After a long wait of over two years, the gates of Nevermore Academy have creaked open once again. Wednesday Addams is back on our screens and with season 2 now underway, here’s a recap of all the twisted events that went down in season 1 of the American supernatural mystery comedy series.
Created by Alfred Gough and Miles Millar, Wednesday season 1 premiered worldwide in November 2022 and quickly became one of the most-watched English-language Netflix TV shows ever. It debuted at #1 on the OTT platform in 83 countries and recorded over 1 billion viewing hours by December 2022. Starring Jenna Ortega in the titular role, four out of the eight episodes of Wednesday season 1 were directed by Tim Burton (Batman, 1989; Beetlejuice, 1988), who also served as one of the executive producers of the show.
Continuing his involvement in the series, Burton is back with the second season of Wednesday, which has arrived on Netflix in two four-episode instalments. While Part 1 is already streaming, Part 2 will be landing on our screens on 3 September 2025.
Wednesday season 1 recap: All the major highlights
Wednesday arrives at Nevermore
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Season 1 of the Netflix original begins with protagonist Wednesday Addams (played by Ortega) being expelled from her previous school for taking revenge on her brother Pugsley’s (played by Isaac Ordonez) bullies. A detached teen detective with psychic powers, Wednesday is sent to Nevermore Academy, a school for supernatural misfits.
While Wednesday shows little interest in her new school or forming friendships initially, she unexpectedly bonds with her quirky werewolf roommate Enid Sinclair (played by Emma Myers). Additionally, a series of gruesome attacks in the nearby town of Jericho, Vermont, stirs her interest.
Driven by a prophecy he misinterpreted, Wednesday’s classmate Rowan (played by Calum Ross) attempts to kill her but dies in the process. But when he seemingly turns up well and alive the next day, a suspicious Wednesday and her loyal partner, the disembodied hand Thing (played by Victor Dorobantu), uncover that the real Rowan was killed by a monster known as the Hyde and Rowan’s reappearance was the work of Nevermore’s Principal Larissa Weems (played by Gwendoline Christie), a shape-shifter.
Weems did it to protect Nevermore’s reputation and shield the students from panicking about the murder.
Wednesday unravels the Laurel Gates and Crackstone connection
After Rowan’s death, Wednesday delves deeper into Nevermore’s past, guided by growing psychic visions and her ancestor and spirit guide, Goody Addams (also played by Ortega).
Eventually, she uncovers the truth about their normie teacher Marilyn Thornhill, or rather, Laurel Gates (played by Christina Ricci). Laurel is a descendant of Joseph Crackstone (played by William Houston), the supremacist founder of Jericho, who was determined to wipe out all outcasts from the town. He was killed after Goody Addams had sealed the former’s sarcophagus with a blood lock.
However, his hatred for outcasts didn’t die with him. Years ago, when Gomez (played by Luis Guzmán) and Morticia Addams (played by Catherine Zeta-Jones) were students at Nevermore, Laurel’s brother, Garrett (Lewis Hayes), a descendant of Crackstone, tried to poison the outcasts at the Rave’N dance. However, his plan failed, and he died after Morticia accidentally stabbed him to save Gomez. The incident was later covered up by the town’s mayor, Noble Walker (played by Tommie Earl Jenkins).
Determined to avenge him, Laurel faked her death and later returned to Nevermore under a false identity.
Who is the Hyde, and why is it killing people?
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Initially introduced as a normie part-time barista at the Weathervane cafe, Tyler (played by Hunter Doohan) is revealed as the Hyde — a mutated individual who can transform into a fearsome beast, often triggered by traumatic events, hypnosis and chemical inducement.
Laurel, Tyler’s Hyde master, identified the latter’s monster lineage (Tyler’s mother was also a Hyde) and unlocked his powers with a plant-based chemical. She then encouraged Tyler to commit the murders in town to eliminate outcasts and to collect the body parts needed to resurrect Crackstone.
What happens in the Wednesday season 1 finale?
Laurel seemingly kills Nevermore principal Weems and kidnaps Wednesday, as only the blood of Goody Addams’ descendant could release Crackstone. She then resurrects Crackstone. Once back, he stabs Wednesday, leaves her for dead and sets out to murder all the outcasts. However, Goody Addams appears on time and saves Wednesday.
Later, with the help of her friends, Wednesday defeats Joseph Crackstone with a sword. Meanwhile, Enid “wolfs out” completely and prevents Tyler from hurting the students.
In the final moments of the Netflix series, Nevermore suspends classes for the rest of the semester. Wednesday gets ready to leave for the break. Meanwhile, her classmate Xavier (played by Percy Hynes White) gifts her a phone, hoping she will stay in touch with him while they are away from school.
Later, as Wednesday begins her journey home, she receives a series of mysterious text messages from an anonymous sender on her new phone, threatening to kill her. Elsewhere, Tyler turns into the Hyde once again while being taken to prison.
Has Wednesday stepped into something darker in season 2?
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With season 2 now streaming, Wednesday finds herself plunged even deeper into the sinister world of Nevermore Academy. According to creators Gough and Millar, this chapter explores a darker, more complex side of Wednesday’s journey as she navigates family, friendships and old adversaries.
In an interview with Tudum, Millar revealed that while Wednesday returns more self-assured this time around, her confidence is quickly put to the test as new threats emerge and buried truths begin clawing their way to the surface.
(Hero and Featured image: Netflix)