Netflix Wednesday Season 2 Review

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They’re creepy and they’re kooky, the famous theme song tells us. Indeed, the members of the Addams family are an eccentric bunch. From their beginnings in Charles Addams cartoons to the 1960s TV show, the ’90s movies, and the current Netflix series, the Addams family has consistently baffled “normal” people with their morbid and bizarre behavior.

But let’s look a little closer. In all the most important ways, the Addamses are an ideal family. They have genuine affection for each other, share the same values, and support every family member’s individual quirks and interests. What does this say about a society that perceives the family as an insane aberration?

After a three year gap, Jenna Ortega returns to the role that made her a superstar. Wednesday rarely smiles, never laughs, and hardly even blinks. She’s dour and cold, yet also creative, tough, and intelligent.

As much as she tries to hide it, Wednesday also has a heart. Ortega’s version does, anyway. Her interpretation contrasts with Christina Ricci’s fiendish and borderline sociopathic take on the character in the ’90s films.

In season 2, Wednesday returns to Nevermore Academy as a celebrity, a stark contrast from her outsider role in the first season. Of course, Wednesday is displeased by her new exalted status, especially because she now has an obsessed stalker, Agnes (Evie Templeton).

Agnes has the ability to turn herself invisible. Wednesday wishes the needy girl would permanently disappear.

Other notable additions to the cast are Steve Buscemi as Principal Dort, the school’s new headmaster, and Christopher Lloyd as Nevermore instructor Professor Orloff. Lloyd played Uncle Fester in the ’90s movies. He joins Christina Ricci as Wednesday actors who were part of the previous incarnation of the franchise.

Unfortunately, the current Fester (Fred Armisen) continues to be underused, possibly because he’s going to get a spinoff. Buscemi and Lloyd are fun to watch, and their quirky acting styles fit the show well.

Season 2 features increased screentime for the rest of the Addams family. Gomez (Luis Guzman), Catherine Zeta-Jones (Morticia), and Isaac Ordonez (Pugsley) are upgraded to main characters after guest starring in season 1.

The series also introduces Morticia’s mother, Granny Frump (Joanna Lumley), who has a strained relationship with her daughter but gets along with Wednesday.

Grumpy vs. Sunshine, round 2

The heart of Wednesday season 2 is the relationship between Wednesday and her roommate friend Enid (Emma Myers). Enid is the light to Wednesday’s darkness – a bubbly boy-crazy budding werewolf with the hopes, fears, and insecurities of a normal teenage girl.

Their relationship continues to have its ups and downs, as it did in the first season, but season 2 cements that Enid is one of the few non-relatives that Wednesday genuinely cares about. Ortega and Myers have sparking chemistry together. Their relationship is a classic grumpy vs. sunshine dynamic.

Some people have perceived/hoped for/fantasized about underlying romantic tension between them. It doesn’t appear that the show intends to go in this direction.

In season 2, Wednesday continues to hone her psychic powers. After receiving a terrifyingly vivid vision that End will soon be killed, Wednesday resolves to do everything in her power to stop this tragedy from happening. She eventually discovers a sinister conspiracy connected with her family’s dark past.

The main storyline is compelling, but Wednesday season 2 is overstuffed with subplots. The writers try to fit too many ideas into eight episodes. I could have done without all the time spent on Enid’s love triangle dating drama. There’s also a cult subplot that’s so peripheral to the central characters that it feels like it belongs in a different show, or at least a different season.

In addition, too much time is spent on the extended family of last season’s main villain, Tyler (Hunter Doohan). Oh, and there’s a zombie storyline. Like I said, the writers jam a TON of ideas into one season.

With so many new characters, somebody was going to have to pay the price, and unfortunately that’s Bianca (Joy Sunday), a tenacious Nevermore student with the ability to manipulate minds with her siren song.

Bianca was a mean girl villain in the first half of season 1 before pulling off a surprisingly convincing face turn (to borrow a term from pro wrestling). She doesn’t have much to do in season 2 except get involved in the silly cult storyline.

Still, the main characters save the show. I cared about Wednesday, Enid, and (to a lesser extent) Gomez, Morticia, and Pugsley. I even sympathized with Agnes, who becomes a more nuanced, complex character toward the end of the season.

Everybody’s favorite disembodied hand, Thing (Victor Dorobantu), is back as well. He even gets a backstory this time!

Wednesday season 2 hits its peak in the sixth episode, “Woe Thyself”, in which (stop reading if you don’t want major episode spoilers) Wednesday and Enid switch bodies! Enid is now trapped inside Wednesday and vice versa.

This is a brilliant idea for the second season. It would have been impossible to do an episode like this if the characters’ personalities weren’t already established. Jenna Ortega playing Enid and Emma Myers playing Wednesday is hugely entertaining and hilarious.

This season may not have an iconic viral moment like the Wednesday dance from season 1, but “Woe Thyself” is the best episode this series has had thus far.

Rating

Although it’s cluttered with too many characters and storylines, Wednesday season 2 is still an entertaining ride thanks to brilliant performances by Jenna Ortega and Emma Myers, plus an increased emphasis on the Addams family as a whole.

Rating from 1 (avoid at all costs) to 10 (masterpiece): 7

Stream Netflix Wednesday Season 2 here: