Who is the Serial Killer in Wednesday Season 2?

The second season of Netflix’s ‘Wednesday’ centers around the titular protagonist taking on not one but two different challenges simultaneously. While a mysterious stalker continues to keep her on edge, Wednesday also gets embroiled in a string of mysterious and gruesome murders, which might have a connection to her premonitions. Her investigations take her through the length and breadth of this supernatural world, drawing her attention to the divide between outcasts and normies. When she finds her answers, all notions of truth and falsehood go out the window, giving a whole new dimension to the story. As such, the serial killer serves as a thematic antithesis to Wednesday, testing her intellectual and psychic prowess. SPOILERS AHEAD.

The Serial Killer Has Deep Connections to Willow Hill

In the climax of episode 4, the real identity of the serial killer is revealed to be none other than Judi, who was introduced earlier in the season as an executive assistant at Willow Hill Psychiatric Hospital. Although she initially appears to be a cheerful but minor presence in the narrative, her true colors come out in her ultimate confrontation with Wednesday. The protagonist also figures out that Judi is, in actuality, the daughter of Augustus Stonehurst, the former Normie Doctor at Willow Hill. He is of particular renown for having a mental breakdown and being admitted to the institution himself. Over the course of the story, we learn that he was also a mad scientist who carried out various experiments on outcasts, and it is Judi who now holds that torch.

Judi reveals that both she and her father were anguished about the fact that they were normies and wanted to harness the unique supernatural powers of the outcasts. This led to a series of inhumane experiments called LOIS, or Long-term Outcast Integration Study. The targets of this project were selected outcasts admitted to Willow Hill, who were kidnapped and then presumed dead. In reality, they became Stonehurst’s prisoners, and he eventually managed to channel their energy. The scientist’s breakdown can be attributed to overambitiousness, given his failed attempts to become a DaVinci, outcasts capable of using telekinesis. However, his daughter had much better luck, as she was bestowed with the ability to control birds of all kinds, with a particular affinity towards crows.

Judi’s connection to birds is not news, as that is the first thing Wednesday figures out in her investigation into the Stonehurst family. As a student of Willow Hill, Judi created her aviary inside the Iago tower, showing early signs of her interest in exerting control over birds. The motif goes up another notch when we see Augustus’s residence at Willow Hill, which is designed to look like a large birdcage. This can be interpreted as her show of strength, having managed to supplant her father both in ability and success. Although she manages to keep her operations perfectly hidden, Wednesday’s arrival into the fray promises trouble, making her a top priority for the antagonist. Judi frequently uses her power, which appears to include sharing her vision with crows and giving them telepathic commands.

Judi Has an Accomplice in Her Nefarious Schemes

Notably, it is Judi who reveals herself to Wednesday, as the protagonist’s guess about the serial killer’s identity has been off this entire time. Throughout the episodes, multiple characters potentially fit the bill, but none seem to do so more than Dr. Rachael Fairburn, the chief psychiatrist at Willow Hill and the leader of Tyler’s care team. Her proximity to the Galpin family, coupled with her mysterious appearances at Nevermore, makes her the biggest suspect in the eyes of Wednesday, who hopes to unravel this truth at Willow Hill. However, the events do not play out as she expects, as Judi reveals that Fairburn is merely her assistant and serves as the face of the institution, while Judi works from behind the shadows, playing out her horrifying plans undetected.

Judi and Fairburn showcase a uniquely complicated dynamic, with the former presenting herself as a huge fan of the latter in public, while also defending the hospital’s infamous practices. While this may be true, Judie is clearly the de facto leader and often uses Fairburn as a cover to run her operations. This includes her crow attack at Nevermore, where Judie hurriedly fled, leaving Fairburn to take care of the aftermath. Additionally, the psychiatrist also serves as the chief caretaker of Augustus Stonehurst, and the two appear to have a close-knit bond as well. While the true extent of Fairburn’s involvement is never shown, her demeanour and scientific interests do align with Judi’s, making them perfect partners in crime.

Judi Escapes the Scene, But There is More to Her Story

Judi’s arc captures the darker side of ambition, which leads to a twisted union between outcasts and normies. In her desire for power, she puts the lives of several innocents at stake, particularly those who need help the most. All of her actions come back to bite her when chaos erupts at Willow Hill in episode 4. Notably, this series of events is triggered by Slurp the zombie, who also serves as an addition to the story’s list of mad scientists. His yearning for agency eventually pushes him to break free. With this, he symbolically becomes the leader of the charge against Judi’s evil practices and ends up freeing every patient in the facility. All the captives held under the LOIS project also come out and immediately begin to target Judi, forcing her to flee for her life.

While Judi’s fate is never confirmed, it is likely that she makes her exit and survives, as her dynamic with Wednesday is still far from over. Both characters possess psychic abilities and scientific curiosity, making them a good matchup. However, the nuances in their different attitudes are what truly give their rivalry meaning. There is also the thread of exactly how Judi stops Wednesday’s psychic visions from functioning, which can surface as a game-changing revelation. As Galpin, a victim of Judi’s, pointed out in an earlier episode, she is always keeping watch through her abilities, which means that the protagonist’s fight, particularly to protect her best friend, Enid, is far from over.

Read More: Wednesday Season 2 Episode 1 Recap: Here We Woe Again