Netflix’s Addams Family reboot features an ensemble cast of Jenna Ortega, Christina Ricci, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Gwendoline Christie and more – but not all of them make it out of season one unscathed.
The series, based on the characters created by cartoonist Charles Addams, sees Ortega (X; Jane the Virgin) play Wednesday Addams.
Ricci, who starred as Wednesday in the Nineties movies directed by Barry Sonnenfeld, plays Nevermore teacher Marilyn Thornhill. Zeta-Jones plays Wednesday’s mother Morticia and Gwendoline Christie (Game of Thrones) plays Nevermore’s Principal Weems.
*Warning – major spoilers ahead for Wednesday*
Tragically, in the season finale, Thornhill stabs Weems in the throat with a poisoned syringe and she dies in Wednesday’s arms.
Speaking to Variety about the series, showrunners Alfred Gough and Miles Millar were asked how the Game of Thrones star reacted upon finding out about her character’s demise.
“She was such an amazing trooper throughout the whole thing,” Millar said. “She loved it, because it felt very surprising. She was totally on board for that.
“I think for us, it really had landed with Wednesday, the emotional impact of that death. We wanted this world where people you care about die, so that there is a cost and a sacrifice that this story takes on her.”
Millar explained that they want the death to be a real emotional gut punch to the viewers, who had seen Wednesday and Weems’ relationship grow throughout the season.
“It just feels like a really sad but impactful way to end this and the first season with her death,” he concluded.
Wednesday has garnered mixed reviews from critics – including a critical two-star write-up from The Independent’s Nick Hilton – but has been warmly received by viewers, with its Rotten Tomatoes score setting a milestone for Addams Family adaptations.
Ortega’s performance in the series was singled out for praise by viewers, who also hailed the “genius” casting of one particular supporting role.
Wednesday is available to stream on Netflix now.
