Fans may have tuned in to Wednesday season two to watch Jenna Ortega’s character return to Nevermore Academy, but millennials may be interested in the new face joining the cast.
*Warning — Spoilers for Wednesday season two to follow*
The Addams Family spin-off returned to Netflix after a two-year hiatus with the release of part one of its second season Wednesday. The show follows Ortega’s character, created by American cartoonist Charles Addams, as she aims to master her psychic ability at Nevermore Academy high school.
In addition to Emma Myers, Isaac Ordonez, and Catherine Zeta-Jones, who have all reprised their roles from the first season, the cast welcomed one new character, Judi Spannegel, played by Heather Matarazzo.
Viewers might recognize Matarazzo from her role as Anne Hathaway’s character Mia’s best friend, Lilly Moscovitz, in the Princess Diaries movies from the 2000s.
In addition to her roles in Wednesday and The Princess Diaries, Matarazzo also played Martha Meeks in the Scream franchise and appeared in Hostel: Part II.
Viewers first meet Matarazzo’s Wednesday character in episode two as an employee at Willow Hill Psychiatric Hospital — and they were surprised to recognize her.
“The supporting cast of Wednesday is so great. I audibly made a noise when Heather Matarazzo showed up,” one fan wrote on X.
“Haven’t seen her in years,” another said.
By the end of the first four episodes — all of which were released as part one — Ortega’s character discovers that Matarazzo is an Avian, or a person who can control birds, and has been sending a murder of crows to kill people around town. Two of her victims were the town’s former sheriff and his colleague.
Although it was assumed that her character was targeting people who were close to uncovering her actions of experimenting on outcasts who were previously perceived to be dead, her reasoning for going after her victims has not been fully discovered.
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While many familiar faces returned and new ones appeared, there was one character from season one who will not be featured — Hynes White, who played Xavier Thorpe.
White’s character was a major player in season one, but was axed from the show after allegations of sexual misconduct, which the Canadian actor, 23, denied. Netflix has never confirmed the reason for his departure.
After his removal from the show was confirmed, he re-shared a photo of season two’s main cast members, writing at the time: “I had so much fun working on this show. I can’t wait to watch season two. Much love.”
It’s revealed in the show’s new season that Xavier has left Nevermore Academy after his parents sent him to Reichenbach Academy in Switzerland over concerns for his safety. Fans highlighted the fact that he is “barely mentioned” in the opening episode, noting that “everyone moves on like he never existed.”
Wednesday is available to stream on Netflix now.
