![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ysabetwordsmithAs part of the March Meta Matters challenge over on ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
marchmetamatterschallenge, I've written about the recent series Wednesday. All links have been archived with the Wayback Machine and/or Archive.fo. Below I discuss the episodes of Season 1.
* Overview
* Interesting Aspects
* Episodes
* Promising Crossovers
* Relevant Dreamwidth Communities
* Memorable Fanworks
Episodes
Wednesday makes a very versatile addition to a canon that's already quite flexible. It introduces ambiguous characters who are easy to interpret in different portrayals. The plots can be written in many ways, especially if you pick a turning point early in the series for your canon divergence. You could also keep the whole first season and build on it; there's enough for a solid base while leaving lots of room for further developments. Because the show skips around so much, it leaves great potential for missing scenes. I have highlighted some of the plot points and possible variations below.
"Chapter I: Wednesday's Child Is Full of Woe"
Wednesday Addams arrives at Nevermore Academy and meets many new people. She tries and fails to escape, but ultimately decides she might like the school after all. Rowan Laslow attacks Wednesday, but is apparently killed by a mysterious monster.
* What was Wednesday's family doing while she settled in at Nevermore?
* Wednesday could wind up with a different roommate.
* Her escape plans could succeed.
* Rowan might not be really dead.
"Chapter II: Woe Is the Loneliest Number"
Police search for Rowan's body. Wednesday worries that she might be going mad, because of her visions and how her memories don't seem to match reality. Nevermore Academy holds a competition called the Poe Cup, which has no rules other than being the first to retrieve the goal. Enid Sinclair makes Wednesday apologize to Thing for being mean to him. Rowan apparently leaves the school; Thing tries to follow but loses him. Wednesday explores the school's clubs. She also starts investigating the Nighshade Society, and gets kidnapped.
* Police might find a body, or find no evidence at all of a fight.
* What does Rowan's family really feel about his death?
* Wednesday might actually be hallucinating instead of having accurate visions.
* Someone else could win the Poe Cup.
* Thing might succeed in tailing Rowan.
* Wednesday might join a different club.
* How did Wednesday learn all the skills she displays while exploring the available clubs?
"Chapter III: Friend or Woe"
Wednesday is disappointed to discover that the Nightshade Society has devolved into a social clique. Then Outreach Day sends the Nevermore students to Pilgrim World in Jericho. Wednesday trades her antique shop assignment to Enid, who has a crush on Ajax Petropolus. Although Wednesday has little luck in her investigation, she amuses herself by speaking only German to the tourists. She also discovers the ruins of the old meeting house and how Joseph Crackstone burned it to the ground to murder Outcasts. She glimpses the monster and how its footprints turn to human. A new town monument is sabotaged, and Wednesday is blamed, but Thing actually did it. Enid and Ajax attempt a date, but Ajax accidentally petrifies himself and misses it.
* Wednesday could have been kidnapped by a real villain.
* It looks like Wednesday has a kidnapping kink. And a competence kink.
* The Nightshade Society might be genuinely scary or powerful.
* Wednesday could have accepted membership in the Nightshade Society.
* This is a great opportunity to explore the historic evils of the Pilgrims and challenge treating them as a positive tourist attraction.
* Outreach Day could instead bring normie students to Nevermore Academy.
* The effort to foster unity between town and school might actually work if handled better.
* Enid could decline the trade, leaving Wednesday to work the antique shop and discover different clues there.
* German tourists would be delighted by a German-speaking hostess and monopolize Wednesday's time. The supervisor can't even complain because the whole busload of Germans spend incredible amounts of cash on fudge.
* What was really going on between roommates Rowan Laslow and Xavier Thorpe?
* The meeting house ruins could be inhabited by genuinely dangerous threats.
* For a much less violent angle, interpret "meeting house" as a Friends meeting house. Because that's about the level of peacework and community skills needed to resolve the mess of issues between Outcasts and Puritans.
* The monster could be Enid, wolfing out without realizing it; Principal Weems, working as a secret villain; or some other character capable of changing shape.
* Wednesday could have sabotaged the monument herself, or someone unrelated could have done it. For more humor, the statue could be dressed in ridiculous clothes or graffiti instead of burned.
* The date between Enid and Ajax could succeed.
"Chapter IV: Woe What a Night"
Nevermore Academy holds a Rave'N dance. Wednesday is not interested, but when Xavier Thorpe catches her spying on him -- she has noticed scratches on his neck -- she asks him to the dance as cover. This makes Tyler Galpin jealous. Wednesday also attempts to recruit help from Sheriff Galpin, but he wants more proof. She continues her investigations with Eugene Ottinger. Thing meddles in Wednesday's love life, setting her up with Tyler -- which also disrupts her plans to sneak out for more investigations with Eugene. Pranksters cause a rain of blood at the dance. Eugene is attacked by the monster.
* The dance could be another town/school event.
* Wednesday could ask (or be asked by) someone else.
* If the scratches really came from Xavier's magically animated art, why is he having trouble controlling his ability, and what if anything is he doing to master it better?
* Wednesday and Xavier could bond over their shared difficulties in controlling their talents.
* Sheriff Galpin might be helpful immediately, or on the other hand, refuse outright.
* Thing could set up Wednesday with someone else.
* How did Wednesday develop her unique dance style?
* Wednesday might keep her plans to go investigating with Eugene.
* Consider a different prank for the dance, or it could go just fine.
* Eugene might escape the monster, or be killed by it.
"Chapter V: You Reap What You Woe"
The school hosts Parents' Weekend. Morticia, Gomez, and Pugsley come to visit Wednesday. Enid Sinclair's family embarrasses her. Xavier Thorpe's father doesn't show at all. Bianca Barclay's mother pressures her about siren issues. Principal Weems proposes that the Addams go to family therapy together. The coroner in Jericho, Dr. Anwar, apparently commits suicide and implicates Gomez in the previous death of Garrett Gates. Sheriff Galpin arrests Gomez, upsetting the whole family. Eventually Wednesday solves the crime, leading to her father's release. She also talks with her mother about their different types of visions.
* Enid's family could be supportive instead of critical about her inability to wolf out.
* Xavier's father could show up and be supportive or abusive.
* Bianca's mother might fail to appear.
* What is Bianca's relationship really like with her mother and any other relatives?
* The Addams family could refuse therapy, or find it a lot more useful.
* Dr. Anwar could survive.
* Any of the deaths could be presented as murder, suicide, or accident. Many different killers are possible for Garrett Gates.
* Gomez might escape and go on the run.
* For a historical story, Garrett might have succeeded at poisoning students in Nevermore Academy.
* The crime may go unsolved, or someone else may solve it.
* Morticia (canonically a "dove" visionary) and Wednesday (canonically a "raven" visionary) might have the same type of visions, or reversed types.
* How is Eugene's family coping with his injuries?
"Chapter VI: Quid Pro Woe"
Wednesday attempts a seance on her birthday, trying to reach Goody Addams, without success. Her friends throw a surprise party for her in Joseph Crackstone's crypt, but it goes awry when she has a vision. Later, Wednesday spies on Mayor Noble Walker and is suspected of involvement in his death. She uses a ruse to escape from the school with her friends. The monster attacks them. Principal Weems wants to expel Wednesday. Fed up with Wednesday's behavior, Enid moves out of their shared room to stay with Yoko Tanaka.
* The seance could work, or it could reach a different and perhaps hostile spirit.
* How did Wednesday's friends organize the surprise party?
* Mayor Walker could survive, and even offer to help Wednesday; or he could be involved in the crimes.
* Wednesday might wind up in jail instead of just restricted to the school.
* The friends could actually spend a night together having fun.
* One of the other students might get seriously injured or killed instead of escaping with scares and scratches.
* Wednesday might actually get expelled from Nevermore Academy.
* Why does Principal Weems keep waffling between complaining about Wednesday and letting her get away with things?
* Enid might continue putting up with Wednesday's thoughtless treatment, or might have a healthier relationship all along.
"Chapter VII: If You Don't Woe By Now"
Fleeing from the law, Uncle Fester comes to visit Wednesday and tells her about Hydes. Wednesday suspects Xavier of involvement because he always seems to be around when the monster attacks. Xavier warns Dr. Kinbott that he foresaw her murder. Wednesday accepts a date with Tyler. She returns to find her room ransacked and Thing stabbed. Uncle Fester manages to revive Thing with electricity. Wednesday tells Principal Weems about the Hyde, but the principal is unwilling to notify the sheriff. Later, Wednesday believes that Dr. Kinbott is actually Laurell Gates. The monster kills Dr. Kinbott, and Xavier gets arrested for the murder due to Wednesday's investigation. Enid and Wednesday make up.
* Uncle Fester could get arrested.
* What was Uncle Fester's bank robbery like?
* Xavier could actually the Hyde's master, or even the Hyde.
* Dr. Kinbott could heed the warning and survive, or she could be the Hyde's master as Wednesday suspects at one point.
* Fromsee_also_friend in this comment: A triggered Hyde who managed to imprint on a safe/trusted person wouldn't be a threat at all, barring a direct attack from some idiot bystander.
*see_also_friend also provided a list of Hyde plotbunnies.
* How did Dr. Kinbott, a normie, wind up treating Outcast clients?
* Wednesday could decline the date with Tyler.
* Thing might suffer lasting harm from the attack, such as difficulty moving one of his fingers.
* What was the fight like from Thing's perspective? He's pretty formidable, so it must have been fierce.
* Principal Weems might agree to tell the sheriff about the Hyde, with positive or negative results for the investigation and/or the school.
* Dr. Kinbott could really be Laurel Gates, or working with her.
* Xavier could flee from the police and escape.
* Someone else could get arrested for the murder.
* Enid and Wednesday might stay separated, or make up and admit they're in love with each other.
"Chapter VIII: A Murder of Woes"
Wednesday meets Tyler Galpin in the woods, but she suspects him of being the Hyde. Other students help her to capture Tyler, but then flee when she proposes torturing him. Wednesday gets arrested and expelled from the school. She talks to Eugene Ottinger and realizes that Marilyn Thornhill is the Hyde's master. Wednesday goes to confront Marilyn, with the help of Principal Weems disguised as Tyler. But Marilyn poisons Principle Weems and captures Wednesday. Marilyn then uses Wednesday and body parts from previous victims to resurrect and free Joseph Crackstone, who rises as a zombie. He stabs Wednesday and leaves her for dead. Goody Addams appears and heals Wednesday, but that means the end of Goody being able to help.
While searching for Wednesday, Enid wolfs out for the first time. Tyler shifts into Hyde form and attacks Wednesday, but Enid protects her. Crackstone goes to attack Nevermore Academy. Warned of the danger, Bianca Barclay rallies the sirens to compel everyone to evacuate, but they don't finish before Crackstone arrives and begins his assault. Finding the Hyde and a werewolf embroiled in a fight, Sheriff Galpin shoots the Hyde, which transforms back into Tyler. Wednesday fights Crackstone. Xavier Thorpe tries shooting him, but Crackstone sends the arrow back at him, hitting Wednesday instead. Bianca stabs Crackstone, enabling Wednesday to finish him off. Eugene attacks Marilyn with the bees he controls. Then Wednesday joins the attack, ending the fight.
The school closes early. Xavier gives Wednesday a phone. Wednesday receives a message from a stalker on the phone. Tyler is shown in chains, then shifting into Hyde form. This season finale is ambiguous in many ways.
* Tyler might not be the Hyde after all.
* The other students might refuse to help Wednesday capture Tyler, or they might be amenable to torture.
* How did Wednesday recruit them anyway? She's terrible with people.
* Wednesday might flee to escape arrest.
* During the confrontation, it might really be Tyler instead of Principal Weems.
* The plan to trap Marilyn Thornhill could work.
* How did Wednesday convince Principal Weems, who dislikes her and rarely believes her, to set up such a risky trap?
* Principal Weems could be either unconscious or dead from the poison.
* Wednesday might escape capture.
* Other students could intervene in the scene.
* The resurrection could fail, or raise someone other than Crackstone. One interesting twist could be if Wednesday is not, in fact, a descendant of Goody Addams (or not direct enough to work).
* How did Laurel Gates, a normie, figure out how to raise a zombie?
* Wednesday might win the fight.
* Wednesday could call for help from someone else, or Goody could leave to summon help.
* Goody might find a way to heal Wednesday and still help.
* Enid might not wolf out, keeping her handicap.
* Tyler could refuse to attack Wednesday, still feeling affection for her.
* Enid might fail to protect Wednesday and get seriously injured.
* Bianca may feel too conflicted about her siren powers to use them, even for a good cause, thus failing to evacuate the school; or they might get everyone out.
* What are the siren principles of ethics, if any, regarding their powers?
* The student body, with their many powers, could attack and destroy Crackstone. This would be especially easy if they had a fire elemental.
* Sheriff Galpin might not find the fight, or not in time. He might even go to the school instead.
* Perhaps suspecting the Hyde's identity, Sheriff Galpin might not shoot it. Hating Outcasts, he might shoot the werewolf instead, or even both of them.
* Just how much does Sheriff Galpin know about his late wife or Hydes in general?
* When Tyler transforms back to human, his father might kill him, or flee with him.
* Wednesday might succeed in defeating Crackstone faster, or the students might mob him at this point, or adults could be actually useful and help defeat him.
* Xavier might destroy Crackstone with the arrow, or at least damage him enough to let someone else finish him off.
* Wednesday might not like Xavier enough to take an arrow for him, letting him be injured or killed; or she might be hurt badly enough that someone else has to finish the fight.
* Bianca might kill Crackstone, or miss and cause the fight to last longer.
* Eugene could kill Marilyn with the bees.
* Wednesday might kill Marilyn, or capture and torture her.
* Marilyn could get arrested.
* The school might stay open, or it could be closed permanently.
* Xavier may not forgive Wednesday for getting him arrested earlier, thus not giving her the phone.
* Has Wednesday actually put in some work on trustbuilding after mistreating lots of people, or does she plan to do so in the future; and if so, how?
* Wednesday could receive upbeat messages from her friends, or a call for help, instead of the stalker message. She could ignore the phone. It might even malfunction, since technology and magic don't always mix well -- a good reason for her using a crystal ball instead of a phone previously.
* The Hyde might escape, be subdued again, or be killed.
Further Resources
21 Plot Shapes and the Pros and Cons of Each
36 Fun and Engaging Fanfiction Writing Prompts -- brilliantio
63 Fanfiction Writing Prompts To Spark Your Imagination
101 Great Plot Twist Ideas to Elevate Your Script -- ScreenCraft
Alternative History:Point of Divergence Ideas
Ambiguity in Literature: Definition & Examples -- SuperSummary
Being a Better Writer: Ambiguous Stories -- Unusual Things
Betrayal: The Feeling of Being Broken ... and the Recovery
Communicating in Difficult Situations
Dealing with Betrayal
Expectancy Violation
Fanfiction Prompts
Fantastic Fanfiction: How to Write an Alternate Universe (AU) Story
Fix-It
How to Create a Compelling Story Arc
How to Rebuild Trust
How to Write a Fanfiction (with Pictures) -- wikiHow
Relational Transgression
Story Arcs: What They Are and How To Write Them
Trust Building
Wait, Who's Dead? All the 'Wednesday' Finale Mysteries, Solved
We Have to Talk: A Step-By-Step Checklist for Difficult Conversations
What's the difference between canon divergent, alternate universe and mirror-verse?
What is Canon-Based/Canon-Compliant/Canon-Divergent?
What is the Plot of a Story? Plot Structures & Devices -- Writers.com
Why the Reveal of [SPOILER] As 'Wednesday's Villain Is Beautifully Predictable
marchmetamatterschallenge, I've written about the recent series Wednesday. All links have been archived with the Wayback Machine and/or Archive.fo. Below I discuss the episodes of Season 1.* Overview
* Interesting Aspects
* Episodes
* Promising Crossovers
* Relevant Dreamwidth Communities
* Memorable Fanworks
Episodes
Wednesday makes a very versatile addition to a canon that's already quite flexible. It introduces ambiguous characters who are easy to interpret in different portrayals. The plots can be written in many ways, especially if you pick a turning point early in the series for your canon divergence. You could also keep the whole first season and build on it; there's enough for a solid base while leaving lots of room for further developments. Because the show skips around so much, it leaves great potential for missing scenes. I have highlighted some of the plot points and possible variations below.
"Chapter I: Wednesday's Child Is Full of Woe"
Wednesday Addams arrives at Nevermore Academy and meets many new people. She tries and fails to escape, but ultimately decides she might like the school after all. Rowan Laslow attacks Wednesday, but is apparently killed by a mysterious monster.
* What was Wednesday's family doing while she settled in at Nevermore?
* Wednesday could wind up with a different roommate.
* Her escape plans could succeed.
* Rowan might not be really dead.
"Chapter II: Woe Is the Loneliest Number"
Police search for Rowan's body. Wednesday worries that she might be going mad, because of her visions and how her memories don't seem to match reality. Nevermore Academy holds a competition called the Poe Cup, which has no rules other than being the first to retrieve the goal. Enid Sinclair makes Wednesday apologize to Thing for being mean to him. Rowan apparently leaves the school; Thing tries to follow but loses him. Wednesday explores the school's clubs. She also starts investigating the Nighshade Society, and gets kidnapped.
* Police might find a body, or find no evidence at all of a fight.
* What does Rowan's family really feel about his death?
* Wednesday might actually be hallucinating instead of having accurate visions.
* Someone else could win the Poe Cup.
* Thing might succeed in tailing Rowan.
* Wednesday might join a different club.
* How did Wednesday learn all the skills she displays while exploring the available clubs?
"Chapter III: Friend or Woe"
Wednesday is disappointed to discover that the Nightshade Society has devolved into a social clique. Then Outreach Day sends the Nevermore students to Pilgrim World in Jericho. Wednesday trades her antique shop assignment to Enid, who has a crush on Ajax Petropolus. Although Wednesday has little luck in her investigation, she amuses herself by speaking only German to the tourists. She also discovers the ruins of the old meeting house and how Joseph Crackstone burned it to the ground to murder Outcasts. She glimpses the monster and how its footprints turn to human. A new town monument is sabotaged, and Wednesday is blamed, but Thing actually did it. Enid and Ajax attempt a date, but Ajax accidentally petrifies himself and misses it.
* Wednesday could have been kidnapped by a real villain.
* It looks like Wednesday has a kidnapping kink. And a competence kink.
* The Nightshade Society might be genuinely scary or powerful.
* Wednesday could have accepted membership in the Nightshade Society.
* This is a great opportunity to explore the historic evils of the Pilgrims and challenge treating them as a positive tourist attraction.
* Outreach Day could instead bring normie students to Nevermore Academy.
* The effort to foster unity between town and school might actually work if handled better.
* Enid could decline the trade, leaving Wednesday to work the antique shop and discover different clues there.
* German tourists would be delighted by a German-speaking hostess and monopolize Wednesday's time. The supervisor can't even complain because the whole busload of Germans spend incredible amounts of cash on fudge.
* What was really going on between roommates Rowan Laslow and Xavier Thorpe?
* The meeting house ruins could be inhabited by genuinely dangerous threats.
* For a much less violent angle, interpret "meeting house" as a Friends meeting house. Because that's about the level of peacework and community skills needed to resolve the mess of issues between Outcasts and Puritans.
* The monster could be Enid, wolfing out without realizing it; Principal Weems, working as a secret villain; or some other character capable of changing shape.
* Wednesday could have sabotaged the monument herself, or someone unrelated could have done it. For more humor, the statue could be dressed in ridiculous clothes or graffiti instead of burned.
* The date between Enid and Ajax could succeed.
"Chapter IV: Woe What a Night"
Nevermore Academy holds a Rave'N dance. Wednesday is not interested, but when Xavier Thorpe catches her spying on him -- she has noticed scratches on his neck -- she asks him to the dance as cover. This makes Tyler Galpin jealous. Wednesday also attempts to recruit help from Sheriff Galpin, but he wants more proof. She continues her investigations with Eugene Ottinger. Thing meddles in Wednesday's love life, setting her up with Tyler -- which also disrupts her plans to sneak out for more investigations with Eugene. Pranksters cause a rain of blood at the dance. Eugene is attacked by the monster.
* The dance could be another town/school event.
* Wednesday could ask (or be asked by) someone else.
* If the scratches really came from Xavier's magically animated art, why is he having trouble controlling his ability, and what if anything is he doing to master it better?
* Wednesday and Xavier could bond over their shared difficulties in controlling their talents.
* Sheriff Galpin might be helpful immediately, or on the other hand, refuse outright.
* Thing could set up Wednesday with someone else.
* How did Wednesday develop her unique dance style?
* Wednesday might keep her plans to go investigating with Eugene.
* Consider a different prank for the dance, or it could go just fine.
* Eugene might escape the monster, or be killed by it.
"Chapter V: You Reap What You Woe"
The school hosts Parents' Weekend. Morticia, Gomez, and Pugsley come to visit Wednesday. Enid Sinclair's family embarrasses her. Xavier Thorpe's father doesn't show at all. Bianca Barclay's mother pressures her about siren issues. Principal Weems proposes that the Addams go to family therapy together. The coroner in Jericho, Dr. Anwar, apparently commits suicide and implicates Gomez in the previous death of Garrett Gates. Sheriff Galpin arrests Gomez, upsetting the whole family. Eventually Wednesday solves the crime, leading to her father's release. She also talks with her mother about their different types of visions.
* Enid's family could be supportive instead of critical about her inability to wolf out.
* Xavier's father could show up and be supportive or abusive.
* Bianca's mother might fail to appear.
* What is Bianca's relationship really like with her mother and any other relatives?
* The Addams family could refuse therapy, or find it a lot more useful.
* Dr. Anwar could survive.
* Any of the deaths could be presented as murder, suicide, or accident. Many different killers are possible for Garrett Gates.
* Gomez might escape and go on the run.
* For a historical story, Garrett might have succeeded at poisoning students in Nevermore Academy.
* The crime may go unsolved, or someone else may solve it.
* Morticia (canonically a "dove" visionary) and Wednesday (canonically a "raven" visionary) might have the same type of visions, or reversed types.
* How is Eugene's family coping with his injuries?
"Chapter VI: Quid Pro Woe"
Wednesday attempts a seance on her birthday, trying to reach Goody Addams, without success. Her friends throw a surprise party for her in Joseph Crackstone's crypt, but it goes awry when she has a vision. Later, Wednesday spies on Mayor Noble Walker and is suspected of involvement in his death. She uses a ruse to escape from the school with her friends. The monster attacks them. Principal Weems wants to expel Wednesday. Fed up with Wednesday's behavior, Enid moves out of their shared room to stay with Yoko Tanaka.
* The seance could work, or it could reach a different and perhaps hostile spirit.
* How did Wednesday's friends organize the surprise party?
* Mayor Walker could survive, and even offer to help Wednesday; or he could be involved in the crimes.
* Wednesday might wind up in jail instead of just restricted to the school.
* The friends could actually spend a night together having fun.
* One of the other students might get seriously injured or killed instead of escaping with scares and scratches.
* Wednesday might actually get expelled from Nevermore Academy.
* Why does Principal Weems keep waffling between complaining about Wednesday and letting her get away with things?
* Enid might continue putting up with Wednesday's thoughtless treatment, or might have a healthier relationship all along.
"Chapter VII: If You Don't Woe By Now"
Fleeing from the law, Uncle Fester comes to visit Wednesday and tells her about Hydes. Wednesday suspects Xavier of involvement because he always seems to be around when the monster attacks. Xavier warns Dr. Kinbott that he foresaw her murder. Wednesday accepts a date with Tyler. She returns to find her room ransacked and Thing stabbed. Uncle Fester manages to revive Thing with electricity. Wednesday tells Principal Weems about the Hyde, but the principal is unwilling to notify the sheriff. Later, Wednesday believes that Dr. Kinbott is actually Laurell Gates. The monster kills Dr. Kinbott, and Xavier gets arrested for the murder due to Wednesday's investigation. Enid and Wednesday make up.
* Uncle Fester could get arrested.
* What was Uncle Fester's bank robbery like?
* Xavier could actually the Hyde's master, or even the Hyde.
* Dr. Kinbott could heed the warning and survive, or she could be the Hyde's master as Wednesday suspects at one point.
* From
see_also_friend in this comment: A triggered Hyde who managed to imprint on a safe/trusted person wouldn't be a threat at all, barring a direct attack from some idiot bystander. *
see_also_friend also provided a list of Hyde plotbunnies.* How did Dr. Kinbott, a normie, wind up treating Outcast clients?
* Wednesday could decline the date with Tyler.
* Thing might suffer lasting harm from the attack, such as difficulty moving one of his fingers.
* What was the fight like from Thing's perspective? He's pretty formidable, so it must have been fierce.
* Principal Weems might agree to tell the sheriff about the Hyde, with positive or negative results for the investigation and/or the school.
* Dr. Kinbott could really be Laurel Gates, or working with her.
* Xavier could flee from the police and escape.
* Someone else could get arrested for the murder.
* Enid and Wednesday might stay separated, or make up and admit they're in love with each other.
"Chapter VIII: A Murder of Woes"
Wednesday meets Tyler Galpin in the woods, but she suspects him of being the Hyde. Other students help her to capture Tyler, but then flee when she proposes torturing him. Wednesday gets arrested and expelled from the school. She talks to Eugene Ottinger and realizes that Marilyn Thornhill is the Hyde's master. Wednesday goes to confront Marilyn, with the help of Principal Weems disguised as Tyler. But Marilyn poisons Principle Weems and captures Wednesday. Marilyn then uses Wednesday and body parts from previous victims to resurrect and free Joseph Crackstone, who rises as a zombie. He stabs Wednesday and leaves her for dead. Goody Addams appears and heals Wednesday, but that means the end of Goody being able to help.
While searching for Wednesday, Enid wolfs out for the first time. Tyler shifts into Hyde form and attacks Wednesday, but Enid protects her. Crackstone goes to attack Nevermore Academy. Warned of the danger, Bianca Barclay rallies the sirens to compel everyone to evacuate, but they don't finish before Crackstone arrives and begins his assault. Finding the Hyde and a werewolf embroiled in a fight, Sheriff Galpin shoots the Hyde, which transforms back into Tyler. Wednesday fights Crackstone. Xavier Thorpe tries shooting him, but Crackstone sends the arrow back at him, hitting Wednesday instead. Bianca stabs Crackstone, enabling Wednesday to finish him off. Eugene attacks Marilyn with the bees he controls. Then Wednesday joins the attack, ending the fight.
The school closes early. Xavier gives Wednesday a phone. Wednesday receives a message from a stalker on the phone. Tyler is shown in chains, then shifting into Hyde form. This season finale is ambiguous in many ways.
* Tyler might not be the Hyde after all.
* The other students might refuse to help Wednesday capture Tyler, or they might be amenable to torture.
* How did Wednesday recruit them anyway? She's terrible with people.
* Wednesday might flee to escape arrest.
* During the confrontation, it might really be Tyler instead of Principal Weems.
* The plan to trap Marilyn Thornhill could work.
* How did Wednesday convince Principal Weems, who dislikes her and rarely believes her, to set up such a risky trap?
* Principal Weems could be either unconscious or dead from the poison.
* Wednesday might escape capture.
* Other students could intervene in the scene.
* The resurrection could fail, or raise someone other than Crackstone. One interesting twist could be if Wednesday is not, in fact, a descendant of Goody Addams (or not direct enough to work).
* How did Laurel Gates, a normie, figure out how to raise a zombie?
* Wednesday might win the fight.
* Wednesday could call for help from someone else, or Goody could leave to summon help.
* Goody might find a way to heal Wednesday and still help.
* Enid might not wolf out, keeping her handicap.
* Tyler could refuse to attack Wednesday, still feeling affection for her.
* Enid might fail to protect Wednesday and get seriously injured.
* Bianca may feel too conflicted about her siren powers to use them, even for a good cause, thus failing to evacuate the school; or they might get everyone out.
* What are the siren principles of ethics, if any, regarding their powers?
* The student body, with their many powers, could attack and destroy Crackstone. This would be especially easy if they had a fire elemental.
* Sheriff Galpin might not find the fight, or not in time. He might even go to the school instead.
* Perhaps suspecting the Hyde's identity, Sheriff Galpin might not shoot it. Hating Outcasts, he might shoot the werewolf instead, or even both of them.
* Just how much does Sheriff Galpin know about his late wife or Hydes in general?
* When Tyler transforms back to human, his father might kill him, or flee with him.
* Wednesday might succeed in defeating Crackstone faster, or the students might mob him at this point, or adults could be actually useful and help defeat him.
* Xavier might destroy Crackstone with the arrow, or at least damage him enough to let someone else finish him off.
* Wednesday might not like Xavier enough to take an arrow for him, letting him be injured or killed; or she might be hurt badly enough that someone else has to finish the fight.
* Bianca might kill Crackstone, or miss and cause the fight to last longer.
* Eugene could kill Marilyn with the bees.
* Wednesday might kill Marilyn, or capture and torture her.
* Marilyn could get arrested.
* The school might stay open, or it could be closed permanently.
* Xavier may not forgive Wednesday for getting him arrested earlier, thus not giving her the phone.
* Has Wednesday actually put in some work on trustbuilding after mistreating lots of people, or does she plan to do so in the future; and if so, how?
* Wednesday could receive upbeat messages from her friends, or a call for help, instead of the stalker message. She could ignore the phone. It might even malfunction, since technology and magic don't always mix well -- a good reason for her using a crystal ball instead of a phone previously.
* The Hyde might escape, be subdued again, or be killed.
Further Resources
21 Plot Shapes and the Pros and Cons of Each
36 Fun and Engaging Fanfiction Writing Prompts -- brilliantio
63 Fanfiction Writing Prompts To Spark Your Imagination
101 Great Plot Twist Ideas to Elevate Your Script -- ScreenCraft
Alternative History:Point of Divergence Ideas
Ambiguity in Literature: Definition & Examples -- SuperSummary
Being a Better Writer: Ambiguous Stories -- Unusual Things
Betrayal: The Feeling of Being Broken ... and the Recovery
Communicating in Difficult Situations
Dealing with Betrayal
Expectancy Violation
Fanfiction Prompts
Fantastic Fanfiction: How to Write an Alternate Universe (AU) Story
Fix-It
How to Create a Compelling Story Arc
How to Rebuild Trust
How to Write a Fanfiction (with Pictures) -- wikiHow
Relational Transgression
Story Arcs: What They Are and How To Write Them
Trust Building
Wait, Who's Dead? All the 'Wednesday' Finale Mysteries, Solved
We Have to Talk: A Step-By-Step Checklist for Difficult Conversations
What's the difference between canon divergent, alternate universe and mirror-verse?
What is Canon-Based/Canon-Compliant/Canon-Divergent?
What is the Plot of a Story? Plot Structures & Devices -- Writers.com
Why the Reveal of [SPOILER] As 'Wednesday's Villain Is Beautifully Predictable
(no subject)
Date: 2023-03-06 05:54 pm (UTC)Might be worth adding that 'to stone' is in-universe slang meaning "to petrify," as the other meanings ('high on marijuana' or 'execution via thrown rocks') make an ambiguous amount of sense.
>>* For a much less violent angle, interpret "meeting house" as a Friends meeting house. Because that's about the level of peacework and community skills needed to resolve the mess of issues between Outcasts and Puritans.<<
Er... might not work well. The Puritans /despised/ the Quakers, in part due to the egalitarianism and direct communion with God being considered heretical and in part due to the fact that the Puritans were the sort of religious fanatics who believed it was moral to punish nonbelievers even though it wouldn't even save the nonbeliever's souls.
>>* Bianca may feel too conflicted about her siren powers to use them, even for a good cause, thus failing to evacuate the school; or they might get everyone out.<<
I did wonder at the dance scene, [Bianca expresses insecurity due to never knowing if her powers are compelling people to like her] if using sign language would work. Siren powers are usually held to be vocally or musically activated, rather than pheromone powers or various telepath abilities, which are more likely to be always-on.
Things like writing notes, premade notecards, a speechboard or whatever the in-universe version of a voice app is would be other options. Then again, a popular teenage girl might be resistant to certain types of adaptive equipment...
>>* What are the siren principles of ethics, if any, regarding their powers?<<
Probably the usual 'do not engage in behavior harmful to the group' that is common across all societies, possibly with benefits skewing to higher-status members. Of course, this still allows a lot of variation; just look at how "thou shall not kill" is expressed across and outside various human societies.
>>* Wednesday might succeed in defeating Crackstone faster, or the students might mob him at this point, or adults could be actually useful and help defeat him.
Someday it would be nice to see a Magical Academy setting where students aren't the ones solving all the problems and being in mortal peril on a bimonthly basis.
Closest I've seen appears in The Owl House, and that only makes the list because the school (while dangerous) isn't any more dangerous than everything off-campus. While there are helpful adults whose default reaction is to protect their kids, the local culture seems to have a much higher threshold of danger than the surrounding area, and by the time plot difficulties exceed that it is the sort of mess that can't be easily solved by an adult, or even a collection of them
Thoughts
Date: 2023-03-07 03:27 am (UTC)Changed to "petrifies."
>>Er... might not work well. The Puritans /despised/ the Quakers, in part due to the egalitarianism and direct communion with God being considered heretical and in part due to the fact that the Puritans were the sort of religious fanatics who believed it was moral to punish nonbelievers even though it wouldn't even save the nonbeliever's souls.<<
Hence using the meeting house for genocidal arson. After all, Crackstone doesn't seem the type to burn down his own church.
>> I did wonder at the dance scene, [Bianca expresses insecurity due to never knowing if her powers are compelling people to like her] if using sign language would work. <<
It could set up a great friendship between Bianca and Thing.
>>Siren powers are usually held to be vocally or musically activated, rather than pheromone powers or various telepath abilities, which are more likely to be always-on.<<
True.
>>Things like writing notes, premade notecards, a speechboard or whatever the in-universe version of a voice app is would be other options. Then again, a popular teenage girl might be resistant to certain types of adaptive equipment...<<
I don't think Bianca would want to use most of those in public, but she might have a preference for texting over talking, or be more willing to use alternatives in private.
>>Probably the usual 'do not engage in behavior harmful to the group' that is common across all societies, possibly with benefits skewing to higher-status members. Of course, this still allows a lot of variation; just look at how "thou shall not kill" is expressed across and outside various human societies.<<
Basically I'm wondering if the outlier is Bianca or her mother. Are most sirens responsible about using their powers and her mother is a fluke? Or are most of them shysters and Bianca is the exception? If the sirens use their powers pretty freely, they could make excellent con artists, politicians, prostitutes, actors, etc. But if most of them don't use their powers that way, then it's less likely to produce a tight cluster of behavior. Which is the fluke will have a huge influence on the plot going forward.
>>Someday it would be nice to see a Magical Academy setting where students aren't the ones solving all the problems and being in mortal peril on a bimonthly basis.<<
The closest I've seen is RWBY. It's very dangerous because the world is threatened by monsters and the students are learning how to fight them. But when the shit hits the fan, the adults are fighting right alongside the students.
Re: Thoughts
Date: 2023-03-07 06:46 am (UTC)If she likes dance, she might like sign-singing, and someone who lives in the water will likely be intrigued by the 3D nature of sign. A downside is that her friends wouldn't necessarily understand her unless they learn or already know sign. Wednesday can at leas fingerspell because of Thing, and Enid would likely try to learn, both because of her Odd Friendship with Thing and because she is just generally and nice person like that.
It used to be possible to use Google Translate as a mock (if monotone) voice app; though I haven't really been using it since it upgraded (for unrelated reasons). There are probably better apps designed for that purpose, and with cooler features.
>>Basically I'm wondering if the outlier is Bianca or her mother. Are most sirens responsible about using their powers and her mother is a fluke?<<
It's woth noting that Bianca's mother seems to be working with a human (or at least non-siren) conman. Also when Mama's powers start to fail the first attempt to find a replacement is to manipulate her [presumably underage] daughter into doing something she [Bianca] find uncomfortable an unethical. If that is normal siren behavior, why not find a sibling or adult friend instead?
>>Or are most of them shysters and Bianca is the exception? If the sirens use their powers pretty freely, they could make excellent con artists, politicians, prostitutes, actors, etc.<<
That could explain why Bianca is unsure about how to not use her powers. Think of a young man trying to figure out consent culture while every single role model is being a misogynistic jerk, and harassing him for objecting.
>>But if most of them don't use their powers that way, then it's less likely to produce a tight cluster of behavior. Which is the fluke will have a huge influence on the plot going forward.<<
I think Bianca's mother seems to be more 'alone' than Bianca, which would indicate that Mama is the more outrageous/unacceptable one. But Bianca doesn't seem to be spending much time with her clique of sirens (even though she is very popular) she might be uncomfortable/incompatible with some aspects of siren culture herself.
I'll guess mix and match:
Maybe Mama is a persona non grata for some reason (selling her powers, using her powers for a human, past transgressions against the community). This would explain why we never see her interact with any sirens besides Bianca, and why Bianca is the only choice for a replacement, even if it involves threatening children.
Simultaneously, Bianca might be a better fit on the surface (hence the queen bee position), but still be uncomfortable with some things that are considered normal. Maybe sirens don't see mild influence as harmful, but Bianca is much more strict, at least for herself? Compare her hanging out with a non-siren friend group to a teetotaler who prefers to avoid going to parties at bars, even if they interact with the same people elsewhere.
Also, if Bianca grew up with a unethical mother who was shunned, it would explain why she doesn't have a trusted adult to talk to about her powers. No one wants to deal with Mama, and Bianca doesn't feel comfortable approaching any adult sirens to ask about how to not accidentally compel her boyfriends, /especially/ if she thinks they'll act like her mother.
>>The closest I've seen is RWBY. It's very dangerous because the world is threatened by monsters and the students are learning how to fight them. But when the shit hits the fan, the adults are fighting right alongside the students.<<
Basically the same things I like about The Owl House, except students there are just trying to live in the Death World, not become soldiers in it.
I mean, there's a difference between "Life is dangerous, let's learn about how to deal with that" and "drop your kid into danger, then berate them for /being in danger/."