Wednesday– A Review

Network: Netflix

Streaming Service: Netflix

Release Date: 23 November 2022

Rating: TV-14

Description: Wednesday is a brand new show based on Wednesday Addams from the Addams Family franchise. Played by Jenna Ortega, the titular character stays true to her macabre origins, finding joy in torture and staying virtually emotionless throughout the series. The show is centered around Wednesday’s time at Nevermore Academy, a school for outcasts.

At the beginning of the pilot, Wednesday’s morbid personality is shown when she attempts to murder a classmate by releasing piranhas into the swimming pool (creative, I know). She’s expelled and, much to her parents’ delight, sent to Nevermore Academy (their alma mater). Off the bat, she sets out to antagonize her peers and dedicates herself to escaping. Before she can run away, she is the target of an attempted murder, and an unidentified monster kills her attacker. After that, she finds herself at the center of every misfortune on campus, all while trying to solve Nevermore’s mysteries. The rest of the season follows Wednesday as she makes friends and foes on her obsessive search for answers.

The main cast also includes Emma Myers as Enid Sinclair, Wednesday’s roommate; Percy Hynes White as Xavier Thorpe, an artist at Nevermore; Hunter Doohan as Tyler Galpin, Wednesday’s love interest and the Sheriff's son; Joy Sunday as Bianca Barclay, Nevermore’s self-proclaimed queen bee and Wednesday’s rival; Jamie McShane as Donovan Galpin, the town Sheriff and Tyler’s father; Gwendoline Christie as Larissa Weems, the principal of Nevermore; and Christina Ricci as Marilyn Thornhill, the botany teacher at Nevermore.

As someone who loves mysteries, I really enjoyed watching Wednesday. It strays from the typical television formula most shows follow nowadays, while still following some well-loved tropes. For example, Enid and Wednesday are polar opposites, the epitome of the grumpy and sunshine trope, and they work so well together. There are moments throughout the show where the audience is reminded that, despite the circumstances, they still are teenagers navigating an unfamiliar world. Although, one thing I felt was untrue to Wednesday’s character was the love triangle she gets caught up in. Her character is known for being calculated and mostly unfeeling, so the inclusion of something so trivial as a love triangle just doesn’t make sense.

Overall, I’d give Wednesday a 4.5/5, and I can’t wait for season 2.

Reviewed By: Ria Siddaiah

Date of Review: 26 November 2022