Morticia and Gomez Addams in 'Wednesday' series.

‘Wednesday’: What Happened to Morticia and Gomez at Nevermore 25 Years Ago? And How It Ties Into the Storyline

As Wednesday investigates the murders in Jericho, she learns her parents hid their dark past. In 'Wednesday,' Morticia and Gomez's secret comes back to bite them, and how it ties into the greater murder mystery.

by Gabriela Silva

Published on November 23, 2022

4 min read

Wednesday learns the town sheriff has a vendetta against her father in the Netflix series

On her first day at Nevermore, Wednesday already ruffles a few feathers and takes down some local bullies. After proving she is not a damsel in distress, Sheriff Donovan Galpin (Jamie McShane) enters the coffee shop and learns she is an Addams. To his dismay, and asks if her father is Gomez Addams. Wednesday nods her head, and Sheriff Galpin strongly declares, “That man belongs behind bars for murder.”

While at the local town fair that night, Wednesday has become acquaintances with Sheriff Galpin’s son, Tyler (Hunter Dohan). Besides helping her try to escape town, he gives her his father’s police report on what happened to her parents 25 years ago. While Ms. Weems (Gwendoline Christie) denies knowing what happened, she was Morticia’s roommate. The fifth episode of Wednesday soon reveals the truth, beginning with a flashback. A young Ms. Weems walks the Nevermore quad, dressed up, and soon screams when a body drops dead in front of her.

When she looks up, she sees a young Gomez Addams holding a sword. She reports to the police and tells an officer it is Morticia Frump’s fault. The two men were fighting over her. In the present day, the students’ families visit Nevermore for a few days. Hoping to help Wednesday, the Addams family attend therapy with her. Wanting the truth, she reveals the police report and asks why they were accused of killing Garrett Gates.

Morticia is outraged and explains the charges were dropped. The mystery continues when the local coroner, who was ready to retire, dies by suicide and leaves a note confessing his guilt about the Gates case. What did exactly happen to Morticia and Gomez in Tim Burton’s Wednesday?

Morticia stopped an obsessed Garrett from killing Gomez in ‘Wednesday’

The coroner’s note leads Sheriff Galpin to arrest Gomez in front of everyone at Nevermore. Wednesday visits her father in prison and wants the truth. Gomez reveals part of it. Garrett was obsessed with Morticia and began to stalk her. Despite reporting it to the police, Garrett Gates’ family was the oldest and richest in Jericho. Garrett’s father also hated outcasts. The night of the Rave’N Dance, it all turned deadly. Garrett sneaked into the school and went insane with his infatuation with Morticia. With a murderous gaze, he goes after Gomez to kill him. But Garrett was too strong and was winning the battle.

Gomez picked up a sword in one swoop and killed Garrett in self-defense. But Wednesday knows her father well and knows he keeps specific details from her. Later on, she enters the secret Nightshade lair and finds her mother. Morticia tells her daughter the rest of the truth about her and Gomez in Wednesday.

Everything Gomez said was true, except how Garrett really died. Witnessing the love of her life being beaten by Garrett, Morticia was terrified. Garrett went after her with the eyes of a beast and foaming at the mouth. Without realizing it, Morticia grabbed the sword and impaled Garrett. Wanting to protect Morticia, Gomez took the sword, whipped her prints, and told her to hide in her room and pretend she was not at the scene.

But among knowing the truth about what happened to Morticia and Gomez all those years ago, Wednesday realizes another critical detail about that night that is imperative to set her father free.

Garrett Gates was poisoned with nightshade in ‘Wednesday’

During her mother’s confession, Wednesday caught on to her saying Garrett was foaming at the mouth and rabid with rage. The details have Wednesday realizing they are symptoms of something. In the dead of night, Wednesday and Morticia dig up Garrett’s grave. While caught and in jail, Wednesday reveals to her parents that Garrett was poisoned with nightshade and already dying before she killed him. The preserved skin and blue tint on the finger Wednesday borrowed prove it.

When touching the finger, Wednesday gets a vision. That night, Garrett’s father forced him to prove his loyalty and sneak into the dance to poison the punch with nightshade to kill all the outcasts. But when encountering Gomez and Morticia, he begins a fight, leading the nightshade vial to break into his chest. Gomez is set free when Morticia and Wednesday confront the mayor.

But what does Garrett’s death have to do with the bigger picture? The mayor explains Garrett’s father despised the outcasts and claimed Nevermore was built on land stolen from his family 200 years ago. As his rage against the outcasts did not affect his son entirely, it did affect someone else. The Gates family plays a big role in Wednesday uncovering who the Jericho killer is and its connection to her family history.

Wednesday is available to stream on Netflix.