"A Murder of Woes" is the eighth episode of Wednesday and the final episode of the first season. It was directed by James Marshall and written by Alfred Gough, Miles Millar, and Charles Addams. It premiered on November 23, 2022, along with the rest of the season.
Synopsis[]
Wednesday lands in trouble with Principal Weems, but that's just the start of her problems. To fight an ancient evil, she'll need all her friends' help.
Plot[]
Tyler and Wednesday meet in the woods in the dead of night. Wednesday suspects Tyler of being the Hyde monster and ponders his reasons for killing Dr. Kinbott, who Wednesday originally suspected to be the Hyde Master. Wednesday joins all the dots together, realizing that Kinbott was getting too close which led her to get killed. Tyler even wounded himself with a genius stroke of misdirection. Tyler denies everything but is kidnapped by Wednesday and the other Nevermore Academystudents, thanks to Bianca’s siren call. They tie him up in Xavier’s art studio, but he continues to deny absolutely everything.
Wednesday tortures Tyler with a taser, causing the students to get overwhelmed by this sudden mood change and flee. They inform Larissa Weems, who, in turn, calls Sheriff Galpin. Wednesday is quickly arrested, just before she gets the chance to swipe at Tyler with a hammer. At the station, Galpin lets her off with a warning due to her assistance in capturing Xavier. In a terrifying but private exchange, Tyler admits to being the monster, stating how he enjoys killing and is after her next. The only condition that Sheriff Galpin imposes so that he does not file a complaint against Wednesday is her immediate expulsion from Nevermore. Larissa therefore has no choice but to expel Wednesday for this heinous act, and she goes to pack her bags.
Before Wednesday leaves, she pays Eugene a visit, thanks to Larissa. He’s slowly recovering and can sit up in bed now. She says her goodbyes, and Eugene talks about the explosion he witnessed at the cave the night of the dance before he was viciously attacked. He remembers seeing a figure in red boots. Wednesday realizes that Marilyn Thornhill is, in fact, Laurel Gates. That night, she heads over to Marilyn’s classroom to confront the criminal. Wednesday lays out the entire scheme. Marilyn was controlling Tyler using a plant-derived chemical. Marilyn orders Tyler to kill Wednesday, but it is actually a trick. Larissa was pretending to be Tyler the whole time and heard the entire confession from Marilyn. Unfortunately, Marilyn attacks Larissa and poisons her with the nightshade. Larissa collapses to the ground, and before Wednesday can do anything, Thornhill knocks her out with a shovel, then she contemplates the bodies of her victims. Thing witnesses the scene and runs away.
Wednesday wakes in Crackstone’s crypt, tied up and surrounded by candles. Laurel explains how she is a descendant of Crackstone, and just like the founding father, she wants all outcasts eradicated. She plans on resurrecting Crackstone using the body parts Tyler collected. It would seem that Wednesday’s blood is the key to unlocking Crackstone’s tomb, and a blood sacrifice is required. The body parts and Wednesday’s blood are used to summon Crackstone from the dead. His first act is to stab Wednesday and leave her for dead. Marilyn and the zombie Crackstone head to Nevermore to finish off the remaining student population. Goody Addams appears and heals Wednesday back to full health with the powerful talisman Morticia Addams gave her.
Enid goes searching for Wednesday and starts to finally wolf out, morphing into a werewolf for the first time. Tyler then morphs into the monster and attacks Wednesday. Enid comes to her defense and fights off the Hyde. Meanwhile, Crackstone breaks into the school and starts to cause havoc with his magic staff. The school is evacuated, and Wednesday grabs herself a rather large sword to take on the undead pilgrim.
Sheriff Galpin finds Tyler and Enid fighting in their monster forms. He shoots at Tyler, then Enid dropkicks the Hyde for a final blow. Tyler morphs back into his fragile human form and is cradled in his father’s arms. Laurel and Crackstone arrive at the academy, where she is abruptly dismissed by the pilgrim. Wednesday takes on Crackstone, but he is too powerful. He manages to send Xavier’s arrow flying right back at him, but Wednesday intercepts, taking the hit. Crackstone gains the upper hand and heads over to kill the outcast. Fortunately, Bianca appears, stabbing Crackstone from behind and saving Wednesday’s life. Wednesday then stabs Crackstone in his black heart, finishing off the job. But Laurel arrives and threatens Wednesday with a revolver until a swarm of bees arrives, rushing at Laurel, who shoots them before collapsing to the ground. Eugene reveals himself, having telekinetic powers, and he tells Wednesday that he will not abandon her, then insults Laurel. Wednesday looks at Laurel menacingly and then knocks her in the face.
After all the bloodshed, the school is closed early, and the students say their goodbyes until the next semester. Wednesday seems to have been fully accepted at the school now. She and Enid come to Larissa’s office. The girls remark how they'll miss their principal and how she was strong and would do anything to protect the academy and the students. When Wednesday goes to say goodbye to Xavier, he presents her with a gift: her first phone. He states that his number is already in the phone if she would like to text him once in a while. Wednesday is whisked away in the Addams family hearse. She opens her new phone and sees that an unknown sender has left her a few messages. These include secretive snapshots of Wednesday and the line, "I’m watching you." Wednesday narrates how she has landed her first stalker and that they may be her new nemesis too.
As the police car drives away, escorting Tyler, he morphs back into his Hyde monster once more.
Cast[]
Starring[]
- Jenna Ortega as Wednesday Addams/Goody Addams
- Gwendoline Christie as Principal Larissa Weems
- Riki Lindhome as Dr. Valerie Kinbott
- Jamie McShane as Sheriff Donovan Galpin
- Hunter Doohan as Tyler Galpin
- Percy Hynes White as Xavier Thorpe
- Emma Myers as Enid Sinclair
- Joy Sunday as Bianca Barclay
- Moosa Mostafa as Eugene Ottinger
- Georgie Farmer as Ajax Petropolus
- Naomi J. Ogawa as Yoko Tanaka
- Christina Ricci as Laurel Gates/Marilyn Thornhill
Additional Cast[]
- Johnna Dias-Watson as Divina
- Oliver Watson as Kent
- Daniel Himschoot as Hyde Monster
- Victor Dorobantu as Thing
- Rina Mahoney as Janet Ottinger
- Georgia Goodman as Sue Ottinger
- Luyanda Unati Lewis-Nyawo as Deputy Ritchie Santiago
- William Houston as Joseph Crackstone
- Cezar Grumazescu as Coach Vlad
- George Burcea as Lurch (as George Valentin Burcea)
Uncredited[]
- Horia Bazavan as Nevermore Student
- Chloe Cate as Student
- Tudor Stefan as Gorgon Nevermore Student
Gallery[]
Trivia[]
- Both this episode and Wednesday's Child is Full of Woe don't have title cards.
- Although Larissa Weems and Laurel Gates are missing and apparently dead, Gwendoline Christie teased a possible return for her character in Season 2 and said that she would be alive: "We've never seen her go to the ground" and that she would be happy to come back as her character. Christina Ricci also said that she would take back the role of her character with pleasure and that the door is open on her side.
- The showrunners have confirmed the death of Larissa Weems, although they later declared that they would "never say never" to her return [1] and also confirmed Marilyn Thornhill's death following Chapter IV: If These Woes Could Talk. In the trailer for the second part, Gwendoline Christie is confirmed to reprise her role, Weems becoming Wednesday’s new spirit guide.