Plot: While attending Nevermore Academy, Wednesday Addams attempts to master her emerging psychic ability, thwart a killing spree and solve the mystery that embroiled her parents 25 years ago.
Review: The second half of Wednesday‘s second season is hitting Netflix, so fans are finally able to analyze the sophomore run of the Addams Family series properly. While I found the first season underwhelming, I thoroughly enjoyed the improvements to the first half of season two. Part 2 connects plot threads from the preceding episodes and culminates in a satisfying finale that paves the way for the third season of Wednesday to take the story in a different direction. With even more new and returning characters in the ensemble for these four chapters, director Tim Burton and star Jenna Ortega have found the rhythm that Wednesday needed and have finally delivered on the promise of the series concept.
The first half of Wednesday season two streamlined some of the students at Nevermore Academy while increasing the presence of the Addams clan themselves. Pugsley (Isaac Ordonez) is now a student at Nevermore, while parents Morticia (Catherine Zeta Jones) and Gomez (Luis Guzman) stayed on campus as well. While the story centered on Wednesday (Jenna Ortega) trying to figure out who her stalker was, the mid-season cliffhanger left her in a coma. At the same time, a group of incarcerated outcasts was freed from the local mental hospital. Part two opens with Wednesday reconnecting with former Nevermore principal Weems (Gwendoline Christie) to try and stop Tyler Galpin (Hunter Doohan), reanimated zombie Slurp (Owen Painter), and a mysterious woman who was kept locked up (Frances O’Connor). All of these elements come together while drawing on plot threads from the first season, tying this story up nicely and addressing fan concerns from the beginning.
Wednesday has worked so much better with the Addams at the forefront. The focus on Jenna Ortega as the primary character was cute when the series started. Still, the inclusion of Lurch, Thing, Uncle Fester (Fred Armisen), and Grandmama (Joanna Lumley) in addition to Morticia, Gomez, and Pugsley has given this series an anchor that keeps the teen melodrama from overtaking the macabre sensibility of the show. It is more evident than ever that showrunners Alfred Gough and Miles Millar took fan and critical feedback to heart when crafting this season, which kept the characters everyone liked and got rid of the dead weight. There are still several fun additions, including a cameo from Lady Gaga as Rosalie Rotwood, that connect to the viral sensation of Jenna Ortega’s signature dance from the first season, which became a meme played against the singer’s song “Bloody Mary”. The cameo is light and not vital to the plot, but it is a well-crafted and synergistic moment that works within the world of Wednesday.
I am still not convinced that Netflix’s decision to split this season into two halves was warranted or necessary. I noticed the marketing presence from Wednesday seemed light compared to the first season, but the show’s popularity has seemingly stayed solid. The short wait of just a few weeks between parts one and two allowed for time to theorize and discuss what would come next, and I was pleasantly surprised to find that I was wrong with many of my assumptions. I still felt underwhelmed with the story’s direction for Principal Dort (Steve Buscemi), even though it works in the overall scheme. The biggest issue that Wednesday continues to face is having too many characters who cannot get enough screen time in a season of just eight episodes. As a whole, Wednesday’s second season balances out once you watch all of the episodes, but it still fails to give enough time to characters like Emma Myers’ Enid.
Tim Burton returns to direct the closing two episodes of the season, with Angela Robinson helming the other two. Writing duties fell to Erika Vazquez & Siena Butterfield, Alfred Gough & Miles Millar, Kayla Alpert, and Matt Lambert & James Madejski across the four chapters. The first half of season two was more about the mystery at the core of the season’s narrative, while part two centers on the villains and the execution of their plan. Several surprises in store allow the Addams Family to shine with a backstory that deepens their connection to Nevermore Academy and the characters in this tale. Looking back at all eight episodes, the biggest winners are Thing, who continues to be a highlight of every Addams Family adaptation, and Fred Armisen’s Uncle Fester. The ending of the season finale teases the trio of Fester, Thing, and Wednesday going on a much different quest, which I am excited to see. Nevermore has been a good setting for this series, but I feel it has started reaching its limit.
Wednesday has finally found its stride and delivered a rousing season full of dark comedy, macabre set design, and horror-inspired adventure. While the gore factor was increased this season, I am glad to find that this is still a family-friendly series that is a perfect fit alongside all of Tim Burton’s film projects. Jenna Ortega continues to prove she was destined to portray Wednesday Addams, but I am even happier to find that the entire Addams clan has gotten its due. Should Wednesday shift to a road trip adventure for season three or even return home to the Addams’ home, this series has discovered the right balance of creepy, kooky, and altogether ooky that will make this show a solid ongoing franchise for Netflix.
Wednesday season two part two is now streaming on Netflix.
