created by Alfred Gough & Miles Millar, 2022-present
I’ve been in a TV rut for quite a while, but this series revived me. Wednesday is everything I am looking for in a new show: Jenna Ortega, Tim Burton, and stylish teen sleuths! I had been watching some heavier series, so this was the perfect jolt of energy to make me a television fiend again.
Wednesday, if you aren’t one of the millions of people to have seen this show already, is about Wednesday Addams, the daughter of the Addams Family. She is a serious, deadpan girl who loves all things death, goth, and creepy. Forced to attend Nevermore, a school for Outcasts (mostly magical beings like werewolves and sirens), Wednesday finds herself enthralled with the mystery of people dying at the school and around town. In order to find the truth, she has to learn to trust her fellow students, form alliances, and invest her own feelings in the process. For the un-feeling, un-loving Wednesday, this is a big deal.
Because this is both an Addams Family spin-off and a Tim Burton creation, this series has some rather interesting characters. As I mentioned, there are werewolves, sirens, vampires, and any other creature you can imagine. However, Outcasts and humans alike have very similar problems. For instance, Wednesday’s roommate, Enid, feels she is a disappointment to her parents because she hasn’t “wolfed out” the way the rest of her werewolf family has. Another kid is upset because of his difficulty making friends. This is, in many ways, a classic coming-of-age show. The teens may be Outcasts, but they are still teens. However, it is added to by the fact that Tim Burton portrays children very well on screen. He knows they are all secretly earnest, with big dreams and aspirations; they all just want to be good people. All this is a recipe for great, loveable characters.
Visually and aesthetically, this show is so fun! Tim Burton really knows how to world-build (even on a pre-existing world). The costumes are eccentric, and match the characters to their personalities quite well. The settings are dramatic and extravagant. For example, the school is a gothic masterpiece that I desperately want to attend. Wednesday and Enid’s room is gorgeous and expansive, and even the town near the school is quaint and adorable. With Danny Elfman’s music added to the mix, this quirky little series definitely possesses a unique aesthetic. I would describe it as gothic, cheerful, quirky, and magical.
Because Wednesday is, at its core, a Netflix teen show, the dialogue can get rather cheesy. However, the story writing is well done. There is great character development, everything makes sense, and the mystery is revealed in an unexpected way! There are, of course, some clichés, but I am of the opinion that a small amount of cliché (when done correctly) can actually enhance a story. After all, the best stories are the ones where everything ties up nicely.
Do I think this show is revolutionary? No, but it is definitely a crowd-pleaser and one that almost anyone will enjoy. I recommend this to anyone looking for a fun, light watch that keeps your attention. You probably won’t feel any major emotions at either end of the spectrum, but you will have fun, and fall in love with some of the characters! All the better, too, because I have a feeling Wednesday will return for season 2.
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