The Gargoyles In Wednesday Tell A Twisted Tale Of Their Own
Much of the charm of Netflix's "Wednesday" can be attributed to the series' meticulous worldbuilding and set design, where tiny, imperceptible details add to the gothic aura of this world. Nevermore Academy emerges as an entity in its own right — it is a magical school that houses supernatural students who are encouraged to pursue their darkest ambitions that are often steeped in magic. The school's exterior is lavish and grandiose, while the interiors are peppered with spooky set dressing that accentuates the tone of the series. Even in this mysterious, gothic setting, a 16-year-old Wednesday Addams (Jenna Ortega) stands out, mostly due to her aloof nature and her penchant for poking her nose in matters that don't directly concern her.
The school's interiors play a crucial role in propping up character dynamics and motivations. For instance, the huge greenhouse with intriguing, dangerous plants becomes the site for hidden secrets that are revealed later, and the Edgar Allan Poe statue is revealed to be more than a homage to the Gothic fiction writer. Mark Scruton, production designer of "Wednesday," spoke to Home Beautiful about the care that went into creating these little details that helped establish the kind of world that Wednesday inhabits, and how it's different from the environment outside the school grounds. This contrast is deliberate, as the location's architectural design is plain and modest, where the town is mostly doused in bright colors with minimal use of black, except in some corners that house antique stories.
Scruton went on to talk about the use of gargoyles in certain scenes, revealing that they are meant to represent something much deeper than mere architectural additions. Here's what Scruton had to say about the gargoyles in "Wednesday."
Every gargoyle tells a story
From a practical standpoint, gargoyles are meant to expel water from roofs, but their usage in gothic fiction in particular is meant to represent warding against evil. As the definition of "evil" is pretty non-traditional in "Wednesday," where not all monsters commit atrocious deeds or harm people, the gargoyle designs at Nevermore were retrofitted to reflect this sentiment. Instead of the usual hybrid humanoid faces, these gargoyles represent the different supernatural groups that make up the student body at Nevermore, including vampires, gorgons, and sirens.
Scruton explained how this creative choice was also meant to hint at greater mysteries, containing "a clue to the mystery hidden away up there," which is most likely a reference to the major flashback that occurs halfway through the series. If one looks closer, the school's quad, where everyone gathers together during celebration or calamity, is shaped as a pentangle and flanked by these gargoyles that look over like ancient guardians. As the school undergoes a massive crisis towards the end, and the final boss fight occurs inside the quad, the gargoyles assume greater significance as the guardians look on while the fate of Nevermore is decided by Wednesday, and every student that helps her protect its legacy.
While the gargoyles in "Wednesday" do not come to life at any point, these grotesque-looking statues shift expressions depending on the tone of certain scenes, granting an unsettling quality if one is keen enough to notice. In this world, demons, or monstrous mutations, can be protectors against the true evil of mankind: superstitions and religious frenzy, that drive people like Joseph Crackstone to hunt people and burn them at the stake.
"Wednesday" is currently streaming on Netflix.