Autopsy of WEDNESDAY Pilot Episode: How to Set up a Story Concept in 8 Minutes.
- Apr 28
- 5 min read
Updated: Aug 15
The opening scenes of a pilot episode must make an impact and deliver the story concept fast. In a market that's vying for eye-balls, there's no alternative.
Trained via the scroll, we're experts at making snap judgments. We decide in seconds whether something interests us. So, as writers, we must sharpen our hooks at the beginning of our pilot episodes to ensure we capture viewers' attention before they move on to the next distraction.
Jenna Ortega as Wednesday Addams in WEDNESDAY, on Netflix
WEDNESDAY & the Secrets of Addictive Storytelling
Netflix is dropping WEDNESDAY Season 02 (part one) August 6th. Jenna Ortega returns as Wednesday Addams, back at Nevermore Academy. She fights monsters of all shapes and sizes and, as seen in the trailer, sheds tears of blood.
Let's reaquaint ourselves with how it all began. What made the first season of WEDNESDAY so incredibly popular? Dissecting the first few minutes of the pilot episode can help us understand why this concept resonated so much with audiences across the globe.
The first season, released at the end of 2022, became an instant hit. Tim Burton, the legendary filmmaker known for his quirky, dark style, proved to be the perfect match for an Addams reboot. Jenna Ortega embodied the role effortlessly.
From a writer's perspective, the pilot showcases a deep understanding of storytelling. Despite working with a well-known IP (intellectual property), the writers didn’t take the easy route. They introduced Wednesday and the season's story concept in a way that satisfied long-time fans while also appealing to new audiences. And they achieved this astonishingly quickly using creative techniques.
The First Three Minutes
Setting Up Character & the Inciting Incident
The teaser before the title sequence serves as a master class in succinctly introducing the protagonist, her desires, the status quo, and the inciting incident with bold brushstrokes.
Every shot in this pilot earns its place; each one contributes significantly to the overall narrative and tone. Even the first shot, set in The Nancy Reagan High School, serves more than just orientation. It’s a cheeky nod to Gen X, ensuring we feel included. (Nancy Reagan was the First Lady from 1981 to 1989, wife of President Ronald Reagan. She launched the anti-drugs campaign, "Just Say No.")
What We Learn About the Character, Wednesday
How does WEDNESDAY’s story come to life so efficiently? Shorthand is utilized to convey much about Wednesday through her appearance and how students and teachers react to her as she glides through the hallway of her high school. Additionally, her sarcastic voice-over offers insight into her unique perspective. She's more than different. Wednesday is an outcast; an intellectual subversive who finds satisfaction in the after-effects of electro-shock therapy.
Every utterance she makes is not only witty; it's building her character line by line.
The Inciting Incident
Discovering that her brother Pugsley has been tormented by older boys, Wednesday retaliates the only way she knows how: by extracting a blood sacrifice. She releases piranhas into the school swimming pool during the bullies' water polo practice.
We're barely past the two-and-a-half-minute mark and we have a piranhas in the pool moment.
This is not merely an inciting incident that propels our main character on her journey. It's an action that reveals more about her personality–this is a lass who doesn't intimidate easily. Wednesday thrives on her unconventionality and extremism. Most importantly, she seeks revenge for the bullying endured by her brother, not for herself. Deep down, she has a heart! This deliberate story choice is vital in ensuring we follow Wednesday on her ten-episode journey. It makes us connect with her character at a deeper level.
Learning About the Series' Story Concept
As the story unfolds, we see Wednesday doesn't fit in. She's deemed a "freak." Her misadventure at the pool maxes-out this storyline, indicating there's nowhere else to progress within the high school setting. In just three minutes, we grasp the backstory of Wednesday's time at Nancy Reagan High School.
but not only that. The audience understands the situation's necessity—Wednesday has reached a point of no return and must transfer to a school that understands her better. This sets the foundation for a strong story concept.
The writers also seamlessly introduce Wednesday's extrasensory perception. Instead of Pugsley explaining who tormented him, an important bit of backstory is revealed to Wednesday through a vision. This approach is not only efficient storytelling, it's visually interesting and intriguing. It's just a hint of foreshadowing, as Wednesday's visions will be importantl to the overarching narrative.
Three to Six Minutes
After the bloody piranha scene, we transition to the Addams family driving through picturesque countryside. Morticia and Gomez serenade each other in the backseat, much to Wednesday's disgust. This is quintessential Addams family humor but presented engagingly: Wednesday's parents enjoy a strong relationship (with perhaps a tad too much PDA).
This short scene is packed with information. Much disguised exposition occurs amidst the funny family banter. We briefly touch on the aftermath of the piranha incident and gain backstory about Nevermore and the Addams parents' connection to the school—termed a "magical place."
We learn the following:
Key Story and Character Motivation Points:
Wednesday is unhappy about going to Nevermore. She might consider running away.
Morticia suggests making friends among people who "understand" her—other outcasts. This implies making friends is not Wednesday's strength.
Wednesday is keen to remind her mother that she doesn't want to follow in her footsteps, such as being the captain of the fencing team or president of the séance society. This indicates her "mummy issues."
Wednesday reiterates point three at the school to ensure the audience understands her motivations. To engage fully with the story, we must grasp her inner needs versus external wants.
Wednesday's External Wants vs. Internal Needs
Wednesday doesn't want to go to Nevermore.
She doesn't want to emulate her mother.
She prefers to remain a loner.
She needs to learn about trust and friendship.
She needs to address her "mummy issues."
Six to Eight Minutes
Before arriving at Nevermore, two critical details emerge, enhancing background knowledge for the viewers. These points, once more, set the stage for the stakes ahead.
In a scene lasting just a minute and a half, another car passes. A local gives a hiker a lift to the woods adjacent to Nevermore. This moment is crucial, revealing how townspeople view the school's students—with distrust and fear. This will no doubt create more tension and conflict in the coming episodes.
The stakes escalate dramatically as the cheerful hiker enters the woods, only to meet a grisly end, further intriguing audiences.
Summary of What the Opening Scenes of the Pilot Set Up:
The main character: Wednesday.
Relationship dynamics: With her family, especially her mother.
Backstory: Regarding her visions, her parents, and Nevermore.
The setting: Nevermore Boarding School.
The stakes: Tension with the locals and danger lurking in the nearby forest.
The story engine for the first episode: Wednesday's reluctance to attend Nevermore.
The series' overarching engine: Wednesday's struggle with friendship, her desire to gain independence from her mother and confront the terrifying entity in the forest.
All of this is accomplished in just eight minutes. Remarkably efficient, yet it appears deceptively easy. Craft, creativity, collaboration, and numerous rewrites are essential to achieving this level of storytelling.
If you're a screenwriter or writer looking to share your vision, stories, or novels with an audience, remember Wednesday's words from the pilot episode:
I admire the sadism.
Happy writing, story lovers!
About Story Inkubator
Story Inkubator was founded by writer-teacher, Kristina Jilly, an Australian living in Central Europe who's written for HBO Europe and RTL Television. A teacher at the University of Applied Sciences in Upper Austria, Kristina also writes online content about the art of storytelling and topics that inspire creativity.
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