Ready the Fandom, ‘Wednesday’ Is Coming And It’s Absolutely Fantastic

Wednesday’s child is full of woe —and we couldn’t be happier.

I’ve grown up with the Addams family (don’t start doing the math, y’all), and when I heard Netflix was doing this series, I was unsure what to expect. Then, I saw Jenna Ortega in full Wednesday Addams attire, and the excitement began to rush in. From her beginning footsteps in the pilot episode to the finale’s closing scene, Ortega fully embodies the reimagining of our favorite morbid teenager that we’ve loved throughout generations. Created by Alfred Gough and Miles Millar, Netflix’s Wednesday is a supernatural coming-of-age tale with a side of murder mystery and spook.

Nobody messes with Pugsley except for Wednesday. So when she finds her little brother shoved in a locker, it’s only fitting that she retaliates via a pack of rabid piranhas. This leads to Wednesday’s expulsion from yet another academic institution. Her parents decide to send her to Nevermore Academy — a boarding school for outcasts. It’s also the alma mater of her parents Morticia (Catherine Zeta-Jones) and Gomez (Luis Guzmán), and the birthplace of their epic love story.

Wednesday suffers through orientation, where she meets Principal Larissa Weems (Gwendoline Christie), who used to be Morticia’s roommate at the academy. She’s then introduced to her roommate Enid Sinclair (Emma Myers), a bubbly werewolf who is obviously inverse to Wednesday’s black-and-white persona. Enid shows Wednesday around, introducing her to the school’s main clicks, including four core factions — fangs, furs, stoners, and scales. Because even at a school for freaks and monsters, there’s still a hierarchy of popularity.

Initially intent on escaping this scholastic prison, Wednesday finds herself distracted by her emerging psychic ability, a growing number of dead bodies, and a 25-year-old mystery that circles back to her parents’ time at the academy. Despite her desire to be the worst imaginable, detecting something more sinister lurking around Nevermore takes Wednesday on a twisted journey. And by the end, not even Wednesday can doubt that her admission to Nevermore might’ve been the best decision her parents ever made.

The Cast is Sensational

Beyond Ortega’s physicality, her flat affect personifies the angst of living you’d expect from the gothic teenager. There isn’t a single moment that her character has the slightest break in any of the episodes. Every line delivered, every glance given, and movement made coincide with the peculiarities of the character. Outside of our little viper is a collection of young talent that we can only hope to see more of in future seasons.

Myers holds her ground in scenes alongside Ortega, and she isn’t overshadowed by Ortega’s performance. Instead, Enid compliments Wednesday in a peanut butter and jelly way. It might’ve been cliché to have Enid be the antithesis of Wednesday, but if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Watching their dynamic change throughout the series was a welcomed trope.

We didn’t fully experience some other characters like Bianca Barclay, Nevermore’s “it-girl” and queen bee of the academy, played vibrantly by Joy Sunday. Yet, what we did get fosters excitement about where the story can go. Not to mention, seeing a beautiful dark-skinned woman in a supernatural series satisfies on another level.

A few pitfalls in the story don’t allow for much flair when it comes to the two central white boys in the story — Xavier (Percy Hynes White) and Tyler (Hunter Doohan). Both White and Doohan played their part, but the tug-o-war between two bland boys left a little to be desired in certain places. Not enough to bulldoze the rest of the series, but just enough to make it relevant to add to this review.

A Production Dream Team

Tim Burton’s aesthetic lathers over the series without overriding the traditional Addams family world. Within the first episode, we’re quickly introduced to what we can expect from the series, and you’re fully invested. It nods not just to the Addams Family of our generation but also to the original television series family. This is probably one of the most easily likable things that Tim Burton has ever directed.

Showrunners Gough and Millar found a way to infuse all the tiny quirks and idiosyncrasies we remember about the Addams family. Then found a way to give it a fresh overhaul to embrace a new generation. Christina Ricci’s imposition to the story demonstrates the showrunners’ commitment to pay homage to the Addams stories of before while forging a new path for the family. And, since this isn’t a sequel or spin-off, they had all the freedom to do so.

Danny Elfman’s stamp is easily noticed in the soundtrack, and his riff off the classic Addams Family theme song is magic. Elfman has worked on Burton’s other works like The Nightmare Before Christmas and Corpse Bride, so it’s no surprise they joined forces again.

Family Ties

Wednesday is an outcast, but she also fits in with most normie teenagers in her rebellion against her parent’s wishes. She has no desire to be like her mother. She doesn’t want to be a wife or have a family and refuses to concede to what she feels is their plan to turn her into a version of themselves. In the series, the relationship between Wednesday and Morticia is strained primarily due to the onset of Wednesday’s visions which symbolize she’s inherited the same psychic gift as her mother. I couldn’t imagine a better Morticia than Jones. The familial chemistry between her, Ortega, and Guzmán is genuine and cold-heartwarming. From the morbidly endearing nicknames for his little death trap to the infatuation with his beloved, Guzmán’s Gomez is sublime.

It’s a Smash

The series setup is phenomenal. You quickly know who the major players are. It’s captivating, and that thread of curiosity runs throughout season 1. It has a little of everything — humor, mystery, suspense. It’s witty and sharp. There isn’t a single episode that doesn’t have a meme-worthy quotable.

Watching Wednesday’s journey as she endures her new living arrangement, navigates the anti-social scene, and attempts to understand her new powers is a delight. And, of course, her handy — literally — sidekick, Thing, is by her side every step of the way.

Before her attendance at Nevermore, she was the baddest. The smartest in the room. The standout. At this academy, she’s surrounded by people equally as exceptional and competitive as she is. Her usual tricks may have worked on the normies, but they won’t work here. But amid her true peers, she discovers that fitting in may not be the worst thing.

Wednesday is a staple character under Ortega’s belt and fortifies her stamp as one of this generation’s most prominent talents. Wednesday is a treasure trove of macabre delight, a fitting introduction to the genre for young horror fans.

Wednesday streams on Netflix, November 23.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars