[Editor’s note: The following contains spoilers for Season 1 of Wednesday.]
Like many coming-of-age TV shows, Netflix’s latest hit series Wednesday uses a murder mystery as a central thread for its plot. Shortly after Wednesday Addams (Jenna Ortega) is expelled from her high school and transferred to Nevermore Academy in the backwoods of Vermont, the aloof teenager discovers there has been a monster picking off her fellow outcasts one by one.
Once she learns of a premonition in which she appears to destroy the school, Wednesday resolves to get to the bottom of the mystery by using her psychic abilities passed down through generations. While still learning to interpret her own visions, the eldest Addams Family sibling manages to alienate almost everyone around her while also putting them in danger’s way.
A number of missteps later, Wednesday has a breakthrough with the help of her Uncle Fester (Fred Armisen) in Episode 7 which finally points her in what she thinks is the right direction. If you’d like to watch the murder mystery unfold for yourself, stop reading here.
Otherwise, scroll onward to learn who the monster is on Wednesday.
During his visit to Nevermore, Fester explains the monster is actually called a Hyde. Together, they learn from a diary in the hidden library that a Hyde is at first turned into a monster by a master through hypnosis or drugs. Once a Hyde has been trained, however, they are able to turn without help.
At first, Wednesday is convinced that Xavier Thorpe — a fellow Nevermore student whose powers bring his paintings to life — is the Hyde and her therapist, Dr. Kinbott, used hypnosis to turn him.
Instead, Wednesday’s “normie” love interest Tyler Galpin (Hunter Doohan) is the actual monster, with overly cheery botany teacher Marilyn Thornhill (Christina Ricci) having used chemicals to bring out Tyler’s Hyde state.
As it turns out, Thornhill’s true identity is Laurel Gates. As a relative of the town of Jericho’s forefather Joseph Crackstone, she’s intent on resurrecting him and carrying out his mission of ridding the world of outcasts. Fortunately for Nevermore, Wednesday is able to channel her ancestor Goody Addams and take care of Crackstone… for good.
Wednesday also puts away Thornhill/Gates and Tyler with the help of her friends. According to showrunners Alfred Gough and Miles Millar, however, Tyler could return for a potential Season 2.
“Yeah. Absolutely. He’s out there,” Gough told Variety. “That’s what we wanted to convey.”
A Season 2 renewal hasn’t been confirmed as of yet. Considering its runaway success, an announcement of the show’s return seems imminet.
For more reading about Wednesday, learn how Siouxsie and the Banshees inspired Ortega’s self-choreographed goth dance as well as why she intentionally doesn’t blink in the series.
