What Will Happen on Season 2 of The Wilds? Here Are Our Top 10 Theories

The Dawn of Eve goes wrong from the get-go, when operative Jeanette dies. Leah starts to realize something is happening behind the scenes, and the girls face a lot of dangerous situations unforeseen by the research crew.

So, how will the Twilight of Adam play out? The guys will likely act more physically aggressive than the girls did, which could cause them to need an earlier rescue. I also think at least one guy will become suspicious about what’s going on, like Leah did. An operative or two could also easily die, causing havoc for the researchers.

During Rachel’s interview, we see she’s lost one of her hands. Throughout the rest of the season, we’re left wondering how it happens. In the last episode, though, we see her lying on her back in the ocean, unaware of a shark nearby – until her body jerks into the water and blood pours out. I assume Rachel loses her hand in the shark attack, but we don’t know for sure.

In season one, we see all the girls’ interviews except for Martha’s and Nora’s. I can’t help but wonder: are they dead? Gretchen and Dean look through Martha’s things and worry her parents will sue, which could mean she dies on the island or after. Maybe she dies as a result of the shark, thirst, starvation, or something else entirely.

And what about Nora? After all, Leah is furious at her for not only being an operative and lying about it but also for tricking her into falling into a deep hole. I doubt the girls kill her, but anything is possible on The Wilds. Knowing how much Nora would do for Rachel, too, it’s definitely possible she died trying to save Rachel, who ominously yet sweetly says she can still feel Nora’s hand. But if Nora is alive after all, she probably hasn’t been interviewed yet because she’s an operative who speaks to the researchers throughout her time on the island.

When a plane flies over the island, the girls think they’re about to be rescued. However, Gretchen later tells her staff she paid off the pilot to not say anything. We continue to see the girls on the island for weeks after, and we see their interviews in the bunker, but not the rescue in between.

It’s possible the researchers rescue the girls after the shark attack, especially if another girl dies trying to save Rachel. After all, the fewer subjects the researchers have, the less research they can obtain. However, I could also see the girls being on the island for longer than 23 days; Gretchen may want them there for a solid month since we know how important the island time is to her.

The girls also seem to have limited knowledge about what’s really going on, especially since Daniel claims he’s there to make them feel comfortable when he’s truly instilling guilt and shame. Hopefully, Leah and Shelby are able to share the information they’ve learned with the other girls.

So much happens with Shelby somewhere in between her time on the island and her time in the bunker. First, we hear Daniel insinuate that Shelby has another personality, implying she could have dissociative identity disorder because of the trauma she’s faced.

When we see Shelby in the bunker for the first time, she’s on crutches with a hurt ankle and her head is shaved. The interviewers want more out of Shelby than she’s willing to give – at least without seeing Leah. And when they finally let her see Leah, she slips her a note that says Leah was right, presumably about their time on the island not being an accident. Additionally, at the end of the season finale, Shelby goes into anaphylactic shock, struggling to breathe, but with a nurse at her side.

Despite all of this information, we’re left with so many questions! Does she have dissociative identity disorder? What causes her to go into anaphylactic shock – or is she faking it to help Leah, who in the meantime finds out about the Twilight of Adam?

Gretchen talks a lot about patriarchy and how men hurt women. And with research project names like the Twilight of Adam and the Dawn of Eve, she’s potentially planning to see if the island “reset” could change how the two groups act in general, or even around each other. Additionally, in a literal sense, dawn happens before twilight, which happens before sunrise. What exactly will Gretchen’s “sunrise” entail?

Sarah Pidgeon, who plays Leah, mentioned in an interview that she also wonders about this theory. “The question is, what are [Gretchen and her staff] after? What are they interested in learning?” she said. “Is it that matriarchal societies run more efficiently and less violently, more egalitarian than a patriarchal society? If so, then I think we’d have to see how the boys’ island contrasts to the girls’ experiences.”

Dean becomes less OK with the research going on and mentions that to Gretchen. He also later gives Leah some time outside her room, something he isn’t allowed to do. Will he work with the girls – specifically Leah, who sees clips of the Twilight of Adam – and team up against Gretchen, or go back to his old ways to stay safe? We’re hoping (and think it’s likely) he’ll side with the girls at some point.

Several characters may face repercussions in season two. For example, I assume Gretchen is the main instigator behind this harmful “research,” and she lies to funders and families about what she’s doing. She hurts many people through her work, and I wouldn’t mind seeing her face some repercussions for that.

However, I fear for Dean and Leah. Dean starts to obey Gretchen less, allowing Leah time outside of her room, which leads to her escape attempt and discovery about the Twilight of Adam – further exposing the research. Will she be able to get over her shock and escape, or will she get caught either in the room or trying to save the other girls? If a researcher catches her, will they punish her?

Surely the girls’ parents will begin asking questions about how the retreat is going or if they can speak to their kids at some point, especially as the summer comes to a close. Gretchen also worries that Martha’s parents will sue, meaning the girls have to see their parents eventually. Will season two show the girls reuniting with their parents and lives, or will it focus more on their time in the bunker and the guys’ time on the island? Since we’re hoping The Wilds will have a third season, we’ll say season two is about the island and the bunker, and season three is about their postresearch, “back to normal” life.

While Toni and Shelby fight nearly the entire season, I was thrilled to see them finally kiss (then more) later in the show. Shelby becomes more assured of who she is and her interest in women, something Toni’s been confident about for a while. When the two reunite, will they date and continue their relationship from the island, or will they go their separate ways? I hope to see more good things happen between them.