This article includes mentions of abuse and brainwashing.
Minor spoilers for Wayward are ahead!
The hit show Twin Peaks never got season 4, but Netflix’s new surrealist mystery show with a 90% Rotten Tomatoes score makes up for it. There are few shows as iconic as Mark Frost and David Lynch’s genre-bending sci-fi show Twin Peaks, which ran from 1990 to 1991 and then received a revival third season in 2017.
The show was wonderfully strange, and nothing is quite comparable. Since the revival, fans have begged for Twin Peaks season 4. The truth is, it probably won’t happen. However, many shows have been deemed Twin Peaks replacements.
While some don’t deserve the comparisons, one of Netflix’s newest thrillers offers a similar genre-bending, surreal approach to a small-town mystery, making up for Twin Peaks not receiving a fourth season. Twin Peaks fans need to watch Mae Martin’s Netflix miniseries Wayward (not to be mixed up with the show Wayward Pines, which also gets Twin Peaks comparisons).
Wayward’s Small Town Mystery Elements Are Reminiscent Of Twin Peaks
The show Twin Peaks focuses on FBI Agent Dale Cooper investigating a murder in an uncanny small town called Twin Peaks, where everything feels a little bit off and dream-like. Wayward’s equivalent is new police officer Alex Dempsey, who enters the disturbingly picturesque but eerie town of Tall Pines.
Like Agent Cooper, Officer Alex Dempsy won’t stop until they solve a mystery. Alex quickly becomes embroiled in the runaway Riley and the mystery of the disappearances at Tall Pines Academy. Both Tall Pines and Twin Peaks have extremely culty vibes with major secrets that become relevant to the central mysteries.
On top of that, the small-town mystery shows bend genres, picking and choosing great elements that benefit the story rather than limiting it. Twin Peaks and Wayward incorporate elements of detective stories, and the ambiance feels almost like it’s pulled from a horror movie.
However, the shows aren’t limited to this, adding in moments of drama and comedy. Wayward, in particular, manages to fluidly weave in and out of the “therapy school” storyline with the Alex mystery cult storyline.
In addition to these genre and style similarities, both Twin Peaks and Wayward lean into surrealism, drawing from speculative fiction. They feature trippy dreams and memories as a central narrative element. Ultimately, both shows twist viewers’ minds in a chaotic way that makes them perfect shows to watch more than once.
New Shows Similar To Twin Peaks Are Better Than Finally Getting Season 4
I’ll say it; as much as I enjoy Twin Peaks, I don’t want season 4 at this point. Back when the third season came out, I was on board. However, right now, I don’t want it. I know that’s an unpopular opinion, but I think there is a good reason to focus on new shows similar to Twin Peaks.
David Lynch was the driving force and brilliant mind behind Twin Peaks, and I don’t believe anyone else could have told the story. All the respect to Mark Frost. I just don’t think Twin Peaks would be the same without Lynch. As such, season 4 doesn’t really feel right now that David Lynch passed away on January 16, 2025 from emphysema.
What’s more, Twin Peaks: The Return is actually a great finale to wrap things up. The follow-up show, which is usually considered the third season of the show, went out on a high note, and adding another season would risk spoiling an otherwise excellent show and its ending. That’s especially true without David Lynch running it. It’s better to appreciate other shows like Twin Peaks, which offer similar story elements and uniqueness.
Wayward doesn’t feel like a rip-off as much as an homage, meaning fans of the old show can appreciate its similarities while also enjoying what’s new and different. Other great shows to fill the void are The Leftovers, Netflix’s Dark, and Apple TV+’s Severance. None of them is exactly the same as Twin Peaks, but they elicit the same feeling.
Wayward Is Still More Grounded Than Twin Peaks
Despite having many similarities to Twin Peaks, Wayward is much more grounded than the older show. The Netflix series is not sci-fi, despite incorporating surreal elements and creepy memory sequences. The show is set in 2003 and uses time-appropriate science and technology.
While Twin Peaks’ bizarre nature stems from its supernatural and science fiction elements, Wayward’s bizarre nature comes from the actual horrors of the troubled teen industry. The cult tactics used against both the students and the citizens of Tall Pines have been used in real-life cults.
The drugs and brainwashing techniques that they use on the students for Wayward’s “the leap” have existed for decades prior to the show. Wayward even uses debunked pseudoscience, namely, attack therapy and repressed memory therapy, to harm the students at Tall Pines Academy.