5 things you need to remember before 'Wednesday' season 2
With new cast members, returning nightmares and a darker tone promised, now's the perfect time to brush up on the chaos that went down last time at Nevermore Academy.
From shocking betrayals to mysterious texts, severed limbs to unsupervised bees, season 1 didn't hold back. And with the new season split into two chapters, there's no better moment to crawl back through the crypt of plot twists.
Fair warning: I'll be mentioning major spoilers from season 1. So, without further ado, here are five things you should remember before 'Wednesday' season 2 drops on Netflix.
Tyler Galpin's (Hunter Doohan) connection with Wednesday Addams (Jenna Ortega) began innocuously enough. As a local barista in Jericho, he quickly became her confidant and potential love interest. However, their budding relationship took a dark turn when Tyler was revealed to be the Hyde — a monstrous entity responsible for a series of brutal murders in and around Nevermore Academy.
Manipulated by Marilyn Thornhill (aka Laurel Gates), Tyler's actions were not entirely his own, as he struggled with the duality of his nature and the influence exerted over him.
By the end of season 1, Tyler's true identity was exposed, leading to his capture. He was last seen shackled and being transported to Willow Hill Psychiatric Hospital, a facility with its own dark history. This hospital is significant not only for housing Tyler but also for its connection to his mother, Francoise, who was institutionalized there after her Hyde persona emerged.
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In the season 2 trailer, a brief yet telling scene shows Wednesday visiting Tyler at Willow Hill. Tyler might just possess knowledge or insights crucial to solving new mysteries at Nevermore.
Marilyn Thornhill (Christina Ricci) initially appears as the kind-hearted botany teacher and dorm mom at Nevermore Academy. However, it's later revealed that she is actually Laurel Gates, the presumed-dead daughter of the Gates family, infamous for their deep-seated hatred of outcasts.
Laurel faked her death in 1991 and returned to Jericho with a sinister agenda: to resurrect her ancestor, Joseph Crackstone, and eradicate all outcasts, including those at Nevermore.
By the end of season 1, Laurel's true identity is exposed. She attempts to carry out her plan by using Goody Addams' book of spells to bring Crackstone back to life. However, her scheme is thwarted when Wednesday stakes Crackstone in the heart, ending his reign of terror.
In the ensuing chaos, Laurel tries to kill Wednesday but is stopped when Eugene (Moosa Mostafa) releases a swarm of bees, allowing Wednesday to knock her unconscious. Her ultimate fate remains ambiguous, though. While she is knocked out and presumably captured, her survival is not confirmed, leaving open the possibility for her return in future episodes.
Principal Larissa Weems (Gwendoline Christie) was a pivotal figure at Nevermore Academy. A former classmate of Morticia Addams, Weems served as the headmistress, but her true nature was far more complex.
In a shocking twist, it was revealed that Weems was a shapeshifter. She had assumed the guise of Tyler to deceive Thornhill into confessing her nefarious plans. Tragically, Thornhill killed Weems in retaliation. While some fans speculated about her potential return, Christie confirmed that her character would not be returning for season 2.
With Weems' departure, season 2 introduces a new headmaster: Barry Dort, played by Steve Buscemi. Described as a principal 'incredibly into Nevermore,' Barry Dort is expected to infuse the school with a unique energy.
As season 1 came to a close, Wednesday drives away from Nevermore Academy — her semester canceled and her future uncertain. Her classmate gifts her a brand-new phone, the first one Wednesday has ever owned
Before she barely settles into the car seat, Wednesday's screen lights up: an unknown sender shares photos of her, followed by a chilling GIF of her being stabbed through the head. The final message reads simply: 'I'm watching you.'
The presence of the anonymous texter and the imagery signals one thing: someone out there knows more than she thinks…and may be planning something far more sinister.
Jenna Ortega, now an executive producer of 'Wednesday,' has confirmed that season 2 intentionally ditches any romantic subplot for her character. Instead, the show will lean significantly into horror.
Creators Miles Millar and Alfred Gough have echoed this creative shift, promising more psychological suspense, genuine danger, and real stakes.
The trailer reinforces this tone shift. Wednesday experiences a terrifying psychic vision in which she sees her friend Enid Sinclair (Emma Myers) dying, and believes it's her fault. A headstone bearing Enid's name and Enid's ghostly appearance scream impending tragedy.
In short, season 2 is throwing out the teenage love angle and doubling down on macabre mystery and platonic bonds, with Enid's fate hanging in the balance.
"Wednesday" season 2 will be released on Netflix in two parts: Part 1 on August 6, and part 2 on September 3.
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