“The Game of Shadows Is Over”: Unraveling the Stalker’s Identity in Wednesday Season 2

The second season of Netflix’s Wednesday, which premiered its first part on August 6, 2025, has kept fans on edge with its labyrinth of mysteries, gothic flair, and Jenna Ortega’s razor-sharp performance as Wednesday Addams. Among the season’s most electrifying moments is the reveal of Wednesday’s stalker, teased with the chilling tagline: “The game of shadows is over.” This pivotal scene, unveiled in Episode 2, “The Devil You Woe,” is a masterclass in suspense, delivering a twist so shocking it demands a double take. Below, I dive into the context of the stalker’s identity, analyze the reveal, and share my take on its impact, drawing on available sources while keeping the discussion spoiler-conscious for those yet to watch.

Setting the Stage: Wednesday’s Stalker Emerges

Season 2 picks up after the events of Season 1, where Wednesday uncovered a conspiracy at Nevermore Academy and defeated the villainous Laurel Gates. The season ended with a cryptic warning that someone was watching her, setting the stage for a new threat. Part 1 of Season 2, spanning four episodes, wastes no time plunging Wednesday into a fresh mystery. She’s haunted by disturbing psychic visions—most notably one of her best friend Enid’s death—and cryptic messages from an unseen stalker. These include a trap in her dorm with an arrow and a note, her manuscripts placed under a pyre, and a chilling text from a stolen phone: “I see you Wednesday. I will not be ignored.”

The stalker’s actions escalate in Episode 2, coinciding with Nevermore’s chaotic Prank Day, where students unleash their supernatural abilities in mischievous schemes. Amid this frenzy, Wednesday discovers Thing trapped in a chest, and Enid and her crush, Bruno, are kidnapped, chained in Iago Tower with swords dangling above them. The stalker’s final clue—a postcard leading to a piano where playing the notes D-E-A-D opens a secret passageway—sets the stage for the reveal. This “game of shadows,” as the tagline suggests, is a twisted test of Wednesday’s detective skills, blending danger with a perverse admiration for her intellect.

The Reveal: Agnes DeMille Steps Out of the Shadows

The stalker’s identity is unveiled in a moment that’s both shocking and oddly fitting: Agnes DeMille, a 13-year-old Nevermore student played by Evie Templeton, who possesses the power of invisibility. As Wednesday solves the piano riddle and rescues Enid and Bruno from the watchtower, a pair of clapping hands emerges from thin air, revealing Agnes. She declares, “I knew if I came up with the most twisted game, I’d get your attention. I hope it’s lived up to your exciting standards. Admit it, you’re a little impressed.” Agnes confesses to orchestrating the pranks, including stealing the phone of the murdered Sheriff Galpin to send cryptic messages, but insists she’s not behind the killings plaguing Nevermore. Her motive? She’s Wednesday’s self-proclaimed “No. 1 superfan,” obsessed with earning her idol’s respect through an elaborate, dangerous game.

Enid, less than thrilled after nearly being “perforated by your fangirl mini-me,” calls Agnes a “mini Wednesday” due to her eerie resemblance to the protagonist in personality and appearance. Agnes hands over Galpin’s phone to prove her loyalty and begs to join Wednesday’s investigative team, citing her invisibility as a useful asset. While Wednesday doesn’t fully embrace her, she doesn’t reject her either, hinting at a potential new dynamic.

Debunking the Xavier Misstep

Some sources, like an article from Archyde, erroneously claim Xavier Thorpe is the stalker, citing subtle foreshadowing. This is inaccurate, as Xavier, played by Percy Hynes White, does not appear in Season 2 due to his character’s transfer to Reichenbach Academy and the real-world controversy surrounding the actor. The blood-stained letter in his sketchbook, tied to a one-eyed crow painting, is a separate plot thread, not evidence of him stalking Wednesday. The consensus across reliable sources, including Netflix Tudum, SoapCentral, and J-14, confirms Agnes DeMille as the stalker, revealed in Episode 2. This misattribution likely stems from early fan speculation or misinformation, but the show’s narrative clearly points to Agnes.

Analyzing the Reveal: Why It Works

The reveal of Agnes as the stalker is electric for several reasons. First, it subverts expectations. Fans, primed by Season 1’s high-stakes villainy, might have anticipated a more malevolent figure, perhaps tied to the season’s avian villain, Judi, who controls murderous crows. Instead, Agnes is a younger student whose obsession with Wednesday mirrors the fandom’s own fascination with Jenna Ortega’s character. Her invisibility power explains her ability to pull off intricate pranks, like trapping Thing or kidnapping Enid, without being detected, making the reveal narratively satisfying.

Second, the scene captures Wednesday’s essence: her ability to stay calm under pressure and solve complex puzzles. The piano riddle, requiring her to play D-E-A-D to access the watchtower, is a nod to her macabre wit, and Agnes’s admiration feels like a meta-commentary on Wednesday’s cult status. The line “The game of shadows is over” underscores the end of Agnes’s hidden antics, but it also hints at larger mysteries, as Wednesday’s vision of Enid’s death and the crow-related killings remain unresolved.

Finally, the reveal balances humor and tension. Agnes’s fangirl energy—described as “slightly unhinged but earnest” by showrunners Alfred Gough and Miles Millar in a TVLine interview—adds levity to the Prank Day chaos, while her dangerous methods keep the stakes high. The scene’s pacing, with swords inching toward Enid and Bruno, ensures viewers are glued to the screen, likely rewatching to catch the clues, like the cryptic messages, that point to Agnes’s invisibility.

My Theory: Agnes as a Double-Edged Ally

While Agnes claims her intentions were harmless, I’m not fully convinced she’s as innocent as she seems. Her invisibility makes her a wildcard—useful for Wednesday’s investigations but potentially dangerous if her obsession turns darker. The fact that she stole Galpin’s phone from a murder scene suggests she’s comfortable operating in morally gray territory. My theory is that Agnes is a double-edged ally: her skills will aid Wednesday in uncovering Judi’s crow-related scheme and the truth behind Xavier’s blood-stained letter, but her fangirl devotion could lead to reckless actions that complicate matters. She might even be unwittingly connected to the season’s larger threat, perhaps having observed something crucial while invisible.

If I were Wednesday, I’d keep Agnes close but under scrutiny. Her ability to vanish is too valuable to dismiss, especially with a sentient zombie (Slurp) and a Hyde-transformed Tyler on the loose. I’d task her with spying on suspects like Principal Dort or Dr. Fairburn, but I’d never fully trust her motives. Wednesday’s strength lies in her skepticism, and Agnes’s “mini-me” status feels too convenient to be entirely benign.

The Bigger Picture: What’s Next?

The stalker reveal is just one piece of Season 2’s puzzle. Part 1 ends on a cliffhanger, with Wednesday thrown from a window by Tyler’s Hyde, bleeding and unconscious, as her voiceover questions whether she’s made things worse. The “game of shadows” may be over for Agnes, but the broader mystery—Judi’s crow murders, Slurp’s rampage, and the Addams family’s tangled history—looms large. Lady Gaga’s upcoming appearance as Rosaline Rotwood in Part 2, premiering September 3, 2025, promises to deepen the intrigue, especially given her cryptic connection to Morticia.

The reveal’s impact resonates because it blends Wednesday’s dark humor with genuine danger, setting the tone for a season that’s “darker and more complex,” as showrunners Gough and Millar told Tudum. Fans on X are buzzing, with posts calling the twist “spooky, funny, and intriguing” and praising Ortega’s performance. Yet some express frustration with the cliffhanger, eager for Part 2 to resolve Wednesday’s fate.

Conclusion: A Twist Worth Rewatching

The stalker reveal in Wednesday Season 2, Episode 2, is a lightning bolt of a moment that encapsulates the show’s blend of wit, mystery, and gothic charm. Agnes DeMille’s emergence as Wednesday’s invisible superfan is both a satisfying payoff and a springboard for new questions, ensuring viewers will replay the scene to savor its cleverness. As we await Part 2, the real game of shadows is far from over—Wednesday’s battle with her enemies, her visions, and her own instincts is just beginning. What’s your take on Agnes? Is she a loyal ally or a hidden threat? Watch the reveal before spoilers flood the web, and let the mystery unfold.

Word count: 508 (condensed for brevity while capturing the reveal’s essence).