November 2025’s newsletter: “Foils in Wednesday: Yet Another Reason to Love Enid”
I finished the second season of “Wednesday” last month, and one of the show’s ongoing plotlines is the unlikely (and wonderful) friendship between Wednesday and Enid.
I can’t help reflecting about how Enid is Wednesday’s perfect foil, and how much their character foil adds to the show.
“I’m Not Like Other Girls”
This is a common character stereotype that pops up all too often in media. As always, it raises the question: “What’s wrong with other girls?”
It’s an expression of internalized misogyny, implying that femininity and liking typically feminine things is somehow bad. The implication is expressing more masculine traits is inherently better.
Wednesday could easily fall into this trap. After all, she disdains dates, dresses, and dances. She is a loner, unemotional, and values goal achievement over socialization. An odd person who isn’t like anyone else, yes, but someone who exhibits more masculine traits and values than feminine ones.
But This Show is Too Good For That
Wednesday is saved from falling into the stereotype. If anything, season 1 is about averting the cliche. After all, her character arc is learning to trust and care for other people. Wednesday doesn’t stop the villain all by herself. She does so with her friends’ support.
And no, Wednesday doesn’t fundamentally change who she is. She’s still a loner, still disdains overt displays of emotion, is still goal oriented above all else. But in season 2, Wednesday has expanded her values. Underneath her cold exterior, she cares for (a select few) others. She loves Enid. She cares about Enid’s interests. And as we can all see…
Enid is Like Other Girls
Enid is a major character meant to be loved by the audience. By portraying her as typically “girly,” the series shows girls who are like other girls and desire feminine things are good and heroic characters too.
Wednesday doesn’t like dresses, always wears black, and isn’t obsessed with boys. And that’s okay. Plenty of girls are like this in real life.
Enid loves feminine clothing, wears bright colors, and is concerned with dating and crushing on boys. And that’s okay too. Plenty of girls are like this in real life.
Not only do Wednesday and Enid portray girls who do and don’t like femininity, they also learn to love each other. They show girls don’t have to fight because we’re different.
Season 2 Picks Up Where Season 1 Left Off
If you haven’t watched the second season yet (or any season) and plan to, then you might want to do that before you continue reading this article. There are spoilers ahead.
I’ll wait for you to come back.
…
Ready to continue?
Okay.
Since her character development in season 1, Wednesday has opened her cold, dead heart to a select few friends: mainly Enid, Eugene, and Nightshade Society members.
But she still has room to grow.
We see this in her treatment of Enid: mainly, how she reacts to her vision of Enid’s impending death. She doesn’t warn Enid of her doom. She doesn’t include Enid in Enid’s own protection. She treats her best friend like a damsel in distress, despite the fact that Enid is the one who saved her from Tyler in the previous series finale.
Wednesday is making a common mistake toward feminine characters. People look at characters like Enid– who are sweet, sparkly, and sometimes even flighty– and assume she’s weak. She’s emotional, so she can’t handle stress or danger.
Enid blows this assumption out of the water. She comes through for Wednesday time and time again, once again throwing monsters across the room and defending her best friend with teeth and claws.
Wednesday perfectly summarizes Enid herself: “The best thing about being Enid is your quiet strength … you need to stop trying so hard for people who don’t deserve it, like Bruno, who mistook your kindness for weakness. It’s not. It’s your power. Which I could barely handle for one night. I regret ever underestimating you.”
Well said, Wednesday. Well said.
In Summary…
By the end of season 2, Wednesday and Enid not only love each other, but also respect one another for their strengths and weaknesses in equal measure. They are foils and best friends, and their relationship betters one another both personally and story-wise.
And omg I can’t wait for season 3!
Thanks for reading!
-S. Labrecque
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