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I am an English and Film major, cinephile, and aspiring writer! When I'm not buried in school work and lectures, I'm usually in the depths of streaming services and their plethora of film options. Or reading.
There’s a new mystery on Wednesday Addams’s (Jenna Ortega) agenda that hits closer to home than any other, that is, her father’s criminal history. We’re taken back in time during her parents’ Morticia (Catherine Zeta-Jones) and Gomez (Luis Guzmán) glory days on the night of their own Rave’N dance. A body falls from the sky and standing there on a Nevermore balcony is a young Gomez (Lucius Hoyos). Of course, a young Principal Larissa Weems (Oliver Wickham)–or just Larissa at the time–was there to witness the murder, but passes the blame on Morticia because of her searing anger at her for taking away the one boy she loved. Seems like love triangles run in the family.
What other great time is there to unpack all of this than at Nevermore’s Parent’s Weekend event? Not only do we get to dig deeper into The Addams’ family history, but we also get more insight into Bianca’s (Joy Sunday) cold dynamic with her mother, and Enid’s (Emma Myers) tense relationship with her own.
In Wednesday Season 1, Episode 4 — “Woe What a Night,” the narrative ended with Eugene (Moosa Mostafa) being attacked by the monster in the woods. Fortunately, he lived through it, except now he’s in a coma. Wednesday visits him at the hospital to grieve and admit that he didn’t deserve it.
Addams Family Therapy
Principal Weems (Gwendoline Christie) and Dr. Kinbott (Riki Lindhome) both agree it’d be a good idea for the Addams to participate in a group therapy session. So that they can explore more of the macabre minds of the Addams family. But Morticia ends the session short when Wednesday takes it upon herself to ambush her father about his murder charges. As much as we, and Dr. Kinbott, want to see the family drama play out, it’s only in good mystery fashion to stretch it out the entire episode.
The Mysterious Garrett Gates Case
Sheriff Galpin (Jamie McShane) finds more proof in Garrett Gates’ (Lewis Hayes) case against Gomez–the boy Gomez had apparently killed– and arrests Gomez during a family brunch at the school with everyone watching. Wednesday visits him at the jail which is where Gomez finally confesses the truth. Or so we’re led to believe is the truth. According to Gomez, Garrett was weirdly obsessed with Morticia, and on the night of their Rave’N dance, Garrett had come to confront Gomez, but Gomez “accidentally” stabbed him with a sword that was laying around as school decor (naturally).
Wednesday is very observant about his tells. After all, he was the one who gave Wednesday her first fencing blade, taught her how to swim with sharks, and the right way to flay a rattlesnake. At the end of the day, it’s Gomez we should thank for giving her that sense of strength and independence, and for teaching her how important it is to never lose sight of herself.
Nighttime Grave Digging
Morticia and Wednesday are walking around eggshells when they’re with each other, both of them stubborn in their own beliefs. Morticia goes on to explain the real truth of the Garrett incident. Gomez and Garrett had fought but it was young Morticia (Gwen Jones) who had pierced him with the sword. Gomez only took the blame out of love and protection for Morticia.
Despite their differences, they work together to dig into Garrett’s grave for any more proof of what really happened that night, anything that will help get Gomez out of jail. Morticia reminisces on Wednesday’s first grave-digging kit and how happy she had been in the past. Meanwhile, Wednesday finds something that could help them, but they’re quickly caught and arrested. At least Morticia and Gomez are reunited from the night, even with jail bars in between them, they don’t skip a beat in the public display of affection department.
Gomez’s Saving Grace
Wednesday gets a vision that brings her back to the night of the Rave’N dance, this time through Garrett’s perspective. Garrett’s bigot father was forcing him to sneak into the Rave’N and spike the punch bowl with poison. Then during his detoured fight with Gomez, the bottle of poison had broken and shattered into his skin. It wasn’t just any normal poison, it was Nightshades poison, one that tinted the body’s skin blue after death and their reason for Gomez’s release.
They quickly bring the problem to Mayor Walker (Tommie Earl Jenkins). It turns out that he knew about the truth all along, only hiding it from the public to save face. Morticia and Wednesday threaten to reveal his slimy behavior and tarnish his reputation unless he can get all of their charges dropped. Gomez is finally free and the family has reunited once again.
Like Mother, Unlike Daughter
This whole ordeal was a bonding experience for Wednesday and Morticia and it was a long enough distraction for Wednesday to forget about her resentment towards her mother for sending her off to Nevermore. During their heart-to-heart conversation, and during one of Jenna Ortega’s close-up shots, I can’t help but notice there’s more color to her face and she’s barren of her signature black eyeshadow. If this was done purposely, it’s a beautiful execution of Wednesday’s character development.
By the end of the episode, Wednesday discovers Principal Weems’ secret: that she’s a shapeshifter and was the one who posed as Rowan the day after he was murdered. She was burying bodies all along to hide secrets and shield the school from controversy. And before Wednesday can ask any more questions, they find a fire burning out in the grass spelling out “Fire Will Rain.”
Final Thoughts on Wednesday Season 1, Episode 5
Although not completely mended, Wednesday and Morticia’s relationship has grown a tad bit closer than what we initially started with. I mean, Wednesday allowed her mother to air kiss her, which is a huge step for her. In this episode, Morticia finally recognizes Wednesday as her own person with her own path. She doesn’t feel the need to mold her anymore and doesn’t want their relationship even more estranged than it already is. We’ve always known from the start that Wednesday is fiercely independent and intrepid, and we learned here that it was Gomez who shaped her that way. As far as her relationship with her brother Pugsley Addams (Isaac Ordonez) goes, she still offers him comfort in the midst of their father’s arrest by bringing him his favorite fish bait (grenades) at the lake.
A new subplot has revealed itself through Bianca. Her mother, Gabrielle (Gracy Goldman) had threatened her to come back home by spilling her secrets about how she got to Nevermore in the first place. Bianca only agrees to help her mother if she promises never to bother her again. Enid dealt with her own family issues with her mother, Esther (Amanda Drew) trying to send her off to a lycanthropy conversion summer camp. Sounds inviting. But ultimately tells her mother to shove it up her wolf’s ass (not verbatim) and that she’ll wolf out on her own timeline, not the timeline her mother is creating for her. This shows a lot of similarities in familial situations between Wednesday and Enid. It’s no wonder they get along, in their own twisted ways of course that mostly consists of Wednesday’s tolerance and Enid’s persistence.
We can only hope for Eugene’s speedy recovery and to find out more about the strange fire message left out on the grass at the end of the episode. As we’ve surpassed the season’s halfway mark, I can only assume more will be thrown Wednesday’s way. However, it won’t be long until the season finale, and for Uncle Fester to finally make his appearance. Until next time!
Other Honorable Observations:
- “[Gomez arrives at Nevermore] Ah, the fetid air of teenage angst.”
- “As far as fathers go, you’ve been more than adequate” is Wednesday’s way of saying she loves him.
I am an English and Film major, cinephile, and aspiring writer! When I'm not buried in school work and lectures, I'm usually in the depths of streaming services and their plethora of film options. Or reading.
This article was edited by John Tangalin.