Wednesday’s Nevermore Academy Is Gorgeous — But Where’s the Teaching?
Netflix’s Wednesday season 2 shows Nevermore Academy in more detail, but the series rarely presents a full, conventional school curriculum on screen.
- Season 2 had a larger budget and a redesigned Nevermore Academy set, plus new uniforms and campus additions.
- On-screen classes that appear include botany (season 1), music (season 2) and a biology/detention setup run by a jarred head.
- The campus adds a food cart called the Tell Tale; students also spend time off-campus in Jericho in season 1.
- Student groups change between seasons: season 1 emphasized creature-based cliques, while season 2 introduces a “DaVincis” group and downplays vampires.
- The show rarely depicts regular classroom study or library use, and season 2 ends with the school year cut short after a principal’s death.
Budget, set and campus changes
For season 2, the production increased its spending and redesigned the Nevermore Academy set. New costumes and uniforms appear on screen, and the campus now includes an on-site beverage cart called the Tell Tale that serves decorated drinks to students.
Classes and teachers shown on screen
Only a few specific classes are shown across the two seasons. In season 1, botany is taught by Christina Ricci’s character. In season 2, Billie Piper plays the music teacher and encourages Wednesday to join a band.
Other teaching roles and activities
Christopher Lloyd appears as a jarred head who is shown teaching biology and running detention. Wednesday Addams (Jenna Ortega) works on a manuscript on screen, but the series does not clearly show her attending a formal English or creative-writing class.
Student groups and individual projects
Season 1 groups students by creature type, listing sirens, vampires, werewolves and gorgons. Season 2 places less emphasis on vampires and introduces a group called the DaVincis, who create detailed props.
Individual student activities shown include Eugene Ottinger (Moosa Mostafa) controlling bees in season 1 and arthropods in season 2, and storing insects in a shed. Pugsley Addams (Isaac Ordonez) is shown stashing a zombie on campus.
Academics and safety on screen
The series shows few scenes of regular classroom instruction or students using the library. Although a library collection appears in a riddle, the show rarely depicts students studying there.
Steve Buscemi’s principal Barry Dort organizes school events such as a welcome bonfire and a camping trip; he also promotes fundraising activities. In the season 2 finale, the school year ends early following the death of the second principal shown in the series.
Overall, the show presents selected classes, teachers and extracurriculars, but it does not depict a full, conventional high-school curriculum on screen.
