Netflix’s original series, Wednesday, proved to be a major success for the streaming service, but a few aspects of the series don’t hold up following its 2022 premiere. Jenna Ortega leads Wednesday as its titular character who finds herself embarking on a murder mystery. A week after Wednesday‘s season 1 premiere, the show took the top spot for the English-language series with the most viewing hours, totaling 341 million. One scene from Wednesday in particular went viral on social media, drawing more attention to the series, as Ortega choreographed an eye-catching routine to the Cramps’ “Goo Goo Muck.”

Despite mixed reviews, critics and audiences agree that Ortega is the biggest takeaway from the series. Whilst capturing the distinct parts of Wednesday that fans have come to love the character for, Ortega, the seventh actress to play Wednesday, still manages to make room for her rendition of the Addams’ daughter. Wednesday is the latest addition to the Addams Family franchise and it sets itself apart from other versions of the macabre interested family, for better or for worse. It is Wednesday‘s tendency to steer into new and unfamiliar territory that risks an adverse viewing experience upon rewatch.

10. Bianca’s Storyline Felt Incomplete

Her intriguing backstory is only teased.

While at Nevermore, Wednesday is introduced to a variety of personalities and one in particular that causes immediate issues for her is the academy’s Queen Bee, as Wednesday notes, Bianca Barclay. Tying into an overarching complaint some audiences have about Wednesday‘s teen drama quality, the rivalry between Bianca and Wednesday feels largely unnecessary. The reasoning for the initial rivalry is more sound had Wednesday’s tolerance for Bianca mirrored that of her relationship with Enid.

Instead, Bianca and Wednesday only toy with the idea of a possible friendship in the season finale. Aside from her complicated relationship with Wednesday, Bianca has a fascinating backstory that was quietly brushed to the side after her mother’s visit during Parents Weekend. Considering the series is primarily focused on Wednesday, it makes sense why Bianca’s story wasn’t further explored, but it made her character feel incomplete.

9. The CGI Is Ineffective

The Hyde appears silly, not scary.

During season 1, Wednesday finds herself in a murder mystery in Jericho. Wednesday’s discoveries lead her to a special type of monstrous creature known as the Hyde. The backstory behind a Hyde and its ability to lurk in plain sight among other humans makes for a terrifying creature. However, the scare factor of the Hyde isn’t translated by Wednesday‘s use of CGI.

Wednesday does effectively use special effects elsewhere in the show.

The Hyde has all the qualifications to be a thrilling antagonist but appears cartoonish and nonthreatening instead. Still, Wednesday does effectively use special effects elsewhere in the show. Wednesday Addams’ sidekick, a sentient hand known as Thing, was created with a combined use of practical and special effects. The special effects for Thing help the character blend in with Wednesday’s supernatural genre, making it easier for audiences to believe the existence of such a creature is possible.

8. Wednesday Is Placed In An Unnecessary Love Triangle

It’s a needless addition to Wednesday’s story.

Wednesday Addams has been celebrated by audiences throughout every version of the character. Audiences enjoy Wednesday’s characteristic sadistic tendencies, dark sense of humor, and sarcastic commentary. Additionally, Wednesday is known for her preference for solitude and ability to put up a wall between herself and others. Therefore, the love triangle that Netflix’s Wednesday places the character in feels out of place.

It’s a fair attempt to break Wednesday out of her shell, but the love triangle doesn’t entirely work. This is partially because of the guys involved, but mainly because it’s not a realistic situation for Wednesday to find herself in. Ortega’s comments about the romance storyline are in line with this sentiment as she cares just as much about Wednesday as audiences do. Ortega felt a love triangle wasn’t true to the character’s personality and instead hopes Wednesday season 2 sees a healthy, platonic relationship between her and Xavier (via NME).

7. The Scares Are Mild

It’s not the thriller audiences were hoping for.

 

Following the initial announcement of Netflix’s Wednesday, and learning of Tim Burton’s involvement, audiences widely assumed the series would lean into the eerily strange and horrific elements of the supernatural world. Yet, this is not the case. While Wednesday has a dark and goth aesthetic, the series is predominately a murder mystery.

The thrills in Wednesday are present, but revisiting season 1, it’s clear they are subdued and are often secondary to Wednesday’s relationships, whether it’s with the boys in the love triangle, her roommate Enid, or her conflict with Nevermore’s Principal Weems. As disappointing as this is for audiences who were eager for a scare, it appears season 2 is looking to make a shift in the series’ tone. Ortega has revealed details about Wednesday season 2, in which she says, “We’ve decided we want to lean into the horror more… We’re going to get bolder, more dark.” (via Variety).

6. The Chemistry Is Minimal Between Morticia And Gomez

Their relationship doesn’t feel familiar.

Just like Ortega had big shoes to fill as Wednesday‘s titular character, audiences were equally anxious to see how Catherine Zeta-Jones and Luis Guzmán’s portrayals of Morticia and Gomez Addams compared to Anjelica Huston and Raul Julia in the fan-favorite 90s films. Upon early viewings of Wednesday, there were unfavorable conversations surrounding the casting of Guzmán as Gomez. In the end, his characterization of the Addams patriarch proved to be a better comparison to the original cartoon design than earlier on-screen versions.

Unfortunately, Morticia and Gomez’s inability to feel familiar with audiences has less to do with casting and more to do with the focus of Wednesday. Since the series is more concerned with Wednesday’s character, Morticia and Gomez aren’t given apt screen time to showcase the fervent nature of their relationship that audiences have admired throughout each Addams Family adaptation. Instead, Wednesday places the couple back in Nevermore, calling attention to their past involvement in another teenager’s death.

5. Wednesday Is Similar To Others Like Her

The Addams Family doesn’t stand out.

A fundamental reason behind the Addams Family’s appeal is their ability to stand out from those around them. The family is strange and unusual, resulting in a humorous culture clash with others. Yet, in Wednesday, the Addams family are among other outcasts with comparable personalities and supernatural abilities.

The series attempts to make the family stick out by drawing attention to Wednesday’s “otherness” among her Nevermore peers, as well as during the family’s therapy session. However, none of it is strongly reminiscent of the family’s interaction with others in earlier Addams Family TV adaptations in 1964 and 1973. Taking Wednesday and her family away from Nevermore leads to a greater possibility of entertaining storylines involving their “normal” peers.

Following Wednesday ‘s season 1 finale, there are hopes the series will step away from the Nevermore setting in season 2.

4. The Villain’s Identity Was Predictable

Suspicions quickly surrounded the obvious villain.

In a town with a reputation for hostility towards outcasts, a welcoming “normie” is a rarity and should immediately raise suspicions. This is what made the reveal of Marilyn Thornhill as Wednesday‘s antagonist a bit predictable the first time around and entirely tiresome upon rewatch. Early on, audiences learn that Thornhill is the only normie teacher at Nevermore, differentiating her from others and bringing up questions about her reasons for teaching at the academy.

Adding to this, Thornhill was particularly close to Wednesday, and though it appeared she simply admired her student’s strong spirit and disinterest in others’ opinions, her keen desire to be a mentor figure didn’t make complete sense. Wednesday was also full of red herrings when it came to the potential characters responsible for the monstrous attacks in town. From Xavier to Dr. Kinbott, Wednesday’s therapist, each misdirect was easily explained, quickly narrowing down the characters left to be the villain.

3. Wednesday Is More Of A Teen Drama

It doesn’t have aspects of an Addams Family adaptation.

Along with Ortega’s response to Wednesday‘s love triangle, the actress changed a lot of her character’s dialogue to be in line with audiences’ perception of the popular character. During an interview, Ortega said after reading the script she realized the series was intended for younger audiences. Ortega joined Wednesday thinking it would be a lot darker, but instead, came across pieces of dialogue that displayed adolescent irritability, including a line that said, “Oh my god I love it. Ugh, I can’t believe I said that. I literally hate myself.” (via Variety).

While the tone of Wednesday isn’t what its lead actress or audiences were anticipating, the series is still able to set itself apart from other teen dramas. Wednesday succeeds in melting the typical teenage burdens expected of a coming-of-age series with the supernatural mystery its titular character finds herself a part of. Ortega has been vocal about her care for Wednesday as a character and now that she’s acting as a producer for Wednesday season 2, there’s hope that the series will land in the balanced realm of comedy and horror that prior Addams Family TV shows found themselves in.

2. Cynical Humor Is Sparse

Rather than being balanced, the humor is overshadowed by darkness.

Despite being a lighthearted coming-of-age story, Wednesday doesn’t feature the sense of humor the Addams family is known for. Throughout each version of the famous family, two things have remained fairly consistent. At the end of the day, love and care for one another is certain, even when they put each other in harmful situations, it ties into their shared bizarre interests.

The Addams family members find joy in grim and harmful scenarios, as understood in their actions and commentary. However, this favored oddball appeal is missing from much of Wednesday season 1. The moments that best exemplify their strangeness and zany essence are when the family is all together, which isn’t often. When the attention is solely on Wednesday, Ortega makes multiple absurd remarks familiar to the character, but Wednesday‘s funniest scenes dwindle in numbers as the series progresses and digs further into the murder mystery.

1. Tim Burton’s Aesthetic Isn’t Strong

Burton’s creativity didn’t make a dent in Wednesday.

Beyond the popularity of Wednesday Addams as a character, Tim Burton’s name helped in gaining the attention of audiences before the release of Wednesday. Burton is known for his gothic and fantasy films, creating an instantly recognizable style and making him the ideal director to get involved with the equally dark Addams family. Even so, much of Burton’s signature flair is missing from Wednesday season 1.

Burton directed four episodes of Wednesday and serves as an executive producer, but without knowing which specific episodes, it’d be difficult to spot Burton’s distinct direction. It’s understandable why Wednesday strays from Burton’s well-known style because the series is created by Alfred Gough and Miles Millar, who are both known best for creating The CW’s Smallville. Putting together everything known about Wednesday season 2 so far, the shift into the horror aspects of the Addams Family franchise provides a more suitable path for Burton to apply his influence.