Wednesday (2022): A Spoiler-Free Review
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For the past few weeks, I’ve seen some discussion about the recently released Netflix show Wednesday on social media. It didn’t necessarily spark my interest at first. I’ve never been huge into the Addams Family, and I only vaguely recall watching one of the movies. The show was popular, I could tell, but I didn’t have much of an interest in watching it.
I decided to give it a go after seeing it cross over into the world of wrestling. Well, at least in a way. I’m big into wrestling, and I occasionally cover it for my job. One of the wrestling journalists I follow decided to take one of the best wrestling theme songs (in my opinion) and put it over a clip of the show. And through that one scene, my interest was piqued.
I didn’t have anything to do on my day off, so I figured I would check out the first episode of Wednesday. And I immediately liked it. After finishing the show, I figured I’d go ahead and give my thoughts. I’ll keep this review free of any major spoilers, though I may do a more in-depth review in a separate piece down the line.
The Good
Before we go into the review, let me explain the premise a bit. After getting kicked out of her high school, Wednesday Addams is sent to Nevermore Academy. Nevermore, a boarding school in a small Vermont town, was attended by Wednesday’s parents. It’s a school for outcasts to be themselves and receive the same educational opportunities as “normies” but in their own setting. She tries to escape Nevermore, but stumbles into a mystery that intrigues her enough to stick around.
The first thing that will grab your attention about this show is Wednesday Addams herself. Jenna Ortega as Wednesday is the star of this show. From the moment the show begins, she brings a commanding and somewhat imposing presence to the character. Ortega’s line delivery is on point throughout, making Wednesday’s very dry and macabre personality stand out.
Ortega really nails the stoic nature of the character as well. For example, Wednesday never blinks unless her character is portraying some sort of emotion. And when Wednesday is surprised at something, her reaction is very subtle, like a slight twitch or something while maintaining the overall stone-faced persona she’s cultivated.
Some of the side characters in this show are also really well done. The “queen bee" of Nevermore Academy, Bianca Barclay, has a really interesting character arc which affects her relationship with Wednesday. Enid Sinclair, Wednesday’s werewolf roommate, is also a joy, though I can see why some people would not be a major fan of the character.
In my opinion, the best side character in the whole show is Thing, the Addams family’s dismembered hand. It’s very impressive how the writers handled this character. Thing doesn’t speak, because it’s a hand, but you can still pick up on the emotions of the character and what they’re trying to say. Thing is also involved in one of the most emotional moments of this show too. It’s really well done.
One last thing, you’ll never have to guess what a character is getting. That’s not to say everything is on the nose, or that there isn’t anything deeper than what’s said. But each character in this show tells each other what they think, and this avoids some rather frustrating misunderstandings that can arise in shows like this. Each character recognizes their strengths, but also their faults, and that’s a positive for this show.
The Not So Good
However, two side characters standout as being just kind of boring honestly. These would be the two romantic interests the show gives our titular character. You have Xavier Thorpe, a fellow student at Nevermore Academy. And you have Tyler Galpin, a coffee barista in the small town where Nevermore is located.
Both of these characters, on their own, really aren’t that interesting. Tyler’s entire personality is basically that he likes Wednesday and that’s about it. This rarely changes throughout the show. Xavier’s character has a bit more depth, but not by a lot. It’s definitely not enough to make him all that interesting.
Honestly, this love triangle seemed rather forced. And this is coming from someone who hates using “forced" as a criticism of media. But I can’t really think of another term to describe it. It feels like the writers wanted there to be added tension, but couldn’t figure out how. So, they just decided on a love triangle, because that’s how young adult shows centered around female leads work, I guess? I don’t know.
It didn’t help that Wednesday has more chemistry with other characters and cast members. I can see why some people in the fanbase ship Wednesday with Enid. There’s visible chemistry there, and the two have an interesting dynamic. I would be much more invested in that storyline than I was in the love triangle we did get.
Moving on, my next point of criticism is the ending. The ending isn’t entirely spectacular in my opinion, which is fine. My issue with the ending is the pacing. They leave the big twist rather late, and that causes the events following rushed. It also doesn’t help that the ending isn’t the best. It’s far from bad, but it’s not necessarily the best either.
The plot twist also isn’t entirely surprising. You can figure out what the plot twist is about halfway through the season. It becomes more about how the twist happens and less about what the twist actually is as things go on. And although I do ultimately like how the twist happens, it does take some momentum away from it just a bit.
Conclusion
Wednesday is a very fun and easy show to watch. It’s well written, even though there are some spots where the writing can get a little rough. Jenna Ortega is an absolute star, and will no doubt do great things in acting.
This is Netflix’s second most watched show of all time, and it’s easy to see why. While it’s flawed in some areas, I’d say this is the best Netflix show I’ve watched since Arcane. Which is another show I’ve wanted to write about for some time. But that’s a story for another day.
If you’d like to support the work I do, or just support me in general, consider leaving a donation through my ko-fi page. Thank you!
Featured Photo Credit: Vlad Cioplea/Netflix
