Wednesday killed the wrong main character – and now it’s a big problem for Season 2

Spoilers for Wednesday Season 1 follow: When the second season of the extremely successful Netflix series Wednesday was finally announced, I was happy too. And at the same time there was a sting: because Wednesday goes on but without Headmistress Weems, played by the amazing Gwendoline Christie. The character dies in the Season 1 finale, seemingly irrevocably. She was poisoned by villain Marilyn Thornhill.

Did the authors really think this through carefully? Did you have season 2 in mind when you let Weems jump over the metaphorical sword? I do not think so.

Why the death of Headmistress Weems leaves a big hole in Wednesday

Why is Larissa Weems’ death so difficult? Weems runs Nevermore School, which takes in children who don’t fit into the normal world: werewolves, snake-haired boys, featureless youths. Or bad-tempered goth girls with a passion for detectives and an amputated hand as, uh, pet.

At its core, Wednesday is a coming-of-age series. There are fantasy, horror and puzzle parts, but only small to medium-sized. It’s all about how young misfits find their way in a world that rejects them. Larissa Weems takes on the role of in this world strict but sensitive mentor one – especially for Wednesday Addams. Although the main character, played by Jenna Ortega, would never admit it, she does need a grown-up caregiver on an equal footing. Weems not only understood the smart and confident Addams daughter, she could take on her – and no one else on the show can say that.

Similar to roommate Enid (Emma Myers), Weems saw behind Wednesday’s hard shell. She was happy about her student’s (social) progress – and smiled proudly when she came out of herself at the school dance and did the famous Wednesday dance.

Actress Gwendolyn Christie was, and this is a factor not to be underestimated, a frequent wall play for Ortega’s wry humor. The characters harmonized perfectly with each other. Their story together seemed to have only just begun. You don’t let a character like that die in Season 1. On the contrary, you expand it into a pillar in the ensemble.

Wednesday has created a completely unnecessary construction site for Season 2

It’s hard to imagine Wednesday without Larissa Weems. The series is often and rightly compared to Harry Potter. Anyone who “disposes of” Weems at such an early stage would have too Let Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall die in Part 1. Harry would have lost valuable adult pillars. It’s hard to believe, but adults are important in youth series.

And since Wednesday lacks well-developed adult characters away from Weems, her Loss in Season 2 can hardly be compensated. Wednesday’s parents (Catherine Zeta-Jones and Luis Guzmán) are largely kept out of the storyline. Christina Ricci played caretaker Marilyn Thornhill in Season 1. But she’s, well, evil and would like to see Wednesday dead. Not a good prerequisite for a substitute mentor. Otherwise we would still have a policeman (Jamie McShane) who unfortunately is the father of the Hyde monster (Hunter Doohan). And a nervous psychologist (Riki Lindhome), who doesn’t come across as quite kosher either. Little going on on the Mentor:innen horizon.

Replacement or return from the dead: how to continue without Weems in season 2?

So Wednesday would have to replace Weems externally. While there are theories like them from the return dead could, but here the wish is the father of the thought. Who knows, maybe had Gwendoline Christie just time for one season. There are also delicate rumors circulating that Anjelica Huston will take over the post of Nevermore principal. Huston played Wednesday’s mother Morticia in both of the ’90s Addams Family films. Her casting would of course be a coup for the Netflix series and a similar category to Christiana Ricci’s casting.

Until then, the question remains: Why did the series open this construction site in the first place? Weems’ death in the season finale was oddly meaningless, nothing more than collateral damage. As if the authors didn’t even know who they were letting go. As of now, the Weems death looks like one pretty stupid and thoughtless mistakefrom which not only one character, but the entire series could suffer.

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