Wednesday Season 1 Review: Supernatural Teen Mystery Is Creepy and Kooky but Lacks Originality
If you took the theme song from The Addams Family television show, you’d get close enough to a description for Netflix’s new supernatural teen mystery Wednesday. The show, which follows Wednesday Addams (Jenna Ortega) as she transfers to Nevermore Academy and arrives amid a dangerous mystery, is “creepy and kooky” and “mysterious and spooky.”
What it’s not is very original.
Created by Alfred Gough and Miles Millar, it follows the well-worn trope of a teen with uncontrollable powers who is destined to save their community from terrible destruction. Wednesday may utilize the world of The Addams Family to prop this plot up, but it doesn’t stray too far from the blueprint.
Tim Burton executive produces and directed the first four episodes. While some of his visual influences are present as well as his go-to composer Danny Elfman’s score, the show lacks much of his signature flair and instead offers something more expected.
A stellar performance from Ortega as the macabre and sardonic Wednesday heavily bolsters the show. Ortega nails the character’s iconic deadpan delivery and borderline cruel truth-telling while also finding a vulnerability that adds some needed dimension.
Wednesday’s bizarre behavior comes off as less endearing now that she’s a teenager. That’s acknowledged by the people she is forced to interact with whether it’s her concerned psychiatrist Dr. Valerie Kinbott (Riki Lindhome) or townie love interest Tyler (Hunter Doohan).
Even her trusty sidekick Thing (performed by Victor Dorobantu) frequently shares his concern. Thing is the only other family member to appear in every episode and makes a charming addition. He’s particularly expressive for a severed hand whether he’s bonding with students over manicures or cleverly saving Wednesday from danger.
Wednesday’s attitude as an outcast among outcasts does not help things when it comes to the tension between Nevermore Academy and the neighboring town of Jericho, populated by normies.
A central mystery involving a serial killer monster that manages to tie together Nevermore Academy, Jericho, and Addam’s family history drives the whole season. The monster is a symptom of a centuries-long tension between the normies and outcasts.
Added into the mix are Wednesday’s burgeoning psychic visions and a prophecy about her introduced early in the season which forces the character to care a little more than she would like. How annoying for Wednesday but interesting for viewers.
The story explores how you can stay true to yourself while also allowing room for change, something that happens to Wednesday whether she likes it or not.
The Addams Family‘s focus on oddballs has always been fun, and Wednesday expands that concept to include a whole cadre of outcasts (vampires, sirens, gorgons, werewolves, psychics, and more) at Nevermore Academy that makes it enjoyable to watch. Wednesday may recycle classic teenage tropes like the big formal dance or mean girl rival but it’s jazzed up just enough by its world-building to make it not unbearably boring.
Little touches like its Edgar Allan Poe-themed race, bold purple striped uniforms, and Yeti ice sculpture at the school dance make the school feel off-kilter but real.
Wednesday is the star, but there are a few standouts in the supporting cast including Emma Myers as Enid Sinclair, Wednesday’s roommate. If you could imagine a polar opposite to the goth queen, it’s the colorful, outgoing Enid who even sports a rainbow manicure on her fledgling werewolf claws.
Myers is a delight to watch as the bubbly character, and it’s no wonder Enid wins over even her loner roomie. Enid’s struggle with fully transforming into a werewolf is a minor plot at best but you’ll cheer her along anyway.
Gwendoline Christie is perfectly cast as the snooty Principal Larissa Weems whose rivalry with Wednesday’s mother Morticia Addams seeps into her relationship with Wednesday. Weems doesn’t quite reach villain status, but she is a morally dubious character who places preserving the reputation of Nevermore Academy above all else, leading to some clashes with the protagonist.
Although never too scary, the episodes can get gruesome as the monster slashes down victim after victim. Burton’s biggest imprint on the show seems to come with the monster’s design and its big googly eyes, which unfortunately makes the creature look more goofy than frightening.
There are plenty of twists and turns throughout the season though some of the red herrings and misdirects are more obvious than others. Wednesday’s obsession with the monster even at the expense of those around her makes for a compelling story and pushes the character to face some uncomfortable truths.
Wednesday is strongest when focused on the main character and her investigation. When it tries to delve into side plots, like on Episode 5 when the students are dealing with various parent dramas, its spark tends to dim.
Despite featuring the Addams family, the story doesn’t lean so heavily into fan service as to be distracting with Morticia (Catherine Zeta-Jones), Gomez (Luis Guzmán), and Pugsley (Isaac Ordonez) only appearing in two episodes.
Incorporating Morticia and Gomez’s time at Nevermore Academy through a series of flashbacks and their return for Parents Weekend allows the show to weave the characters into the core mystery just enough to give us a sense of the family dynamic.
Christina Ricci, who famously portrayed Wednesday in the films, also appears as Marilynn Thornhill, a normie teacher at Nevermore Academy. This stunt casting could have gone poorly, but she and Ortega work well together on screen and share several pivotal scenes.
Wednesday‘s finale resolves its main mystery in a satisfying enough manner. You still get a complete story while leaving enough unanswered questions and teases to set up more adventures for future seasons.
Even if Netflix decides to bust out its steam-powered guillotine instead of renewing, Wednesday Season 1 is worth watching on its own. It may not be doing something new when it comes to its overall story arc, but it scores well on the execution with likable characters, fun mythology, and an intriguing mystery.
What did you think of this season of Wednesday? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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Wednesday Season 1 is streaming now on Netflix.
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Breeze Riley
Breeze Riley is a pop culture enthusiast who decided to turn her love of watching too much TV into a hobby writing about it. Although she's a convention-going sci-fi and fantasy nerd, she's just as likely to be watching an off-beat comedy or period drama. She is a Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic.