Wednesday may be extremely popular, but it missed one aspect that fans of supernatural coming-of-age shows like The Vampire Diaries or Teen Wolf expected: horror. Produced by Gothic horror and fantasy legend Tim Burton and inspired by cartoonist Charles Addams’ darkly humorous and macabre Addams Family — primarily the morbidly fascinated Wednesday Addams — the Netflix show should have been rife with jump scares and spine-tingling nightmares. Instead, long-time fans of the Addams Family were given awkward love triangles and high school shenanigans, which Wednesday season 2 must fix.

After Wednesday (Jenna Ortega) is enrolled in Nevermore Academy, a boarding school for monstrous outcasts in Vermont, she instantly becomes embroiled in a local murder mystery. At this time, Wednesday also discovers that she inherited her mother’s psychic abilities, and it is revealed that she has a long and torturous history with the town through her ancestor, Goody Addams. This would have been a good premise for a horror show. However, the high school setting is what ultimately prevented Wednesday from going down that path.

Wednesday Season 2 Must Ditch The Murder Mystery Formula To Be Truly Scary

The Show Should Lean More Into The Supernatural

Although the first four episodes of Wednesday were directed by Tim Burton, none of those episodes or any of the others boast the horror elements that make Burton’s films so iconic. Instead, the show leaned more into the coming-of-age aspect rather than the supernatural, leading to an emphasis on juvenile love triangles and a cartoonish murder mystery formula.

The mystery that Wednesday spends the entirety of season 1 uncovering is the string of gruesome murders by an unidentified creature. The culprit turns out to be one of Wednesday’s love interests, Tyler Galpin as Hyde. Unfortunately, because of the murder mystery formula employed and Wednesday’s TV-14 rating, the show is unable to fully commit to the horror aspects suggested by the show’s premise.

Unfortunately, because of the murder mystery formula employed and Wednesday ’s TV-14 rating, the show is unable to fully commit to the horror aspects suggested by the show’s premise.

The murder mystery, while compelling at times, was ultimately predictable. Each step of the adventure featured numerous mishaps intended for comedic effect, and it was derailed by the persistent love triangle that Wednesday found herself trapped in. Furthermore, although Nevermore Academy was a school for supernatural students, the show consistently shied away from Wednesday’s supernatural traits. An emphasis on her psychic abilities would have made the show more scary. In the end, despite lending itself to the show’s popularity, the murder mystery resembled more of a Scooby-Doo adventure than a Tim Burton creation.

Wednesday Season 1 Was Great (But It Wasn’t Really Scary)

The Horror Elements Ultimately Fell Flat

Season 1 was a refreshing take on the Wednesday Addams character, especially since she was finally able to shine on her own without the presence of her macabre family. By focusing on a period of Wednesday’s life that hadn’t yet been explored — the trials and tribulations of high school — the Wednesday showrunners were also able to introduce the iconic character to a new generation that may not have been familiar with the ‘90s films.

By focusing on a period of Wednesday’s life that hadn’t yet been explored — the trials and tribulations of high school — the Wednesday showrunners were also able to introduce the iconic character to a new generation that may not have been familiar with the ‘90s films.

Although the show didn’t quite match Burton’s horror sensibilities in terms of storytelling, it did match his well-known aesthetic of minimalist darkness from Wednesday’s appearance to the Carrie homage in episode 4 “Rave’N Dance.” Burton also reunited with long-time collaborator Danny Elfman for the project to compose the show’s dark and aggressive score. All of this would suggest the culmination to be the discovery of the terrifying creature Wednesday was hunting for throughout the season.

However, although Burton designed the season around Hyde, the creature’s reveal proved to be anything but scary. In fact, with its comically wide eyes and disproportionate body, Hyde resembled more of a low-budget Gollum than a mass-murdering monster. The humorous physical appearance of Hyde was ultimately a letdown, especially since his presence as a horrific creature was hyped up throughout the season.

Will Wednesday Be Different Enough In Season 2 After Its Netflix Success?

The Show’s Wide Age Demographic May Be A Problem

Production on season 2 of Wednesday began in May 2024, so it is unclear what exactly the upcoming season will entail. Season 1 ended with Wednesday receiving mysterious text messages from an unidentified stalker, so it is safe to assume that Wednesday’s newest mystery will revolve around unveiling the culprit. Season 1 also hinted at Tyler’s return as a Hyde, perhaps to seek revenge on Wednesday for ending his rampage. This development, along with the news that actor Percy Hynes White would not return to Wednesday season 2 as Xavier Thorpe, effectively ends the love triangle, allowing the show to focus on other elements.

Jenna Ortega teased that Wednesday season 2 would introduce more supernatural elements to the show, thereby heightening the horror elements that season 1 was missing. However, she also added that season 2’s deep dive into horror won’t be as dramatic as some fans may expect because of the show’s wide-ranging age demographic.

The primary reason Wednesday became such a massive hit and a pop culture phenomenon was because of the passion young viewers had for the show. Young viewers attracted to Ortega’s portrayal of Wednesday, despite being unfamiliar with earlier iterations of the character, are the reason the show became so popular. Rather than isolating those young fans by emphasizing the horror elements, Netflix is embracing those fans by keeping the show age-appropriate. It would be a disservice to young viewers if the show became too terrifying.