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ysabetwordsmithThis installment discusses Eugene Ottinger and Morticia Addams in their relationships with Wednesday Addams in Wednesday.
Here is the character study:
Meta: "Why I Love Wednesday Addams" Part 1: Introduction
Meta: "Why I Love Wednesday Addams" Part 2: Ethnicity & Linguistics
Meta: "Why I Love Wednesday Addams" Part 3: An Outcast
Meta: "Why I Love Wednesday Addams" Part 4: Thoughts and Feelings
Meta: "Why I Love Wednesday Addams" Part 5: Relationships
Meta: "Why I Love Wednesday Addams" Part 6: Solitary Accomplishments
Meta: "Why I Love Wednesday Addams" Part 7: Trust and Betrayal
Meta: "Why I Love Wednesday Addams" Part 8: Connected Characters
Meta: "Why I Love Wednesday Addams" Part 9: Enid Sinclair
Meta: "Why I Love Wednesday Addams" Part 10: Eugene & Morticia
See also:
Wednesday TV Series (The Addams Family) Overview
Eugene Ottinger
Eugene Ottinger is the son of Sue and Janet Ottinger. (This demonstrates the series Wednesday as queer-friendly.) He serves as the president of the beekeeping club, the Nevermore Hummers, and has the ability to control bees. Wednesday views Eugene as a little brother because he reminds her of Pugsley, and she treats Eugene similarly: with causual cruelty and indifference, right up until someone else threatens him and earns her violent retribution. Eugene remains staunchly loyal to her regardless. He is a nerd, and doesn't have many other friends. But he's also the closest thing the series has to a male feminist. Aside from his interest in Enid despite her preferring someone else, he says a lot of feminist things, mostly centered around the matriarchal nature of bees.
"Eugene loves those dang bees like they're his kids. His fuzzy buzzy babies."
-- Sue Ottinger to Wednesday Addams
"You were all he could talk about lately. He was so happy that you joined the hummers."
-- Janet Ottinger to Wednesday Addams about Eugene Ottinger
This offers an interesting insight into what kind of male partner Wednesday might tolerate, or even like: a gentleman in distress, or in fannish terms, a woobie. This type makes a great contrast for the clam, which is Wednesday's character type. She needs someone who respects her skills, doesn't challenge her for dominance, and appreciates her rescuing him; but who also has impressive skills in his own area of expertise and is interesting enough to stand up to the intensity of Wednesday's personality. Someone who reminds her of her males that she actually connects with and wants to protect. For those of you shipping Wednesday/Eugene, consider this a possible avenue of development.
Eugene persists in helping Wednesday to search for the monster. When she briefly abandons the hunt to attend the Rave'N dance in Episode 4, he goes out alone and gets attacked, winding up in a coma for much of the season. Wednesday visits him repeatedly, showing much more attachment to him than usual for her cold personality. Eugene reappears at the end in Episode 8, helping Wednesday in a fight by sending bees to attack Marilyn Thornhill (born Laurel Gates). Wednesday even protects him by telling him to turn around before she deals with Marilyn, although it is unspecified whether that ends in a beating, capture and torture, or death. Although Wednesday's people skills still aren't great, this is among the least worst and most healthy relationships she has.
"Listen, people like me and you, we’re different. We’re original thinkers, intrepid outliers in this vast cesspool of adolescence. We don’t need these inane rites of passage to validate who we are."
-- Wednesday to Eugene
"Bees have been producing honey in the same way for 150 million years. They're nature's perfect community. All working together to achieve a common goal. Fun fact, it's also one of the few ecosystems in which females dominate."
-- Eugene Ottinger
"From the queen bee to her workers. There's no patriarchy in the hive!"
-- Eugene Ottinger
"Yeah, that’s what you get for messing with Nevermore. Bitch."
-- Eugene Ottinger
Beekeeping for Beginners
Character Archetypes – N for Nerd by Word Hunter
Guide: Clarifying a Platonic Relationship
How to be a Nerd / Geek -- Geekipedia Wiki Fandom
Wednesday’s Friendship With Eugene Has A Deeper Meaning Than You Realize
What I Wish Romance Writers Knew About Nerds
What is Eugene in Wednesday?
What Is A Platonic Friendship & Why They're Good To Have
WHO OR WHAT IS EUGENE? POWERS OF WEDNESDAY CHARACTER EXPLORED
Morticia Addams
Morticia is the wife of Gomez, mother of Wednesday and Pugsley. As a teen, she attended Nevermore Academy with great success; she and Gomez met there. During that time, Garrett Gates stalked and harassed her. She reported it to Noble Walker, the sheriff at the time, but he did nothing. Then a fight occured which led to Morticia killing Garrett in defense of herself and Gomez, but Gomez took the blame; he was arrested for murder but later freed. Morticia was also roomates with Larissa Weems, who later became the principal and let Wednesday enter mid-semester. Morticia hoped that her daughter would enjoy the school.
Noble Walker: I resent your implication.
Morticia Addams: What I resent is that you could have prevented Garrett's death if you had done your job when I lodged my complaint about him stalking me. But no. Men like you have no idea what it feels like not to be believed.
This quote comes from a TV series ‘Wednesday’. The scene where this moment comes from is from Season 1 Episode 5, with the title of ‘You Reap What You Woe’
Finally, you will be among peers who understand you.
-- Morticia Addams
Maybe you’ll even make some friends.
-- Morticia Addams
In previous iterations of Addams Family canon, Morticia and Wednesday were quite close -- but Wednesday was younger in all of those. Some people have complained about the change, but it's actually very accurate. What we see here in the mother-daughter dynamics is what happens when a formerly close relationship hits the rocks of teen hormones. The way my mother put it was, "We're going to drive each other nuts for a decade or so. All we can do is wait it out, and try not to say anything unforgivable in the meantime." So most of the interactions in Wednesday consist of arguments. Fighting with her mother is probably the most normal thing that Wednesday does. (But shh, don't mention it because she'll stab anyone who calls her normal.) Still, Morticia does share some useful information about psychic visions, particularly in terms of her being a Dove while Wednesday is a Raven.
Morticia Addams: That boy's family was going to file attempted murder charges. How would that have looked on your record?
Wednesday Addams: Terrible. Everyone would know I failed to get the job done.
This quote comes from a TV series ‘Wednesday’. The scene where this moment comes from is from Season 1 Episode 1, with the title of ‘Wednesday’s Child Is Full of Woe’
Morticia Addams: You are a brilliant girl, Wednesday, but sometimes you get in your own way.
This quote comes from a TV series ‘Wednesday’. The scene where this moment comes from is from Season 1 Episode 1, with the title of ‘Wednesday’s Child Is Full of Woe’
Morticia Addams: Our psychic ability resides on the spectrum of who we are. Given my disposition, my visions tend to be positive. That makes me a Dove.
Wednesday Addams: And for someone like me? Who sees the world through a darker lens?
Morticia Addams: You're a Raven. Your visions are more potent, more powerful. But without the proper training, they can lead to madness. -- Season 1 Episode 5, with the title of "You Reap What You Woe"
5 Ways to Improve a Mother and Teenage Daughter Relationship
The Addams Family Dynamics In Netflix's Wednesday Show Explained
Emiko Jean: On Writing About Complicated Mother-Daughter Relationships
The Enduring Importance of Mother-Daughter Literature Gomez is a model train autistic. Morticia is a botanic autistic. Pugsley is a chemistry autistic. Fester is a maniac criminal, clinically insane autistic. Granny is a maths autistic. Pubert is a non-verbal, savant autistic. Wednesday is a touch aversion, no good with feelings, taxidermy, gothic literature and true crime autistic. -- Writers Who
How to Navigate Tricky Mother-Daughter Relationships
Mother-Daughter Relationship: Importance And Ways To Improve
Motherlode as a Genre
Netflix Totally Changed Wednesday & Morticia's Relationship (& That's Good)
'Wednesday' Needs a More Supportive Mother-Daughter Relationship Wednesday Season 2 Story Hint Supports A Morticia Addams Theory
Who Is Morticia Addams? Character And Abilities Explained
Why doesn’t Wednesday Addams get along with Morticia Addams in ‘Wednesday’ on Netflix?
Here is the character study:
Meta: "Why I Love Wednesday Addams" Part 1: Introduction
Meta: "Why I Love Wednesday Addams" Part 2: Ethnicity & Linguistics
Meta: "Why I Love Wednesday Addams" Part 3: An Outcast
Meta: "Why I Love Wednesday Addams" Part 4: Thoughts and Feelings
Meta: "Why I Love Wednesday Addams" Part 5: Relationships
Meta: "Why I Love Wednesday Addams" Part 6: Solitary Accomplishments
Meta: "Why I Love Wednesday Addams" Part 7: Trust and Betrayal
Meta: "Why I Love Wednesday Addams" Part 8: Connected Characters
Meta: "Why I Love Wednesday Addams" Part 9: Enid Sinclair
Meta: "Why I Love Wednesday Addams" Part 10: Eugene & Morticia
See also:
Wednesday TV Series (The Addams Family) Overview
Eugene Ottinger
Eugene Ottinger is the son of Sue and Janet Ottinger. (This demonstrates the series Wednesday as queer-friendly.) He serves as the president of the beekeeping club, the Nevermore Hummers, and has the ability to control bees. Wednesday views Eugene as a little brother because he reminds her of Pugsley, and she treats Eugene similarly: with causual cruelty and indifference, right up until someone else threatens him and earns her violent retribution. Eugene remains staunchly loyal to her regardless. He is a nerd, and doesn't have many other friends. But he's also the closest thing the series has to a male feminist. Aside from his interest in Enid despite her preferring someone else, he says a lot of feminist things, mostly centered around the matriarchal nature of bees.
"Eugene loves those dang bees like they're his kids. His fuzzy buzzy babies."
-- Sue Ottinger to Wednesday Addams
"You were all he could talk about lately. He was so happy that you joined the hummers."
-- Janet Ottinger to Wednesday Addams about Eugene Ottinger
This offers an interesting insight into what kind of male partner Wednesday might tolerate, or even like: a gentleman in distress, or in fannish terms, a woobie. This type makes a great contrast for the clam, which is Wednesday's character type. She needs someone who respects her skills, doesn't challenge her for dominance, and appreciates her rescuing him; but who also has impressive skills in his own area of expertise and is interesting enough to stand up to the intensity of Wednesday's personality. Someone who reminds her of her males that she actually connects with and wants to protect. For those of you shipping Wednesday/Eugene, consider this a possible avenue of development.
Eugene persists in helping Wednesday to search for the monster. When she briefly abandons the hunt to attend the Rave'N dance in Episode 4, he goes out alone and gets attacked, winding up in a coma for much of the season. Wednesday visits him repeatedly, showing much more attachment to him than usual for her cold personality. Eugene reappears at the end in Episode 8, helping Wednesday in a fight by sending bees to attack Marilyn Thornhill (born Laurel Gates). Wednesday even protects him by telling him to turn around before she deals with Marilyn, although it is unspecified whether that ends in a beating, capture and torture, or death. Although Wednesday's people skills still aren't great, this is among the least worst and most healthy relationships she has.
"Listen, people like me and you, we’re different. We’re original thinkers, intrepid outliers in this vast cesspool of adolescence. We don’t need these inane rites of passage to validate who we are."
-- Wednesday to Eugene
"Bees have been producing honey in the same way for 150 million years. They're nature's perfect community. All working together to achieve a common goal. Fun fact, it's also one of the few ecosystems in which females dominate."
-- Eugene Ottinger
"From the queen bee to her workers. There's no patriarchy in the hive!"
-- Eugene Ottinger
"Yeah, that’s what you get for messing with Nevermore. Bitch."
-- Eugene Ottinger
Beekeeping for Beginners
Character Archetypes – N for Nerd by Word Hunter
Guide: Clarifying a Platonic Relationship
How to be a Nerd / Geek -- Geekipedia Wiki Fandom
Wednesday’s Friendship With Eugene Has A Deeper Meaning Than You Realize
What I Wish Romance Writers Knew About Nerds
What is Eugene in Wednesday?
What Is A Platonic Friendship & Why They're Good To Have
WHO OR WHAT IS EUGENE? POWERS OF WEDNESDAY CHARACTER EXPLORED
Morticia Addams
Morticia is the wife of Gomez, mother of Wednesday and Pugsley. As a teen, she attended Nevermore Academy with great success; she and Gomez met there. During that time, Garrett Gates stalked and harassed her. She reported it to Noble Walker, the sheriff at the time, but he did nothing. Then a fight occured which led to Morticia killing Garrett in defense of herself and Gomez, but Gomez took the blame; he was arrested for murder but later freed. Morticia was also roomates with Larissa Weems, who later became the principal and let Wednesday enter mid-semester. Morticia hoped that her daughter would enjoy the school.
Noble Walker: I resent your implication.
Morticia Addams: What I resent is that you could have prevented Garrett's death if you had done your job when I lodged my complaint about him stalking me. But no. Men like you have no idea what it feels like not to be believed.
This quote comes from a TV series ‘Wednesday’. The scene where this moment comes from is from Season 1 Episode 5, with the title of ‘You Reap What You Woe’
Finally, you will be among peers who understand you.
-- Morticia Addams
Maybe you’ll even make some friends.
-- Morticia Addams
In previous iterations of Addams Family canon, Morticia and Wednesday were quite close -- but Wednesday was younger in all of those. Some people have complained about the change, but it's actually very accurate. What we see here in the mother-daughter dynamics is what happens when a formerly close relationship hits the rocks of teen hormones. The way my mother put it was, "We're going to drive each other nuts for a decade or so. All we can do is wait it out, and try not to say anything unforgivable in the meantime." So most of the interactions in Wednesday consist of arguments. Fighting with her mother is probably the most normal thing that Wednesday does. (But shh, don't mention it because she'll stab anyone who calls her normal.) Still, Morticia does share some useful information about psychic visions, particularly in terms of her being a Dove while Wednesday is a Raven.
Morticia Addams: That boy's family was going to file attempted murder charges. How would that have looked on your record?
Wednesday Addams: Terrible. Everyone would know I failed to get the job done.
This quote comes from a TV series ‘Wednesday’. The scene where this moment comes from is from Season 1 Episode 1, with the title of ‘Wednesday’s Child Is Full of Woe’
Morticia Addams: You are a brilliant girl, Wednesday, but sometimes you get in your own way.
This quote comes from a TV series ‘Wednesday’. The scene where this moment comes from is from Season 1 Episode 1, with the title of ‘Wednesday’s Child Is Full of Woe’
Morticia Addams: Our psychic ability resides on the spectrum of who we are. Given my disposition, my visions tend to be positive. That makes me a Dove.
Wednesday Addams: And for someone like me? Who sees the world through a darker lens?
Morticia Addams: You're a Raven. Your visions are more potent, more powerful. But without the proper training, they can lead to madness. -- Season 1 Episode 5, with the title of "You Reap What You Woe"
5 Ways to Improve a Mother and Teenage Daughter Relationship
The Addams Family Dynamics In Netflix's Wednesday Show Explained
Emiko Jean: On Writing About Complicated Mother-Daughter Relationships
The Enduring Importance of Mother-Daughter Literature Gomez is a model train autistic. Morticia is a botanic autistic. Pugsley is a chemistry autistic. Fester is a maniac criminal, clinically insane autistic. Granny is a maths autistic. Pubert is a non-verbal, savant autistic. Wednesday is a touch aversion, no good with feelings, taxidermy, gothic literature and true crime autistic. -- Writers Who
How to Navigate Tricky Mother-Daughter Relationships
Mother-Daughter Relationship: Importance And Ways To Improve
Motherlode as a Genre
Netflix Totally Changed Wednesday & Morticia's Relationship (& That's Good)
'Wednesday' Needs a More Supportive Mother-Daughter Relationship Wednesday Season 2 Story Hint Supports A Morticia Addams Theory
Who Is Morticia Addams? Character And Abilities Explained
Why doesn’t Wednesday Addams get along with Morticia Addams in ‘Wednesday’ on Netflix?
(no subject)
Date: 2023-03-29 05:48 pm (UTC)Would have to rewatch again to be sure, but I seem to recall that for despite his being clearly /interested/ in Enid (and slightly obnoxious about it), he doesn't read as a threat. Maybe it's down to the fact that he isn't an alpha-male dominant personality (or worse an insecure guy trying to fake being alpha).
While his behavior is still not terribly gentlemanly, he still comes across as nicer than Xavier (who pushes girls' boundaries and then gets grumpy when they object), or Tyler (who is a gleeful Serial Killer). Ajax still has better overall impress-girls skills though, (slight social cluelessness notwithstanding).