Summary
Wednesday attempts to solve a 30-year-old cold case in this entertaining installment. “You Reap What You Woe” includes some clever little comedy moments and some heartfelt family ones too, but still feels overloaded with subplots and characters.
We recap the Netflix series Wednesday season 1, episode 5, “You Reap What You Woe,” which contains spoilers.
I’d say one of the downsides of setting Wednesday at an academy is the lack of Addams family members involved in the series. We’ve all enjoyed Wednesday (Jenna Ortega) and Thing’s (Victor Dorobantu) antics, but Morticia (Catherine Zeta-Jones), Gomez (Luis Guzmán), Pugsley (Isaac Ordonez), and even Lurch (George Burcea) have been sorely missed. In “You Reap What You Woe”, it’s Parents’ Weekend, which marks a welcomed return for Wednesday’s family, who arrive for further chaos as an old murder investigation is reopened.
Wednesday season 1, episode 5 recap – why is Gomez accused of murder?
That particular murder is introduced at the very start of the episode in a flashback to the Rave’N Dance of 1990. A teen Larissa sees a boy fall from a great height and then tells the police how she saw Gomez standing by the edge with a sword in his hand. The Sheriff always believed Gomez was the killer, but he somehow avoided arrest. The Parents’ Weekend means a return to the scene of the crime, and this unsolved case becomes the central narrative in chapter five.
Principal Weems opens the event and updates the school on Eugene’s health, stating that he is on the mend. This is a rather large fib though, Eugene is actually in a coma in the ICU. Both Enid and Wednesday are dreading the arrival of their families and fear the worst for the weekend. Wednesday quickly informs her parents that she knows all about Thing’s covert mission. Whilst Enid’s family embarrasses her no end. Xavier’s father is a no-show, but Bianca’s mother makes a surprise appearance.
Weems proposes a family therapy session for the Addams family, which the parents gladly accept. Pugsley starts off the session, admitting that he has found it hard without Wednesday and the parents agree that it has been torture. Wednesday ruins any possible progress though, desperate to know about Garrett Gates and Gomez’s link to this murder. Morticia pleads her husband’s innocence before storming off in a huff. There’s clearly more to this story than everyone is letting on.
Sheriff Galpin witnesses the odd family arriving in Jericho, but he is required at another crime scene. This time the Coroner has killed himself at the morgue no less. The Sheriff is confused, having only seen the man happily talking of retirement a few days earlier. They cannot really prove whether it was suicide or foul play as the CCTV footage has been obscured by black bubble gum. However, the Coroner has left a suicide note, which explains a possible motive. He felt guilty for covering up and faking the report on Garrett’s death. The Sheriff has been waiting 30 years for a lead and now he has proof that Gomez is the culprit.
Gomez is subsequently arrested, with the Sheriff gleefully cuffing him at Nevermore for all to see. Wednesday pays her father a visit in jail and asks for the whole truth. Gomez recounts the story in detail. Garrett was obsessed with Morticia and broke into Nevermore to attack Gomez on the night of the dance. The jealous man picked up a saber and fought Gomez. This fight led out onto the scaffolding, where Gomez valiantly defended himself. The sword was dropped, Gomez grabbed it and accidentally stabbed Garrett in the chest. He fell and Larissa witnessed the death. Wednesday isn’t entirely convinced by her father but agrees that he is a good man and a great parent.
Wednesday visits the Sheriff to fight her father’s corner, although Galpin already has a signed confession from Gomez and adds that her father pointed out the saber accurately too. Wednesday queries the odd timing, the Coroner’s death, the Parents’ Weekend – it all seems a little too coincidental. She asks about the DNA results, but the claw and the bloodied rag are inconclusive, no match. The Sheriff brings up the black bubble gum and Wednesday tries to deflect, saying that this is all just a distraction. She isn’t going to change the Sheriff’s mind any time soon.
Meanwhile, the student’s parents try their damnedest to upset their kids. Enid’s mother worries that her daughter hasn’t wolfed out yet and wants her to attend lycanthropy conversion camp. Whilst Bianca’s mother wants her to use her siren skills to bring in more followers and cash at her own little cult. Eugene’s mothers gather to care for their poor child and thank Wednesday for her pleasantness to their son.
Fearing Gomez’s incarceration will only further tear the family apart, Wednesday meets with her brother and then her mother. Pugsley is found fishing with grenades and Wednesday tells him to be strong for the family. Whereas Morticia gets nostalgic, hiding in the secret society’s lair. Wednesday admits that she rejected the Nightshades and is tired of living in her mother’s shadow. They talk about Goody Addams, who happened to be the founder of the society. Morticia reveals that Goody ended up killing Joseph Crackstone, then confesses to the Garrett murder. She killed the man and Gomez took the fall. She describes how Garrett was foaming at the mouth, practically feral that night and Wednesday solves the crime.
Wednesday season 1, episode 5 ending
The mother and daughter go for a late-night grave dig and uncover Garrett’s corpse. They are then arrested for this little jaunt, but Wednesday has enough evidence to get them all out of jail regardless. Garrett was poisoned with Nightshade, which caused his animalistic behavior. Although a vision proves that Garrett and his father wanted to use that poison to kill all the Nevermore students anyway. The vial of poison smashed whilst he was fighting Gomez and caused the self-inflicted poisoning. Wednesday and Morticia take this evidence to the Mayor, who was also in on the cover-up. They ask for Gomez to be freed and for the Sheriff to apologize.
Gomez becomes a free man and Wednesday has a heart-to-heart with her mother. They talk about her new powers. Wednesday shows real vulnerability and asks for advice. Morticia says that she had positive visions because she was a positive person, which she refers to as a dove. Wednesday has a darker temperament and is therefore a raven. She needs proper training from the undead to hone her powers. Wednesday suggests Goody Addams, but Morticia warns her daughter to be careful of that witch.
Enid rejects the conversion camp offer, although Bianca accepts her own mother’s proposal. The families say goodbye to one another as the weekend comes to an end. Morticia’s parting gift to Wednesday is the simple advice for her to walk her own path. She passes her daughter her old yearbook, which she has been leafing through all weekend. Wednesday realizes the clues were right in front of her all along. Weems is a shapeshifter and she covered up Rowan’s death. She confronts the Principal, who denies it at first, but then quickly accepts the accusations. Their conversation is interrupted by a ruckus outside though, someone has written ‘Fire Will Rain’ in flames on the grounds.
What did you think of Wednesday season 1, episode 5? Comment below.
