*** Caution. Spoilers ahead ***
Living up to a classic like The Addams Family is not an easy challenge to take on, but Netflix’s Wednesday did and succeeded. Helmed by the king of spooky and kooky, Tim Burton, Wednesday has become Netflix’s third most popular English-Language series of all time for the streaming giant, per Variety.
Jenna Ortega’s Wednesday is a more fleshed-out version of the character compared to its predecessors. In this series, audiences learn more about the gothic princess as she goes on crime-solving adventures while learning how to use her newly discovered psychic abilities, which coincidentally (or not) seemed tied to the crimes happening around her new school, Nevermore Academy. Ortega’s embodiment of Wednesday is incredibly well done, dominating the emotionless stern demeanor highlighted by her lack of blinking, which she has said in interviews Burton specifically asked her not to do. In no other scene can one appreciate Ortega’s intensity as Wednesday as in the now famous dance party scene, which sparked a viral TikTok dance trend with celebs like Lady Gaga and Camila Cabello joining in the fun. Her stoic appearance, killer dance moves, and sarcastic one-liners make Wednesday fun and – although she wouldn’t approve of anyone saying this – a loveable character to watch.
Rounding out the Addams family are Luis Guzmán as Gomez Addams, Catherine Zeta-Jones as Morticia Addams, Isaac Ordonez as Pugsley Addams, and Fred Armisen as Uncle Fester. Although the family plays more of a minor role in this series, they all give a cool new spin to these classic characters.
Gwendoline Christie joins the cast of this series as Nevermore Academy’s Principal Larissa Weems, a much softer character compared to her previous roles, but one that makes for a great contrast against Ortega’s intense character. Christina Ricci also joins Wednesday as Marilyn Thornhill, a teacher at Nevermore Academy (Ricci played Wednesday in the 1990s version of The Addams Family). Her character is that of a well-meaning teacher with a bubbly disposition but who secretly harbors dark intentions.
Joining Wednesday at Nevermore Academy are her crew of outcast friends played by Hunter Doohan as Tyler Galpin, Percy Hynes White as Xavier Thorpe, Emma Myers as Enid Sinclair, Joy Sunday as Bianca Barclay, Georgie Farmer as Ajax Petropolus and Naomi J. Ogawa as Yoko Tanaka. Although they are all misfits in their own way, they find a way to come together to help their unwilling leader, Wednesday, solve the crimes happening in town, forming an unlikely friendship in the process.
Overall, Wednesday is a binge-worthy series that lives up to the hype. Wednesday is streaming now on Netflix.
