Rewind to every Easter egg from ‘Wednesday’ season one
While waiting on The Sandman’s final arc, Netflix did something out of the syllabus. It renewed Wednesday for a third season before Jenna Ortega could crank up the horror with the second. As fan theories overflow and hell breaks loose on the Nevermore Academy, we thought, why not a recap of Wednesday season one, with a handheld guide to every Easter egg so far?
Wednesday didn’t just pick up an Addams family character. They made her a cultural touchstone of the creepy kind who made goth look cool again. So, it makes perfect sense that the Netflix series borrows from its entertainment predecessors. The Addams Family story has been adapted countless times in the past and present. And Wednesday did a great job inculcating those references.
But in order to trace those cryptic clues, you’ve got to excel at the Ortega skill: do not blink. Production designer Mark Scruton told Tudum in 2022, “There’s Tim Burton eggs, there’s Addams Family Easter eggs, and there’s clues to the mystery of the show.”
They are hidden in plain sight in things you may miss the first time. So, consider this your guide and a reminder that it’s never too late for a refresher, as Wednesday’s first season is currently streaming on Netflix.
Nevermore architecture
The first time you step into Nevermore, you’ll find that the devil is in the details. The school’s architecture, especially the gargoyle mascots, represents the categories of outcasts, including Fang AKA Vampires, Stoners AKA Gorgons, and Scales AKA Sirens, among others. Wednesday designed the Gargoyles to represent these various groups of outcasts.
A nod to Addams Family adaptations
Wednesday paid homage to the 1960s TV show by sourcing the stuffed bear in Larissa’s office. According to Scruton, the Netflix series couldn’t have done without some iconic references to the family’s history. As a result, they went to great lengths to conjure those clues.
When Wednesday finds a secret library in Nevermore, the Morticia Addams peacock chair is “tucked” in one of the black-and-white pictures. But that’s clearly not all. The Cousin Itt portraits also connect the Netflix show to its storied lineage. Wednesday additionally includes a meta nod with Christina Ricci’s role as Marilyn Thornhill. She portrayed Wednesday Addams in the 1990s films, The Addams Family and Addams Family Values.
Moreover, in episode three, Wednesday says, “I could eat Girl Scouts for breakfast.” The sass comes from the 1991 film, where the character says, “Are they made from real Girl Scouts?” when asked to buy “delicious Girl Scout cookies.” Classic Wednesday Addams!
The Edgar Allan Poe riddles
Edgar Allan Poe has a recurring presence in Netflix’s Wednesday, especially connecting his affiliations with the Nevermore Academy. His statue is erected at the entrance of the Nightshade society. And when Wednesday stumbles upon the secret library, she solves Poe’s riddle and snaps twice to open the door. The scene has overlapping references to the classic Addams Family theme and Poe’s penchant for mysteries.
To top that off, the Netflix show named the Poe Cup boats after his works, The Cask of Amontillado and The Pit and the Pendulum, among others. The Raven motifs keep returning through multiple visuals, including sketches, taxidermy motifs, and the name of the school, ‘Nevermore,’ which recurs in his titular poem. Even the annual dance is called Rave’N.
While Wednesday’s penchant for writing is another common thread, you can also find her quoting Poe during the Jericho murder investigation: “Believe nothing you hear and half of what you see.” The quote comes from Poe’s 1845 short story, The System of Dr Tarr and Prof Fether.
Comic book references
Wednesday doesn’t just bank on adaptive references. It includes sly comic strip nods by Charles Addams. So, in structuring how Jericho looked, the team incorporated the storefronts seen in the cartoons – the florist’s shop, the cobbler’s shop, and the thrift store.
The Netflix show goes meta otherwise when the surnames of showrunners Miles Millar and Alfred Gough appear against her therapist’s office window.
Tim Burton eggs
Wednesday is filled with rich, popular culture elements. And yes, that includes Tim Burton’s signature details. In Uriah’s Heap shop, fans might spot a taxidermied Burton mouse and other stuffed creatures nodding to Burton’s filmography. Additionally, the Weathervane café features metal weathervanes that include a headless horseman from Sleepy Hollow and Willy Wonka’s hat from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
The gothic aesthetics of the show and the architecture are also said to have been inspired by Burton’s hallmark style. While the Easter eggs are nearly endless, for the remaining ones, do catch up on Wednesday season one before the child of woe returns to drop some more.
