After a two-year break, Wednesday is finally back, and Season 2 Part 1 not only brings back Jenna Ortega‘s titular character, but a whole bevy of new faces to Nevermore Academy. With Pugsley (Isaac Ordonez) heading to school and Wednesday returning as the hero who saved the school, there’s a lot on the Addams family’s plate. Much like the first, Season 2 introduces a new mystery and has Wednesday racing against the proverbial clock; this time, she must save Enid (Emma Myers) from a horrifying vision that threatens her life. Although it takes a bit of time for Wednesday Season 2 to kick off, it’s still just as fun, leaning into the unique and ghoulish charm that makes the Addams Family so entertaining.
‘Wednesday’ Season 2 Introduces a New Host of Characters (and Brings Back Notable Guest Stars)
With a new year at school, inevitably, there will be newcomers. Steve Buscemi steps in as a chipper-but-manipulative new Principal Dort, Billie Piper is Nevermore music teacher Isadora Capri, and the local asylum is headed by Thandiwe Newton‘s Dr. Rachael Fairburn. At the same time, Enid has a new admirer and a member of her pack named Bruno (Noah B. Taylor), and Wednesday has a gaggle of fans at school, chief among them Agnes Demille (Evie Templeton).
But with so many new faces, along with familiar ones like Luis Guzmán as Gomez and Catherine Zeta-Jones as Morticia, there’s a lot to juggle in Season 2. Buscemi instantly makes a splash as the new principal who is all about Outcast pride, set up in stark contrast to Principal Weems (Gwendoline Christie), who wanted to have more harmony with the Normies. Dr. Fairburn, in charge of the local asylum down the road, Willow Hill, also makes an impact, especially when Newton and Ortega face off with one another in their scenes.
The season places a large emphasis on Willow Hill and the larger mysteries around how Normies and Outcasts interact. It’s a delightful extension of the show’s mythos and never once feels like it’s out of place. In fact, though the series is whimsical and light at times, it isn’t afraid to dig in its heels with the eerie elements and the bloodshed. Although there are new faces, the cast of Wednesday won’t feel crowded anytime soon, as it becomes apparent that anyone could be killed off. It adds stronger stakes for the series as a whole and, much like Season 1, lights a fire under Wednesday to track down her mysterious stalker, who seems directly connected to her doomed visions of Enid.
Unfortunately, ‘Wednesday’ Season 2 Takes Time To Set Up Its Mystery
Although Season 1’s ending set up the show’s current mystery with Wednesday’s stalker, this season still takes some time to really get going. With Pugsley also joining Nevermore, plus the inclusion of both Enid’s pack and Wednesday’s fan club, there are a lot of moving parts. As a result, existing characters like Bianca (Joy Sunday) and Ajax (Georgie Farmer) end up pushed to the side. Even Enid, who felt positioned as an almost deuteragonist figure alongside Wednesday in Season 1, reverts a bit in Season 2’s initial episodes. Much of her time is spent with her pack rather than Wednesday, and as a result, we get less of that infectious chemistry between Ortega’s deadpan and Myles’ bubblier personality. However, when the story gets rolling and more of the history of Willow Hill unfolds, that’s when the story really gets rolling.
On its own, Wednesday Season 2 is a story of two halves. One is about a girl adjusting to school and juggling the ins and outs of growing up as a teenager, while the other is about an investigator tracking down a decades-old mystery with the help of a gang of supporting characters. While Season 1 was able to balance these two sides of the story well, this season struggles to do the same. It’s hard to care about what happens at school when the Willow Hill story is far more exciting. As a result, storylines that move away from that end up feeling a bit like filler material.
Of course, even filler can be good, and much of Wednesday Season 2 Part 1 has fun references to past Addams Family stories. Some scenes seem like direct nods to Addams Family Values as we see Nevermore Academy head to a locale reminiscent of Camp Chippewa. The series is an expert at bringing in these Easter eggs or homages without feeling forced or like pandering. At the same time, expanding the Addams Family and delving deeper into them also makes Wednesday a worthy entry in the franchise.
Wednesday and Morticia’s Relationship Is the Highlight of Season 2 Part 1
While the mysterious stalker takes up much of the plot of the story, another large aspect of Season 2 Part 1 revolves around Wednesday and Morticia’s caustic relationship. Season 2 brings Morticia and Gomez back into the fold of the story more prominently. Morticia joins in on the effort to help raise funds for Nevermore, which puts her in close proximity to Wednesday. Exploring more of Wednesday’s powers this season means that we also learn more about Morticia and her family, with Joanna Lumley introduced as Morticia’s estranged mother, as well as the mystery surrounding the disappearance of Morticia’s sister.
The show seizes the opportunity to place Zeta-Jones and Ortega opposite each other in several scenes — including a surprising action scene that calls back to Zeta-Jones’ own iconic filmography — and it’s clear that Wednesday and Morticia’s relationship is the emotional heart of Season 2. While struggling with publishing her novel (which she refuses to make a single edit to) and understanding her new powers, Wednesday’s dogged approach to problem-solving comes right up against her mother’s desire to protect her.
‘Wednesday’ Season 2 Part 1 Isn’t Perfect, but We Can’t Wait To See What Happens
While Season 1 spent its time building up Nevermore Academy, Season 2 shines the spotlight on the Addams Family, and the result is a double-edged sword. While it’s wonderful to see Pugsley develop as a character (making new friends in more than one way) and having Gomez and Morticia around more, it also means that the supporting characters at school earn less screentime. Billie Piper barely gets any real scenes in Part 1, and the moments she does earn seem like the show is beginning a storyline that doesn’t do enough to lure the viewer in to care, especially in the face of far more dominant narratives.
Wednesday‘s two-part season break ultimately weakens the story, cutting things off at the knees just as the plot is ramping up into a good place. Although this means that Part 2 will almost certainly be a wild ride, it means that Part 1 resembles more of an appetizer rather than a full meal. Still, with a Season 3 already secured, it’s hard to deny that this return is entertaining. The first episode, directed by Tim Burton, even contains a stop-motion sequence that feels plucked right out of the acclaimed director’s own creepy animated films. It may only be August, but Wednesday‘s newest offering of episodes is giving spooky season vibes — we’re just sad there are only four episodes to binge.
All episodes of Wednesday Season 2 Part 1 are available to stream now on Netflix!
Wednesday
Wednesday Season 2 Part 1 brings back the Addams Family for a ghoulish and twisty return, but struggles to balance its storylines.
- Release Date
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November 23, 2022
- Network
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Netflix
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Wednesday Addams / Goody Addams
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- Season 2 Part 1 brings in a lot more Addams family into the fold and extends the mythos.
- The new cast makes for a delightful addition to the show.
- The show’s willingness to lean into the darker aspects of the story and create real stakes makes it exciting.
- The two-part structure of the season weakens the overall impact of the plot.
- The new characters and focus on a new location pushes older supporting characters further into the background.