Why Does Wednesday Addams Resonate with Many Neurodivergent Viewers?

Before we dive in, it’s worth noting that Wednesday Addams is not explicitly described as autistic in the show. That said, many viewers have noticed traits that are described as “neurodivergent-coded”; patterns of thinking, communicating, and engaging with the world that resonate with neurodivergent experiences.

I’m not diagnosing Wednesday. She is a fictional character after all, but more broadly I’m not here to diagnose anyone. That’s not my role as a counsellor. My role is to provide talking therapy and to facilitate a safe space where clients can process their thoughts and emotions. 

There is a lot of talk on social media about neurodivergent traits seen in Wednesday's character and I want to share my own thoughts, as a bit of fun and from the perspective of a neurospicy counsellor. While keeping the discussion sensitive, neuroaffirming, and focused on understanding experiences rather than concentrating on labels.

Lets get started

If you’ve watched Netflix’s Wednesday, you’ll know it’s not your average teen drama. Wednesday Addams walks through life with sharp wit, creativity, and a strong sense of self. She doesn’t hide who she is. For many neurodivergent viewers, Wednesday’s refusal to mask or conform really stands out. 

In real life though, masking - the suppression of natural neurodivergent traits in order to be accepted in a neurotypical world - is something many rely on to navigate environments that aren’t always understanding or accommodating. 

Masking can be exhausting and lonely. I’ll be writing more about this as a separate blog soon, but what’s striking about Wednesday is how rarely she masks. Wednesday's authenticity isn’t always met with acceptance, but as viewers, we get to experience what it can feel like to drop the mask from a place of safety.

The appeal of Wednesday

Wednesday is unapologetically herself. She struggles with small talk, avoids social niceties that feel meaningless, and has intense passions that light her up. She’s honest and direct, sometimes to the point of surprise. But she’s not portrayed as broken or lacking. She’s clever, inventive, loyal, and very much the centre of her own story.

What makes Wednesday especially striking is that characters who display traits often associated with neurodivergence, such as intense focus, direct communication, or preference for routine are rarely portrayed in mainstream media without being stereotyped or reduced to caricatures. Wednesday is compelling because she’s a fully realised character: her traits are part of who she is, giving her strengths, quirks, and challenges alike.

We witness moments when Wednesday misses social cues and, through the subtle and skilled acting of Jenna Ortega, are held in Wednesday's frame of reference in both navigating and making amendments in the unwanted social soup she finds herself in.

For anyone who’s been told to “tone it down,” to change who they are to fit it, or “stop being weird,” seeing a character like Wednesday can feel relatable and validating..

Neurodivergence through a Wednesday lens

Wednesday communicates in a clear, direct way, saying what she means without feeling the need to play social games. She also has a deep, almost single-minded focus on her interests. From her fascination with pathology to her intense determination to solve the mysteries around her, Wednesday can spend hours immersed in what captures her attention, following details that others might overlook.

Her focus is often paired with a strict sense of routine. As she puts it, “This is my writing time… I devote an hour a day to my novel.” For many autistic people, routines can offer a sense of safety, while unplanned changes or disruptions can be challenging to navigate. These routines provide predictability and structure, helping her pursue her passions while managing uncertainty. At the same time, she has a fierce sense of justice, quickly spotting unfairness and refusing to let it slide.

These ways of being aren’t problems to fix; they’re just differences, and in Wednesday’s world, they’re also strengths. Watching her navigate life this way can feel familiar for anyone who has learned to experience the world through a lens that doesn’t always match neurotypical norms.

Sensory sensitivities and “allergic to colour”

One of the more subtle ways Wednesday resonates with neurodivergent experiences is through her environment and aesthetic. She famously declares, “I’m allergic to colour,” always dressed in black and surrounded by muted tones. This detail can be seen as echoing the sensory sensitivities that many autistic and neurodivergent people experience.

For autistic people, bright lights, loud noises, strong scents, strong colours, or busy and unpredictable environments can be overwhelming — sometimes referred to as sensory overload. These sensitivities are not about being “picky” or “difficult”; they reflect genuine differences in sensory processing, which can vary from person to person.

Navigating implied meaning and social cues

Another aspect of neurodivergent experience that Wednesday illustrates is the challenge of understanding metacommunication - the unspoken messages, hidden meanings, and subtle social cues slotted within (often neurotypical) communications that add nuance. Wednesday tends to interpret the world literally, and she can find small talk, polite white lies, or implied expectations confusing or unnecessary.

Throughout the series, Wednesday struggles to pick up on implied communications from various characters. For example, Tyler expresses romantic interest in subtle ways, and when challenged on her ‘mixed messages’ she responds, “It’s not my fault I can’t interpret your emotional morse code.” Wednesday doesn’t always notice or interpret other characters' signals as intended, highlighting Wednesday's communication style and experience. This leads us to the double empathy problem..

The double empathy problem in action

This idea, first described by Dr. Damian Milton, challenges the old assumption that autistic (and otherwise neurodivergent) people lack empathy. Instead, it shows that misunderstandings often happen between neurodivergent and neurotypical people, because each experiences and communicates the world differently. It’s not a deficit on one side, it’s a two-way street.

Take the friendship between Wednesday and Enid. Wednesday shows care and friendship for Enid in her own way: supporting and ensuring Edin's successes (the boat race, which is unimportant to Wednesday but means a lot to Enid), standing up for Enid (addressing Enid's boyfriend’s disloyalty), and being fiercely loyal when it matters. That’s Wednesday’s love language.

But then there’s the birthday party scene in season one. Enid pours her heart into planning a celebration because that’s how she expresses care. Wednesday, however, doesn’t respond in the way Enid hopes or expects. She doesn’t light up with enthusiasm or even cut the cake, and Enid feels hurt.

From the outside, it might look like Wednesday is cold or ungrateful. But from her perspective, the effort of throwing a party doesn’t carry the same meaning. They’re both expressing care, just in very different emotional languages. That’s the double empathy problem: the signals don’t always land in the way they’re intended.

For anyone who doubts Wednesday's capacity for love and loyalty, you need only look to season two with Wednesday’s commitment to save Enid at its heart.

Why representation matters

Representation matters because it expands the stories we see and the ways we understand differences. Characters like Wednesday challenge narrow ideas of what “normal” looks like and show that ways of thinking, communicating, and relating that differ from neurotypical norms are valid and meaningful.

Representation is especially important for oppressed or minority groups, including neurominorities, because it gives visibility to experiences that are often marginalised or misunderstood. When stories centre voices that are rarely seen, it challenges stereotypes, highlights systemic inequities, and creates space for diverse perspectives to be valued and respected.

Seeing characters whose behaviours, passions, and social styles don’t conform to the neurotypical majority can shift cultural expectations, foster empathy, and normalise difference as part of the human experience. It also validates complexity: people can be brilliant, intense, quirky, or socially different, and still be central, capable, and fully realised within their stories.

So if you’ve ever been told you’re “too much,” “too blunt,” or “too intense,” Wednesday Addams is a reminder that there’s nothing wrong with you. In fact, the world could benefit from more of what you bring.

Every autistic person is unique

It’s important to remember that all autistic people are individuals. As Dr. Stephen Shore put it, “If you’ve met one autistic person, you’ve met one autistic person.” Wednesday Addams may reflect traits that resonate with some neurodivergent experiences - hyperfocus, preference for routine, sensory sensitivities, or challenges with implied social cues - but no single character can capture the diversity of the autistic community.

Many autistic people are compared to stereotypical autistic-coded characters like the Rain Man or Sheldon Cooper from The Big Bang Theory. When someone doesn’t match these narrow expectations they can be unfairly told they “don’t look autistic.” Experiences, behaviours, and ways of being vary widely across the spectrum, and no one way of thinking, communicating, or engaging with the world defines all autistic people.

This is a good reminder that while Wednesday can be relatable and validating, she is just one fictional example and her traits shouldn’t be assumed to represent every autistic experience.

If reading this blog has sparked thoughts about your own experiences with masking, social challenges, or navigating a neurotypical world, talking with a counsellor can be a safe space to explore these feelings. You don’t have to figure it all out alone. Support is available, and finding someone who understands can make a real difference.