#yeah that show

[bannteags]

Relistening to TAZ Balance always makes me chuckle when I think about the people who I’ve recommended the show to. Like THIS is the show that changed your life? This podcast with masturbation jokes made you cry?

[happylittlegremlin]

My Analysis of Wednesday?

Now, like a lot of people I feel like the Wednesday love triangle was meh at best and "Jesus Christ why are they doing this?" at worst.

So, here's a mini-essay in an attempt to make the dreaded triangle at least tolerable AND present a queer reading of her that coincides with her "straightening".

First! I want to say that I'm in no way an expert on LGTBQ+ issues. I'm a straight, cis-gendered man, who considers themselves an ally. I have not yet taken any Study in Women, Sexuality, and Gender classes (though I hope to do so in the future). I am not the authority on anything, I am just a fan who has their own mini headcanon and cannot shut their mouth, so regardless: here we go...

Now, this is probably in no way intentional by the writers, but if Wednesday is a (closeted) queer (ARO ACE PLEASE OR AT LEAST BISEXUAL OR SOMETHING I SWEAR), then why wouldn't she go for the most generic white man?

Now, hear me out!

Due to a heteronormative society, her first assumption would be that she is, well... straight.

Now in no way am I saying that she is like... trying to hide her queerness. I'm just thinking that she may not even know! Like, she has spent her life in the Addams family household! You know! The family known for its healthy, sex-positive presentation of a heterosexual couple! 

Now, I 100% believe that the Addams have informed Wednesday of LGTBQ+ people and have supported those people. However, with parental figures who have been one of the greatest presentations of a healthy, sex-positive relationship in the last 60 years of television it's going to be hard not to attempt to subconsciously copy that.

Furthermore, Wednesday (at least in this show) seems to focus a lot more on herself (and not in a therapeutic way) than anything else. I mean, the main thematic core of the show is that she wants to be alone and how that mindset is an inherently toxic one (now, we can talk about that thematic reading for hours, but for now let's just accept it). This can also suggest she has never really thought about herself in a romantic affiliation (which makes my case for her being asexual, though this doesn't stop me from believing she is alloromantic... so #wenclair shippers, ship away!). I mean, she writes a detective series (mostly based on herself) and for the most part there isn't much of a love story component to them (at least I assume so. I don't think Wednesday is drooling over her "date" with Tyler in her book).

Now, what does this have to do with her having a love triangle with some of the most generic white men in the town?

WELL, GOOD OLD HETERONORMATY FOLKS!

Wednesday never really initiates any of the love interest stuff. I mean, think about it!

FIRST XAVIER! Wednesday doesn't really like Xavier in any romantic context (and I swear if they don't just become a fun couple of friends the @netflix studio will have a mysterious grease fire...) and I think that is most obvious when she is "asking out Xavier". She does this as a cover-up, an allabi. She lies to his face directly and it's obvious. She has really zero romantic connection to him.

NOW TO TYLER! This is arguably (in my own opinion) the relationship that has the most "legs" (though they are toddlers' legs)! Jenna Ortega and Hunter Doohan have some great chemistry together, though it just isn't... you know... right...

Maybe I'm putting my own heteronormative views on it, but like... when I suspended my disbelief I could maybe see it? But that's probably just the actors being good friends and not them actually being a good couple. REGARDLESS, this relationship is the true "beast" of this mini-essay.

Wednesday has very little romantic desire for him before Tyler spells out he likes her (and then promptly tricks Wednesday that she likes him). Almost every scene where they're together is either Wednesday getting something she wants (getting a get away car, getting access to areas like in a video game, etc, etc). He's at least a really good friend/acquaintance and at best her partner in crime. But overall, Wednesday isn't truly pining for Tyler. That is until episode four, where Tyler confesses that he likes her and Wednesday feels... indifferent. Like, she had no aspirations for going to the dance with Tyler. She was gonna skulk around a little cave with bee boy. She has no plans to go out with Tyler, but the heterosexuality seeds have already been planted in her head.

Has she really been leading him on?

Does she want to go to the Rav'n with him?

What does she really want?

But, it is canon that she just simply didn't want to ask him out.

However, Thing had different plans (and it makes sense for Thing to believe Wednesday is straight because well... Mortica and Gomez are straight/bisexual/pansexual (?)) and asks out Tyler for her. This is when Wednesday really falls into that good old trope of not understanding sexuality and just going along with it because it's the "normal" thing to do.

Now, some y'all may get angry for her just... you know... going with the flow of normalcy, but like... I mean... throughout the show it's presented that she is growing as a person (NOW I'M NOT SAYING NORMAL IS INHERENTLY GOOD), and thus is adapting to the idea of being "normal". In this situation, she puts down her guard to do the "normal" teenage thing and go out to the dance with a cute date and attempt to enjoy herself. I also want to add that she does this out of her misunderstanding of romantic and sexual relationships between people.

Wednesday is faced with a person she has mixed emotions for. He's the person who is helping her with the case and is by all means her "friend". This friend does not judge her nor really try to change her (other than some situations that I may forget). 

Now, as we've seen, when Wednesday hits a corner with a person or reaches a place of misunderstanding she usually attempts to go through it rather than rejecting it. Like, when Enid refuses to help Wednesday until she apologizes to Thing she doesn't resist. She does it. Furthermore, when Xavier forces her to ask him out to the dance, she does it. It seems (to me at least) Wednesday will do the "normal" thing when she is in a tight spot and doesn't have any other ideas.

Now when Tyler shows up to her door she's pressed into a corner. She doesn't understand romance or relationships, so she just goes along with it. At least that's what I think, maybe I'm wrong.

Regardless, she goes through with it and has a good time and STILL Wednesday doesn't really initiate more intimacy with Tyler. When she does it's usually through tricks. Every other date or huge interaction is made with Tyler.

So it seems pretty obvious that she doesn't like Tyler. The reason why I spent so long on Tyler is to provide a huge basis to why I don't think Tyler and her are actually a good relationship. It is also providing reason why I think Wednesday doesn't like Tyler. It just doesn't make sense.

BUT WHY DOES SHE KISS HIM! AND WHY DOES IT MAKE SENSE FOR HER TO PICK OUT THIS SLAB OF WOOD!

Well, as I said, heteronormative societal expectations. We've already proved that she goes with the flow when it comes to things she doesn't understand and is cornered, so she goes with the flow with romance. She doesn't understand people, especially romance (see everytime she gets uncomfortable with Gomez and Mortica). So she goes with the flow of society tell her. And society tells Wednesday that she should be with a straight, white dude who "understands" you. So thus, she goes and does exactly that.

No wonder Wednesday goes for the most generic, straight white man!

No offense Hunter Doohan or Percy White! I love you both!

Now I know this probably made no coherent sense and is super long, but I also wrote this in one sitting and I don't want to read back. Correct me on anything I got wrong, please don't cancel me I swear I have the best intentions, and thank you f

[cherrydyedsocks]

did the guys from that one show ( I think it s called 911) ever get together??

[bowser14456]

I feel like it's weird to miss a show when the ending sucked so badly 🫤

[reallygroovyninja]

Only good thing that came out of the episode was Bellarke has less than zero chance of happening. It appears jroth baited them and then fucked them over too. Overall, it beat the snoozefest that was the fear premiere but it fell flat for me on the things they raved about.