Aside from driving the Addams family to and from Nevermore Academy, Lurch Addams doesn’t have much of a role in Netflix‘s Wednesday. However, many fans have noticed something suspicious about the servant and chauffeur, particularly in episode 8. A missing detail sparked a fan theory that Lurch isn’t really Lurch in the finale. Let us explain.
[Spoiler alert: The following story contains spoilers for Wednesday Season 1.]
Who is Lurch in ‘The Addams Family’ and ‘Wednesday’?
For those unfamiliar with The Addams Family history, Lurch has been the family’s butler since Charles Addams’ cartoons in the 1930s. He stands at 6 feet 9 inches tall and often has a gloomy demeanor. In the cartoons and adaptations, Lurch has short black hair and one eye that is opaque. He doesn’t talk much — mostly just moans and grunts — but the Addams family understands him.
Lurch is loyal, although he sometimes gets annoyed with the family. He is sometimes described as having a sixth sense because he can detect danger around the Addamses.
In Wednesday, Lurch is played by Romanian actor George Burcea. He first appears in episode 1 as he drives Wednesday (Jenna Ortega), Morticia (Catherine Zeta-Jones), Gomez (Luis Guzman), and Pugsley (Issac Ordonez) to Nevermore Academy. Later, the family returns to visit Wednesday on Parents’ Weekend. Finally, Lurch visits the school once again — this time without the family — to pick up Wednesday.
‘Wednesday’ fans noticed a change in Lurch actor George Burcea in the finale
A fan theory about Lurch recently made the rounds on TikTok. Many people have noticed that the butler looks quite different as he drives the Addams family hearse in episode 1 versus episode 8. His first scene shows one eye looking glassier than the other. However, the glassy eye is mysteriously gone in the finale.
The missing detail has led many viewers to wonder if a shapeshifter is posing as Lurch. In addition to the eye change, the camera focuses on Lurch for an abnormally long time while Wednesday’s narration describes loose ends in the story. It’s also unusual that Morticia, Gomez, and Pugsley don’t tag along to pick up Wednesday when they’ve been there every other time. Could these be hints that this Lurch isn’t who he seems?
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Of course, there’s the question of who could be posing as Lurch. Principal Weems (Gwendoline Christie) was a shapeshifter, but she died in the finale — as far as we know. It’s possible she could have faked her death. But what reason would Weems have to kidnap Wednesday?
Some fans have also suggested that Marilyn Thornhill/Laurel Gates (Christina Ricci) could be the shapeshifter. She was said to be the only person at Nevermore without a supernatural power, but she could have lied about that.
The missing detail could be a simple continuity error
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Fans have insisted that Wednesday creator Tim Burton, who was notoriously detail-oriented with the series, would never forget to put a contact in Lurch’s eye. It had to be intentional, right? Well, it’s worth noting that Burton only directed the first four episodes; episode 8 was directed by James Marshall. It’s possible that Marshall missed the detail.
Plus, the first and last Wednesday episodes were likely filmed months apart, so Burcea’s general facial appearance could have changed over time. Even a simple lighting change could have given the illusion that Lurch’s eyes changed.
Fans will have to hope for a Wednesday Season 2 renewal to confirm or deny this theory. In the meantime, Wednesday Season 1 is now streaming on Netflix.
