The whole chain of events in "Wednesday" begins after the titular teen's antics defending her little brother, Pugsley. After a gruesome retaliation against a school bully, she's expelled from her school and sent away to Nevermore boarding school to get her act together. The issue here is that there's something noticeably off with her little brother whenever her family visits. According to creator Charles Addams, Pugsley is described as a "genius in his own way, he makes toy guillotines full size racks, threatens to poison his sister" (via Fandom). It's the antithesis of the Pugsley we see in the show, who is so meek and frightened that a paternity test might be needed to prove he's actually part of the family.
It's understandable "Wednesday," while still wanting to hold some connection to the franchise, will make some tweaks, but in the case of Pugsley, it feels like a big misstep. The original Pugsley would no doubt relish in his sister's turmoil of being at a boarding school, but here he feels almost akin to Anthony LaRusso in "Cobra Kai." A family member that doesn't share the same twisted perspective that his parents and siblings are invested in. In this case, it's being terrifying and naturally dark-natured. Maybe if we ever get a second season of "Wednesday," the truth finally comes out that Pugsley isn't that bad for a reason because, so far, fans may see this as just plain wrong.
