by Staff writer
Warning: This article contains annoying elements of discomfort called “spoilers”.
Thandie Newton (credited as Thandiwe Newton, after reverting to her original name spelling in 2021) plays Dr. Rachael Fairburn in Season 2 of Netflix’s Wednesday. Dr. Fairburn is introduced as the chief psychiatrist at Willow Hill Psychiatric Hospital, a facility that claims to treat troubled outcasts with supernatural abilities, including those from Nevermore Academy. The character appears to be a normie (non-supernatural person) and is initially presented as a potential antagonist, with Wednesday Addams (Jenna Ortega) suspecting her of nefarious intentions due to her role at Willow Hill, where Season 1 villain Tyler Galpin (Hunter Doohan) is held.
However, a mid-season twist in Season 2, Part 1 (episodes released August 6, 2025) reveals that Dr. Fairburn is not the primary villain. Instead, she serves as a red herring, with the true antagonist being her executive assistant, Judi Spannagel (Heather Matarazzo), who is secretly the Avian killer controlling a murder of crows and running an underground program called LOIS (Longterm Outcast Integration Study) to abduct and experiment on outcasts. Dr. Fairburn is depicted as a figurehead, unaware of Judi’s true actions, which involve continuing her father’s unethical experiments at Willow Hill.
Newton’s role was announced in April 2024, with initial details kept under wraps, sparking speculation that she might play a significant figure like Nevermore’s new principal or a teacher. Her casting was a high-profile addition alongside Steve Buscemi, who plays the new principal, and other guest stars like Joanna Lumley and Christopher Lloyd. Newton’s performance as Dr. Fairburn is described as sharp-tongued and authoritative, fitting her established acting range seen in roles like Maeve Millay in Westworld (for which she won an Emmy in 2018) and films such as Crash and Mission: Impossible II. However, some fans expressed disappointment on platforms like Reddit, feeling her character’s arc was underutilized and resolved too quickly in the first four episodes, expecting a larger role given her prominence.
While Dr. Fairburn’s screen time appears limited to Season 2, Part 1, the exact scope of her involvement remains unclear, as Netflix has not commented on whether she returns in Part 2 (episodes set for release on September 3, 2025). The show’s creators, Alfred Gough and Miles Millar, crafted the Avian mystery to subvert expectations, using Newton’s character as a decoy to heighten the Judi reveal. Newton’s portrayal adds to the gothic and mysterious tone of Wednesday, leveraging her experience in complex, dramatic roles to bring depth to Dr. Fairburn, even if the character’s true significance is overshadowed by the twist.
Thandiwe Newton’s performance as Dr. Rachael Fairburn in Season 2, Part 1 of Wednesday (released August 6, 2025) has been widely praised for its intensity and nuance, despite the character’s limited screen time and narrative role as a red herring. Critics and viewers note that Newton brings a commanding presence to the chief psychiatrist of Willow Hill Psychiatric Hospital, embodying a sharp-tongued, authoritative figure with a mix of cold professionalism and subtle menace. Her ability to convey complex emotions—seen in past roles like Westworld’s Maeve—adds depth to Dr. Fairburn, making her seem like a potential mastermind behind the season’s Avian killer mystery, which aligns with the show’s intent to mislead the audience.
Reviewers, such as those on Variety and Collider, highlight Newton’s skill in delivering layered dialogue, particularly in tense scenes with Jenna Ortega’s Wednesday Addams, where their verbal sparring showcases her as a formidable foil. Her performance is described as “magnetic” and “captivating,” with her expressive delivery and physicality (e.g., stern glances and calculated movements) enhancing the character’s ambiguous morality. However, some fan reactions on platforms like Reddit and X express frustration that her role, revealed as secondary to the true villain Judi Spannagel (Heather Matarazzo), doesn’t fully capitalise on Newton’s star power. Posts on X, for instance, praise her “steely charisma” but lament the quick resolution of her arc in the first four episodes, with comments like, “Thandiwe Newton was phenomenal, but they wasted her in Wednesday S2.”
No specific awards or nominations for Newton’s performance have been noted as of August 19, 2025, likely due to the recent release and ongoing rollout of Season 2, Part 2 (set for September 3, 2025). Her portrayal is generally seen as a highlight, elevating a supporting role, though the consensus is that the script didn’t give her enough to do compared to her proven range in projects like Crash or Westworld.
