What Really Happened to Ophelia Frump on <i>Wednesday</i>? Here’s What We Know

Spoilers ahead.

On Netflix’s Wednesday, there’s no shortage of characters who are creepy, kooky, mysterious, and spooky. But few have managed to send chills down my spine quite like Wednesday Addams’s (Jenna Ortega) enigmatic Aunt Ophelia Frump.

Although she’s been missing for several years, her presence casts a long shadow over season 2. Early on, her sister, Morticia (Catherine Zeta-Jones), hesitantly mentions her as a cautionary tale, naturally piquing Wednesday’s interest. But she fades into the background as Wednesday becomes entangled in other pressing matters, like saving Enid (Emma Myers) from death, rescuing Pugsley (Isaac Ordonez) from a mad scientist, and mending her relationship with Morticia. However, the mystery resurfaces in the finale when Wednesday flips through Ophelia’s old journal, filled with deranged sketches, and has a vision that her aunt is alive.

In the closing scene, we also see something Wednesday isn’t yet privy to: Ophelia might be way more unhinged—and connected to Wednesday’s fate—than expected. Until we find out more in season 3, here’s everything we know about the missing Frump sister.

Ophelia is Hester Frump’s (Joanna Lumley) daughter and Morticia’s sister. We learn that she’s a Raven with psychic abilities like Wednesday and Hester. But Morticia, who is a Dove, describes her sister’s powers as volatile and unpredictable. She acknowledges that Ophelia had extraordinary potential growing up, but says it also caused psychological instability. Over time, Ophelia’s visions blurred the line between prophecy and obsession, leaving her mentally fractured and isolated.

According to Morticia, Ophelia fell into a state of psychosis after overextending her powers. Her “psychic exhaustion” was marked by black tears streaming down her face—the same symptom that Wednesday experiences while harnessing her abilities at the start of season 2.

After her psychotic break, Ophelia was admitted to Willow Hill Psychiatric Hospital before mysteriously vanishing. Details surrounding her disappearance are scarce, but the finale pulls back the curtain a bit: After Wednesday’s vision confirms that Ophelia is alive, the final scene reveals Hester has her locked away in a secret cell. And let’s just say, Ophelia, who apparently has a vendetta against her niece, is unwell.

We don’t know just yet. In the finale, we only get a glimpse of Ophelia from behind when Hester visits her hidden chamber. Her long hair, adorned with a floral headpiece, cascades down her back as she slowly writes, “Wednesday must die,” across the wall (*shudders*). It’s one of the more chilling moments of the season, which is no small feat in a show that’s given us zombie brain feasts, a disfigured 17th-century pilgrim, and a version of Wednesday who’s possessed by Enid’s sunny personality.

Perhaps Ophelia sees her niece as the catalyst of an undisclosed prophecy. Or maybe she’s overtaken by paranoia, and Wednesday happens to be caught in the crossfire. Then again, this could totally be a smokescreen, and the scene isn’t what it seems. Whatever the case may be, one thing is certain: This is one of season 3’s most anticipated setups.

This also remains a mystery as the role has not been officially cast yet. Last year, in an interview with GamesRadar+, Ortega said she’d be interested in working with Beetlejuice Beetlejuice costar Winona Ryder on Wednesday—though it’d be hard to coordinate with busy schedules. But since Tim Burton directed both projects, maybe there’s a chance he could bring the gothic pair together again.

Burton and his team could also take a page out of the 1960s Addams Family book. In the original sitcom, actress Carolyn Jones played both Morticia and Ophelia, donning black hair and blonde tresses for the respective characters. So we could see Zeta-Jones take on a dual role as a fun nod to the series that helped make the morbid family mainstream.

With Ophelia positioned as one of the series’ most mysterious figures, rest assured that we’ll keep a close eye on casting news.