YouTube Original 'Wayne' Review: Love, civilization and a bruise-fest with a heart of gold

So what makes Wayne such a standout character in a genre full of larger-than-life, bruised and battered antiheroes like Ray Donovan, and Lip Gallagher?
UPDATED JAN 27, 2019

Warning: Spoilers ahead

How do you define 'Wayne', the YouTube Original show that has captivated audiences around the globe? Is it a coming-of-age comedy? Maybe a roadtrip show? Or is it an ultraviolent philosophical treatise on the state of civilization if told by Conan the Barbarian? Neither of these do the show justice and therein lies the magic.

At the heart of 'Wayne' is love, and just underneath that is a thin, bloody veneer of sarcasm, brutality, and the titillating scent of optimism being trampled upon. The storyline has been discussed here, so there's no need to get into that again, suffice to say that it's about a troubled young man (Wayne, played by Mark McKenna) on a journey from Massachusetts to Florida to take back his father's car that was stolen by his estranged mother and her boyfriend. Wayne's partner-in-crime, as it were, is Del (Ciara Bravo), an equally troubled girl. Both are running from demons, and the snarling horde are breathing down their necks.

GET THE BIGGEST ENTERTAINMENT STORIES
STRAIGHT TO YOUR INBOX.

MORE STORIES

Two-time NBA star Lamar Odom opens up on his drug-related struggles, battles with addiction, and the subsequent price that he had to pay.
7 minutes ago
Played by Kelsey Asbille, the character was not going to be part of the Luke Grimes-led 'Yellowstone' spinoff.
7 minutes ago
'Reacher' fans share their reactions to a struggling Alan Ritchson's 2004 'American Idol' audition, as he received praise from Paula Abdul.
2 hours ago
'Paradise' Season 2 ended with an explosive finale, setting the tone for Season 3, which is confirmed to be the final installment.
2 hours ago
Episode 7 of 'Paradise' Season 2 has left people wondering about the fate of Jane Driscoll and what will happen next.
2 hours ago
Eric Dane's character, Cal Jacobs, appears alongside Jules Vaughn in the recently released preview of 'Euphoria' Season 3.
4 hours ago
The series will see Xavier and other survivors make their way to the second bunker hidden underneath the Denver International Airport in Season 3
8 hours ago
The upcoming series will chronicle Jeffrey Epstein's crimes and is based on Julie K. Brown's book, 'Perversion of Justice: The Jeffrey Epstein Story'
9 hours ago
‘Dark Winds’ slips in a quiet tribute at the end of Episode 7, leaving fans wondering about the story behind Udo Kier’s sudden memorial
12 hours ago
The new season will feature some significant changes, like the departure of two long-time cast members
14 hours ago