Wednesday really did see Rowan die in the first episode of Wednesday, and Principal Weems simply impersonated him after that to save the reputation of the school.
Wednesday tells the story of Wednesday Addams as she finds her feet at a new school while simultaneously trying to investigate a mystery that she happens upon in the first episode.
.She initially starts investigating the monster in the woods, who kills Rowan in front of her. Then Principal Weems goes as far as to impersonate him to cover up the murder.
About the Wednesday series
Wednesday is the newest instalment in The Addams Family franchise, which premiered on Netflix on 23 November 2022.
As the show’s name suggests, it mainly focuses on one member of The Addams Family, namely the youngest daughter – Wednesday Addams who is portrayed by Jenna Ortega.
Even as the story of Wednesday starts out, with Wednesday discovering that she has special powers and then having to adjust to life at Nevermore Academy, it is clear that the show will have to navigate a complicated plot throughout the entire first season of the show.
Fortunately, fans and critics agree that Wednesday balance Wednesday Addams’s coming of age story with a complicated murder mystery flawlessly, while maintaining Wednesday’s signature dry wit and sarcastic demeanour throughout the series.
Did Rowan die in Wednesday?
When Wednesday first arrives at Nevermore Academy, it is clear that she is determined to sneak out of the school at every chance that she gets.
This makes her stand out to the staff, but it also creates a complicated relationship between her and the rest of the student body at the school.
One of the students, who seems to have it out most for Wednesday, is Rowan Laslow, who was told by his mother that Wednesday would destroy the school. Fans were introduced to Rowan in the first episode of Wednesday, which was titled “Wednesday’s Child is Full of Woe”.
In this episode, Wednesday rushes to the woods to save Rowan after she has a vision that convinces her that he is in danger, but he ends up attacking her instead and moments later, he is killed by the Hyde monster.
Although Wednesday witnesses Rowan being mauled to death in the first episode, the boy seems to magically return good as new in the second episode and he is promptly expelled.
However, when Thing is sent by Wednesday to follow Rowan out of the school, it becomes clear that it was actually Principal Weems, who has the special ability of being a shape-shifter, who was impersonating Rowan to try and keep the peace at Nevermore and Rowan really did die in the woods.
Why did the monster kill Rowan and leave Wednesday alive?
For much of the first season of the show, Wednesday tries to investigate the strange occurrences surrounding Rowan’s death.
Her first step is to try and figure out which monster killed Rowan in the woods and in doing so, she also figures out why the monster killed Rowan so ferociously but left her unharmed in the first episode.
Throughout the season, Wednesday discovers that the monster is a Hyde, which means that someone is controlling the monster.
In the final episode of the first season, it becomes evident that Laurel Gates is the one controlling this monster.
Moreover, he could not kill Wednesday in the first episode, because Laurel needed her blood for a ritual to resurrect Joseph Crackstone.
Why did Principal Weems impersonate Rowan after his death?
After Wednesday uncovers all of the mysteries surrounding Rowan’s death at the end of the first season, she also confronts Principal Weems about why she impersonated Rowan after his death.
From their discussion, it is clear that Principal Weems covered up Rowan’s death with the permission of his family, in order to protect Nevermore Academy’s reputation.
Even though Principal Weems knew that Wednesday had seen a Hyde kill Rowan, she knew that if this news got out, Nevermore would be shut down out of fear of the creature, especially since no one knows whether Hydes are conscious and have control over their actions, or if they just kill mindlessly to follow their masters’ wishes.
How does Rowan’s death impact Wednesday?
After Rowan’s death, Wednesday confides in Thing that she is afraid of what his mother’s prophecy may mean for her in the future, and about whether she was really destined to be the one to bring down Nevermore Academy.
This theme continues throughout the season as Wednesday tries to determine what is happening around her, mostly driven by the fact that she wants to know how many of the events are really her fault.