WARNING! This article contains major SPOILERS for Wednesday season 1!Breaking one of her most important rules, Wednesday Addams cries on one incredibly devastating occasion during Wednesday season 1. The most notable attributes of the Wednesday Addams character are her deadpan tone and expression, sardonic attitude, gothic style, and homicidal obsessions, which Netflix’s record-breaking series somewhat unravels in a more emotionally complex exploration of the iconic figure. For instance, not only does Wednesday uncharacteristically smile upon seeing Uncle Fester, but she also sheds genuine tears of grief in one of Wednesday season 1’s saddest moments.
The only time Wednesday cries is when Thing dies in Wednesday season 1, episode 7. Finding Thing stabbed in her room, tears well up in the eyes of an emotionally distraught Wednesday as she brings the sentient hand to Uncle Fester, who attempts to revive him using his powers of electricity. After almost giving up, Fester miraculously zaps Thing back to life, nearly causing Wednesday to cry and smile. Wednesday had already seen many deaths around her, but the mysterious hand Thing was different: He was her family, closest confidante, and responsibility at Nevermore. Thing being stabbed elicited a rare vulnerability in Wednesday because she feared losing one of the few beings that truly understood her.
Why Wednesday Says She Never Cries
When bonding with Enid in Wednesday episode 1, Jenna Ortega’s character reveals that she never cries, which is why her tears at Thing’s brief death were so shocking. Wednesday says the last time she cried was after Halloween when she was six years old; she took her pet scorpion Nero out for a walk, where a group of bullies held her down and made her watch as they ran over and killed him. When Wednesday season 1, episode 1’s flashback shows her burying the scorpion, she confides that she “cried [her] little black heart out” at Nero’s death. However, tears didn’t bring Nero back to life or “fix anything,” so she vowed to never cry again.
Thing nearly dying was reminiscent of Nero’s death, which contributed to why Wednesday finally cried. The visual of Wednesday walking Nero parallels how she always walks by Thing, with both sharing similarly important roles in her life. Seeing Thing stabbed and lifeless brought back all the emotions she felt seeing Nero killed a decade ago, but Wednesday would do more than just cry this time around, as she actually willed The Addams Family’s hand back to life. Wednesday didn’t think crying indicated weakness, she just thought it was pointless; but once those vulnerable feelings she pushed away flooded back, Wednesday‘s unblinking character couldn’t resist shedding tears over her disembodied friend.
What Wednesday Crying Over Thing Really Means
As a more emotionally-layered exploration of The Addams Family characters, Wednesday’s sole crying scene is extremely meaningful. Not coincidentally occurring in the same episode where she sincerely smiles for the only time, Wednesday crying effectively demonstrates her emotional growth and arc in the series, proving she doesn’t have the cold, black heart she wants others to think she has. Wednesday prided herself on being largely unfeeling, but Nevermore Academy has taught her how fulfilling her time can be if she embraces her emotions. After smiling at Uncle Fester and crying over Thing, she worked up to the emotional climax of expressing affection by hugging Enid in Wednesday’s season 1 finale.