There could easily be a debate after watching Amazon Prime Video original series The Wilds about Gretchen Klein: is she the series' hero or the villain? While she is clearly intelligent and passionate about her work and has good intentions with her research, her methods are unorthodox, to say the least.
There are clear-cut reasons why she should be considered a villain, but one could argue that in order to come to truly revolutionary discoveries, there has to be some sacrifice. In that sense, maybe Gretchen is a hero after all, despite her willingness to move on in the face of terrible tragedy.
It all comes down to how fans viewed the 10 episodes of The Wilds' first season and the character at the center of it all.
Hero: Fights For Feminist Rights
At the heart of Gretchen's research is her strong feminist belief that women are independent beings who, when pushed to their limits, would be able to create their own thriving society and work together towards the greater good.
She truly believes the women represent the future and is a proud and vocal supporter of feminist rights. Thus, it's tough not to view her as a hero in this respect.
Villain: Kept The Project Going After Jeanette's Death
The pivotal moment in the first episode when viewers initially began to question Gretchen's methods was when Jeanette sadly passed away shortly after the girls managed to get to safety on the island.
Jeanette's death was an accident, a result of an accidental fall just before the experiment began. She didn't really it was as serious as it was until she noticed the massive bruise, and by then it was too late. Nonetheless, the experiment should have been abandoned right then and there. The fact that Gretchen decided to continue, even though it likely would have been what Jeanette wanted her to do since they were on the same page about the purpose of the study, still makes her a villain.
Hero: Had Good Intentions
Despite the unorthodox methods, as noted, deep down Gretchen always had good intentions with the Dawn of Eve experiment. Frustrated with the various control studies that weren't able to prove anything, she wanted to take a more hands-on approach. She felt in her bones that if young women were put in such a situation as the island provided, they would come together, regardless of their differences and backgrounds.
Even though she knew the project would never get approved by a traditional organization, her decision to conduct the business covertly, with private funding, was for good reason because she really felt the results would make it all worth it.
Villain: Ignored Serious Warning Signs
While some might be able to forgive the unorthodox measures Gretchen took, when things got serious, like when the girls had food poisoning or when Leah was having a nervous breakdown, she just sat back and watched.
Something really bad could have happened, like one of the girls dying or Leah committing suicide. And she would not have been able to intervene in time. Yet she proceeded with the project even after witnessing these life-threatening events.
Hero: Knew How To Get What She Wanted
Gretchen is a true representation of female empowerment. She led the project on her own, acquired funding from a wealthy and powerful female, and knew exactly how to get what she wanted at every turn. For example, when she learned of Daniel's talents as a trauma specialist for the FBI, she found the most creative way possible to offer him a job.
She checked herself into a mental hospital then explained what her project was about once she finally got her one-on-one meeting with him. While he might have already been dissatisfied with his job, her convincing pitch and brazen approach likely impressed him as well.
Villain: Wasn't Upfront With The Parents
It seems Gretchen pitched the Dawn of Eve project to parents as a retreat that would help their troubled daughters find their calm and centers and come back stronger and more stable. Each girl on the retreat was suffering her own trauma so the parents were vulnerable to her pitch.
However, Gretchen almost definitely left out a lot of details when describing the opportunity to the parents. Chances are, most parents think their kids are on a luxurious island, doing yoga and other team-building exercises. Not stranded following a fake plane crash and in actual danger.
Hero: Tried To Raise Her Son Right
It's revealed in the end that Gretchen actually has a college-aged son. While at the prison to visit him following charges related to a hazing accident that led to the death of a young student, she confides in Nora. She tried her best, she said, to raise him as a feminist.
Gretchen tried to ensure that he didn't adopt the typical male bravado and machismo. She tried to teach him to respect women and to be confident but not act in the stereotypical "male" way. Even though her methods seemingly backfired, she sounded genuinely upset because she tried to raise him right.
Villain: Used Teenagers As Lab Rats
When stepping back and really examining the situation, Gretchen effectively used the girls as her lab rats. She placed them in a controlled environment, delivered various rewards and challenges, and passively observed what they were doing and what was going on from the comfort of home. It was like the girls were in a remote location as part of an episode of the reality series Survivor, except they didn't know they were being filmed, there were no rewards, and no one got voted off.
Even when the girls got sick, hurt, or even, in Jeanette's case, died, Gretchen continued the experiment as if risking their lives was worth it. The whole project was very animalistic.
Hero: Was Determined To Foster Change
In the end, Gretchen's ultimate goal was to foster change in the world, on a global scale. She wanted to make revolutionary changes to the way businesses, families, schools, even the world as a whole, was viewed. And she felt deeply that her work would achieve that.
It's difficult not to admire someone who is so passionate and confident in their work and what they are trying to achieve, especially when the purpose is to foster positive change.
Villain: Employees Questioned Her
Gretchen only had a few trusted employees, but it was clear that each of them had reservations about her methods and the project on the whole. These were intensified after Jeanette's death when Gretchen decided to continue with the project.
While Daniel seemed deeply committed to her methods, Alex, especially, seemed to be questioning it all. And Dean felt bad enough to bring Leah outside when he wasn't supposed to, where he had a candid conversation with her. If these trusted employees weren't so sure anymore about what Gretchen was doing, she might very well be a villain in the making, if not a full-fledged one already.