Wednesday Season 2's Mysterious Patient 1938, Explained

This post contains spoilers for season 2 of "Wednesday."

In season 2, part 1 of "Wednesday," all hell breaks loose at the Willow Hill Psychiatric Hospital. For starters, Wednesday (Jenna Ortega) and Uncle Fester (Fred Armisen) discover a hidden facility beneath the building and learn the truth about horrific Outcast experimentation. Among the victims, they come across a mysterious woman, who initially appears to have a connection to Wednesday's missing aunt, Ophelia.

However, part 2 of the latest season drops several truth bombs at once, revealing the true identity of Patient 1938 (as labeled in a Polaroid photo of her) along with her relevance to the story. This woman is none other than Francoise (Frances O'Connor), Tyler's supposedly deceased mother, whose absence had previously driven him to desperate ends. What's more, she is also a Hyde like her son, and seems to have some sort of allyship with Morticia (Catherine Zeta-Jones).

Francoise's presence is critical to Wednesday's arc for various reasons. The most obvious concern here is Tyler (Hunter Doohan), who has to suddenly contend with the implications of being reunited with his mother. After all, the supposed death of his mother had pushed Tyler into extreme isolation, with his father's grief-fueled alcoholism creating an unbridgeable rift between them. Tyler's desperation to be loved by a mother figure prompted Ms. Thornhill (Christina Ricci) to exploit his vulnerabilities, which led to his transformation into a Hyde back in season 1. Although Tyler's literal monstrosity holds up a mirror to his flaws, he has grown attached to this part of his identity and feels empowered by it (as opposed to being ashamed).

Francoise's return jeopardizes this hard-earned instinct, as she exhibits unhealthy protectiveness towards Tyler, robbing him of any agency in the process. Furthermore, the return of his deceased brother, Isaac Night (Owen Painter), complicates matters, as this mad genius won't stop at anything to permanently "cure" his sister of her condition. 

Let's take a closer look at Francoise's arc and her tragic demise in "Wednesday."

Despite public declarations of Outcast pride, Hydes have never been widely accepted at Nevermore or elsewhere due to their unpredictably ferocious nature. Francoise had a difficult childhood due to her ability, but also grew up amid abusive familial dynamics (Isaac mentions a physically abusive father at one point). The pain of ostracization spurred Francoise to yearn for a Normie existence, which explains why she ended up marrying Sheriff Donovan (Jamie McShane) and found solace for years. Unfortunately, she became the target of the Willow Hill experimentation program after getting treatment at the facility for postpartum depression (which triggered her Hyde transformations). In the present day, she seems fragile after years of experimentation, which prompts Isaac's desire to cure her before it's too late.

Isaac's devotion to Francoise's happiness can be traced back to the night he died, as he had tried to sacrifice a young Gomez in an attempt to save his sister. This obviously backfired and led to his death, so his return spells doom for the Addams family in particular. Isaac's fixation on curing Francoise aside, she secretly wants Tyler to undergo the reversal procedure, which is why she forces him to undergo it against his will. Thankfully, Wednesday intervenes, but the subsequent fallout leads to a Hyded-out mother and son duo to fight viciously on Nevermore's roof.

Despite Francoise's complex personal motivations, she was a victim of her circumstances, which were exacerbated by societal mistreatment and years of dehumanization at Willow Hill. It is not surprising that her first instinct is to control Tyler in a twisted manifestation of maternal love, as her own life is marked with similar instances of loss of autonomy. This vicious cycle breaks once she chooses to fall to her death, leaving Tyler doubly alone and traumatized. While Francoise was never able to savor the warmth of acceptance or community, here's hoping that her son will be able to walk a gentler, more life-affirming path in the near future.