Wednesday (Full Season Review)

The Addams Family has been adapted only several times leaving missable dents in the genre of dark comedy and the macabre that could only leave fans of the iconic family to be satisfied rather than introduce them to a broader audience. However, with this new iteration of the kooky family with Wednesday Addams front and center on a platform like Netflix, the family can be recognized more prominently than ever before especially in an eight-episode first season that is extremely good. 

As previously said, this show centers around Wednesday, portrayed by modern scream queen Jenna Ortega, who is sent to a boarding school called Nevermore Academy, after releasing a bunch of piranhas that munched on Pugsley's bullies. In this school where her parents met and welcomes all outcasts, (that's what they are calling the supernatural creatures this time around) is where she finds herself involved in a murder investigation, haunted by her family's ancestry while trying to juggle the common tropes of a coming-of-age story. 

Wednesday, in its DNA, is a teen drama with a recurring love triangle involving the titular character, a theme of the difficulty of trusting potential friends, and a dash of teen angst and competitiveness. To most viewers, that may seem unappealing but with the cold-hearted Wednesday Addams in the mix, these teen drama tropes can be easily overlooked with how she would react if put in such a circumstance. Wednesday is arrogant and confident and just enjoys being the scary treat that she is which brings us to praise Ortega for portraying a fan-favorite character with her own spin on it. 

Unlike most adaptations, the Addams family is embracing their Latino roots after years of being whitewashed because of how they were envisioned from the original comics all through the recent animated movies. This is the most accurate vision for Wednesday with casting Ortega as well as casting Luiz Guzman and Catherine Zeta-Jones as Gomez and Morticia. But something we don't see a lot in the recent adaptations is deep dives into the characters. Wednesday probably has the most heft regarding the family's mysterious past, something a lot of fans have been craving and was expecting from this show. However, one should remember that this is Wednesday's show. Whether we are learning more about her family members, we are indeed getting to know what makes her tick as well as what gives color to her black heart 

Apart from the show's expansion on the Addams Family, it expands the world they live in. With viewers introduced to Nevermore Academy, we meet all-new characters, creatures, and threats that loom within this narrative. Despite its inclusion of vampires, the creatures we really focus on are werewolves, sirens, kids with telekinesis, and many more. Speaking of these supernatural students, this is where adults may start to get wary due to its reliance on Gen Z culture, in order to appeal to younger audiences. This is surprising considering how dark and sometimes violent the show can be. 

One can also remember that this is being brought to life through the eyes of Tim Burton. With him directing the first four episodes and being the executive producer of the show, his flare for the spooky and gothic make Wednesday live up to its prominent use of weirdness, all the more appealing for the Halloween season, a surprisingly missed opportunity due to the show's release on Thanksgiving instead. The character designs, costumes by Colleen Atwood, and the big eyes on the monster, Tim Burton's vision is being appreciated here. After many adaptations recently, Burton's work here might be his best yet in a long time. 

The same can be said with Danny Elfman's contribution to the score. Elfman and Burton have collaborated on many projects together but lately, Elfman's contributions in scores, especially in the world of superheroes, have been anything but memorable. Despite co-working with newcomer Chris Bacon, we are reminded of Elfman's excellence once again with the themes and crescendos made for Wednesday. There is still a hint of blandness here and there but Elfman's capability to create worthwhile themes for each character and hone into the dramatic brass when necessary deems the resurrection of the composer we all remember him to be. 

So, what viewers could gain from this is probably the potential of Wednesday being yet another hit for Netflix. With how the season is left off, viewers who enjoyed the show will be aching for more. Wednesday was a surprisingly good show with a murder mystery that leaves you guessing until the big reveal, a quality that is surprisingly rare with recent whodunnit stories. I chose not to talk too much about that aspect of the show to avoid discussing spoilers but all I can say, it is satisfying. Despite being a teen show, Wednesday has a lot to offer to fans of the Addams Family and true fans of Tim Burton.