Unveiling Surprising Secrets: The Addams Family's Overlooked Siblings Return in Wednesday's Opening Torture Scene

Summary

Wednesday season 1 is filled with references and Easter eggs to past adaptations of The Addams Family, including the 1960s sitcom.

Wednesday's clever use of piranhas to torment her classmates pays homage to the two pet piranhas, Isolde and Tristan, from the 1960s Addams Family TV show. The tradition of the Addams Family having unconventional and bizarre pets, like lions, spiders, vultures, and lizards, is further upheld through Wednesday's pet scorpion, Nero.

In the opening scene of Wednesday season 1, Wednesday Addams' expulsion is caused by a sinister act that cleverly references two characters from the original Addams Family TV show. Netflix's Wednesday is packed with callbacks and Easter eggs to previous adaptations of The Addams Family and the original cartoons by Charles Addams. While the series includes obvious nods to outfits, locations, quotes, and iconic sounds like the double snap, it also includes more obscure references to the 1960s Addams Family sitcom.

Directed by Tim Burton, the first season of Wednesday starts off with Jenna Ortega's character seeking revenge on Pugsley's tormentors. Accompanied by the song "Non, je ne regrette rien," Wednesday maliciously pours two bags of piranhas into her school's pool while her classmates are playing water polo. This near-lethal incident leaves the students injured by the dangerous fish and results in Wednesday Addams being sent to the outcast-focused Nevermore Academy. This showcases that Ortega's portrayal of Wednesday is equally conniving as the character made famous by Ricci in the 1990s. Additionally, this torturous event cleverly draws upon the rich history of The Addams Family, including its various iterations.

The Addams Family Owned 2 Pet Piranhas In The 1960s TV Show

In the Netflix series' pilot, Wednesday's use of piranhas to torment her classmates on Wednesday makes perfect sense, as it is a reference to the Addams Family characters' pet piranhas named Isolde and Tristan from the 1960s sitcom. Isolde and Tristan were initially introduced in an episode titled "The Addams Family Tree," and later appeared again in "The Addams Family Meet the VIPs." However, since they were kept in a small aquarium in the Addams family's New Jersey home, they were unable to attack people like in Wednesday's pool scene.

Although it is not implied that the piranhas in season 1 of Wednesday are the same as Isolde and Tristan from The Addams Family, it is a clever homage to these relatively forgotten characters from the '60s sitcom. It is also unclear where Jenna Ortega's Wednesday obtained the fish, but it would not be surprising if the Addams family in the Netflix series also had an aquarium filled with piranhas. Similar to the scorpions, spiders, and lions that have been associated with the Addams family in various adaptations, piranhas are a fitting pet for this eccentric family.

Wednesday's Nero Storyline Perfectly Continues The Addams Family's Bizarre Pets Gag

In Wednesday season 1, when discussing the title character's most recent cry, a brief flashback was included to her childhood. During this flashback, she recounted the tragic death of her pet scorpion, Nero. Surprisingly, the 1960s Addams family did not have a pet scorpion, but instead cared for unique pets such as lions, spiders, vultures, and lizards, in addition to their piranhas Tristan and Isolde. Wednesday's pet scorpion, Nero, adds to the diverse collection of unexpected animal species that were part of the Addams family.

Although Nero is the only pet seen during Wednesday season 1, the family's cemetery does show the graves of other deceased pets. With Nevermore shutting down in the season's finale, it is likely that the Netflix TV show will finally showcase the Addams family's complete home. If this happens, the series is expected to provide a tour of the mansion and introduce the various unconventional pets and animals that reside there.