Welcome to our top 10 addams countdown that uncovers every sly nod, secret reference, and delightful homage packed into Netflix’s Wednesday. From cryptic riddles to classic character callbacks, we’ve dissected each Easter egg so you can spot them all while binge‑watching the gothic teen saga.
10. top 10 addams: Finger Clicking Good
The original 1964 theme song opens with the catchy line, “They’re creepy, and they’re kooky. Mysterious and spooky…”, accompanied by a flurry of finger‑clicking from the cast. Morticia, played by Carolyn Jones, can barely suppress a grin as the camera captures her double click.
In modern Wednesday, a secret society at Nevermore Academy guards its library behind a puzzling riddle. The clues read:
- The opposite of the moon. (Sun)
- A world between ours. (Nether)
- Two months before June. (April)
- A self‑seeding flower. (Pansy)
- One more than one. (Two)
- Its leaves weep to the ground. (Willow)
- It melts in the sun. (Ice)
- Its beginning and end never found. (Circle)
- Every rule has one. (Exception)
If you take the first letter of each answer, the hidden command – snap twice – emerges. Wednesday obliges with a finger snap, a tongue‑in‑cheek tribute to the vintage theme song despite her disdain for the secret club.
9. Pesky Pilgrims
Back in the 1993 film Addams Family Values, Christina Ricci’s Wednesday hijacked a Thanksgiving play at Camp Chippewa, turning the script into a chaotic rebellion against the colonists.
Wednesday revisits the pilgrim motif in the series when Nevermore students are forced to tour Pilgrims World, a nearby theme park. While handing out fudge, she scoffs at the park’s sanitized retelling of American history, dubbing it “fudge” and highlighting the Addams family’s own dark legacy of persecution by early settlers.
The animosity stems from the historical persecution of Goody Addams by the pilgrims, a nod that flips the usual American Dream narrative into a sharper, more critical satire.
8. Take a Bow
Jenna Ortega’s Wednesday proves herself a sharpshooter, echoing Christina Ricci’s archery moments from the 1991 The Addams Family film where she delighted in firing arrows at her brother Pugsley, who later, in Addams Family Values, accidentally downed a bald eagle.
Ortega didn’t stop at archery. To embody Wednesday, she also trained in boxing, fencing, German, and cello, showcasing a breadth of talent that matches the character’s cool competence.
Tim Burton, the series’ executive producer and director of several episodes, is known for demanding high standards from his cast. His track record includes gothic‑infused classics like Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Alice in Wonderland, and Edward Scissorhands, where dark humor blends seamlessly with visual flair. Wednesday feels right at home under his direction.
7. Scouting for Girls
In Wednesday, Ortega quips she could eat a Girl Scout for breakfast – a playful jab at a 1991 scene where Wednesday and Pugsley run a potion‑laden lemonade stand. A prim Girl Scout insists on “organically‑grown lemons” and threatens to buy a Girl Scout cookie unless the duo complies.
True to form, Wednesday deadpans, asking whether the cookies are made with real Girl Scouts, turning a simple sales pitch into a darkly humorous moment.
The exchange underscores Wednesday’s penchant for subverting wholesome expectations with macabre wit.
6. Ricci Returns
Creators Alfred Gough and Miles Millar deliberately reached out to Christina Ricci for a cameo, acknowledging her iconic status as the original Wednesday. Despite potential awkwardness, Ricci expressed genuine admiration for Ortega’s portrayal, keeping the collaboration friendly.
Ricci appears as Ms. Thornhill, a “norm” teaching botanical science and serving as a dorm mother at Nevermore. Her presence bridges the classic and contemporary versions of the Addams universe.
Like Wednesday, Ricci is known for choosing independent projects over blockbuster fare, earning Golden Globe and Emmy nods while maintaining a reputation as a versatile, daring actress.
5. Woe to Poe
While Charles Addams birthed the family, Edgar Allan Poe supplies the gothic atmosphere that permeates Wednesday. The series honors Poe with the Poe Cup Race, a chaotic competition among the school’s four cliques.
Each team rows a vessel named after a famous Poe story: vampires tackle “The Pit and the Pendulum,” sirens helm “The Gold Bug,” werewolves command “The Black Cat,” and gorgons navigate “The Cask of Amontillado.” The costumes and attitudes mirror the original tales.
Unlike Poe’s often solemn narratives, Wednesday injects humor into the competition, highlighting the series’ blend of darkness and levity.
4. It’s You, Isn’t It?
Cousin Itt never appears on screen in Wednesday, but the series gives a sly nod to the beloved hair‑ball character from the 1960s show.
During a secret Nightshades meeting, Wednesday and Uncle Fester glance at a portrait that looks like a tangled mop of hair. Fester explains it’s Ignatius Itt, who once had an affair with Wednesday’s aunt Ophelia and attended the academy, preserving the character’s legacy.
3. Make Your Moves
Episode four drops us into Rave’N, the school’s pulsating dance party, where Ortega delivers a self‑choreographed routine. She drew inspiration from Lisa Loring’s attempt to teach Lurch how to dance in the original series, but elevated the performance with her own flair.
While the other students sway in bland white attire, Wednesday stands out in black, expressionless, paired with a bewildered partner. The stark contrast makes the scene a fan‑favorite.
The sequence showcases Ortega’s dedication to embodying Wednesday’s cool confidence on the dance floor.
2. Black and White
Nevermore’s uniform palette mirrors the school’s colors, yet Wednesday deliberately dons a black‑and‑white version of the standard attire, reinforcing her iconic monochrome aesthetic.
When gorgon Ajax spots her, he exclaims, “Wow, you’re in black and white!” echoing the 1964 series, which was originally filmed in black and white.
This sartorial choice serves as both a visual homage and a statement of Wednesday’s individuality.
1. Nevermore
Nevermore Academy isn’t just a fictional set; it was filmed at Romania’s Cantacuzino Castle, a real‑world location that mirrors the gothic vibe of the series. The school’s vibe inevitably draws comparisons to Hogwarts from Harry Potter, a deliberate homage that fans readily recognize.
The academy is peppered with Addams family callbacks: a portrait of Cousin Itt, Morticia’s iconic wicker chair, and the Ophelia house named after Wednesday’s aunt. These details weave the family’s legacy into the school’s fabric.
Nevermore even maintains its own website, claiming to have been founded in 1791 to nurture “outcasts, freaks, and monsters.” It lists Edgar Allan Poe, Cousin Itt, and Morticia among its distinguished alumni.
Visitors to Romania can explore Cantacuzino Castle, built in 1911 and opened to the public in 2010, giving fans a tangible piece of the series’ magical world.