Wednesday Season 1 Episode 1 Wednesday’s Child is Full of Woe

Opening Scene: A Vicious Introduction

The episode begins at Nancy Reagan High School, where Wednesday Addams (Jenna Ortega) is a student. We’re immediately introduced to her morbid and highly intelligent personality as she discovers that her younger brother Pugsley has been stuffed in a locker by bullies. She comforts him in her own twisted way and promises revenge.

In a scene that defines her character, Wednesday releases piranhas into the school swimming pool** during water polo practice — targeting the bullies who tormented her brother. The prank is brutal and almost deadly. While no one is killed, one boy loses a testicle, resulting in Wednesday being expelled from the school.

This violent but justified retaliation sets the tone: Wednesday is not to be underestimated, and she will go to any length to protect those she cares about — even if her methods are extreme.

Introduction to Nevermore Academy

Her parents, Morticia (Catherine Zeta-Jones) and Gomez Addams (Luis Guzmán), decide to send her to Nevermore Academy, a boarding school in Vermont for outcasts and supernatural beings . This is the same school they once attended, and they hope it will help Wednesday find her place among peers who are just as “different” as she is.

Wednesday is resistant at first. She’s fiercely independent, and the idea of being surrounded by other teenagers—especially those who might want to bond or share emotions—is unpleasant to her. However, she agrees to attend when she learns there might be a mystery worth solving at Nevermore.

Upon arrival, she meets the school’s principal,  Larissa Weems (Gwendoline Christie) , a stern but elegant figure who used to be Morticia’s roommate. Weems is not entirely thrilled about having another Addams on her hands, given the trouble Morticia once caused at the school.

Wednesday is assigned a roommate: the colorful, bubbly, and werewolf-in-training Enid Sinclair . Enid’s room is bright and pastel-colored, a complete contrast to Wednesday’s gothic presence. Their personalities immediately clash — Enid is friendly and optimistic, while Wednesday is introverted, sarcastic, and darkly poetic.

 Exploring the School and the Students

As Wednesday explores Nevermore, we’re introduced to the types of students who attend:

 Fangs  (vampires)
 Furs  (werewolves)
 Scales  (sirens)
 Stoners  (gorgons who turn people to stone)

These supernatural beings are grouped into different cliques, and Wednesday, of course, doesn’t fit into any of them.

She meets a few notable students:

Bianca Barclay, a powerful siren and the school’s “queen bee,” who immediately dislikes Wednesday.
Xavier Thorpe, an aloof and artistic student with psychic powers and a mysterious past.
Ajax, a gorgon with a sweet personality who has trouble controlling his stone gaze.

Wednesday also befriends Eugene  a nerdy but kind beekeeper who’s immediately drawn to her. Their friendship will grow throughout the series.

A Vision and a Murder

From early on, it becomes clear that Wednesday isn’t just any outcast — she has psychic abilities . When she touches someone or something, she can see disturbing visions of the past or future. These visions come without warning and often leave her shaken.

While learning to navigate school life, Wednesday has a violent vision of a student named Rowan , whom she sees being killed in the woods. This vision coincides with a real-life attack she experiences while trying to escape from school grounds — she’s ambushed in the forest by Rowan himself, who claims she’s dangerous and “must die”  because she will destroy the school.

Rowan tries to kill her using telekinesis, but just as he’s about to succeed, a monstrous creature  — huge, gray-skinned, with glowing eyes — attacks and  kills Rowan . Wednesday sees this happen with her own eyes, but when she reports the incident, the school insists  Rowan is alive and has left campus .

This contradiction sparks the central mystery:

Why is Rowan’s death being covered up?
What is the creature that attacked him?
Why is Wednesday being targeted?

 Uncovering Clues and Making Enemies

Wednesday begins investigating on her own. She’s naturally distrustful of adults, including Principal Weems and the local sheriff, Donovan Galpin , who is suspicious of Nevermore and the Addams family. He’s also wary of  Wednesday’s father, Gomez , whom he believes was involved in a murder when he was a student at the academy.

As Wednesday digs deeper, she discovers that Rowan had found a  page torn from an ancient prophecy . The drawing shows a girl with Wednesday’s likeness standing in front of Nevermore while it burns. This prophecy seems to be why Rowan wanted her dead — he believed she would bring destruction.

This information only deepens Wednesday’s determination to uncover the truth behind her powers, the monster, and the school’s secrets.

 Thing: A Secret Ally

One of Wednesday’s closest companions arrives with her to Nevermore — the disembodied hand known as  Thing . Morticia and Gomez leave Thing behind as a guardian spy, but Wednesday quickly finds and subdues him.

Instead of being upset, she makes Thing her ally. She tasks him with helping her investigate Rowan’s disappearance and the other strange occurrences at school. Despite being just a hand, Thing is expressive, resourceful, and loyal — providing both comic relief and emotional support.

 Sheriff Galpin and His Son

Wednesday also crosses paths with  Tyler Galpin , the sheriff’s son. Tyler works at the local coffee shop, the  Weathervane , and forms a flirtatious relationship with Wednesday. While she remains emotionally distant, Tyler becomes a recurring figure who helps her navigate both the town and the mystery.

Tyler agrees to help her escape Nevermore in exchange for money, and though the plan doesn’t work, their bond starts to grow. However, knowing he’s the sheriff’s son, Wednesday keeps her guard up.

 Final Scenes and Rising Suspense

In the final moments of Episode 1, Wednesday attends her first  Poe Cup , a boat race among Nevermore’s student groups. Despite initial reluctance, she joins Enid’s team and helps them win by using clever (and not entirely fair) tactics. It’s a rare moment where Wednesday shows camaraderie, even if her motivation is mostly competitive.

The win helps her earn a small amount of respect from her peers — but more importantly, it gives her leverage to  move more freely  through the school.

As the episode closes, the image of the monster in the woods lingers. Its presence is tied not just to Rowan’s death, but to something  deeper and older —a mystery that connects to the founding of Nevermore and Wednesday’s family.

 Themes and Tone

Episode 1 of  Wednesday establishes several major themes:

Outsider Identity: Wednesday’s struggle to fit in, even among other “outcasts,” mirrors the universal teen experience of alienation.
Power and Destiny: Her psychic abilities hint at a deeper connection to the school’s prophecy.
Secrets and Legacy: Nevermore is not just a school — it’s a place filled with secrets that tie back to her parents and their past.

The episode blends elements of gothic horror, supernatural fantasy and teen drama, all wrapped in a stylish, Burton-esque visual design. The use of shadows, ornate sets, and eerie music reinforces the dark whimsy that defines both Wednesday and the show itself.

Conclusion: A Strong Opening

“Wednesday’s Child is Full of Woe” introduces viewers to a darker, smarter, and more emotionally complex version of Wednesday Addams. It builds a compelling world full of eerie charm, layered mysteries, and intriguing characters.

By the end of Episode 1, we know that:

There’s a monstrous killer on the loose.
A prophetic warning links Wednesday to the school’s destruction.
Someone — or something — is covering up the truth.

And Wednesday, armed with intellect, sarcasm, and an iron will, is determined to uncover it all.