The Wilds: Who is Gretchen’s favorite from the group?

Gretchen Klein admitted she has a favorite from the group during The Wilds Season 1

While Gretchen Klein didn’t want to pick a favorite, there is one girl from the group that stands out. She hasn’t said her name, but can we figure out who the favorite is on The Wilds Season 1.

Caution: There are spoilers from The Wilds Season 1 in this post. Watch it all on Amazon Prime Video before delving in too much.

Gretchen described her favorite as being paranoid and scared. Isn’t that all the girls? Well, they all have their moments, but there is one girl more paranoid than the others from the start. We even meet this girl first.

Is Leah the favorite on The Wilds Season 1?

Leah Rilke certainly has problems with paranoia throughout the series. We see her from the beginning acting a little strange, not willing to really tell the detectives about her experience on the island. She questions whether it was any worse than being a teenage girl.

Throughout the series, we watch her become more and more paranoid. She accuses Shelby as being a mole, going as far as following her in the woods. Then she accuses Nora of being the mole.

We watch as she cracks under the pressure. At one point, she swims out to sea, leading to Rachel having to go out after her to save her life.

This could certainly be the woman Gretchen was initially speaking about. Maybe toward the end, it wouldn’t be Leah who would come out as the favorite. After all, Dot, Rachel, and even Fatin proved to be a little more stable and focused, offering a hint that women really can lead a society.

Could Toni be the one?

However, there are others who have a little bit of paranoia. Gretchen also talked about an anger. Toni could certainly fit the bill here.

Toni’s paranoia doesn’t completely take over her. She also knows how to remain focused on survival. There are times she lashes out, but that’s to be expected. We have to remember the number of hormones surging at 16 and 17. If I had the choice of going back to redo my teenage years, it would be a “hell no” from me.

Toni is skeptical at times. She can be argumentative, and she is certainly carrying a lot of hate and anger from her younger years. There are also times she’s jealous.

And yet, when it comes to Shelby coming out and figuring herself out, Toni is patient and kind. They have an amazing night together but Toni doesn’t push for Shelby to say anything until she’s ready. She won’t tell another girl how to admit her sexuality. There is a lot of hope for Toni as she starts to let go of some of the anger within.

It could be a hint that Toni is the one.

What about the other girls?

Dot certainly offers a lot of promise. Considering her upbringing, I don’t think that was all that surprising. Maybe Gretchen had a strong feeling Dot would cope on the island.

Rachel is paranoid at times, but she’s also smart and determined. However, she doesn’t want to create a shelter, feeling like it’s them creating a home on this island. She holds out hope for so long that rescue is coming and doesn’t set up a plan in case it isn’t.

Shelby tries to remain optimistic. She’s not one I’d describe as paranoid. Nor is Martha.

And Fatin? Not paranoid at all. She’s calm, taking each day as it comes. At least, that’s what she shows to everyone as she lazes around.

There is one girl to rule out

There’s a girl from The Wilds Season 1 I haven’t mentioned. Nora Reid is certainly calm and rational. She isn’t paranoid, which would rule her out immediately, but there’s something bigger that rules her out.

We learn in the Season 1 finale that Nora is the mole. She’s the one that Gretchen has told everything (or mostly everything) to. She is the one that has contact with the Dawn of Eve employees. There’s no way Nora could be a favorite when she’s not really part of the experiment.

Who do you think Gretchen’s favorite is? What did you think of The Wilds Season 1? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

The Wilds is now streaming on Amazon Prime Video.