‘Wednesday,’ a new look for ‘The Addams Family’
Photo courtesy of Netflix
Wednesday Addams has been a household name since the original “Addams Family” television show premiered in the 1960s. Tim Burton’s version of the character now resonates with a whole new generation of fans, and it is not the version older age groups grew up watching. Jenna Ortega’s portrayal of Wednesday is sarcastic and blunt, with little nods to Christina Ricci and Lisa Loring’s previous portrayals.
With this first season of “Wednesday” only having eight episodes, Burton needed to show loyal fans that his version would still please their desires. Catherine Zeta-Jones portrays Morticia as the strange character viewers have known and loved, but her motherly side makes more of an appearance than in the other adaptations. She does not have the closest relationship with her daughter, but she still obviously cares for Wednesday. It’s refreshing to see unique portrayals of mother-daughter relationships on television.
After standing up for her little brother, Wednesday is sent to a private boarding school by her parents. Nevermore Academy is no place for the faint of heart, as its students are supernaturally gifted, and there is a prophecy, dating back to colonial times linked to the Addams family.
Wednesday meets some interesting people while at Nevermore.
Principal Weems (Gwendoline Christie) was her mother’s roommate when she attended the school, and she does not seem to like Wednesday.
Weems was one of the most interesting characters to watch, as it was difficult to understand her motivations. Was she someone you wanted to root for, or not? You will have to watch and find out for yourself.
Another person Wednesday meets is her ray-of-sunshine roommate, Enid (Emma Meyers).
The two are complete opposites, but they quickly form a beautiful friendship. Their scenes together were the best in the show.
One last character that deserves some praise is Thing. For those unfamiliar with the character, Thing is a disembodied hand that helps the members of the Addams family. He was not supposed to be at Nevermore, but he was sent by Gomez to watch over Wednesday. Thing provided comic relief when things started to get too dark. He also helped Wednesday figure out the prophecy she seems to be connected to. If the show gets renewed, hopefully there will be more scenes with Thing.
Some viewers of “Wednesday” feel that there should have been more episodes or that certain characters did not get enough screen time. Why did all of the adults think it was completely okay to always assume Wednesday was in the wrong? She is just a kid. Of course, there were times where she actually did things to justify their anger, but she is still a teenager. When adults, especially authority figures, make blanket claims about kids they assume are going to act badly, problems are going to arise.
Another thing worth mentioning is the very minimal diversity in the cast. Why are the three Black characters bullies? They eventually develop as the series progresses, but reverting to stereotypes in 2022 is a bad look for Burton.
If you have not already watched “Wednesday,” it can be streamed on Netflix. Hopefully, the show will get renewed for a second season. Fans are just going to have to wait patiently and maybe rewatch the show a couple of times.
