‘Wednesday’ Season 2 Part 1 review: Two snaps for The Addams Family

The past never stays dead at Nevermore Academy, especially during Wednesday Season 2 Part 1. Netflix’s spooky and campy smash hit Wednesday returns for the first part of Season 2, focusing on a new villain terrorizing the unsuspecting academy. While the freshman season built up the story and Wednesday’s time adjusting to her new school, this season was our first look at seeing how Wednesday grew from that initial success. Based on the first four episodes, Wednesday Season 2 Part 1 had plenty of snaps, but it also had some not-so-chilling bumps in the night.

An investigator on a mission.

As part of a tonal shift for Wednesday Season 2, the show and Jenna Ortega (who plays Wednesday Addams) wanted to lean more into the dark and horror aspects. This move was to stay true to Wednesday Addams’ character. Wednesday would still have the camp and angst, but it would draw back on elements like the love triangle and other teen show tropes. This shift both helps and hurts the series in unexpected ways, making the first few episodes feel like it was finding its footing again.

Wednesday, both as a character and in her Season 2 Part 1 plotline, feels more serious. Albeit, “serious” in the regard that she stuck to a one-track mind, limiting herself to the grander world she was in. For example, Wednesday is set on solving the mystery to protect Enid, to the point where she barely spends time with Enid in person during the four episodes. Unfortunately, their screentime together is limited compared to Season 1. While Wednesday’s plotline with her family increases, and she builds new supporting characters to her story, these felt transactional – only serving a point to push Wednesday’s story further.

One of the strongest aspects of Wednesday Season 1 was witnessing how Wednesday dealt with classmates who were different than her. The lovable sitcom odd-couple dynamic of a cold Wednesday with bubbly Enid, the power dynamics with the siren Bianca, or even the brewing crush with townie barista Tyler. These moments helped to flesh out Wednesday as a character, giving her more foundation for going through the school and solving the mystery. Part 1 of Season 2 will provide you with enough to get through, but it will leave you wanting more for Wednesday Season 2 Part 2.

Growing up is hard.

Wednesday Addams wasn’t the only character to experience a shift between seasons. Enid became more confident in her werewolf abilities, but also more unsure in her everyday teenage conflicts. Whereas Wednesday was focused on the mission, Enid played in the teen drama tropes. Her relationship uncertainty felt like a realistic story for her character; she wanted so much to be with Ajax, but the fact is, she’s changed a lot since Season 1. Enid isn’t the same – she’s experiencing a new world in her wolf pack. We shouldn’t hold it against her for being scared to chat with Ajax; even the most mature adults cower away from facing challenging moments. Still, poor Ajax!

The other most noticeable change was the “growth spurt” of Pugsley Addams and Eugene. Look, let’s not deny the big flashing sign: both Pugsley and Eugene look older for two people who had a school summer break. This is one of the downsides of shows that air on streaming; unfortunately, taking too long between seasons means the cast is getting older.  Season 1 aired back in 2022 – it’s been three years! For a teen show, the seasons need to come out faster. We saw this shocking growth spurt during the recent season of Ginny & Georgia, and now it’s on Wednesday in Season 2. We can suspend our disbelief as long as the characters play their parts.

Did anyone else feel sad for Pugsley? He seemed so alone at Nevermore, especially with Wednesday barely in scenes with him. Eugene would’ve been a perfect friend, but his tonal shift seemed oddly quick and drastic. The fame of saving the school went to his head, making him an unlikable character in the process. While his buddy antics with Pugsley to stop “Slurp” added liveliness to their plotline, let’s hope Eugene will revert a bit to his original personality. That Eugene was the one we rooted for.

When you’re here, you’re family.

The addition of more Addams Family characters made Wednesday Season 2 Part 1 a funnier family affair. Adding Gomez and Morticia Addams (Luis Guzmán and Catherine Zeta-Jones, respectively) to the main cast was the perfect decision. Who doesn’t love Gomez and Morticia’s love story? Gomez, like Fester, is a comedic lightning rod; both of them spice up their scenes with campy humor and needed hijinks. Meanwhile, Morticia adds plenty of heart, showing the most care and concern for Wednesday’s well-being.

Her unshakable position to protect Wednesday is admirable, and she adds so much chilling fire with a single look or a cold retort. Morticia is the needed grounding energy against Wednesday’s chaos for these four episodes. Morticia will always put her family first, even if it’s not what they want. Wednesday Season 2 Part 1 did a fantastic job of digging into the reason why Morticia has been extra protective of Wednesday. It sheds an interesting light on Nevermore and her complicated relationship with Grandmama.

Plus, the fashion remains gorgeous, stunning, and chic. The costume department for Wednesday let themselves bask in design and dark thoughts. Between the red fabric slits of Morticia’s black gown and her campground suit, Morticia brought the looks this season. I can’t wait to see what she brings out next.

A forgotten family member.

Did anyone notice that Thing got a greater presence in this batch of episodes? Thing’s connection to the Addams Family was put to the forefront, fleshing out his feelings and backstory in the process. Sure, Wednesday loves to incorporate the family members into scenes or plots, like Fester always helping Wednesday with a scheme.

However, the show made a clear point about how Thing felt like a servant instead of a member of the family. As viewers, we’re meant to feel sympathy for Thing before something (whatever it may be) will happen.

Could this be leading to a twist reveal? We can’t ignore that Thing was trying to hide that letter after Enid found it. Also, the Avian birds tried to kidnap him when all the birds attacked the school. Thing could play a surprising part in the story, even one we might not realize. We’ll have to keep our eyes on that hand.

Birds of a feather.

As mentioned above, the big mystery of Wednesday Season 2 Part 1 ties into Wednesday’s premonition of Enid’s death. Since the season has only been half-released, the climax and twist aren’t done yet. We have plenty of build-up and some answers to a few of the questions, but the big reveal is on the horizon. However, with the four episodes currently released, the mystery does a good job of creating anticipation and horror, leading to a satisfying mid-season break.

Season 2 Part 1 focuses primarily on Nevermore Academy and Willow Hill Psychiatric Hospital. Whereas the first season expanded to cover the town’s history, this season pulled the story back. The benefit is that it’s more centralized on the Outcasts and in Wednesday’s world. However, the pacing slows down at times to drag out the story and ensure we’re leading to a mid-season cliffhanger. This works well for a normal weekly release schedule, but two batches of four episodes aren’t enough storytelling to land the needed emotional hit.

But on the positive side, Wednesday Season 2 Part 1 introduces several characters that left their mark as substantial new additions. Some favorites include Thandiwe Newton as Willow Hill’s chief psychiatrist, Dr. Rachael Fairburn, Joanna Lumley as Grandmama, Evie Templeton as obsessed student Agnes DeMille, and Billie Piper as music teacher Isadora Capri, to name a few. Once again, with no spoilers, the expanding cast flesh out the world and fit right in with the current Wednesday cast. Though, we’ll have to wait to see who makes it out alive!

Overall.

Wednesday Season 2 Part 1 has everything needed to overcome the sophomore slump. While it’s still finding its footing at times, the show is heading in the right direction. The expansion on The Addams Family dynamics added plenty of heart and humor, building out the lovable characters from our favorite spooky family. Horror tones weave themselves throughout the scenes, injecting plenty of ambiance and chills. Certain characters may feel different from their Season 1 counterparts, but with four episodes left, there’s still room to see where they’ll go and how the mystery will unfold.

Wednesday Season 2 Part 1 is available to stream on Netflix.

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Images courtesy of Netflix.