Netflix’s ‘Wednesday’ is a Delightfully Morbid Take on the Addams Family
Netflix and Tim Burton’s new series Wednesday brings us a new look at the iconic Addams family, and Wednesday’s child, full of woe.
According to Netflix, its newest series Wednesday had the biggest debut Netflix has ever seen. Yes, that’s bigger than Stranger Things. Thanks to its big-name cast and the Tim Burton stamp, this take on one of the most lovable members of the famous family of misanthropes is quickly on its way to establishing its own cult following. The story is part murder mystery, part dark comedy, and part teen romance – exactly what a Wednesday Addams story should be.
Caution! There are spoilers for the first season of ‘Wednesday’ past this point. BEWARE.
The Creepy
This version of the Addams family, and certainly Wednesday, are all incredibly interesting. Jenna Ortega delivers a perfect performance with her own take on Wednesday Addams. The show uses her character’s disassociation from others as an opportunity for character development, giving not only the morose teen her own narrative arc, but her parents as well.
In Addams Family Values, Wednesday is painted as a younger imprint of Morticia, but Wednesday is probably more accurately a story about a teenage girl seeking independence from her family identity. Ortega clearly picked up some of the character’s quirks from past performances – namely her killer dance skills.
Of course, the rest of the Addams family gets their screen time as well, with Gomez (Luis Guzmán) looking much more like the short, soft, and kindly-creepy character originally drawn in the comics. Gomez as a suave and daring gentleman was a characteristic given to him by the first actor to play him, John Astin, and continued thanks to the charms of Raul Julia. Burton and Guzmán’s version of Gomez has its own charm, but it’s missing that manic quality that I personally missed just a teensie bit. Meanwhile, Fred Armisen’s Uncle Fester surprised me as one of my favorite performances.
Catherine Zeta-Jones plays the Addams matriarch Morticia. She has the gravitas and captures the essence of the goth icon well enough, but she isn’t a show-stealer. Thing is probably the family member to appear most in the story and was filmed using good ol’ practical special effects, which adds so much personality to the character. While I enjoyed the dynamic between Pugsly (Isaac Ordoñez) a lot, I would have liked to have seen more of him. Maybe next year/season, he’ll go to Nevermore, too.
The Kooky
This cast is incredible, but we all knew that going in. Outside of the Addams family, you’ve got several memorable characters. Wednesday’s roommate Enid (Emma Myers) is the perfect foil for Wednesday, and any goth girl with a totally Kawaii BFF can testify that the chemistry in the show is exact.
Gwendolyn Christie’s character is great, though likely had more story to tell. It will be hard to convince me that Principal Weems wasn’t harboring a longtime crush on her old roommate Morticia. She served as an excellent red herring consistently throughout the season, which was enjoyable. It was also great to see Christina Ricci playing her own role, and her turn as the villain was a little predictable but nonetheless enjoyable.
The Altogether Ookey
Overall, this show blew my expectations out of the water. For one, it’s a masterclass in meta comedy, with multiple easter eggs referring to old Addams family movies, plus other horror movies, true crime, and more. The script holds up the underlying adult themes and jokes while still being relatively family-friendly.
I was a little confused by the concept of the “outcasts” who occupy Nevermore Academy. I assumed that werewolves, vampires, and monsters were canon in the Addams family world, many of whom are probably related by blood or marriage to the Addamses. But these creatures are all more-or-less normal kids with supernatural skills, rather than energetically weird like we’ve seen in previous Addams family gatherings.
But my favorite bit was the overlying idea that pilgrims are bad. Scary, evil, and zealous. Tired of making Nazis the go-to bad guy for every franchise? Consider pilgrims as a great substitute!
