During a chat on the official Wednesday podcast—or rather, woecast—Nevermore newcomer Evie Templeton discussed Agnes coming into her own after being an unhinged stalker fan of Netflix’s favorite Addams.
After Wednesday (Jenna Ortega) lays into her at the end of the second season of the Tim Burton show, seemingly to push her to be herself in the meanest way possible, Agnes gets gutted emotionally in a way that could have been a villain origin but goes in a surprisingly positive direction.
“I think the important message in this episode is that it’s okay to stand out and it’s okay to be yourself and being yourself is the best version of yourself that you can be, it’s okay to stand in your individuality,” she said of the moment Wednesday stopped the pick-me energy dead in its tracks. “I think it’s just a moment of pure devastation. I mean, all of her efforts have really led to nothing and she’s tried so hard and put so much into this that it’s really just a moment of pure heartbreak; to be told by her idol that she’s failed and that she’s not good enough is really heart-wrenching for her.”
She noted, “I think it also acts as quite a pivotal moment because after this she sort of embraces her own individuality and she breaks out of her braids”—meaning the copycat hairstyle that made her look more like Wendy’s mascot than her idol.
Templeton’s hopes for Wednesday’s stalker-turned-crime-solving partner lie in her becoming friends with Enid (Emma Myers) instead of seeing her as competition. “Well, I think they have a lot in common. They both admire Wednesday so much, and I think they can both also recognize that beneath Wednesday’s stern, stony exterior that she has a lot of compassion inside, and she’s a very loyal friend.”
The new friendship gets solidified with their showstopping performance to Lady Gaga’s “The Dead Dance” at the gala.
“I think it’s in the moment where she’s obviously in her beautiful green dress, and she’s got her new hairstyle, that she sort of realizes that [Enid’s] be-your-own-psycho advice has really impacted her in the best way possible, and I think that’s a really important message, especially for my generation, to not feel like you have to conform, and to understand that you can break out of the mold and be yourself, and not to feel pressured into being what everyone else thinks you should be.”
Templeton continued to sing her dance partner’s praises, which is a great place for an Enid and Agnes team-up to start. “Emma is the sweetest girl. She’s so, so nice. I mean, we have a lot in common, which was great. That [Gaga dance sequence] was something that kind of connected us from the beginning.”
She hopes it solidifies Agnes’ place in the friend group as their invisibility-powered partner in mystery solving. “I really want to see that trio dynamic. I’d like to see how that progresses, like the Three Musketeers.”
Wednesday season two is now streaming on Netflix.
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