By Luke Frantz, Dec. 13, 2022
Netflix has done it again with the new original show “Wednesday” based on “The Addams Family” comics written by Charles Addams, and directed by Tim Burton. The series puts a detective spin on the character of Wednesday Addams.
The show is centered around Wednesday Addams, played by standout actress Jenna Ortega, as she tries to solve a series of murders while navigating life at her new school, Nevermore Academy. Nevermore is a school for outcasts, housing students with all types of abilities. From psychics, sirens, vampires and werewolves, the school has it all.
The series begins by showing Wednesday pulling a prank on water polo players that were bullying her brother Pugsley by dumping live piranhas in their pool during their practice. The prank gets Wednesday expelled, because of that her parents, Gomez and Morticia, decide to send Wednesday to the boarding school they attended, Nevermore. Wednesday is not at all thrilled by this development.
At Nevermore, Wednesday meets her new roommate, an energetic gossiping werewolf named Enid Sinclair. At first Wednesday is unsure of her new roommate since the two appear to be opposites, but Enid makes a point to try to befriend Wednesday.
During her first week, Wednesday is at the local town Jericho’s harvest festival with a normie boy named Tyler Galpin, when she has a psychic vision of one of her classmates, Rowan, being killed in the woods. In an attempt to save him, Rowan actually attempts to murder Wednesday saying she is destined to destroy Nevermore, when suddenly a monster comes out of the night and kills Rowan, just as Wednesday’s vision foretold.
Wednesday now suspects she is caught in the middle of a bigger puzzle with the monster, herself and Nevermore all intertwined as she tries to prevent what Rowan said would happen if she stayed.
In episodes two and three, Wednesday tries to find out more about why Rowan said Wednesday was destined to destroy Nevermore, while also navigating her new life at the school. Enid invites her to participate in the yearly “Poe Cup” race which she declines until Nevermore’s resident mean girl Bianca Barclay talks bad about Wednesday, forcing Wednesday’s hand to participate and win.
Meanwhile, Wednesday, along with the help of “Thing,” a disembodied hand, discover a secret student society named “The Nightshades.” After being kidnapped by the members and being invited to join, Wednesday declines, which shocks the group and leaves them feeling resentful.
Episode four seems to be a fan favorite as we see a somewhat lighter side of Wednesday. Nevermore students are preparing for the “Rave’N” dance and while Wednesday did not plan on attending, Thing invited Tyler to go with her through a note he wrote posing as Wednesday. While at the dance, there is an iconic dance number that Jenna Ortega choreographed using inspiration from fosse and goth dance moves that viewers loved.
Episodes five and six feature a parent’s weekend at Nevermore and Wednesday’s 16th birthday respectively. During Gomez and Morticia’s return to Nevermore, it is revealed to Jericho’s local Sheriff that Gomez is at fault for a murder that happened 30 years prior. After Gomez is arrested, Wednesday and Morticia put aside their differences and clear the family name once and for all by blackmailing the mayor with the truth which leads to Gomez being released and innocent once and for all.
Afterward, Enid decides to surprise Wednesday with a small get-together for her birthday, however, Wednesday is too enthralled in the murder mystery to appreciate the gesture. This causes Enid to get upset and move out of their room.
In episode seven Wednesday is visited by her Uncle Fester, where together they learn that this monster killing people in the woods is actually known as a “Hyde” and is being controlled by a second individual. Wednesday suspects that her classmate Xavier Thorpe is the Hyde and is being controlled by Jericho’s local therapist Dr. Kimbott.
The investigation comes to an end as Xavier is arrested once Wednesday tips the cops to his recent behavior. Afterwards, Wednesday decides to finally go on a date with Tyler, where the real truth is revealed through a psychic vision that caught every viewer by surprise.
The final episode of the series sees Wednesday correct her wrongs, as she and principal Weems of Nevermore discover that botanical sciences Professor Thornhill, who is played by Christina Ricci, the original Wednesday Addams, is looking to inflict revenge on the outcasts of Nevermore.
The entire cast did an incredible job, Jenna Ortega especially shined as her take on Wednesday Addams was fresh while also paying homage to the original.
Overall, the show has done incredibly well for the two weeks that it has been out. The amazing acting, directing and music has fans wanting more of “Wednesday” and by the way the show ended, it’s safe to assume Netflix already has season two in mind.
Feature image courtesy of Lauren Wong
