudden realization dawned upon Abbie as she recalled Stacey's earlier mention of "the Leap" instead of "the Jump." She deduced that Riley's fear stemmed from the impending Leap session, which Stacey was about to undergo. Concerned for Stacey's well-being, Abbie enlisted Rory's help to distract Beth while she sneaked into the CCTV room they had stumbled upon earlier. There, through the grainy footage, they witnessed Stacey undergoing what appeared to be a ritualistic baptism.
Later that night, under the moon's soft glow, Laura approached Alex with a look of concern etched on her face, questioning why he had vanished from the farmer’s market without a word. In that candid moment, Alex brought up the eerie absence of children in the town—a place devoid of playgrounds and schools, where birth records stood as silent witnesses to a long-standing drought of new life among the townsfolk.
Laura, it turned out, had been harboring this knowledge, intending to share it with Alex at an opportune time. Since the swinging seventies, the townspeople had clung to a belief: by channeling their resources into aiding the children from Tall Pine Academy, their town would flourish. Yet, winds of change were blowing, and Evelyn had begun to voice a different perspective—that embracing parenthood would be the key to the city's rejuvenation. Laura had hesitated to tell Alex, swayed by Evelyn's caution that the revelation might overwhelm him all at once. She found herself puzzled, questioning why she so often deferred to Evelyn's judgment.
Meanwhile, Duck escorted Leila to a meeting with Evelyn. There, Evelyn performed a ritualistic washing of Leila's hands, inquiring gently about her night. Leila confessed that the mirror room had left her mind in turmoil, but she now understood the gravity of breaking the rules. The conversation shifted to Leila's sister, with Evelyn probing into their bond. Leila, defensive, dismissed further discussion, citing years of therapy that had already explored the depths of their relationship. Evelyn observed, with a hint of melancholy, that Jess had been like a Roman candle—bright, intense, and fleeting—while Leila had always chased after love, much like she did with Abbie now. Leila accused Evelyn of trying to manipulate her emotions, to no avail.
Elsewhere, Alex sat alone in his car, the walkie-talkie crackling to life as he tuned in. Evelyn paid a visit to Laura, their exchange laden with undercurrents. Leila, finding solace, apologized to Ello, and they clasped hands in a silent gesture of understanding. Laura confided in Evelyn that if Alex chose to leave, she would follow him without hesitation. Evelyn, with a steely resolve, warned Laura that she could not shield her from the consequences of such a decision.
Puzzled, Laura questioned the need for protection. Evelyn's response was chilling—a threat to deliver a meticulous account of Riley’s tragic demise to Alex’s prospective employer, should they decide to leave.
Simultaneously, Abbie's voice crackled through the radio, relaying to Alex the details of the Leap therapy she had witnessed. Alex, determined, vowed to investigate, while Abbie pleaded with him to orchestrate their escape. Alex, mindful of the risks, recounted Riley’s fateful attempt, a cautionary tale of the dangers that lay in wait.
In a parallel scene, Duck set Riley’s notebook ablaze, its pages consumed by flames. Stacey returned to the room, her presence a comforting balm as she kissed Abbie's forehead and bid her sweet dreams.
As the episode drew to a close, Alex discovered Laura's absence from the house. Armed with a torch, he plunged into the woods, his heart pounding with urgency. There, amidst the tranquility of nature, he found Laura standing in the pond, the water enveloping her up to her waist. Her silence was deafening as he called out to her, his voice a mix of fear and desperation. Without hesitation, he waded in, enveloping her in a tight embrace, a silent promise of safety and solidarity in the face of the unknown.
