Wednesdaymakes it clear from its first episode that Jenna Ortega’s heroine has a strained relationship with her family, even if she loves them deep down. AndWednesday Addams' most taut relationship is with her mother, Morticia, who she claims she doesn’t want to be like. Wednesday is a rebellious teenager, so perhaps it’s not surprising that she tells Morticia she “never” wants a life like hers. Even so, this comment may come off as surprising to viewers, especially those familiar with other shows and movies about the Addams family.
Wednesdaychanges the dynamicbetween Wednesday and Morticia, taking it beyond a mother-daughter relationship defined by sarcasm and teenage defiance. Ortega’s lead seems to have a much more difficult relationship with Morticia than she has with her father or brother. While Wednesday rolls her eyes and scoffs at all of them,she genuinely doesn’t want to become like Morticia— a sentiment that seems strange given how supportive her mother attempts to be.Wednesdayseason 2must address this dynamic, but season 1 offers clues about why it’s like this.
Wednesday & Morticia’s Complicated Relationship In The Netflix Show Explained
Wednesdayhasn’t shown the Addams family together — or dug into its heroine’s past — enough to fully understand their relationships. However, Wednesday’s bond with Morticia in the Netflix series is interesting, as the two don’t seem to completely dislike one another. Even so,Wednesday bucks the idea of becoming like Morticia, and it’s obvious that she keeps her mother at arm’s length. Ortega’s character puts effort into setting herself apart from her mother, and the Netflix show doesn’t give the clearest explanation for it.
The Addams family is devoted to one another in other projects about them, and there are still hints of that in Netflix’s take on them. Gomez and Morticia don’t hold Wednesday’s piranha incident against her, and their push for her toattend Nevermore Academyappears well-intended. That said, neither of them offers much in the way of support until theend ofWednesdayseason 1, either. The distance between Wednesday and her parents is noticeable, and that’s especially true of Morticia. This is at least partially becauseWednesday is adamant about not becoming her.
Why Wednesday Doesn’t Want To Be Like Her Mother
It’s A Mix Of Teenage Rebellion & Wanting To Buck Expectations
Wednesdaydoesn’t give us a concrete explanation for its lead’s sentiments about her mother, but they seem to stem from multiple things. Wednesday is a teenager in the Netflix show, which plays up that detail of her character. Since it’s set in a magic boarding school full of teens,it’s no surprise that it caters to the experience of rebelling against one’s parents. That’s how Wednesday winds up at Nevermore Academy in the first place, though her actions at the beginning of the show suggest there could be more going on at home than first meets the eye.
Jenna Ortega’s First Line As Wednesday Addams Is Ironic Based On Her Fate At Nevermore
Jenna Ortega’s Wednesday Addams changes a lot throughout season 1 of the Netflix show, including regarding her opinions on high school.
We don’t get a good idea of Morticia’s expectations for Wednesday — or Gomez’s, for that matter — soit’s very possible that Wednesday believes they want her to be like Morticia. As she’s not interested in the same future or experiences, this would likely be grating for Ortega’s character. Wednesday tells Morticia, “I will never fall in love, or be a housewife, or have a family,” and she’s certainly less interested in romance than her parents upon arriving at Nevermore. Morticia calls Wednesday’s words “hurtful,” so perhaps she’s put pressure on her to want such things.
It seems less like Wednesday has a true problem with Morticia and more like she simply wants to be appreciated for her own distinct identity.
It’s equally possible Wednesday is placing that pressure on herself, as she’s grown up in an environment where this future is prevalent and normalized. Her desire to build a reputation at Nevermore that’s separate from Morticia’s supports this idea, as Wednesday seems to view her mother as the ideal. And people like Principal Weems hold her up as one, causing Wednesday to push back and forge her own identity. So, it seems less like Wednesday has a true problem with Morticia and more like she simply wants to be appreciated for her own distinct identity.
Why Wednesday Still Wears Morticia’s Necklace
Despite having a strained relationship with her mother,Wednesday still wears Morticia’s necklace inWednesdayseason 1. Morticia gives her the talisman when Wednesday first arrives at Nevermore, and it initially seems like an ordinary parting gift. It proves more important later, as it’s the reason Goody can pass through Wednesday and save her in the finale. It’s a good thing Wednesday actually wears the talisman, even if it’s surprising given her relationship with Morticia.
Wednesdayseason 2 is expected to debut in 2025.
More than anything else,Wednesday’s attachment to the necklace suggests that she does have a fondness for her motherand the Addams family; she just isn’t comfortable showing it. And it’s possible for Wednesday to reject her mother’s ideas about her own future while also appreciating her as a person. It’s also possible that Wednesday, who has extraordinary gifts, inadvertently senses the necklace’s power. OnlyWednesdayseason 2 can fill in such blanks, but there’s clearly a lot of nuance when it comes to the Addams family’s bonds in the show.
Wednesday
Cast
Wednesday follows the journey of Wednesday Addams as she attends Nevermore Academy, a boarding school for outcasts. Tasked with mastering her psychic abilities, she confronts a series of town murders and a haunting family mystery from 25 years ago, all while managing new social dynamics.
