Warning! This article contains mild SPOILERS for Netflix's WednesdayTo add to her spooky nature, Jenna Ortega withheld from blinking throughout her performance as the titular character in Wednesday. From the creative mind of Tim Burton, Netflix's Wednesday follows the eldest Addams child as she navigates social life and mysterious murders at her new school for outcasts, Nevermore Academy. With the release of Wednesday season 1, Netflix announced that fans won't catch Ortega blinking, at Burton's instruction. Although there are actually some moments where Ortega does blink in the show, those moments are alarmingly few and far between.
When director Tim Burton decided the character shouldn't blink, Wednesday star Jenna Ortega truly committed to it, making the few times she does shut her eyes feel all the more powerful. Wednesday can be caught closing her eyes during the car ride with Morticia and Gomez to Nevermore in Wednesday episode 1, "Wednesday's Child Is Full of Woe," during her confrontation with Bianca at the Rave'N in episode 4, "Woe What a Night," and when she hugs Enid in the season 1 finale, "A Murder of Woes." While Wednesday doesn't blink regularly, the habit appears to mark moments when she experiences discomfort or shock.
Why Jenna Ortega Hardly Blinks In Wednesday?
Jenna Ortega's lack of blinking in Wednesday wasn't planned from the beginning, but when she accidentally did a take without blinking several months into filming, Tim Burton was enamored with the results and insisted she continue the idea. A lack of blinking is commonplace in many of Tim Burton's movies, including Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children and Dark Shadows. Part of the reason for this is that blinking is one thing that simply unsettles Tim Burton. "I don't know why," the director confirmed to Yahoo! when asked about his aversion to blinking, "Even when you're mentioning it now, it freaks me out."
How Jenna Ortega's Lack Of Blinking Makes Sense For Wednesday
Wednesday Addams isn't your typical human, so it makes sense that something as normal as blinking escapes her. Missing something so biologically normal — and necessary — helps to build Wednesday's unsettling demeanor. This is especially true when it's paired with an unnerving, unending glare and the fact that Wednesday only smiles once in the series. Her relentless gaze pairs well with her ability to receive psychic visions, as very little escapes her hyper-focused stare. Wednesday is also a character who never discusses or acknowledges her emotions, so using a subconscious and nonverbal cue to convey her feelings is a brilliant move. It's just a little proof that, in her weaker moments, Wednesday is still human.
Of all of Wednesday's eerie habits, her unending stare is one of the most unsettling. It's a subtle addition that adds even more substance to Wednesday as a character, built on what was a pure accident on Jenna Ortega's part. Blinking is a part of human nature that is often as overlooked as breathing, but Ortega and Tim Burton used an action that is typically taken for granted to a new level, pushing Wednesday just a little further into the uncanny valley. As a member of the Addams family, Wednesday's odd mannerisms play a large part in who she is as a character, and Ortega is able to communicate an incredible amount throughout Wednesday without saying a word.