Wednesday season 1 recap: Who was the killer? Ending explained, key characters and more

Wednesday is finally back with season 2! Jenna Ortega is set to reprise her role as everyone's favourite gothic teen in Wednesday, which returns to Netflix on August 6, 2025, with volume one of season 2. Our beloved Wednesday Addams is heading back to Nevermore Academy for her second year, ready to unravel more mysteries of her past, present, and, if her psychic visions are to be believed, even the future.

As we gear up for another dark and exciting season, here’s a quick recap of Season 1 to refresh your memory:

Season 1 introduces us to Wednesday Addams in a spooky and witty way. After being expelled from her previous school for taking revenge on bullies who hurt her brother, Pugsley, by releasing piranhas into the school’s swimming pool, her parents, Gomez (Luis Guzmán) and Morticia (Catherine Zeta-Jones), decide to enrol her at Nevermore Academy.

Nevermore is a remote boarding school for "outcasts," and it holds many secrets and is a home to a monster and an ancient mystery, too.

Upon arriving at Nevermore, Wednesday meets Principal Weems and is introduced to her new roommate, Enid Sinclair, a colourful, cheerful werewolf. Though Wednesday is initially hesitant to connect emotionally, Enid eventually proves herself to be a loyal best friend. She helps Wednesday adjust in school and introduces her to other students, including Bianca, the reigning queen bee of Nevermore.

While reluctant to settle in at first, Wednesday soon finds herself drawn into the school’s strange secrets and dark history.

Two boys play significant roles in Wednesday’s life in Season 1:

Tyler Galpin, played by Hunter Doohan, is the charming son of Jericho’s sheriff. He becomes a potential love interest and assists Wednesday in her investigations. However, everything changes when it's revealed that Tyler is the Hyde monster, controlled by teacher Marilyn Thornhill.

Xavier Thorpe, played by Percy Hynes White, is a talented student at the school. He’s interested in Wednesday and tries to warn her about Tyler. Although everything goes opposite. Xavier is another potential love interest.

Season 1 doesn’t dive deeply into Wednesday’s love life as she remains focused on solving the murder mystery rather than romance. Although she suspects Xavier of being behind the killer, it turned out that Tyler is the one.

After the first meeting at a coffee shop, Wednesday convinces Tyler to help her escape from the Academy. As their plan to flee succeeded, she was unaware that Rowan was following her into the wilds and had a plan to kill her. But as a surprise to everyone, Rowan is the one who gets killed by the monster, and Wednesday witnesses the entire horrific incident. However, Wednesday is shocked when Rowan appears the next morning and gets disturbed. Well, it was revealed later that Weems was the one who took the form of Rowan. She did this to save the image of Nevermore.

Wednesday inherits psychic abilities from her mother, Morticia, and begins to experience intense, uncontrollable visions. These visions show her glimpses of the past and connect her to her ancestor, Goody Addams, who plays a crucial role in unfolding the mystery.

Using her visions, Wednesday investigates a series of murders in and around Nevermore, uncovering shocking truths of her past and family.

After Uncle Fester tells Wednesday that the monster is a Hyde, based on Xavier's sketches, she becomes convinced that Xavier is the creature. Shortly after, Dr. Kinbott is killed, and Xavier is arrested. However, Wednesday starts to doubt his guilt and eventually discovers that the real Hyde is Tyler. She learns that he has been manipulated by Marilyn Thornhill (played by Christina Ricci), whose real name is Laurel Gates, a descendant of Joseph Crackstone. Laurel orchestrated the murders as part of a ritual to bring Crackstone back to life using Wednesday’s blood.

In the climax, Wednesday defeats Laurel Gates in a supernatural battle with the help of her friends: Enid, who finally "wolfs out," Bianca, Eugene, and others. Together, they all wins the fight.

At the end of Wednesday Season 1, Principal Weems dies, Tyler is captured and ends up at Willowhill Psychiatric Hospital. All charges against Xavier are dropped, and he has been released from jail. Wednesday is sent home from Nevermore Academy for the break.

However, just before she leaves, Wednesday receives a mysterious message on her new phone: "I'm watching you." This indicates that someone has been secretly following her, and Wednesday has a first STALKER.