Wednesdaypremiered on Netflix on November 23rd 2022, giving fans a chance to see Jenna Ortega as the popular character who wears her hair in two braids and is tough as nails. What do fans want from a spin-off ofThe Addams Family?The answer would likely be Gomez and Morticia’s romance, a visit from Cousin It, and the strange yet funny situations the family gets themselves into.
It’s easy to say thatWednesdaycould be a TV show all on its own without anything to do withThe Addams Family. If there were no references to this popular franchise, the storyline would seem fairly generic, and it would be hard to tell what it’s supposed to be. Ultimately, the show proves that using IP can be a crutch and that it’s best to try for a truly unique and fresh story.
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There are manygreat versions of Wednesday fromThe Addams Family, so there was understandable buzz and anticipation for the Netflix series. But after tuning in, it’s hard not to think that this is a fairly generic story that feels like anyteen horror TV showinstead of being a specificAddams Familyproject.
Wednesday begins going to Nevermore and meets her roommate Enid Sinclair (Emma Myers) who has decorated her side of the room in a colorful way. Wednesday is then pursued by Tyler Galpin (Hunter Doohan), who she meets at the town coffee shop. She tries to stave off any friendships and focus on writing and then learns more about her ancestor Goody Adams, who she shares magical powers with. But these things could happen in any TV show and it doesn’t always feel obvious that this is the character who fans have seen before.
Manyreviews ofWednesdayshare the same opinion: that the show is fun to watch because of Jenna Ortega but it doesn’t feel super special on its own. This is likely because the series doesn’t have enoughThe Addams Familyelements. It’s great to seeFred Armisen as Uncle Festerand the show wouldn’t be complete without Thing coming to school with Wednesday to offer support and help her plan and scheme. But even the scenes of Morticia (Catherine Zeta-Jones) and Gomez (Luis Guzmán) don’t feel quite the same as they do inThe Addams Familyfrom 1991 and its sequel that was released just a few years later.
It’s hard not to wish for more than a few brief appearances of Morticia and Gomez and to think that Cousin It should pay a visit to the school.Ortega said the role is her “scariest” yetand while she’s incredible, that isn’t enough to thoroughly impress fans who wanted a bit more of the property that they know and love. If Morticia and Gomez were students themselves years before, why not have them spend more time at the school? Why do they have such a removed role?
Wednesday’s Nevermore Academywill draw comparisons to Hogwarts inHarry Potteras the two schools have students with magical powers who don’t fit in. That’s a problem as it feels like special students attending special schools has been done before. If maybe some of Wednesday’s relatives worked at the school, that would give fans more of the Addams family vibe that they want, and it would also make Nevermore stand out. Instead, it feels like any other school and isn’t that interesting. There aren’t even enough scenes of classes to explain how this school sticks out from others seen in movies and TV shows.
It’s possible thatThe Addams Familyfans who know Wednesdaywill think that she doesn’t always act like herself. She kisses Tyler and participates in school events and becomes part of a community. She doesn’t even try to hurt anyone as soon as she gets to Nevermore. Is that really how she would behave? It’s fun to seeChristina Ricci star inWednesdayas a teacher at the school, but it’s tough not to wish for more of Wednesday’s mom and dad since they are such unique characters.
If the show had nothing to do withThe Addams Family, it would work a lot better as fans wouldn’t be comparing it to the movies from past decades and wondering how it fits into the franchise. It feels likeWednesdayuses its IP and assumes that will make it entertaining, but fans are left wanting something more. If the series is given a second season, it would be great to see more Addams characters who make this franchise as scary and fun as it is. That could allow the show to appeal to its fanbase and make fans of this family happier.
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