Let me preface this review by saying that I am not a fan of macabre or horror at all. That being said Wednesday is absolutely one of my favorite shows streaming right now, and Season 2 did not disappoint! Although Jenna Ortega portrays the character of Wednesday much angrier and emotionally numb than Christina Ricci or other former actresses, for this new rendition it works. Sometimes I do wish her character showed tiny bits of emotions even while loving all things death and pain, but Ortega does not let a sliver of human emotion through. She plays the role very seriously as an emotionless genius who also appears to be impervious to any fear or danger. The unique factor with this delineation of Wednesday Addams is that she also happens to be obsessed with mysteries and detective work, which gives this series an entirely new spin from its earlier envisionings.
Although the main plot of Season One is uncovering who is the Hyde and delving into Wednesday’s feelings (or lack thereof) for Tyler and Xavier, season 2 splinters off in an entirely new direction. Although Tyler is still very much a part of Wednesday’s story, this second season brings her family more into the limelight as well as her other relationships. We didn’t see much of her family in the first season, but this season her parents actually move onto Nevermore grounds and her brother Pugsley becomes a student there. Adding in more of the family dynamics really helps in attaching this series to the original Addams Family. Catherine Zeta-Jones is wonderful as Morticia, and this season they delve into the complicated relationship between Morticia and Wednesday. But more than that it really shows how complicated relationships between mothers and their teen daughters are in general. Even the Outcasts.
Season 2 delves more fully into the other characters in the show making them more three dimensional and giving the entire cast more substance. We get to find out backstories on the new Headmaster as well as Bringing back elements from Morticia and Gomez’s past and tying them into Wednesday’s present is quite poetic in the story-telling. We get a glimpse into more of Wednesday’s abilities–something never reported in the original series– and get a look at her family dynamics.
I will say that even though overall the season is high energy with lots of sneaky connections–Slurp actually being Tyler’s uncle for example, there were a few innocent bystanders that I was sad to see introduced so fully only to have them killed. Might have been interesting to see more development with Dr. Fairburn and other minor characters, but looks like next season is set up to take a closer look at Enid and her trials as the Alpha as season 2 ended on a cliffhanger with Enid’s well-being unknown! And of course Tyler and Wednesday’s story is not over as he drives off with his mom into the unknown.
Ironically, despite showing little emotion herself, there are so many people in Wednesday’s life that care about her deeply and seek to protect her. It creates an interesting range of emotions throughout the other characters. Even though it does have some more gruesome elements in the story-telling, it isn’t overly gory and there are always so many side stories (Anthony Michael Hall as the over-bearing scout leader who is killed), that the entire season is exciting from the first to the last episode!
