WARNING: The following contains major spoilers for The Addams Family 2, now in theatres and on demand.
One of Hollywood's most iconic horrors is without a doubt Carrie. Drawn from the 1976 Stephen King novel, it's frequently referenced in pop culture, with fans noting most of all when Carrie (Sissy Spacek) got doused in blood, only to turn on her bullies and slaughter them using her telekinesis. With The Addams Family 2 out, the franchise's own outcast, Wednesday, delivers a massive homage to Carrie -- albeit with a unique twist.
This occurs when the family hits the road and gets to Texas, trying to hide from Mr. Mustela, the lawyer sent to prove that Wednesday was switched at birth. Gomez and Morticia don't want anyone taking their girl away as they do know Fester mixed up kids at the hospital the night she was born, so the patriarch takes them to the Alamo to avoid unnecessary DNA drama.
However, it's actually the seedy Alamotel they end up at, where a local beauty pageant is being held for young girls. Wednesday is entered against her will as the family disguises themselves as cowboys and Texans, which leads to a series of unfortunate events. Wednesday's given a blonde wig and dressed in pink, becoming everything she hates as she's usually anti-social to these kinds of cosmetic girls.
As the song and dance medley occurs on stage, though, Wednesday pulls out a dagger and throws it, severing a rope that causes buckets of red paint to spill onto all of the other contestants. These buckets were spotted backstage earlier so it seems like Wednesday did have a prank planned and decided, with the spotlight on her, now was the best time.
It's testament to how sadistic yet frustrated Wednesday is, as the 'blood' falls all over these superficial, aspiring queens. It's a remix of the prom scene in Carrie, where bullies dumped pig's blood on her after lying and making her feel she was one of them. Many teen films took influence from this in the ensuing years, with the Carrie reboot also paying honor to it. It proved how mean teens could be, using cruel pranks to hurt innocents without even wondering of the ramifications.
Except in this instance, the demented deed is carried out by the outcast with her powers instead of the other way around as Wednesday uses her Hawkeye-like vision and aim to drop the paint down. It sends the crowd into a frenzy, screaming as the girls leave a murderous picture in their crimson costumes.
It's ironic as Wednesday used telepathy moments earlier to scare one of the contestants, so this is her way of reminding them she doesn't belong and won't conform to be ordinary like them. Luckily, this fracas helps the family escape the lawyer and his henchman as Gomez doesn't want to lose Wednesday, even if this galvanizes that she's more psychotic than first assumed.
See how Wednesday honors Carrie in The Addams Family 2, now in theatres and on demand.