Smart, sarcastic and a little dead inside, Wednesday Addams investigates a murder spree while making new friends — and foes — at Nevermore Academy (from Netflix).
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I must admit that the first episode unexpectedly hooked me to the story... a somewhat misleading first episode, however, since almost all subsequent episodes failed to match it 😕.
As a child, it was a joy for me to stumble upon an episode of The Addams Family in black and white on a regional channel.
This unconventional family with their gloomy habits but great hearts always amused and intrigued me, and I followed, albeit not diligently, their developments: from the animated series of the '90s, to the movies, to the animated feature film.
Regarding Wednesday, however, focused, among other things, on the character I always wanted to know more about, I had kept my distance, as I often do when a production is talked about too much or for too long. I'm afraid of encountering a disappointing product, especially finding myself, apparently, in that not-so-small niche of viewers who always like something else.
Wednesday was my umpteenth attempt to watch a series in my endless slump. And so, I clicked play without having read a line of the plot or watched a second of the trailer, reassured simply by the fact that it was a series of only 8 episodes.
The story follows the eldest Addams child, the fifteen-year-old Wednesday, arriving at the mysterious Nevermore Academy, the school for outcasts, the last hope for mom Morticia and dad Gomez, given that the methods used by the girl to protect her brother Pugsley from bullies are considered unacceptable in "normal" schools.
Let's move on to the weak points:
🟡 Nevermore is too, too similar to Hogwarts. The Triwizard Tournament... aehm... the competition in episode 2 is the clear proof, as is Principal Weems' peculiar ability. 🔴 Why is Wednesday there? The school has werewolves, mermaids, gorgons, and whatnot... and Wednesday? Is she admitted because of the visions that, moreover, not everyone knows about? How should we consider the protagonist? A teenager with a taste for the macabre who is growing up, trying to understand who she is, what she likes, and how she wants to be, or an "outcast" with such a masochistic nature that makes her too different from ordinary kids? Yet, suppose she gets stabbed, she too suffers physical pain and risks and fears dying.
🟡 Moreover, the resolution of the mystery is predictable, and the use of magic in the finale seems quite out of place; nonetheless, the series remains enjoyable and nice.
🟢 I appreciated the storyline of the difficult relationship between Wednesday and Morticia (unfortunately resolved too soon), and of many other kids with their parents. Luckily, Bianca's mother and her sect have been sidelined, and I hope they continue to be forgotten in the second season.
🟢 Regarding the characters, Jenna Ortega is fantastic as Wednesday. I also liked Gomez and Morticia. It would be unfair to compare them to the inimitable Addams couple of Carolyn Jones and John Astin from the '60s and not consider them as supporting characters in a new show with its own characteristics. Catherine Zeta-Jones seems to effortlessly embody the character of Morticia, and Luis Guzman, although initially surprising (I don't think anyone expected a Gomez so different from all those who preceded him), has made me increasingly fond of his character as a loving father and devoted husband. The real surprise, however, is Fred Armisen as Uncle Fester. Perfect!
Among the supporting characters, we must naturally mention Emma Myers as Enid, Wednesday's roommate, as different from her as day from night, and with whom she shares the path of growth; and Gwendolyn Christie, majestic as Principal Weems (and again Harry Potter... didn't her character remind anyone, at least for a moment, of Professor McGonagall and the Headmistress of the Beauxbatons Academy of Magic, Olympe Maxime? At this point, for the second season, I expect a character similar to Dolores Umbridge...).
🟢 The (substantial) soundtrack is really beautiful, spooky, dark, and mysterious, starting with the theme song, going through Secret Library, Scorpion Flashback, and again The Monster, Family Day, Burning Outcasts, Gomez Accused of Murder... without forgetting Jenna Ortega's cello performances, and the iconic finger snaps incorporated into the story.
😺 Fun fact
- actress Christina Ricci, for years Wednesday in the collective imagination for having played the role in two successful films in 1991 and 1993, appears in this series in (at least for me) not immediately recognizable forms.
- The English title of the first episode is "Wednesday's Child Is Full of Woe," a verse from the nursery rhyme "Monday's Child," used to teach children the days of the week. The term "woe" then appears in all subsequent titles.
- Among the series' producers is Tim Burton, who also directed the first 4 episodes.
- Wednesday's dance during the school prom (episode IV) to the notes of Lady Gaga's Bloody Mary quickly went viral and became famous even among those who didn't watch the series.