Cast: Jenna Ortega, Emma Myers, Hunter Doohan, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Luis Guzman, Gwendoline Christie, Christina Ritcci, Percy Hynes White
Genre: Dark comedy, mystery
Episodes: 8
Length: 47-59 min
We were all waiting for a show about the most beloved Addams Family character: the pale and morbid daughter, Wednesday Addams. And it’s finally out. Starring Jenna Ortega, Gwendoline Christie, Catherine Zeta-Jones and Christina Ricci, the 8-episode show seems to have lived up to expectations. It’s No. 1 in Netflix’s Top 10 TV shows around the world, beating Harry and Meghan and the new season of The Crown. Discussing the pros and cons, and diving deep into a series like Wednesday, requires more than a few words. So apart from the iconic heroine and the starry cast, what makes it (or doesn’t make it) worth the watch?
Plotline
After almost murdering a school bully, teenager Wednesday Addams (Jenna Ortega) is packed off to a boarding school full of supernatural kids like her. The Hogwarts-like Nevermore Academy is run by Principal Weems (Gwendoline Christie) and is a refuge for Outcasts like gorgons, witches and werewolf teens. But before Wednesday can settle down, a mysterious monster rips through the town. Corpses pile up. Then our heroine is told that according to a prophecy, she will destroy the school. To make things worse, Addams almost dies when a gargoyle statue mysteriously falls on her. All of this means there’s more to this quaint town than what the adults will admit. And nobody loves mysteries more than Wednesday. The teen sets off on an investigation to connect these seemingly unrelated incidents.
Ortega is outstanding
Jenna Ortega delivers a visceral performance as the titular heroine. 20 year old Ortega had already established herself as a ‘scream queen’ in titles like the new ‘Scream’ reboot, arthouse hit ‘X’, ‘The Babysitter: Killer Queen’ and beloved Netflix show ‘You’. With Ortega’s disciplined and dedicated approach to portraying the creepy Wednesday, it’s like she was born to play the role. The actress claimed to have practised her facial expressions for each emotion the character went through. She also asked to get a retake every time she blinked. Her glares and frowns are a scene to behold. With her signature mannerisms, Ortega successfully manages to make Wednesday lovable, hilarious and even relatable, all while holding a cold, steely demeanour. This is a challenge for most actors to balance, but the American actor does it wonderfully.
Rebooting the Addams Family
Of course there will never be another Wednesday like Christina Ricci’s in the 1993 dark comedy. But the cool thing is there’s no need for the same Wednesday. Over the years, actors have put their own spin on the precocious child. They include Lisa Loring’s 1960s outing as a 5-6 year old Wednesday, and Chloë Grace Moretz and Cindy Henderson lending their voices to the 2019 and 1973 animations, respectively.
Sometimes, the new show pays homage to its previous outings, such as referencing the 1960s show in the viral dance scene. Or when Christina Ricci from the famous movies makes an appearance as a teacher and carnivorous plant enthusiast.
While the show is always fun and addictive, with the episodes ending on cliffhangers that make you want to eagerly watch the next episode, it’s not perfect. The previous adaptations’ charms were that they followed an odd, dark arts-inclined Addams family. The comedy arose from this strange family’s interactions with the contrasting ‘white picket fence’ suburban families in the States, with the latter’s tendency towards over-optimism, primness and stick-on smiles clashing with the grim, blood and black lace of the Addams.
This type of humour disappears as Wednesday finds herself in a space full of characters just as non-conformist as her. The lead’s amusing family – dad Gomez, mother Morticia and brother Pugsley – are also largely absent. You can feel the void left by this strange family.
The spooky mood
If there is one thing the show does well, it’s the spooky atmosphere. It is delivered, in part, by the solid production design, special effects and the score, not least the dramatic cello.
In spite of some cool things, I think the show could have been darker and creepier. The violence is largely on the tamer side, often taking place in darkness. More blood, more intestines, severed heads and bones. They would’ve made the show unforgettable and deliciously menacing. But instead, the show seems like a Harry Potter fan fiction, with school mysteries, shady teachers and even the tournament episode that feels like the Goblet of Fire film.
But one thing that needs to be lauded, which hasn’t been mentioned yet, is the expert handling of the many twists and turns in the plot. No matter how complicated the story gets, the audience never gets lost in confusion. We’re able to follow the situations closely while piecing the clues together.
Supporting cast
A stellar performance is by the detached hand who is aptly named The Thing. Accepted as a member of the Addams Family, it often steals the show…. single-handedly with its little quirks, rude gestures and overly expressive mannerisms. The hand is played by Romanian-born magician Victor Dorobantu (with some CGI help). Just like Jenna Ortega, Dorobantu entertains us in spite of the physical limitations placed on him. His hand is, in fact, some fans’ favourite character in the entire show.
Also impressive is the treatment of Principal Weems (Gwendoline Christie of Game of Thrones). She is not your stereotypical jealous childhood-friend-turned-enemy of Morticia.
As acknowledged by most outlets, Zeta Jones was indeed born to play Moriticia. Her absence is felt throughout the show and we pine for her to make an appearance again. On the flipside, Guzman was not giving.
Emma Myers excels as Wednesday’s roommate and friend, Enid Sinclair. Sinclair’s spritely personality is in sharp contrast to Wednesday’s love for all things depressing. And the humour here shines, while their chemistry shines even more.
Moving on, the love triangle felt inappropriate for such a show as it resembled a mediocre soap like Riverdale. Even Twilight. Though unnecessary, the subplot with Hunter Doohan’s Tyler will get many teens squealing.
Percy Hynes White looks a little lost as the popular student, Xavier. Hunter Doohan fares far better as the trustworthy barista and friend to Wednesday. And we needed more character development for mean girl Bianca (Joy Sunday).
Uncle Fester (Fred Arnisen)’s character was more iffy. The creepy uncle was freakier in the movies. In the 2022 rebirth, he is just faintly odd. Perhaps, mannerisms like distorted speech and his famed hunchback physique were dialled back to distance itself from potential criticisms of ableism and minstrelsy. Sadly, in removing these peculiarities, Fred Armisen’s Uncle is rendered more bland. His most notable quirk is a heavy American accent (East Coast?). The character unfortunately left next to no impression on me.
Accusations of racist characterisation
The show’s creator and director Tim Burton sparked anger in 2016 when he defended his choice to only cast white actors and write white characters. Netizens accused him of having a racial preference and not being capable of imagining black and other non-white characters. Seems like Burton is attempting to correct this by writing more black characters for Wednesday such as Bianca, Mayor Walker, Bianca’s mother, and Walker’s son, Lucas.
The catch here is that all these characters are either morally dubious or downright antagonistic.
We hope Burton redeems himself next season by providing these characters with more depth, and introducing new, positive figures.
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Bottom line
All in all, it is easy to see why the show is so popular and binge-worthy. It is easy to follow, has snappy dialogues, teen-friendly tropes, an amazing cast and makes you nostalgic about a beloved character that’s already rooted in the public consciousness. That is not to say it is without faults. But the pros far outweigh the cons (except maybe the racism).
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