Aahana Swrup
Alex Dempsey drives the narrative of the thriller series ‘Wayward’ as a co-lead. He enters the central town of Tall Pines, former home to his wife, Laura, in search of a new beginning for his family. However, it doesn’t take long for the cop to begin noticing the uncanny details dotted throughout the town. From his own partner’s unusual relationship with Evelyn Wade, head of the local youth program academy, to the frequency of missing teenager cases, he remains aware of the subliminal creepiness around. Therefore, once his path inadvertently crosses with Abbie and Leila, two reluctant students at the Tall Pines Academy, who are desperate for an escape, he inevitably becomes entangled in a dangerous plot. Mae Martin’s portrayal of Alex sports multiple fascinating nuances. His gender identity, though not the central nucleus of his characterization, remains an integral part of the same.
Alex’s Identity as a Transgender Man Subliminally Influences a Notable Part of His Narrative
In ‘Wayward,’ Alex’s character enters the town of Tall Pines due to complications in his previous job in Detroit. Although the narrative never explicitly delves into what happened in Detroit, a general understanding of events remains. In his old job, the cop got entangled in a tricky situation where his judgment as a law enforcement officer was questioned, potentially regarding an instance of police brutality. In explaining the situation to his new partner on the force, Dwayne, he insists that the situation was nuanced and would have usually garnered a supportive reaction from his fellow cops in the precinct. Nonetheless, since they didn’t consider him to be a part of the “brotherhood,” they stood by and allowed him to take heat for the situation. Although it remains unsaid, it can be understood that part of the reason behind his fellow officers’ lack of kinship with Alex stemmed from the latter’s identity as a transgender man. Throughout the show, his genderqueer identity is referenced by several characters, including the cop himself.
There are casual mentions of testosterone shots, social inequalities, and more. However, perhaps most importantly, Alex’s time in Tall Pines brings him a sense of acceptance that remains starkly inviting and tempting. As a transgender man living in the year 2003, Alex has had to fight for the rights he has, and he’s facing the brunt of the sociopolitical rights he is still being denied. His inability to legally marry Laura casts a looming shadow on their relationship that never defines it, but influences it all the same. Therefore, Tall Pines’ tempting casual acceptance of his gender identity in a way that allows him to fulfill the heteronormative nuclear family ideal plays a crucial role in his tense and complicated relationship with the town. Ultimately, like other parts of his personhood, including being a husband, a father-to-be, a compassionate citizen, and a small-town cop, Alex’s gender identity as a transgender man also casts a relevant light on his narrative.
Mae Martin is a Nonbinary Artist Who Uses They/Them Pronouns
Mae Martin, the creator of ‘Wayward,’ who also serves as co-showrunner, brings Alex’s character to life on the screen. Although the actor portrays the role of a transgender man in the show, they themselves identify as nonbinary. From the early days of the show’s development, the creator always knew they wanted to be the one to portray Alex Dempsey. Therefore, even though their personal label differs from Alex’s, their shared genderqueer identities keep the artist intimately linked to the character. In a conversation with NBC, the creator/actor elaborated on the considerations that went into their decision to pen the role and portray Alex as a transgender man.
Martin said, “The show’s set in 2003, and I think there wasn’t a lot of fluency around nonbinary identity then and not a lot of they/thems.” Sharing that it made sense for them to play a man, they further added, “Who knows where I’ll end up on that spectrum? But it felt pretty natural to me as an actor—more natural than it would’ve been to play a woman.” The Canadian-British artist, best known for their work as a comedian, has had a personal and private journey with their own relationship with gender. Parts of their real-life experiences bleed through in their semi-autobiographical series ‘Feel Good,’ wherein the central character (also named Mae) undergoes a journey of acceptance of their own.
Ultimately, all those winding roads of introspection and self-acceptance brought Martin to a place where they have established themselves as a non-binary artist, championing LGBTQ+ storytelling in pop culture. Discussing the same, the artist shared, “What makes things difficult is when things are charged politically, like they are now, it makes it seem like even having a trans character or a gay character is a political statement and immediately puts your project in a niche category. It’s crazy that your career can be affected by political swings like that.” Nonetheless, despite the challenges, Martin continues creating stories with casual queer representation in hopes of creating more empathy and visibility for the community.
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