The Addams family, led by Jenna Ortega’s Wednesday Addams, has returned to Netflix for a second season. Photo: Netflix.
The Addams Family has been a staple of film and TV for almost as long as the two have existed.
While not the most popular IP to ever exist, its consistent presence and its tiptoeing between its dark setting yet charming characters meant it always had a following.
In 2022, 58 years after the first episode of the original show premiered, Netflix once again captured lightning in a bottle with Wednesday, a spin-off of the Addams Family focused on the eldest daughter, Wednesday Addams.
It shot straight to the top position for most-streamed shows on Netflix at the time and has recently just completed its second season, but I have been left wondering, does anyone really still care?
Directly following the first season, Wednesday has become a celebrity at Nevermore Academy after discovering that Tyler was the infamous Hyde, a creature that went on a killing spree in the first season.
Now dealing with a stalker on campus, the loss of her psychic abilities and the sheriff of the town asking for her help on a new murder involving a private detective, Wednesday is back to her usual antics, all while still discovering the hidden secrets of her family.
Season 1 was a smash hit; there’s no two ways about it. Jenna Ortega as the title character was one of the best and most inspired castings of the decade so far, and let’s not forget the now-iconic dance scene.
The first season was new, exciting, boundary-pushing, and was led by a leader in all of those aforementioned traits: Tim Burton. With season two, Netflix has tried to recapture the magic, this time without the legendary director, and it all just feels a bit meh.
Let’s start with the actual advertising of the show. Where was it?
Netflix has one of the most beloved shows in its history, and it felt like it had left it to coast along without any support. You can’t build a show without any hype!
Second, the release schedule. Two-part seasons where episodes are released in chunks of 3 or 4, with the next set of episodes a month or so later, need to die!
Netflix is notorious for it. It started with Stranger Things season 4 in 2022, continued with Cobra Kai and Squid Game, and has now found its way to Wednesday.
The only reason streaming services do this is so they can sucker people into not cancelling subscriptions and get an extra month out of them.
Either stick to the week-by-week schedule or dump it all at the same time. This two-part release just annoys subscribers and kills momentum.
Next on the list of grievances is the lack of Tim Burton. If Mr Burton is known for anything, it’s his gothic tone and dark comedy. Why on earth would you not have him involved? It just reeks of money-grabbing over trying to make quality entertainment!
Finally, the story just isn’t that good. The first season was a surprise, as viewers were swept away into a world similar to our own yet slightly off-centre. Season 2 feels like a chore!
The mystery isn’t there, the care isn’t there, and the narrative is boring.
This is less a review and more a knock on Netflix on how not to promote or produce a follow-up season. Either be proud of your work and push it to the moon, or don’t release it. Don’t do whatever this was.
Wednesday season 2 (both parts 1 and 2) is now streaming on Netflix.
