With monsters, murders, and mystery aplenty, Netflix’s ‘Wednesday’ deals with a rich fantastical world, at the centre of which is a monstrosity known as Hyde. Here’s how the rabid monster is created and controlled by malicious actors in the story.
Wednesday Addams can’t entertain yet another academic institution after getting expelled by several others, especially when this new academy is the same one where her parents fell in love and eventually graduated from.
However, within not more than a few days following her arrival at Nevermore, Wednesday has already avoided death twice, escaped a monster, and picked up on a conspiracy afoot at the academy.
It’s the kind of welcome she comes to like most, deciding to postpone her plans to escape the academy indefinitely.
Along with a mystery and a murder no one’s ready to believe happened, Wednesday makes it her mission to find the murderous monster and expose the crime she saw transpire in front of her eyes.
A serial killing monstrosity
After beginning her investigations into this monster she saw in person, and one who inexplicably saved her life from the attacks of Rowan, Wednesday tries and fails to find who this monster is.
Throughout the rest of the episodes until the one where she learns a great deal about the monster, several other murders take place and the frustrations of not being able to find who it is, taxes Wednesday.
In her quest and investigations, she picks up clues that point to the monster being capable of transforming to and fro between a man and a monster.
Like Jekyll and Hyde?
Wednesday gets a breakthrough in her investigations when Uncle Fester arrives. He’s a kooky, goofy, and electricity-producing member of the Addams family.
He travels from place to place committing theft and robberies and finding secret hiding spots to evade the authorities, and he’s now arrived at the town of Jericho.
Since Wednesday is his favourite Addams family member, Uncle Fester is immediately down to extend a helping hand in his niece’s investigations. And with the kind of experience he’s aggregated over the years, he also has a treasure trove of knowledge.
When Wednesday shows her uncle the sketch of the monster she’s been unable to find thus far, he immediately knows what type of creature it is. He tells her that this monster is called a “Hyde”.
“Like Jekyll and Hyde?” asks Wednesday, and Uncle Fester replies with a yes, further telling her how it’s actually certain humans who can turn into the raging monster sometimes.
He talks about a certain Olga Malacova from decades ago, claiming to have seen her transforming into a Hyde in the middle of a Chopin sonata, massacring a dozen audience members and three music critics.
Although he doesn’t know what triggered her transformation, he knows where they can learn about it — Nevermore founder Nathaniel Faulkner’s diary.
The monster and the master
At the Nightshades library, they find Nathaniel Faulkner’s diary and within it, a detailed account of the Hyde monsters.
Faulkner describes the Hyde monsters as “artists by nature, but equally vindictive in temperament”. However, what follows that bit of description is an even more damning account and information about the monster.
The author talks of the origins of Hyde monsters. He writes that they are born of mutation, meaning there exist certain mutant outcasts who have the ability to turn into a Hyde.
However, this ability stays dormant, similar to the psychic abilities of Wednesday and the werewolf abilities of Enid. The trigger that sets off this dormant monster is a traumatic event, but it can also be unlocked through hypnosis or chemical inducement.
Faulkner further writes that the monster forms an immediate bond with its liberator following his unleashing. He treats the liberator as his master, ready to do their bidding in accordance with whatever nefarious agenda they’re up to.
Laurel Gates aka Marilyn Thornhill manipulates Tyler by showing him the truth about her mother being a Hyde — a traumatic event with which she earns his trust and feigns sympathy.
Following that, she binds him with shackles in a cave, and chemicals that she injected him with, in order to control him. Over the course of her secret and sinister activities, though, Tyler eventually willingly becomes her servant.
Also Read: Who is Goody Addams in Wednesday?