This Cult Horror Series is Back on Netflix in All of Its Gruesome Beauty
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Wednesday Addams is back! Almost three years after season 1, the macabre horror hit returns to Netflix. I retreated to my dark walls and watched the first four episodes of the season (that's half of it!) for you during the night. I'll share this spoiler-free report on whether the series is even scarier than the unfortunate trend of splitting seasons in two, like how heads roll off a razor-sharp guillotine.
Nevermore Academy is a bit like Hogwarts: each school year, there are new adventures to be found in a new book — or in this case, a new season. So Wednesday enters the time-honored walls of Nevermore again, and yes, another parallel to the most famous wizard on the planet is immediately apparent: The seventh volume of the famous Hogwarts student's adventures was released in two parts at the movies.
With a TV series, we now have to live with this unpleasant trend of not receiving a complete season. Netflix recently demonstrated this with Seasons 2 and 3 of Squid Game, which was actually just a single season. Now, we're also receiving the second Wednesday season in two halves.
Wednesday Addams: Creepily popular
But let's turn to more pleasant things: the first four episodes of the second Wednesday season weigh in at approximately 60 minutes long! In case you haven't had a chance to watch the season yet: Don't worry, there are no spoilers here! Two of the new episodes – the first and the fourth – were directed by Tim Burton once more. His involvement in the first season already contributed to the mood and visuals in a good way. For the second half of the season, he will deliver two episodes again, allowing the basic atmosphere of the current season to keep up with previous episodes easily.
However, I would go even further: In my opinion, the new episodes are more morbid and exude more horror, making the series even darker overall. So dark that you secretly wish Netflix had released the second season this fall, just in time for Halloween.
Be that as it may, Wednesday (once again played by the highly talented Jenna Ortega) is back and begins the new school year in exactly the same way as she ended the previous one: by investigating a sinister case. However, one thing has changed significantly: She's now the absolute favorite at the school, which is filled to the brim with misfits. A role that, as expected, she doesn't approve of at all.
Lots of New Things in Nevermore
What worked well in Wednesday in 2022 (or in series like Stranger Things) continues its magic now. I'm referring to the wild mix of genres: horror meets Harry Potter-style magical fantasy, but there are also crime and coming-of-age elements, always mixed with a pinch of cynical humor.
There are occasional references to the now-ancient Addams comics, but also their cinematic predecessors. In addition, the rest of the Addams Family do not just have an occasional cameo, but are more regularly featured now. There were also some changes in the cast: the great Steve Buscemi tries his hand as the new principal of Nevermore Academy and played the role to perfection. By the way, he does a perfect imitation of Edgar Allan Poe.
However, Xavier, who seemed so important in season 1, is no longer part of the show. After (having never confirmed) allegations of sexual abuse against actor Percy Hynes White, who played Xavier, arose, the role was simply written out of the series. This was amicably resolved in narrative terms that offered a smooth transition. We also welcome Billie Piper as the new teacher, Wednesday's Grandma Frump (Joanna Lumley), and a few more.
Evie Templeton, who, as Agnes DeMille, is a kind of detective sidekick for Wednesday, also deserves special mention. Her role is sometimes really annoying with her transgressions, but I think she portrayed her role brilliantly and is an exciting addition to the cast.
Wednesday 2: Too Much of a Good Thing?
One of the reasons why Xavier's absence is hardly noticeable is due to the number of events in the new episodes. Continuing from season 1, Wednesday is still on a mission to track down her stalker. There are also new murder cases, a new love triangle, and she has to find out what is hiding behind LOIS. She's worried about Enid, who has problems with her powers, and then there's Tyler, also known as Hyde, to deal with.
That's a lot on the plate for our likeable outsider, but the team behind the series didn't stop there. There are a large number of side quests that have a role to play. For instance, Wednesday's brother, Pugsley, who is now also a student at Nevermore, makes an appearance with his very own story about "Schlürfie".
This leads us to some bits that I didn't like as much. The cast, with Emma Myers as Wednesday's roommate Enid, Catherine Zeta-Jones and Luis Guzmán as Wednesday's parents and Uncle Fester (Fred Armisen), is once again excellent. The characters were also given much more room to develop this season. With one exception: Puglsey (Isaac Ordonez)
I don't want to say that he acted poorly. However, his appearances somehow pulled me out of the story every time. In general, I have the feeling that we're dealing with a wee bit too many storylines. That's great to help flesh out the roles better, but narratively, some elements just don't get us anywhere and distract us from the actual story. I'm curious to see if all these narrative threads can be brought together in a meaningful manner in the last four episodes.
My Initial Impression
If I had to grade it, it would probably be a small step back compared to season 1, so maybe I will give it an A- instead of an A. Yes, that's nitpicking on a high level. Characters like Enid are given much more depth this time, and there are exciting new additions like the red-haired pain in the ass Agnes.
Jenna Ortega once again shines as Wednesday Addams and seems born for this role. There are also so many incredibly impressive scenes. In view of the great image compositions and clever camera angles, you always find yourself wanting to capture some scenes as still images or even print them. It is also, but not only, Tim Burton's signature style that makes Wednesday a visual delight.
I also like how it's become darker and we're dealing with more horror elements. However, the story could have been laid out in a tighter manner. Or to put it another way: there are too many stories being told simultaneously. We still have four episodes to go to tie up loose ends.
That brings us to another problem with the current season: the division of the season into two parts is annoying! We're now given an overly thrilling and pointless cliffhanger, which I don't think we need. But it's like Squid Game: in that series, it would have been unfair to draw a real conclusion as well halfway through the actual season. After all, the story is far from over.
So sit back, enjoy the first four episodes of the current season, and — since we have to wait until September 3 for the remaining four episodes, how do you like the latest episodes?
