Spoiler Alert: This summary and review contains spoilers.
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Uncle Festers comes to Jericho, and alongside that, Wednesday believes she has cracked the case, allowing her to move certain things, or people, up in priority.
| Aired (Netflix) | 11/23/2022 |
| Episode Title | If You Don’t Woe Me By Now |
| Director(s) | James Marshall |
| Writer(s) | Alfred Gough, Miles Millar, Matt Lambert |
| Introduced This Episode | |
| Uncle Fester | Fred Armisen |
Recap
This content contains pertinent spoilers. Also, images and text in this post may contain affiliate links which, if a purchase is made from those sites, we may earn money or products from the company.
Why Do You Make It So Hard To Be Friends With You? – Enid, Wednesday, Xavier
Wednesday doesn’t recognize her draw as a person. She is weird, intense, and so committed to being herself that she is both awe-inspiring and annoying, but even though she can be so tough to be close to, there are moments it is worth it. For Enid, it isn’t lost on her that Wednesday helped her team win the Poe Cup, that she threatened Ajax’s life if he broke her heart, and she has some inkling of care for her. But her being unable to directly say she missed her, likes her, or they are friends makes Enid question if her perseverance is worth it? Mind you, she misses Wednesday, but with Wednesday more willing to pick a fight than reconcile, she asks to move in with Yoko.
As for Xavier? He, too, would like to be close to Wednesday, but her stubbornness demands total honesty despite her not really creating a comfortable place to be that vulnerable. After all, she isn’t the only person who has gone through things, been traumatized, and has their own way of trying to deal with things. Yet, with Xavier holding secrets, he becomes a prime target for secrets are for the guilty, not for those who have been burned, misunderstood, or exploited.
Uncle Fester Is Smarter Than He Knows Or Admits – Uncle Fester, Wednesday, Larissa
Uncle Fester checks in on Wednesday on his way to a job, and she is overjoyed. After all, Fester might be the only person Wednesday knows who can take care of themselves, so she doesn’t have to put a wall up with him out of fear of getting hurt. Plus, while he may downplay his intelligence, he isn’t stupid and is a great help with Wednesday’s case. Be it stalking Xavier and learning he meets with Valerie to learning about the founder of Nevermore’s journal, he is a wealth of knowledge that aids Wednesday more than he knows.
In fact, through the journal of Nathaniel Faulkner, Wednesday learns that the monster has a name, “Hyde.” If not, better said, that is the type of outcast he is. Then, to add onto this, we learn Larissa was aware there was a Hyde and that Nathaniel, as much as he tried to research and help Hydes, they ended up being his demise. Hence they have been banned from Nevermore for over 30 years. Strangely around the time Larissa and Wednesday’s parents attended Nevermore.
But, what triggers Larissa getting involved is Wednesday coming upon what she believes is the culprit of all that is happening. Not just the Hyde, but the one who awakened the Hyde to control them.
Wednesday Is Fallible – Wednesday, Tyler, Xavier, Valerie, Sheriff Galpin, Enid, Thing, Uncle Fester, Bianca, Lucas
So, who is the Hyde and its master? Wednesday believes Valerie is actually Laurel, and this is thanks to Lucas and Bianca finding documents from the former Mayor’s desk (Mayor Nobel Walker died) that note Laurel was presumed dead – not confirmed. Add in a candy heiress buying the Gates house, at 90, and giving it to her caretaker, Teresa L. Glau, which is an anagram for Laurel Gates, and Wednesday goes to confront Valerie, for who else has the skills to awaken a Hyde? Why else would someone so qualified be in Jericho, which is talked about as a hick town?
But Wednesday is wrong. She is wrong about Valerie being Laurel since Valerie is attacked and killed by the Hyde. Also, she is wrong when she points the finger at Xavier being the Hyde and having Sheriff Galpin arrest him. The truth is, Tyler is the Hyde, and Wednesday doesn’t learn this until after he becomes her first kiss and the person who takes her on her first date.
This is a major problem for Valerie not being Laurel, means she is still out there. Then, considering she planted evidence on Xavier and attempted to kill Thing, Laurel is getting closer and closer to harming Wednesday. And while Uncle Fester is not too far, this isn’t to say he can simply use his electrical powers to revive Wednesday like he does Thing, after he was nearly killed. Never mind, with Enid coming back, who is to say she may finally wolf out and be able to save Wednesday, with them now reconciling.
Things To Note
Question(s) Left Unanswered
- What is Thing’s backstory? Where is the rest of him?
- Was Nathaniel Faulkner a normie with a vast interest in outcasts?
- How many different types of outcasts are there, and are Hydes the only ones banned from Nevermore?
- What happened to Iggy, Faulkner’s right hand?
- Is it safe to assume what awakened Tyler’s Hyde was what happened to his mother?
- So does Tyler have two powers? One being bringing his artwork to life and the second having visions? Is having two powers rare?
- How many people knew Thing was around? Also, was him being at Nevermore against the rules? He isn’t a student and technically is a piece of a grown man, so it seems like there should be an issue with him being around.
- All things considered, how would you kill Thing since he is an intelligent zombie, right?
- Considering how Jericho is talked about, why is there such a huge and fancy-looking hospital? Surely, the taxes Nevermore pays can’t have given them such a fancy-looking hospital?
- With Xavier arrested, will we meet his famous father, and who will play him? If it wasn’t for his complicated status, I’d think Johnny Depp would, as a favor to Tim Burton.
What Could Happen Next
- Based on Marilyn having the same kind of gloves as the person who killed the Mayor, I’m sure she is Laurel. Never mind, why would Christina Ricci join a show based on one of her iconic characters unless she was guaranteed a one-season stint? Much less, based on her interview with Whitney Cummings, for “Yellowjackets,” she noted she likes playing strange, unassuming, and a bit villainous characters at this stage of her career. That basically describes Marilyn to a T.
Review
Notable Performances or Moments
- Wednesday’s range of emotion when it comes to Uncle Fester pushing the idea that, since she knows he can take care of himself, she can feel free to feel, be attached, and be close to him
Highlights
Thing’s Potential Death
While threatening Eugene’s life was unfortunate, Thing potentially dying had me distraught and ready to shed tears. Not just because of our attachment to Thing, but also with Wednesday generally holding back her emotions, her crying over them hits hard. Plus, with Thing’s anatomy unknown and Uncle Fester ready to call it, him being stabbed in the dead center of his palm seemed like it could be the legitimate end. Much less the perfect way to escalate things regarding killing or harming characters to make this case important.
Wednesday Being Wrong
Since Wednesday is stubborn, intelligent, and immensely talented, she often doesn’t find herself wrong. Because of that, it was a treat to witness her wrong over something huge, which potentially led to Valerie’s murder. Also, considering her intuition was wrong about Tyler, and she got Xavier arrested? Which was a big deal for not only was he wrongly accused, but part of the reason Xavier was at Nevermore and secretly met with Valerie was so that he would be out of his father’s way, and anything negative about him would be lowkey.
So considering how she ruined Xavier’s life and even will have an effect on his father’s life and career, an apology will not be enough. Though, even being willing to be friends, or go out with him, surely won’t heal all this to the bone wound either.
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