Let me just preface this by saying that I’m not an Addams Family fan. The only related content I’ve seen were the live-action movies starring Christina Ricci and Christopher Lloyd. It’s been a while since I’ve seen them, but I do remember enjoying them. The series had its own unique sense of humor and the performances were top-notch. But one of the main reasons why I wanted to watch Netflix’s Wednesday has more to do with it being a Tim Burton flick.
This man created some of the most visually appealing, eye-catching, and heart-wrenching movies I’ve ever seen! But lately he’s been releasing some of his most mediocre work. So imagine my intrigue when I heard his name was attached to an Addams Family spin-off!
The Addams Family and Tim Burton is such a GENIUS combination that I can’t believe it took this long to come into fruition. Most of Burton’s films have a gothic aesthetic and colorful world-building, so you’d definitely think he’d want to have something to do with the Addams Family.
Another reason why I was interested in watching this show was:
Jenna Ortega as Wednesday
I know it’s been said countless times, but I’ll say it anyway: Jenna Ortega SLAYS it as Wednesday Addams! Her mannerisms, her expressions, her comebacks, and her visuals are all on point. And it’s not just that, she does a lot of things the Christina Ricci Wednesday would definitely do: manipulating and endangering her friends? Sleeping in the morgue? Being terrified of Legally Blonde? THAT is all Wednesday! She was practically the best character in her own show!
Though there are still some inconsistencies in her character I must address: Why is Wednesday shocked and upset when she finds out her dad killed someone, despite her terrorizing a bunch of boys with piranhas? Isn’t that type of stuff supposed to be normal for her and the entire Addams Family as a whole?
The Addams Family
I love Thing! And so does everybody else! It’s the most competent, loyal, trustworthy character in the entire show (I’m not sure what Thing’s gender is, and neither does the show, so I’m just gonna use ‘it’). I like that despite being a sentient, disembodied hand, you can see how sassy it is! As for the rest of the family, I found Fred Armisen as Uncle Fester to be a good casting decision. Luis Guzman and Catherine Zeta-Jones were great at portraying the nuclear Gomez and Morticia. Lurch and Pugsey weren’t featured in the show as much so I don’t have much to say. All in all, they really nailed their roles.
Sloppy Worldbuilding
There’s honestly nothing special; the whole “school for kids with special powers” trope was drawn out and overused, ruining what made it special to begin with. What’s even sadder is that nobody ever seems to innovate when using this trope.
Our side characters are essentially just everyday normal teens with special powers. (Gee, where have I seen THAT before?) In reality, they would blend in with normies really well, and they might even think that they’re cool!
And there’s nothing inordinately impressive about their special abilities, it’s all just: Werewolves, Sirens, Vampires, and Gorgons. Why does the show focus on these generic forgettables when the background characters seem far more interesting: I would’ve really loved to know more about the Faceless people who are constantly in the background or the boy who can control bees.
The Side Characters I was certainly surprised that the Mayor’s son received long screentime and was granted his own redemption arc in the end. I was also shocked at how Bianca and Wednesday settled their differences after just four episodes. Typically, characters who start off hating each other, grow to respect one another over several seasons or at least at the season finale.
Speaking of villains, I absolutely love Gwendolyn Christie as Principal Weems. I find her internal struggle between her duty to Outcasts and her duty to the Public really compelling. She was definitely the most complex character in the show! She was such a great foil for Wednesday, a role that could’ve been developed further in potential future seasons.
I also love that they got Christina Ricci to play a significant part in this! There was something really wholesome about seeing the old Wednesday Addams (albeit as Ms. Thornhill) interacting with the new Wednesday Addams. It reminded me a lot of Spiderman: No Way Home. We’ll discuss more about Christina Ricci’s character later in the article, but first, there’s another character that I would like to discuss.
We need to talk about Enid…
Now I have mixed feelings about this character: one thing is that she’s kind of annoying, especially whenever she says things like “Howdy” or “OMG” or “I’m literally having a panic attack right now!” This character is a hit or miss when it comes to her line delivery.
But in the end, she’s kind of entertaining to watch and her character gained more dimensions as the show progressed. I liked that she was the one who told Wednesday off during their heated argument (you know the one); it showed that she’s more than just a bubbly, passive, side character. She has limits, and she knows when enough is enough.
Though I also think that there are some chunks of her story that we are missing. For instance, after their heated argument, Enid moves out resulting in Wednesday having to reflect on her actions. But at the very end of the next episode, we immediately find Enid moving back in with Wednesday. I would’ve loved to see how she came to this decision.
The Show’s Premise
I know a lot of people hate the love triangle Wednesday has with Tyler and Xavier, but in my opinion, it developed Wednesday’s character even further. I honestly love seeing someone as sociopathic as Wednesday experiencing and commenting on normal things like falling in love, socializing, and the internet. It makes the show and her character all the more interesting. In fact, that’s what I believe the show should be about. It doesn’t need to have a mystery, it can just be about a sociopath learning to socialize and finding love.
That isn’t to say I hate that it was a mystery, in fact, it’s quite the opposite! Mysteries are really fun to watch or read! One of my top movies of 2022 is Glass Onion. So, imagine how intrigued I was when I heard that the entire show’s premise is a mystery involving prophecies, conspiracies, a secret society, and a monster. That sounds insane, and I was hooked …up until everything was revealed.
Lame Twist Villains
It turns out both Thornhill and Tyler are behind all the murders. I know this is a mystery, and big reveals are supposed to be expected, but this all felt out of nowhere! There was no sign, not even a subtle hint, of Tyler nor Thornhill’s inner malice. So it caught me off guard when everything was revealed. Just because a twist is shocking doesn’t mean it’s smart.
Wouldn’t it have been better if both Thornhill and Tyler were revealed as the villains earlier on, and have their MOTIVATIONS be the mystery? Maybe we could have seen them constantly thwart Wednesday from getting too close to the truth. We’d have time to know and enjoy them as villains and their maliciousness would feel natural and not forced. What’s worse is that they’re not even the main antagonist, who only appeared in one episode with five minutes of screen time.
Conclusion and my expectations for season 2
Despite all criticisms I’ve made, Wednesday is a show with an immersive premise and a mystery that was fun while it lasted. It is still one of the most enjoyable shows I’ve seen all year! I definitely see myself rewatching this all over again, especially since it was recently announced that Wednesday is officially renewed for a second season and I am PUMPED for it! I hope it gets more episodes, more of the Addams Family, and adds new dimensions to its characters.
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