Netflix’s most recent new show, Wednesday, started out with a bang. The show is a spin-off of the popular franchise surrounding the odd Addams Family. Wednesday features the Addams family’s daughter Wednesday and her peculiar personality that recently got her expelled from her old school. The reason she got kicked out was because she put piranhas in the pool for some much-needed revenge on the bullies that stuck her brother in a locker. The expulsion led her family, The Addams, to enroll her in a school for outcasts known as Nevermore Academy. The students attending the school consist of a mix of scary creatures like werewolves, vampires, and sirens. There she becomes enthralled by the recent murders of the town, Jericho, in which Nevermore Academy resides.

The Addams Family:
In the shows and films, The Addams Family give off an eerie vibe because of their kooky all-black attire and violent tendencies. The wealthy family consists of Morticia, Gomez, Wednesday, Pugsly, and their strange uncle Fester who all live in a spooky mansion. The show mainly focuses on Wednesday’s new life at her latest school so the rest of the family is less prominent throughout the episodes. The family is seen in episode one bringing Wednesday to Nevermore; they come and visit in episode five for a family weekend at the school; Uncle Fester is featured in episode seven as well. Also, a prominent character in the show is the Addams family “pet” called Thing. Fitting in with their odd family, Thing is a severed hand that communicates with the characters through noise, sign language, and actions. Acting as almost a pet dog to Wednesday, Thing has become a favorite character for many fans.

History:
Historically the Addams Family was a cartoon created by Charles Addams in 1938 and was published in The New Yorker. It was then adapted into a television series in 1964 called The Addams Family. It was aired on the ABC network for two seasons. In 1973 the first animated Addams family aired on Hannah-Barbera production and lasted 1 season. The famous Addams Family movie which most are familiar with aired in 1991 and a sequel followed it in 1993. More recently in 2019, an animated movie was published and then was also followed by a sequel in 2021. Then came the 2022 show Wednesday.

Jenna Ortega’s Dedication to the show:
The leading star Jenna Ortega is an up-and-coming actress who was insanely dedicated to the show. Ortega really wanted the character to be her own but she also respected the actresses who have paved the way for her. She watched all the movies, and shows, and read the original comics to ensure she was prepared to take on such an iconic role. Ortega also attended cello and fencing lessons to prepare for some of the scenes. To fully immerse herself into the character she cut her hair and became Wednesday. Ortega began practicing Wednesday’s walk and perfecting the character’s level of social awkwardness while still having a sense of confidence. It is safe to say the amount of work she put into this role paid off and she depicted the character perfectly. Down to the cold stare, Ortega mastered acting with no emotion.

Genre:
The show is considered a comedy horror. Although the overall mystery is solving the monster, we wouldn’t consider it extremely scary. Yes, the show obviously has some jump scares and some blood here and there, but nothing compared to some horror movies you would jump on Halloween. We don’t know if it would be considered a comedy. For us, there are definitely funny parts, but it’s more of a teen drama show than a comedy. There are a lot more friendships, fights, and romances that go on in the show than cracked jokes.

Plot:
The overall plot focuses on solving the mystery of the monster that has been killing and hurting students and teachers of Nevermore and the civilians of the town of Jericho, Vermont. However, there are many subplots that go on throughout the show that often confused us. There were many instances when the show would take a turn to go into a character’s back story or small conflicts would arise. Somehow the dots always seemed to connect and lead Wednesday closer to unveiling the monster, until the final episode which leads you on yet again another cliffhanger.

Wednesday’s character development:
Based on the Tim Burton show The Addams Family which is a famous Halloween classic to watch, Wednesday is an offshoot highlighting the daughter named Wednesday. In the show, she is a strange teenager, known for her straight face, bad social skills, and awfully morbid personality. Although she seems to lack emotions at the beginning of the show, we see some much-needed development of her character creating a more personable side. This evolution comes from her creating relationships with her peers, and teachers, and even bettering her relationships with her family. The trauma Wednesday goes through allows her to create bonds where she is able to open up and feel vulnerable.

Rating:
Overall the show was incredibly unique, engaging, and enticing; after every episode, we were left guessing who did it and why. The show was constructed in an amazing way that kept the audience on their toes and amused. It was binge-worthy and super fun to watch for a second time after knowing what would happen. Watching the show for a second time also allowed us to notice all the small details put into making the show. The 8-episode show featuring Jenna Ortega and many other talented actors deserves a 9/10. The amazing acting, storytelling, and general plot were top-tier. We highly recommend watching the show if you are interested in an action, somewhat scary, and dramatic show.