Death by laziness! That’s how Wednesday Season 2 handled its most promising antagonist.
Yes, the Netflix show killed off the Avian, played by Heather Matarazzo, completely off-screen.
The character had been introduced as the season’s central threat: a cold-blooded scientist with mind-control experiments and ominous medical secrets.
There was no final fight or any revelation. Just a power outage… and she was gone.
With her death, the first half of Season 2 feels aimless and narratively amputated.
Even worse, the entire experimental subplot involving transformed outcasts was instantly dropped, all potential, no payoff.
Avian’s Off-Screen Death Made No Sense
The Avian had the potential to be the most disturbing villain in the Netflix series so far.
She was intelligent, manipulative, and morally bankrupt, exactly the kind of antagonist who could force Wednesday Addams to question her own beliefs.
Wednesday (Jenna Ortega) is ready to make some big changes, but how far will she go?
Her grip on the experimental facility was scary, and her scientific cruelty raised real tensions.
However, instead of a climactic resolution, the show just flicked the switch, literally. The facility’s power goes out, and suddenly the threat is neutralized.
And just like that, one of the best setup villains in Wednesday’s short history was erased like a bad draft.
Judi’s Death Abandoned the Most Promising Plotline
Judi’s transformation into an Avian was horrifying and fascinating.
It opened up an opportunity to explore the ethics of medical experimentation on outcasts, the power of manipulation, and the price of curiosity.
But as soon as Judi died, all of that was swept away.
We never received answers about how the experiments worked, who funded them, or the potential extent of the consequences.
It was a rare opportunity to blend gothic horror with sci-fi tension. But the writers chose to bury it with Judi.
Her sudden death made everything that came before feel unrelated and hollow.
Why Wednesday’s Enemies Feel Like Paper Tigers
An evil spirit has risen from the dead to attack the students of Nevermore Academy. Wednesday Addams and friends will need to stop him.
There’s a larger pattern here. Wednesday is cycling through its villains like fast fashion.
From a serial killer taken down in the cold open to micro-threats that are resolved in minutes, the show keeps setting up danger only to casually dismantle it.
It makes Wednesday feel less like a detective and more like a cheat code. She never truly feels at risk, and it’s true.
When your lead character walks through danger untouched, the audience walks away emotionally detached.
Supporting Villains Like Dr. Fairburn & Principal Dort Were Wasted
If you thought the Avian was the only casualty of sloppy writing in the Netflix series, think again.
Thandiwe Newton’s stern Dr. Fairburn had all the makings of a main antagonist. But she was killed off before her character could even fully develop.
Then there’s Principal Dort (played by Steve Buscemi), who had deep ties to the Morning Song cult. His charm and twisted ideology deserved a full arc.
But he was shoved to the background, barely given screen time. Even Agnes, teased as a terrifying stalker in Season 1, turned out to be a benign ally.
It’s clear the writers are too quick to burn through villains, and what’s left are ashes, not arcs.
Has Wednesday Lost Its Edge With Low-Risk Villains?
At its core, Wednesday is about tension, dread, and deduction.
But the show is fast becoming a victim of its own pacing: overpopulated with half-baked threats that disappear before they can bite.
Even Season 1’s bold move of killing off Marilyn Thornhill (Christina Ricci) now feels like a fluke. If every villain is disposable, none of them feels dangerous.
It doesn’t just weaken the plot; it also undermines the narrative. It makes Wednesday’s victories feel hollow. She’s no longer solving life-threatening puzzles; she’s just swatting at mid-tier villains.
This isn’t the clever cat-and-mouse game fans signed up for.
Will Wednesday Season 3 Fix Its Villain Problem?
Season 2 of Wednesday had the bones of a brilliant arc, but it buried them beneath rushed exits and dropped plots.
Killing off the Avian off-screen wasn’t just a letdown; it was a creative red flag. It signaled that the show might be prioritizing pacing over purpose.
Villains exist to test our heroes. But on Wednesday, they’re barely allowed to breathe.
So what’s next? Can Season 3 find a villain worth fearing? Or is this just the new formula: setup, skip, repeat?
What do you think? Did the Avian deserve better? Should Principal Dort have led a darker arc? Drop your theories in the comments below.
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