It makes complete and utter sense that former YouTube Premium show, “Wayne,” had “Deadpool” writers Rhett Reese and Paul Werninck as its executive producers. Created and written by Shawn Simmons, the series has all the grit, gore, action and comedy that the merc with a mouth had, just applied to a story with a significantly less amount of superheroes. Though, titular character Wayne certainly likes to play the role of a mini Deadpool-esque anti-hero.
The plot mainly follows Wayne, played by Mark McKenna, as he goes to retrieve his late father’s 1978 Pontiac Trans-Am that was taken by his mother and her new boyfriend after she left when Wayne was only a child. He’s accompanied by his newly acquired girlfriend, Del, played by Ciara Bravo--yes, the little sister from “Big Time Rush.” Her hot-headedness paired with his well-intentioned violent outbursts make for a road trip like no other.
At ten episodes, with each around a half-hour, the show made for a delightfully quick binge back when it premiered in January of 2019. The script was smart and witty, all actors involved were stellar and committed to their amazing, albeit sometimes odd, roles and the entire feel of the show felt fresh and energizing. It was one of those series that could have someone laughing at the ridiculousness of what was on the screen one second and shedding a genuinely heartfelt tear the next.
Unfortunately, despite earning a 100 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes and its premiere netting more than 27 million views, YouTube canceled the show. Or, really it canceled the network the show had just been created on. Because YouTube decided to shift away from a subscription-supported service with original shows to an ad-supported service with a heavier focus on music and personalities, shows like Wayne got the boot even though they were performing well.
It was disheartening, to say the least, but Endeavor Content immediately began looking for a new home for the edgy road trip show. And thankfully, it found that new home in Amazon Prime just at the beginning of this month. Although it doesn’t mean anything for sure, now that “Wayne” has found a new streaming service to call home, and one that’s much more likely to stick around this time, hopes of a second season for the series are now back in play.
Series creator Simmons and actors McKenna and Bravo have already taken to social media to push for viewership, which the show completely deserves. It’s as if “The End of the F***ing World” crossed over with “Deadpool” and made one of the most quirky, edgy and lovable concoctions of a series the TV world has ever seen. It deserves as many more seasons as those involved with the show want to make.
Simmons has even confirmed that he has the second season premiere already written, as well as the rest of the season mapped out. Now, it’s just up to the original and new fans to make it happen. The beauty of the show switching over to a new platform is that it now not only has a chance of a second season, but it also has the chance to pick up a whole new fan base after already finding a cult following when it first premiered on YouTube.
If--or hopefully when--the dark comedy is given the green light by Amazon Prime, fans would be able to expect the second season sometime in late 2021 or early 2022. It’s a wait, sure, but a wait worth sitting around for.
So be sure to check out the show, even if you’ve seen it a handful of times already. The more views and attention it can get, the better the chances get that audiences see Wayne on his bike again in the near future. Plus, if it doesn’t get renewed, who knows, he might just start showing up at people’s houses out of anger. And no one wants that.
Jackson Horvat is a junior studying journalism at Ohio University. Please note that the views and opinions of the columnists do not reflect those of The Post. Do you agree? Tell Jackson by tweeting him at @horvatjackson.
