9 Easter Eggs and Hidden Addams Family Resources from Wednesday

Warning! There are small spoilers ahead.

After months of tortured teasers, Wednesday, Tim Burton’s latest bizarre creation, finally came out on November 23. The series about Wednesday Addams of Addams Family, a horror-slash-fantasy-slash- coming-of age series, was a huge success and remained at the top of the streaming site’s Top 10 Shows in America for its entire release weekend.

Jenna Ortega stars as Wednesday Addams in the title role. She follows Wednesday on her most frightening journey to date…boarding school. Wednesday, a student at Nevermore Academy, her parents’ alma mater is, must manage the responsibilities of a typical teenager.

These include, but are not limited to, embracing her psychic abilities, solving a supernatural mystery and saving an entire community from supernatural violence.

Wednesday’s spooky tone and set design, as well as the cast performances and plot twists, have been praised. Hidden beneath the show’s dark exterior are many small details and references that were purposefully hidden. Did you notice all the Tim Burton references or Addams Family movies?

We’ve got you covered in case you don’t have the gift of Wednesday Addams’ preternatural sight. Scroll down to see all the hidden references and Wednesday easter eggs you may have missed.

The set design contains references to Tim Burton’s films.

While speaking to Variety and Netflix’s Tudum on Wednesday, Mark Scruton, Wednesday’s production designer revealed hidden references in the show’s sets. This was specifically in Jericho, a normie town. Scruton explained that many of the shopfronts in the Jericho town were taken straight from the Chas Addams cartoons. «There’s an antique shop, a florist, a cobbler, and a thrift shop.» In addition to references to the original Addams Family cartoons the last names of showrunners (Miles Millar, Alfred Gough) are visible on Wednesday’s therapist office window. There are also hidden references to Tim Burton’s Wednesday series films.

Tyler works at Weathervanes, where you will see metal weathervanes hanging on the walls. If you look closely enough, you will see a Headless Horseman design, along with Willy Wonka’s top hat, from Burton’s Sleepy hollow. Scruton revealed that Uriah’s’ taxidermy shop Uriah’s Sheap also has a few mice that are reminiscent of Burton’s films. In the Principal Weems’ office, you will find the last Burton-inspired egg. It is a shrunken head that refers to 1988’s Beetlejuice.

Wednesday’s hatred of pilgrims is an example of Addams Family Values

Our heroine, a scheming stormy woman, gets into a brawl at a coffeeshop because she is enraged by pilgrims in the first episode. Wednesday’s hatred of pilgrims and Pilgrim World in Jericho is a direct reference the beloved sequel Addams Family Values in which Wednesday and Pugsley are sent off to Camp Chippewa. Christina Ricci plays Wednesday, who sets fire to Camp Chippewa’s romanticized Thanksgiving play and delivers her famous monologue about pilgrim cruelty. (Bonus Easter egg: The archery scenes at Nevermore, another Addams Family Values example—Wednesday and her younger brother practice archery during the 1993 film.)

Nightshades, the secret society at Nevermore Academy have a passageway that leads to their meeting place. There is no magic word, but there is a magic sound. Snap snap. The secret passageway to the Nightshades is opened by snapping twice, a nod to The Addams Family’s theme song. Two finger snaps, which are a trademark of the fictional family’s existence in media, are prominent throughout the song.

The gargoyles are in the quad reference different characters

While chatting with Variety and Tudum on Wednesday, Mark Scruton, the series’ production designer, dropped a huge hint about the series’ plot. He revealed that the gargoyles at quad at Nevermore Academy refer to and represent different characters. They designed all the gargoyles to represent different schools. «So there are vampires, gorgons, and sirens,» Scruton explained to Tudum. Variety was teased by Scruton that there was a plot point.

Pugsley’s introduction is very similar to the one in the original movie.

After being bullied, Wednesday saves Pugsley in the pilot episode. Pugsley, played by Isaac Ordonez, is tied with red string and left helpless with an apple stuck in his mouth. This is a reference to 1991’s The Addams Family. Pugsley is also seen tied up with red string and an apple in his mouth. Only difference? Wednesday, he was shot at with an arrow. You can talk about archery skills!

Other Addams Family members make an appearance… sort of

All members of the immediate Addams Family are physically present on Wednesday — Pugsley and Morticia as well as Gomez, Lurch and Uncle Fester. Thing also features a few extended Addams Family members. Cousin Itt, Aunt Ophelia and Grandmama Addams all appear in spirit in the new series, in various capacities. A wall-mounted painting of Ignatius Itt is found in the basement of Nightshades. Morticia’s sister (Wednesday’s Aunt Ophelia), and Grandmama Adams are not present in the show by their names. Grandmama is mentioned in passing dialogue and it is revealed that Wednesday’s dorm room is named after Ophelia.

Wednesday’s Girl Scouts line was inspired by a line in the original movie

Episode three’s Wednesday deadpans, «I could eat Girl Scouts for breakfast.» This is another direct reference from the scene in the original films. A young girl scout attempts to sell Wednesday cookies in ’91’s The Addams Family. Wednesday asks, «Are they real Girl Scouts?» It was a full-circle moment of terror!

Everywhere you look, Edgar Allan Poe is mentioned

Nevermore Academy’s Edgar Allan Poe is a fictional alumnus. The school’s name is a Poe reference (Poe’s The Raven features a man who is driven mad by a talking raven, and utters only the word «nevermore») but there are many Poe references throughout the series. Wednesday’s vision features ravens in an important and foreboding vision. Principal Weems sits with a taxidermied bird on her desk. The Poe Cup is a medley of Poe literary trivia.

Each race boat refers to one of Poe’s short stories by name and design. Enid and Wednesday are named The Black Cat and Bianca The Gold Bug. Xavier is called «The Amontillado» and refers to The Cask of Amontillado. The Pit and Pendulum is the fourth team boat.

Wednesday’s name is derived from…

Chas Addams, the cartoonist who created the Addams Family cartoons that began it all, designed the characters without names. Although each family member was named over time as the characters gained popularity, Wednesday was named after a nursery rhyme called «Monday’s child» from the 1800s.

«Her name is derived from a line in my favorite nursery rhyme,» Morticia addams informs Principal Weems about the fictional but true backstory that Wednesday’s name was. The nursery rhyme says: «Monday’s child is kind and gentle, / Tuesday’s child is generous and gracious. Wednesday’s child is filled with woes, Thursday’s child has a long way to go. Friday’s child is generous and loving, while Saturday’s child struggles to make a living. / And the Sabbath-born child / Is bonny, blithe and good.»