Wednesday ending explained: Everything that happened in the finale of the Netflix series, and what we know of a season 2

Jenna Ortega has been perfect throughout the series

Jenna Ortega as Wednesday Addams in episode 108 of Wednesday
(Image credit: Vlad Cioplea/Netflix/Future)
Lucy Wigley
By Lucy Wigley
published

The coming-of-age high school murder mystery has certainly delivered on everything it promised, with the perfectly cast Jenna Ortega who plays Wednesday (opens in new tab).

There was plenty of collective breath holding when Netflix announced an Addams family spinoff focusing on sarcastic family member Wednesday (opens in new tab) - Christina Ricci's previous outing in the role were huge boots to fill. However, the cast and crew of Wednesday have pulled off the latest iteration of the cult classic goth family, with outstanding aplomb since it landed on the streamer on November 23. The beginning of Wednesday Addams' newest outing saw her sent packing to boarding school, after seeing a testicle removed from a high school bully using piranhas. Wednesday's new school is full of similarly socially different characters like herself, grappling with the same adolescent angst she left behind in her regular school. A local murder spree adds some intrigue to the story, along with the fascinating and nuanced characters. But how did the series conclude, and were there any questions left unanswered? Read on for a full explanation of Wednesday's ending, and we now have intel on when Wednesday season 2 is coming out (opens in new tab).    

Elsewhere on the streamer, fans have been asking if Dead To Me (opens in new tab) is cancelled, after season 3 came to a tragic conclusion - we have the latest news on the dark comedy. The 1899 ending explained (opens in new tab) explores what really happened at the end of the genre bending drama - viewers minds have been blown by what was really going on with that ship. Florence Pugh's latest film on Netflix has also been drawing in the viewers, who want to know The Wonder true story (opens in new tab). The inspiration behind the film is a heart breaking and fascinating time in history.  

Wednesday ending explained

The Wednesday season finale picks up a few days after Wednesday runs from the coffee shop after sharing her first kiss with Tyler, with a vision during the kiss telling her he's the Hyde monster. 

Wednesday running away after the intimate moment left Tyler confused, but she bravely confronts him later about how long he's has known he was a Hyde, and when Dr Kinbott had unleashed the monster within him. Tyler immediately pretends to be innocent, telling Wednesday she needs to see reason. When her new allies arrive and surround Tyler he is outraged, but is quietened by Bianca who lulls him with her siren's song. The gang chain him to the school shed, and Wednesday prepares to torture him into telling the truth.

While Wednesday makes her preparations, the gang tell Principal Weems what they've found out, and Tyler's dad- The Sheriff - is summoned. Just as she's about to start the torture, The Sheriff stops Wednesday and takes her into custody on charges of kidnap, along with Tyler for his suspected murder charge. Wednesday is later freed and her charges dropped, but before she leaves the station, Tyler confesses to everything. He admits to being the Hyde, saying he enjoys the kills and tasting the fear of his victims. He devastatingly continues to say that his feelings for Wednesday were never real, and had only ever been part of his master's plan.

Wednesday leaves the station to return to school, but on her return to Nevermore, Principal Weems proclaims to have had enough of her and the trouble she's caused. It's been decided she is to be expelled. Enid helps Wednesday get packed up, and she is due to return home the following day. Wednesday discovers that Eugene has woken up following his brush with death, and arranges a detour to the hospital to see him, before catching her train home. Eugene doesn't remember a lot about the night of the fire, but does recalls seeing the person who set the cave on fire was wearing red boots. This piece of information allows Wednesday to identify Tyler's master.

Instead of catching her train, Wednesday returns to Nevermore to find Ms Thornhill. When she locates her, Ms Thornhill is wearing bright red boots. She then reveals she has been behind all of the unfortunate events at the school, and it was Laurel who was secretly setting Wednesday up all along. Ms Thornhill admits to coercing Tyler to become the Hyde, revealing his mother was also a Hyde. When Tyler arrives suddenly, she attempts to command him to kill Wednesday, but he fails to listen - this insinuates his feelings for her are real, and stronger than the hold Ms Thornhill has over him.

Hunter Doohan as Tyler Galpin in episode 108 of Wednesday

(Image credit: Vlad Cioplea/Netflix)

This thought is short lived however, when it transpires Tyler is actually shapeshifter Principal Weems, who overheard Laurel's full confession. Before the Principal could act on the information, Laurel injected her with nightshade poison to kill her. Laurel then knocks Wednesday over the head with a shovel, leaving her unconscious, and takes her to Joseph Crackstone's crypt to finish her plan. Using Goodie Addams' book of shadows and the remains of Tyler's victims, she magically resurrects him. Threatened by Wednesday, she stabs her in the stomach and leaves her to die in the crypt. Now Tyler and Laurel are free to return to Nevermore and complete Crackstone's work in eradicating outcasts from the world.

As Wednesday bleeds in the crypt, she's is visited by the spirit of her ancestor Goodie Addams. He tells her there is a way to kill Crackstone, and can save her life - at a cost. The cost is that Goodie will disappear forever, but Wednesday can be saved. Choosing her own life, Wednesday is cured and makes her way to the forest to stop Crackstone. Tyler finds her on her mission, and tries to kill her, but due to the blood moon Enid arrives with the ability to fight Tyler. Still, it's not enough as Tyler starts to win the fight. His dad, The Sheriff arrives during the fight, and is forced to accept what his son has become, shooting him to end his fight with Enid. With the gunshot, Tyler becomes unconscious and returns to human form.

Crackstone begins his attack on Nevermore, and Wednesday arrives to fight him as prophesised earlier in the series. Xavier also shows up to help, firing an arrow at Crackstone which he deftly turns around to fire back at him. Wednesday takes the arrow in the shoulder, and shouts for Xavier to leave the school. Bianca arrives to the fray, stabbing Crackstone in the back. This distraction gives Wednesday the opportunity to plunge her sword into his heart, where he dissolves into fire. The next day, Nevermore is closed for the rest of the semester and all children sent home. 

Johnna Dias-Watson as Divina, Naomi j Ogawa as Yoko Tanaka, Georgie Farmer as Ajax Petropolus, Joy Sunday as Bianca Barclay, Oliver Watson as Kent in episode 108 of Wednesday.

(Image credit: Hunter Doohan as Tyler Galpin in episode 108 of Wednesday)

Wednesday: What is a Hyde?

The Hyde is a monster that refers to the dual identities of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, from Robert Louis Stevenson's book Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, published in 1886.

When local people living near Nevemore are murdered in a gruesome manner, Xavier has visions of what is behind the killings, producing a picture of it. Wednesday shows this to her Uncle Fester, who immediately recognises the monstrous figure and tells her its a Hyde. He recalls not having seen once since 1983, when he was a patient at the Zurich Institute for the Criminally Insane, according to Netflix Tudum (opens in new tab). 

Searching Nevermore records for an exact definition of  Hyde, Wednesday finds a Hyde described as "artists by nature, but equally vindictive in temperament." They are "Born of mutation, the Hyde lays dormant until unleashed by a traumatic event or unlocked through chemical inducement or hypnosis. This causes the Hyde to develop an immediate bond with its liberator, who the creature now sees as its master. It becomes the willing instrument of whatever nefarious agenda this new master might propose." 

The idea of having a dual personality, where a person could present in two very different ways, was a major part of the story Wednesday showrunners wanted to tell. When Tyler actor Hunter Doohan was told his character was going to have a dual personality, he said "They told me that Tyler had a dark secret. And I was like, ‘Does he have the dark secret?’ And they’re like, ‘We can’t tell you, but you might want to play with that". 

Thing in episode 108 of Wednesday

(Image credit: Netflix)

Does Wednesday end up with Xavier?

It becomes clear Wednesday has feeling for Xavier, but the pair only agree to stay in touch when Nevermore pupils are sent home. Nothing else happens between them 

However, Xavier gives Wednesday a phone, to ensure they are able to maintain a contact. Right at the end of the series, Wednesday starts receiving threatening messages and pictures of herself to the phone. This leads viewers to wonder whether Xavier himself could be behind the threats as he gave her the phone, and whether this is laying the groundwork for a possible season 2.    

Rather than focus on Wednesday's love life, some fans enjoyed the focus on her friendships. Having initially been disdainful of her werewolf roommate Enid, Wednesday can still barely bring herself to hug her, even when their friendship blossoms. But by the end of the series, the two are such solid friends, Wednesday goes against her usual behaviour and hugs her new friend tightly. The sweetness and joy of human friendship can sometimes add a different dynamic, than who the potential love interest might be. 

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Will there be a Wednesday season 2?

Yes, Wednesday has been renewed for season 2 - Netflix made the announcement on Twitter on January 6. 

The news came alongside a video montage (opens in new tab), captioned with "Wednesday has been officially renewed for Season 2!" The beginning of the video sees images of Wednesday from the series, with a voiceover from Jenna Ortega saying "over the past few weeks I've been hunted, haunted, and mimicked millions of times across the internet. It's been pure torture. Thank you." The video then cuts to a series of action shots from the series, and clips of the worldwide fan reaction to the epic series. 

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Lucy Wigley
Lucy Wigley
TV writer - contributing

Lucy is a multi-award nominated writer and blogger with six years’ experience writing about entertainment, parenting and family life. Lucy has contributed content to PopSugar and moms.com. In the last three years, she has transformed her passion for streaming countless hours of television into specialising in entertainment writing. There is now nothing she loves more than watching the best shows on television and telling you why you should watch them.

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