Woe is the Loneliest Number
My review of Netflix's "Wednesday"
I watch a lot of TV. It’s one of my favorite things to do. I love discovering new shows and I love rewatching my favorites over and over again. When it comes to new shows, I won’t watch something just because it’s popular. It has to be something that I think I will legitimately enjoy.
I was pretty sure I was going to enjoy Wednesday when my husband and I started watching it last month. And I was not disappointed. We had a blast watching this show.
For those of you who haven’t seen the show, Wednesday is Netflix’s adaptation of the Addams Family that follows Wednesday as she attempts to solve a supernatural mystery during her first year at Nevermore Academy.
Before I get into my review, I want to mention that this is my first foray into the Addams Family universe. I’ve never seen the 60s TV series (not that I remember anyway) and I’ve never seen any of the movies from the 90s. So this is purely based on my opinions about Wednesday and I won’t take any other adaptations or how they stack up into consideration.
The best thing about Wednesday was Wednesday herself. Jenna Ortega’s performance is outstanding throughout the show. She truly became the character. I was also impressed when I heard how much preparation she did for the role. Ortega took cello, fencing, archery, canoeing, German, and boxing lessons.
One thing I noticed about Ortega’s performance throughout the show was her eyes. The intensity in her eyes in every scene was incredible. Apparently, director Tim Burton told Ortega not to blink. I can only imagine how difficult that was. Have you ever tried not blinking before? Not easy. Which makes Ortega’s performance even more impressive.
Jenna Ortega wasn’t the only bright spot in this show. The rest of the cast was fantastic as well. There were plenty of great performances, but I especially liked Gwendoline Christie as Principal Larissa Weems. I’ve been a fan of Christie since she played Brienne of Tarth on Game of Thrones and I’ve enjoyed everything else I’ve seen her in since then. Some of my other favorite performances came from Christina Ricci as Marilyn Thornhill, a “normie” teacher at Nevermore Academy, and Emma Myers as Enid, Wednesday’s roommate.
I also thought that the show was very well-written. The dialog is smart and witty and there were so many great one-liners in every episode. Ortega’s perfect deadpan delivery made the writing shine that much brighter.
Another thing I enjoyed about Wednesday is the Tim Burton-ness of the show. I love the quirky aesthetic of his movies and that many of the stories are spooky, but not scary. The striped uniforms the students wear remind me of Beetlejuice, another one of Burton’s masterpieces and one of my favorites. I liked that there are lots of supernatural elements throughout the show, but nothing was actually scary.
And of course, I have to mention the school dance in episode 4, “Woe What a Night”. I love a well-choreographed dance scene and this one didn’t disappoint. Ortega choreographed the dance herself and filmed it while she was sick with COVID. Add that to the list of amazing things she did for this role. And now for your viewing pleasure, the Wednesday Dance.
The thing that I didn’t like about this show is that at times it felt like there were too many competing storylines going on. A monster, Wednesday digging into the town of Jericho’s troubled past, a murder mystery that her parents were involved in when they attended Nevermore Academy. But in the last few episodes, you start to see how all the storylines are connected. It felt like there was a lot going on, maybe too much for eight episodes, and we didn’t get to focus on any one storyline for very long.
While this show wasn’t perfect, it certainly was enjoyable. I’m so excited that Netflix renewed Wednesday for a second season. I’m sure I’ll rewatch the first season at some point while we wait. If you’re a fan of Tim Burton, dark comedies, murder mysteries, or all of the above, I definitely recommend this show.
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