Editor’s note: The below contains minor spoilers for Wednesday.
The identity of Thing T. Thing, the severed hand which serves as Wednesday’s loyal companion and guardian during her days at Nevermore in Netflix’sWednesday,is one of the most puzzling mysteries of the Addams Family lore. With only five unmanicured fingers and a manly palm, one would wonder what impact such an appendage could leave. Yet Thing turns out to be the most fascinating character of the latest entrant in the Addams Family universe as it serves Wednesday Addams during her mission to uncover the identity of the monster that has been haunting the town of Jericho. Not only does it serve as a loyal companion to Wednesday (Jenna Ortega) but also becomes her loyal partner-in-crime throughout her adventures.
Thing allows Wednesday to be her usual chaotic self, and on many occasions, it implements Wednesday’s destructive plans. But more importantly, Thing becomes the ideal companion for the titular character, Wednesday Addams, who even in her most social mood is an anti-social and an outcast. It’s arguable whether, without Thing by her side, Wednesday would have been successful in her mission. But one could easily go out on a “limb” and say that Thing was still the most fascinating and likable of all the otherwise unique characters that make up the world of The Addams Family.
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The Origins of Thing From ‘The Addams Family’
Thing’s origins can be traced to a cartoon by Charles Addams, the original creator of the Addams Family characters, inNew Yorker.The cartoon depicted a mailman reacting shockingly to the signboard outside the Addams Family mansion that said, “Beware of the Thing.” The creator of the 1964 television series, David Levy, noticed a recurring character in Charles' cartoons — a disembodied head. On questioning Charles about the character, David was told that the head is called “The Thing.” On observing that a disembodied head could be too severe for television audiences, the decision was taken to convert the Thing from a disembodied head to a hand.
Since then, Thing has made an appearance in all major Addams Family productions including all the films in the ’90s and the animated and live-action television series. In the original series from the ’60s, Thing emerged from a box at nearly elbow length. Interestingly,Thing was played by Ted Cassidy, who also played the butler of the Addams Family, Lurch. Compared to the important role that Thing played onWednesday,its role was quite limited inThe Addams Familyas it used to just assist the family members by handing them various articles depending on the situation in the scene.
In the original series, Thing was believed to be attached to a human body that remained hidden with only the hand being seen. The backstory was modified by the creators of the 1991 film as the technological advancement in CGI allowed Thing to come out of its box and be seen moving at its fingertips. Certainly, this development allowed Thing to acquire a more active role. The original idea of creating suspense behind the body connected to the hand was diluted with this as Thing had now become a creature of its own.The same version of Thing, with certain modifications, has continued to make appearances in the various Addams Family productions, including the 2019 and 2021 animated films as well asWednesday.
Thing Is Allowed To Stand Independently in ‘Wednesday’
Thing enters the vicinity of Nevermore Academy with the intention to keep a close eye on Wednesday, who in most likelihood would attempt to escape the “teenage purgatory,” on the orders of Wednesday’s parents, Gomez (Luis Guzmán) and Morticia (Catherine Zeta-Jones). But unfortunately, Wednesday is quick to catch the lurking appendage as she identifies its favorite hand lotion. With no option but to pledge its loyalty to Wednesday, Thing is quickly converted from a poor spy to a useful sidekick.
Using a real actor instead of CGI for Thing inWednesdayhas certainly paid off given the reception the character has drawn upon the series' premier.Victor Dorobantu, the actor whose hand played the Thing, has really helped portray the character at its expressive best. Through the course of Season 1, Thing is seen taking a role of a guardian as well as a friend to Wednesday. From helping Wednesday in her small missions such as winning the Poe Cup race to providing a trustworthy companionship during Wednesday’s stay at Nevermore, Thing plays a pivotal part in ensuring that Wednesday achieves success in her dubious endeavors.
Importantly, the two also share an emotional bond with each other as evident from Wednesday’s interactions with the expressive hand. Thing is also seen throwing a tantrum at Wednesday’s dismissive behavior towards it, although mostly even Thing is fearful of Wednesday. It becomes quite clear that the two care for each other more than they would care to show. Also, in a situation in which Wednesday cannot trust anyone in Nevermore, Thing plays the role of a perfect deputy who executes every order of Wednesday while keeping the primary instigator out of the gaze of others. Additionally, the banters between Wednesday and Thing make for some of the most enjoyable and memorable moments of the new series.
A reason why Thing becomes such an integral aspect ofWednesdayis that it is allowed to exist independently as a unique character rather than just serving the protagonist in achieving her goal. It becomes easy to identify Thing from its mannerisms as if it’s an entire person with a unique voice. While Thing’s primary task remains to make things easy for Wednesday, it becomes one of the more active characters from the lot. Importantly, Thing is one of the few original Addams Family characters who enjoy major screen time in the Netflix series. Apart from Wednesday, Thing brings the familiarity that returning fans were looking for, and the cheekiness that new fans will end up adoring it for.
Thing Is Family Away From Home for Wednesday
Thing’s role is amplified in the events of the show when it is found in a hurt condition by Wednesday in Episode 7. Wednesday, who until then had held a cold persona, is seen losing herself against the weight of her emotions for the first time upon seeing her dear friend struggling. The emotional outburst that follows exposes Wednesday’s inner vulnerability. In a confession to Enid (Emma Myers) inEpisode 1, Wednesday revealed that the last time she cried was when her pet scorpion, Nero, died at the hands of some bullies. Seeing Thing in a hurt state thus accounts for the few rare instances in Wednesday’s life when she has allowed the floodgates to open.
For a moment before she gathers her old self back, Wednesday comes out as a character that feels and fears for her loved ones just like normal humans. In terms of Wednesday’s character arc, this becomes a crucial event, although she doesn’t spare a moment before reverting to her old vengeful and tough spirit. Nonetheless, it becomes evident that Thing’s presence at Nevermore brought familial love to Wednesday’s life at Nevermore Academy. Not to mention that hurting Thing really angered Wednesday who was otherwise very restrained in her proceedings, as compared to what she’s capable of. Let’s say Tyler (Hunter Doohan) was in for some real Wednesday-like hospitality if Tyler’s father, Donovan Galpin (Jamie McShane), had not arrived at the right time.
It can be easily anticipated that Thing will continue to lend its usefulness to Wednesday in the next season as well, givenshe has a mysterious and dangerous stalkerkeeping track of her moments at Nevermore as shown inEpisode 8. Undoubtedly, Thing will pave way for more abundantly comical interactions with Wednesday while also serving as her confidant on her future adventures. While there are limitations to what one can achieve with a hand,Wednesdayhits the sweet spot by presenting the iconic Addams Family character in a way that makes it one of the more fascinating characters of the first season, which otherwise shies away from deviating from Jenna Ortega’s titular character. Hopefully, while the focus will shift tomore Addams Family characters in the coming season, Thing will still remain unavoidably important to this yet another stunning Addams Family offering.
