Wednesday Season 2 introduced Steve Buscemi's Barry Dort as Nevermore's new principal and Principal Larissa Weems' replacement, but he may be hiding a sinister secret that could ruin the school's integrity. Season 1 of The Addams Family spinoff series pushed Principal Weems (Gwendoline Christie) into the forefront as the shapeshifting school head of Nevermore Academy. While she initially began as a suspicious figure in the series (because she held a grudge against Morticia Addams), she eventually became one of Wednesday's closest allies.
Principal Weems was nowhere to be found in Wednesday Season 2, and has been replaced by Steve Buscemi's wild new character, Principal Barry Dort. The new principal has pyrokinesis as his superpower, and he also has a new agenda that could spell some trouble for Nevermore and its students.
Wednesday Season 2, Part 1 revolves around the titular character's return to Nevermore as she reunites with old friends and new enemies. The series has a packed cast of 25 main actors, headlined by Jenna Ortega, Emma Myers, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Luis Guzman, Steve Buscemi, and Fred Armisen. Wednesday Season 2, Part 1 premiered on Netflix on August 6, 2025.
What Happened to Principal Weems In 'Wednesday' Was Tragic
One of Wednesday Season 1's mysteries revolved around the reason behind Principal Weems' hidden animosity toward Morticia Addams (aka Wednesday's mother). It turned out that Weems and Morticia were once roommates during their time in Nevermore. By being outcasts, they started as friends, even performing in a talent show together, and genuinely cared for each other.
However, Weems saw Morticia as a rival instead of a friend, believing she outshone her throughout their time in Nevermore. Granted, it was not Morticia's fault that she excelled in every single thing she did at the academy, but Weems saw it in a different light. Season 1 also hinted that Weems was attracted to Gomez Addams after it revealed that she asked him to the dance (but he chose Morticia instead).
Weems and Morticia's friendship ultimately "ended" after Season 1 confirmed that she was the one who reported that Gomez was the one who killed Garrett Gates, which led to Gomez being imprisoned and pushed away from Morticia.
Fast forward to the present day, and it was clear that Weems was still jealous of Morticia, as evidenced by her tearing up a page of her face in one of Nevermore's yearbooks. Still, the Season 1 finale revealed that Weems actually cared for Wednesday and the students of Nevermore.
Principal Weems used her shapeshifting abilities to dig deeper into the conspiracy that has been hounding Nevermore, and she disguised herself as Tyler Galpin (aka Hyde, who has a deep hatred toward Wednesday) to trick Marilyn Thornhill into revealing her evil plans for Wednesday and the academy.
However, Laurel was one step ahead of Weems, and she killed her by poisoning her with Nightshade.
Principal Weems' death in Wednesday Season 1 was quite tragic because she was supposed to be a great mentor to the titular character. She genuinely saw Wednesday as an incredible student, and the pair would've done wonders as a mentor-mentee duo if she had survived.
So, Did Principal Weems Die?
Wednesday Season 1 ended with a bombshell of a twist that Principal Weems is actually a shapeshifter, and not everyone (even the big bad, Marilyn Thornhill) was aware of her superpower. However, she was ultimately killed. Given the supernatural world where Wednesday is set, some are wondering if Principal Weems is truly dead.
Speaking with TUDUM in March 2024, Wednesday co-creator Miles Millar confirmed that Weems is truly dead, hoping that her death "will take people by surprise:"
"Hopefully Weems’ death at the end of the season will take people by surprise and they'll be as moved as Wednesday is by her loss."
The confirmation that Principal Weems is dead was a shock because she was such an integral part of Wednesday Season 1's story. It was unfortunate that there were also unresolved and unexplored stories involving Weems, and she never truly bade her goodbye to Morticia and Gomez Addams.
Wednesday Season 2 eventually confirmed Weems' replacement: Principal Barry Dort. Right from the start, Dort dismissed Weems' legacy, telling Wednesday that he wanted to return "Nevermore to its glory days" because "Weems fudged up."
Based on Wednesday and Weems' initial interaction, something seemed to be off about Nevermore's new principal, considering that Weems had a good track record before he replaced her.
More of Dort's shady actions were displayed in Wednesday Season 2, Episode 2, when he blackmailed Bianca Barlay (a siren) to control Morticia Addams to invite Grandmama into Nevermore. While his plan has yet to be shown, Season 2, Episode 4 hinted at his sinister deeds after he was caught by Ajax speaking to someone over the phone:
Dort: "When have I let you down? I’ve always had your back, you’ve always had mine. So relax, I have never been more confident about anything...I have it under control...I’m-...hold on..."
While Wednesday Season 2, Part 1 confirmed that Principal Dort is not the hooded crow killer, it seemed he is working with someone else who might become a bigger villain who could destroy Nevermore from within.
Although his motives are still unknown, they could still align with his goal of bringing Nevermore back into its glory days—doing everything necessary to achieve his goal (even at the cost of some students' lives).
