After season one of “Wednesday” — a spinoff of director Tim Burton’s “Addams Family,” which was a sensation during the pandemic — fans immediately demanded more of the humorous, twisted mystery. With the long-awaited release of season two, more action-packed, supernatural mystery is exactly what Burton gave us.
The season picks up with a killer, a setback with Wednesday’s psychic ability and a haunting new stalker. Returning to Nevermore for another year feels much akin to returning to a gothic, occult Hogwarts for another year. We expect to experience perched gargoyles, the return of dreaded nemeses and reunion with friends. Right off the bat, it’s apparent that the season will have a darker mood compared to its predecessor, which leaned more toward being a supernatural comedy than a mystery. Death is not something the directors shied away from this season.
Wednesday, played by Gen-Z actress Jenna Ortega, is revered as a school hero upon her return to Nevermore. We are introduced to new, intrinsic characters as well as the same beloved ones from the previous season.
Immediately, an inexplicable killing spree captures the attention of the young gothic sleuth as she encounters murders of crows, death threats and a fatal premonition. It’s safe to say Wednesday wastes no time before once again getting herself tied up into a dark entanglement of secrets and lies.
On top of the main plot, there is the traditional Addams family emphasis on familial relationships. However, despite Morticia and Gomez (Catherina Zeta-Jones and Luis Guzmán) moving uncomfortably close to school campus as sort of chaperones and Pugsley (Isaac Ordonez) becoming a student at Nevermore, there’s a crack in the typical united front of the Addams family. Pugsley rarely has screen time, and when he does, it’s hardly ever interacting with the other Addamses. Wednesday neglects her relationship with her mother to the point where Morticia feels almost estranged.
This isn’t necessarily fitting for the traditional Addams family. However, the teenage Wednesday fighting with her mother is a stark reminder that the show is a coming-of-age story. Ultimately, the seemingly dysfunctional familial interactions end up adding another layer to the character arcs of both Wednesday and Morticia, so arguably this addition to the show is fitting.
Another thing worth mentioning is the near-complete dissipation of Wednesday’s love triangle between Xavier (Percy Hynes White) and Tyler (Hunter Doohan) that sizzled beneath the pressing plot of season one. Xavier is not in season two at all, and Tyler seems to operate more as a lunatic mortal enemy than a love interest. The action and character plot revolves entirely around the solving of a fatal mystery and the friendship between Wednesday and Enid.
A love triangle was unquestionably attention grabbing, but it also seemed unfitting for a dark, taciturn character such as Wednesday Addams – who already has trouble navigating friendships. The writers’ decision to omit this from the season two script emphasizes the withdrawn, focused character of Wednesday.
Throughout the unraveling mystery, Wednesday endures fights with her roommate Enid (Emma Myers), discovers secret societies, and uncovers a killer. The season finale is absolutely gripping and leads us to expect more Nevermore Academy and Addams family drama in the future.
Ortega and Myers do phenomenal jobs portraying the push and pull of a friendship with such adverse personalities and styles. Enid is upbeat and optimistic while Wednesday is dark and brooding. They juxtapose each other perfectly as unlikely friends.
The appearance by Lady Gaga came in the late part of season two, long awaited after so many fans associated her song “Bloody Mary” with Wednesday’s iconic dance in season one. Her appearance was painfully brief, but vital for Wednesday to regain her psychic ability. Notably, her song “The Dead Dance,” which was released specifically for the show, is catchy and fits in the eccentric, diverse Wednesday soundtrack – which also features BLACKPINK, Sixpence None The Richer, The Kinks, The Cramps, Fleetwood Mac and more.
Netflix’s Wednesday is altogether a riveting and thrilling coming-of-age adventure which always has you on the edge of your seat at every given moment. The plot twists are unpredictable, the mystery is captivating and the characters are just as easy to obsess over as they were in season one. If you’re wondering just what to expect with the start of season two, take the advice of Wednesday Addams herself, who ominously warns, “This story is about to take a dark turn.”
