Thing From ‘Wednesday’s Origin Story, Explained

Fans of the hit Netflix series Wednesday, grab your popcorn because the Season 2 Part 2 episodes are officially out on Netflix. Spoiler alert: Spoilers for Wednesday Season 2 follow. The first four episodes released on Aug. 6 definitely kept fans hooked, as we were left with a major cliffhanger at the end regarding whether Wednesday Addams would even be alive in Part 2 — and spoiler alert, she is. And unlike last time, where fans had to wait three years to find out what happens next, just shy of a month later on Sept. 3, the last four episodes of Season 2 were released. They not only provided some well-needed clarity, but they also included a cameo from Lady Gaga, and added some additional context to one of the classic characters from the Addams family: Thing.

Thing is the animated limb that is pretty much an honorary member of the Addams family. In Part 2 of Season 2, we got to learn more about the characters’ origin story.

Thing is an iconic character that historically has been a part of Addams family lore in both The Addams Family TV series from the 1960s and in the Addams family movies from the 1990s — both The Addams Family (1991) and Addams Family Values (1993). In the 1960s series, Thing served as a hand servant to the entire family, and would emerge out of a box in order to help with minor tasks. In the films from the ‘90s, fans finally got to see the version of Thing we are more familiar with, which is the character being portrayed as a disembodied hand. In the current Netflix adaptation, Gomez and Mortica Addams originally sent Thing to Nevermore to essentially spy on Wednesday and keep an eye on her for them. But over time, Thing becomes Wednesday’s sidekick, as he plays an imperative role in her investigations and keeps Wednesday safe.

But where exactly did Thing come from? Why is he just a disembodied hand? Is there more to his story than what meets the eye? Well, the answer to that last question is definitely yes. There is more to his story, and his backstory actually pertains heavily to the plot and connects to something big that happens at the end of Season 2 Part 2. In these episodes, everything is explained, and fans get way more context into this legendary character. To learn more, here is the origin story of Thing as depicted in Wednesday Part 2, and how it connects to the plot in the second half of the season.

Thing’s Origin Story, Explained

Season 2 first introduces this storyline in Episode 6, where Thing expresses curiosity about learning where he originally came from. Thing mentions that he is attending a support group for abandoned unattached limbs who don’t know who their owners are. We see this support group briefly play out, where Thing and Agnes DeMille (Evie Thompson) attend the support group and gain reassurance about being abandoned (Agnes is not one, but attends out of interest).

In Episode 8 — the Season 2 finale — fans actually learn where Thing comes from, and let me tell you, it’s intense. To understand Things origin, we need to first understand Slurp’s origin. Slurp was a character introduced in Season 2 Part 1. He was a zombie that Pugsley brought back to life and kept as a pet. But in Part 2, we learn that he is more than just a zombie. Slurp is actually a genius and former student from Nevermore Academy named Issac Night.

Issac Night developed technology that reverses the powers of an outcast. He is also the uncle of Tyler Galpin (Hunter Doohan), as he is his mother Francoise (Frances O’Connor)’s brother.

We learn that Issac Night and Gomez Addams were friends while students at Nevermore. Issac wanted to test the machine he developed in order to cure his sister of her Hyde powers by using Gomez’s electric powers as a power source. Here’s where the connection comes in.

When taking advantage of his powers and almost killing Gomez Addams by drawing too much energy from him, we see young Morticia come in and save Gomez by chopping off Issac’s hand, resulting in his death. Turns out, the hand that was cut off is Thing. The hand becomes animated, and Issac’s body is buried beneath the Skull Tree (where Pugsley originally found him). Notice how if you rearrange the letters of his last name, Night, you get: T-H-I-N-G. With Isaac dead, Morticia and Gomez take Thing in as their own.

How does this play out in the present day during Part 2? Issac becomes more and more human-like every time he eats someone’s brains, so by the end of Part 2, he is almost fully human. Isaac tries to remove his sister’s Hyde powers once again by using his old machine. In the finale episode, Wednesday and Pugsley learn about Thing’s connection to Issac, as Isaac reattaches Thing to his wrist. He wants to use Pugsley as his new power source for the machine.

In the end, as the Addams family tries to free Pugsley, Thing ultimately saves the day. He controls Issac’s movements and rips out the clockwork heart from his chest, leading to his death. He then goes and reunites with the Addams family, proving his unwavering loyalty to them. 

As a character who has been so central to the Addams family, Thing finally had his day in the spotlight, and I’m so here for it.

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