Tim Burton’s new Netflix series Wednesday debuted on November 23rd, 2022, with fans rejoicing over the wickedly winning performance of Jenna Ortega in the title role. Although the rest of the Addams Family takes a backseat as Wednesday begins solving a rash of grisly murders outside Nevermore Academy, the morbid teenage sleuth interacts with several compelling and unsavory characters who often keep their true identities hidden close to the vest.
Be it school principals, teachers, town sheriffs, psychotherapists, or Wednesday’s eclectic Nevermore classmates, the most unforgettable characters in the spinoff series are the ones who have major story arcs and key plot implications.
10/10 Principal Weems
For most of the season, Principal Larissa Weems serves as Wednesday’s chief rival at Nevermore. In addition to being a shady shapeshifter, Weems vows to keep Hyde’s gory murder spree a secret to preserve the Academy’s reputation, allowing innocent victims to die in the process. Mean, manipulative, and menacing, there isn’t much to like about Weems’ personality or actions.
Determined to kneecap Wednesday’s investigation at all times, Weems also harbors a nasty grudge as Morticia’s former roommate at Nevermore, which also leads to unpleasant interactions with Wednesday’s mother. While Weems does attempt to redeem herself in the end by using her shapeshifting for good, by then it’s far too late.
9/10 Sheriff Galpin
As the rough, gruff, surly town Sheriff, Donovan Galpin is also complicit in covering up the murders outside Nevermore. He knows something is afoul, but publicly states a wild animal is responsible. Constantly suspicious of Wednesday and her friends, what really makes Sheriff Galpin so unpleasant is the way he treats his son, Tyler.
In addition to treating his son poorly, Galpin’s most loathsome trait is keeping the harmful secret about Tyler’s Jekyll/Hyde mother a secret, which all but ruins his son’s life. For a man charged with protecting the town and keeping his son safe, Galpin fails badly and showcases bad manners in the process.
8/10 Marilyn Thornhill
For most of the season, Marilyn Thornhill is as plucky, pleasant, and enjoyable as can be. Aside from the immense joy of seeing Christina Ricci return in a TV role to the Addams Family universe after playing Wednesday in the past, the constantly smiling botany teacher radiates warmth, kindness, and uplifting positivity every time she’s on-screen.
Once it is revealed that Thornhill is actually Laurel Gates, her character instantly shifts from a lovable ally to a loathsome foe. A deeply wicked character in disguise, Gates actually descends from Joseph Crackstone and has been working inside Nevermore to bring down the outcasts rather than help them. She revives Crackstone at the end to slay the outcasts, making her a secret enemy all along.
7/10 Tyler Galpin
Until Tyler Galpin is revealed to be the monstrous Hyde at the end of the season on the must-watch November Netflix show, he is incredibly charming, down to earth, and very easy to root for. He’s one of the few characters who is able to break through Wednesday’s misanthropic attitude and forge a tender bond with her even though he’s introduced as a Normie. Between Wednesday standing him up for Xavier and his father treating him poorly, viewers have heartfelt sympathy for Tyler most of the time.
Alas, those feeling shift dramatically when Tyler is revealed as the killer culprit. But even when learning of his horrifying identity, it’s hard to blame Tyler for inheriting his mother’s Jekyll/Hyde physiology. He never knew his mother was an outcast until it was too late and Gates began manipulating him, which almost makes him more sympathetic. Still, intentional or not, it’s hard to overlook the amount of bloodshed he’s responsible for.
6/10 Bianca
At first blush, mermaid siren Bianca comes off as spiteful, vindictive, and poised to be one of Wednesday’s main rivals at Nevermore. Over time, she becomes much more likable when her backstory as Xavier’s ex is revealed and her complicated relationship with her mother is explored. The heartfelt conversation Bianca and her mother had during Parent-Teacher day marked the evolution of Bianca’s compelling story arc.
Bianca swears to disavow her nature and refuses to use siren calls like her mother used to. However, she selflessly sacrifices her desire and uses the siren call to warn the students of imminent danger after Crackstone returned. Best of all, Bianca puts her differences with Wednesday aside and helps her defeat Crackstone once and for all. Whereas Tyler and Thornhill get worse over time, Bianca becomes more and more likable.
5/10 Dr. Kinbott
Doctor Valerie Kinbott is Wednesday’s awkward therapist who is constantly freaked out by the teenager’s morbid psychology. Unlike most characters who have major arcs that evolve from light to dark or vice versa, Dr. Kinbott’s kind, helpful, and well-intentioned personality does not change much during the season. Unlike many, she has nothing to hide and no evil side.
Unfortunately, due to Wednesday’s troublesome personality, Dr. Kinbott isn’t able to make much progress in easing the teenager’s psychological state. But thanks to Riki Lindhome’s comedic timing, the droll interaction between Dr. Kinbott and Wednesday provides the show with some great moments of comic relief. As one of the few stand-up Normies on the show, Dr. Kinbott proves that the outcasts aren’t the only lovable characters on Wednesday.
4/10 Xavier
As the brooding emo art student who can manifest his drawings in the real world, Xavier is instantly drawn to Wednesday’s sense of the macabre on the acclaimed Netflix original horror TV show. He becomes her quasi-romantic interest for a time, with such kind gestures as painting a portrait of Wednesday playing the cello. While mysterious, Xavier remains on Wednesday’s side and proves to be a real friend.
Like Wednesday, Xavier is a misunderstood artist, which leads many to wrongly believe he’s the killer based on his grisly paintings. But when Tyler is revealed to be guilty, the false accusations only make Xavier more sympathetic and easy to root for.
3/10 Enid Sinclair
If it weren’t for the main Addams Family characters, Enid Sinclair would be the most lovable character on the show. Colorful, exuberant, and hilarious as can be, all Enid wants to do is live up to her lycanthropic nature and “wolf out” for the first time, an adorable story arc that pays off in the most satisfying way possible. Her personality is the exact opposite of Wednesday’s, which makes their contentious interactions wildly amusing.
Whether being stood up by Ajax, disappointing her parents by failing to “wolf out,” or just being her fun-loving frenetic self, Enid is the most sympathetic and enjoyable character to be around, bridging the gap between Normies and Outcasts like no other. A true ally from beginning to end, Enid is impossible to dislike.
2/10 Thing
A real case can be made that Thing is even more likable than Wednesday on the beloved horror-comedy TV show. Indeed, the handy and helpful family “pet” is constantly there for Wednesday whenever she’s in a bind. It unleashes piranhas on Pugsley’s bullies, picks out Wednesday’s dress for the school dance, throws her a surprise birthday party, and sacrifices its life to rescue her and her friends’ lives time and again.
Beyond Thing’s commendable actions every step of the way, the manner in which the FX team was able to turn the animated severed hand into a fully-dimensional character tied directly to the Addams Family mythology is truly impressive. Thing is smart, funny, compassionate, and easily one of the main reasons to watch Wednesday in the first place.
1/10 Wednesday
Once viewers get past her acerbic tongue and mean-spirited sarcasm, Wednesday inevitably becomes the most compelling character on the show. While misunderstood and grim as can be, her slow evolution from dark to light while solving the Nevermore murders comes into sharp focus as the season unfolds. The way she manages to forge soulful connections with Enid, Xavier, Eugene, and others while delivering Nevermore from evil is genuinely compelling thanks to Jenna Ortega’s superb performance.
Although her personality is prickly, Wednesday’s moral center, artistic sensibility, and high intelligence allow her to overcome her hurtful words and take heroic action that speaks much louder to her underlying character. Deep down, Wednesday has more good in her heart than she ever knew.
