'Wednesday' Season 2 keeps the Edgar Allan Poe references alive. Here's all of them.

The "clockwork heart" huh...
 By 
Shannon Connellan
 on 
All products featured here are independently selected by our editors and writers. If you buy something through links on our site, Mashable may earn an affiliate commission.
Jenna Ortega as Wednesday Addams.
Credit: Bernard Walsh / Netflix

Like the beating of the hideous heart in Edgar Allan Poe's story, Netflix's Wednesday continues to tick with references to the 19th century American writer.

The first season of Tim Burton's spooky series was haunted with many a nod to Poe, from the Gothic setting of Nevermore Academy (named for Poe's most famous poem, 1845's The Raven) to the highly dangerous Poe Cup in which teams were story-themed, and the secret Nightshade Society, a possible hat-tip to the 1935 story Morella.

In Season 2, the references aren't as plentiful, but they're still there — Wednesday (Jenna Ortega) even calls a plot twist "worthy of Poe" at one point. We've rounded them all up below. And if you're not content with the long intervals of horrible sanity between the release of Part 1 and 2 of Wednesday Season 2, try a rewatch of The Fall of the House of Usher.

The Poe portrait

In Wednesday Season 2, episode 1, when teen siren Bianca Barclay (Joy Sunday) is called to the office of chipper new principal Barry Dort (Steve Buscemi), he directly points to a portrait of Poe on the wall, "our most famous alumni." The thing is, Dort also kind of looks like the author with that hairdo...

The ravens

While Poe's The Raven was mentioned a colossal amount of times in Season 1, there's a fair few actual ravens in Season 2. In episode 1, the Founder's Pyre constructed by the students is shaped like a stately raven. And in the main storyline, ravens aren't gently rapping at chamber doors like in Poe's story, instead taking a leaf out of Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds.

The clockwork heart

The ticking heart at the centre of the ghost story told by teen gorgon Ajax (Georgie Farmer) in episode 1, feels inspired by Poe's 1843 short story "The Tell-Tale Heart."

"The Tale of the Skull Tree," the episode's stunning, characteristically Tim Burton animation, follows a "brilliant boy with a fragile heart" who invents a mechanical ticker for himself. However, it changes him into a cold and ambitious man, one who attends Nevermore Academy and meets his untimely death there. "Legend has it," Ajax explains, "that his body is buried at the foot of the Skull Tree in an unmarked grave. But if you put your ear to the skull's hollow left eye, you can still hear his clockwork heart." The story shares attributes with Poe's protagonist, who is plagued by the beating heart of a man he murdered and buried under the floorboards.

The Tell-Tale Café

In the Nevermore quad, there's a food truck called The Tell-Tale Café, a reference again to "The Tell-Tale Heart." You can see in episode 2 it's selling themed offerings named for Poe stories like "Murders in the Rue Macchiato."

A stack of Poe books

In episode 2, Wednesday must solve a nasty little puzzle in the clocktower, in which she must figure out which book is missing from the stacks around her. They're works by literary legends including H. G. Wells, Marcel Proust, Ann M. Martin, and yes, Poe.

Did you spy any more Poe references? Let us know in the comments.

Wednesday Season 2, Part 1 is now streaming on Netflix. Part 2 lands on Sept. 3.

Topics Netflix

A photo portrait of a journalist with blonde hair and a band t-shirt.
Shannon Connellan
UK Editor

Shannon Connellan is Mashable's UK Editor based in London, formerly Mashable's Australia Editor, but emotionally, she lives in the Creel House. A Tomatometer-approved critic, Shannon writes about entertainment, tech, social good, science, culture, and Australian horror.

Mashable Potato

Recommended For You
Is Jane still alive in the 'Paradise' Season 2 finale?
Nicole Brydon Bloom in "Paradise."


How is 'Percy Jackson and the Olympians' Season 2 different from the books?
Walker Scobell in "Percy Jackson and the Olympians."

'The Pitt' Season 2: Everything you need to remember from Season 1
The cast of "The Pitt" looks concerned.

Verizon breaks silence on massive outage. Here's what they said.
a person with an umbrella walks past a verizon store on a rainy day

More in Entertainment
How to watch Chelsea vs. Port Vale online for free
Alejandro Garnacho of Chelsea reacts

How to watch 'Wuthering Heights' at home: Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi's controversial romance now streaming
Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi embracing in still from "Wuthering Heights"

How to watch New York Islanders vs. Philadelphia Flyers online for free
Matthew Schaefer of the New York Islanders warms up

How to watch Mexico vs. Belgium online for free
Israel Reyes of Mexico reacts

How to watch Brazil vs. Croatia online for free
Vinicius Junior #10 of Brazil leaves

Trending on Mashable
NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for April 3, 2026
Connections game on a smartphone

Wordle today: Answer, hints for April 3, 2026
Wordle game on a smartphone


NYT Strands hints, answers for April 3, 2026
A game being played on a smartphone.

NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for April 2, 2026
Connections game on a smartphone
The biggest stories of the day delivered to your inbox.
These newsletters may contain advertising, deals, or affiliate links. By clicking Subscribe, you confirm you are 16+ and agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Thanks for signing up. See you at your inbox!