Wednesday’s ancestor Goody Addams goes by a name with a significant meaning in Puritan history, which creates a big mystery for the character.
WARNING! This article contains SPOILERS for Wednesday season 1!The real meaning behind the name that Joseph Crackstone and the Addamses call Goody in Wednesday season 1 leaves the family with another unsolved mystery. Netflix’s series dives back into four centuries worth of history for the iconic Addams family, including references to Cousin Itt in the Nightshades Society and the introduction of Gomez and Wednesday Addams’ ancestor Goody, a witch who helped save outcasts from eradication by Crackstone. Goody ultimately played a big role in solving the murder mysteries that involved multiple generations of the Addams family, though Wednesday’s season 1 ending hints her story could be over.s
Much of the history surrounding the witch Goody Addams was revealed during Wednesday season 1’s murder investigation, primarily through Wednesday Addams’ visions about the past. In addition to Wednesday traveling back to the Puritan settlement of Jericho in the 17th century, she learned more about Goody through her Book of Shadows, revelations from Morticia, and conversations with Goody herself. However, there’s still one key mystery about Wednesday’s psychic ancestor that the series will potentially leave unaddressed.
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While “Goody” is the only first name given to Wednesday Addams’ ancestor portrayed by Jenna Ortega, this isn’t actually a name. Rather, “Goody,” short for “Goodwife,” is a form of address given to married women of lower classes in Puritan societies, much like the pilgrim settlement of Jericho in Wednesday’s flashbacks, with “Goodman” being the male equivalent of this title. “Goody” thus corresponds to “Miss” or “Mrs.” today, so Wednesday season 1’s characters have really only been referring to the witch as “Miss Addams.” Fitting for Ortega’s character, the title is now often associated with Puritan women accused of witchcraft, as some were primarily referred to as “Goody” rather than their names.
Despite the fact that Wednesday and Morticia only call the psychic “Goody,” this isn’t her name, and it’s curious as to why her real name and marital status are never addressed. Wednesday even traveled back into the past to see the settlement of Jericho condemn Goody, but they only use her title rather than her name. Wednesday thus creates a mystery regarding whether there’s any record of Goody’s real name around Nevermore and Jericho or in her Book of Shadows. Given the oddities in many of the supernatural Addams family members’ names, it’s still possible that Goody genuinely is the character’s name, but this would be far too coincidental after placing her in Puritan society.
Why Goody’s Name Mystery May Never Be Solved
Goody Addams’ real name could have been another mystery for the title character to solve in Wednesday season 2, but this may not be possible. In Wednesday season 1’s ending, Goody vanished for good after using the rest of her spiritual powers to heal Wednesday’s stab wound, meaning she won’t be back for future visions. Consequently, Wednesday won’t be able to ask Goody more about her past, her powers, or even her name during Wednesday season 2. It seems the only historical record of the character’s name is “Goody,” so this detail will likely remain a mystery.
If Goody is really gone forever, then this is a missed opportunity to better explore the history of the Addams family’s arrival in New England. Morticia mentions that Goody was part of Gomez Addams’ ancestors who immigrated from Mexico, which could add to a richer past and explanation for the family’s supernatural powers. Additionally, unless Goody was born in Jericho, the Addamses being from Mexico further supports the notion that the Puritan title “Goody” isn’t the Wednesday character’s real name.
