Editor’s Note: The following contains spoilers for Wednesday Season 2 Part 2.Wednesday has just dropped the biggest twist in the show’s history and has changed the trajectory for Season 3. One of the best aspects of the format doesn’t lie in the titular character but instead in its exploration of the Addams Family history. Particularly, the show uses its educational setting to give viewers an insight into what Morticia (Catherine Zeta-Jones) and Gomez (Luis Guzmán) were like as students, which adds more agency and purpose to their present-day decisions. One aspect of Morticia’s childhood that is mentioned is her sister Ophelia, whose whereabouts were unknown. However, the final moments of Season 2 show that one member of the Addams Family has known exactly where Ophelia is all this time — Grandmama (Joanna Lumley).

The last shot of the season shows Ophelia is being kept hidden away by Hester. The consequences of her appearance are unclear; however, knowing she shares the same psychic abilities as Wednesday (Jenna Ortega), it is likely her premonitions will have a major part to play. The first of her visions is clear to see in the words she has written in blood, outlining that “Wednesday must die”. The truth of Ophelia’s words will not come to fruition until the next season of Wednesday. However, it means the Addams Family are going to have to come face-to-face with the past and figure out how it intersects with the future.

What Happened to Ophelia Frump in ‘Wednesday’?

Netflix

Ophelia Frump is the sister of Morticia Addams, often portrayed in other adaptations as the latter’s upbeat sibling. In Wednesday, she is revealed to be a raven, much like the titular protagonist. However, whilst attempting to push her abilities to the extremities, she began to lose control of herself, slowly losing her sanity. One of the most noticeable signs of this breakdown was the black tears she started to shed, the same tears Wednesday was beginning to get when using her powers.

As she descended deeper into hysteria, Ophelia began to have fits and those around her believed she was falling into untameable madness. Despite Morticia’s wishes, Hester decided to send her daughter to a mental institution for her own protection. However, her erraticism and unpredictability led her to break free and flee the asylum, never to be heard from again. That is the story told to both the viewer and Wednesday but the latest reveal leaves the truth hazy. As Hester descends a staircase in her house, her small locked room comes into view. Hester speaks Ophelia’s name, and a matted head of blond hair comes into view, turned away from the camera. On the walls she has written “Wednesday must die” in blood.

Why is Ophelia Locked Away in ‘Wednesday’?

Although it isn’t revealed whether Hester found Ophelia after she escaped the asylum or never had her locked away in the first place, it is clear she wants to keep her daughter isolated. Her ominous message could indicate that Hester is keeping Ophelia locked away from Wednesday’s safety, as we know the pair have a healthy mutual understanding of each. However, there is also a high possibility that Ophelia’s prophecy is linked to Wednesday’s vision that an Addams must die. Although the end of season 2 showed Pugsley in danger and saw Wednesday fall into an open grave, the death of an Addams’ family member was never properly resolved as the gravestone wasn’t shown on screen. This indicates that the fallout of this vision has not been properly shown and Ophelia’s warning to Wednesday may be linked.

As Wednesday’s last spirit guide was her distant relative, Goody Addams, the show has proven the familial connections of the raven ability. Similarly, Morticia is able to sense the presence of Principal Weems (Gwendoline Christie) as Wednesday’s new spirit guide, heightening that genetic link. This means there is a high possibility that Wednesday and Ophelia’s raven abilities are tethered together. The introduction of Ophelia into the story could help Wednesday get her own psychic abilities back to their full potential, particularly as she was given Ophelia’s old diary to study at the end of the season.

Is Ophelia a Warning for Wednesday?

When Wednesday was first learning about how to use her raven abilities, she pushed them too far, which resulted in her losing them. For much of the second season, she struggles to figure out the details of her investigation as she merely has fragments of her visions. The first mention of Ophelia serves as a warning to Wednesday as a potential consequence if she keeps pushing the limits of her ability, showing how there are boundaries, and if she crosses them, she could go insane beyond repair.

However, the introduction of Ophelia on Wednesday actually serves a bigger purpose to the show’s whole narrative. As each season has delved into the past of Addams family, particularly Morticia and Gomez’ time at Nevermore, the next season has the perfect opportunity to bring Ophelia into this timeline. Since other installments of the franchise have shown Ophelia to be more upbeat and cheery, her dynamic with Morticia is worth fleshing out, especially considering her sister clearly had love for her and didn’t want to see her sent to an asylum.

However, since the show has shown Wednesday can have visions of past events, such as seeing her parents bury Isaac Night’s body, having the titular character see what Ophelia was like as a student opens up the potential for parallels between the two. It will also give Wednesday an avenue to explore her connection to her raven aunt and how their premonitions may be connected. Although the new characters brought into the Addams Family universe are great additions to the show, Wednesday is at its best when it develops pre-existing personalities and expands on these relationships. The surprise twist of bringing back Ophelia Frump is an exciting sign that this trend will continue in the next season of the show. An Addams Family reunion seems imminent, with the consequences of Hester’s lies unfolding and Morticia seeing her sister once again. It is a sign of the show changing its focus, from teen sleuthing to deep-seated family history.

All episodes of Wednesday Season 2 are available to stream on Netflix in the U.S.