‘Wednesday’ Season 2 Part 2 review: A spooky trip to the past

Wednesday Addams may not have realized it, but all answers led back to the past. Netflix’s Wednesday Season 2 Part 2 was the exciting conclusion to the looming questions that had left us at the edge of our seats. Finally, all the pieces fell into place to reveal the Big Bad and tie up the loose ends.

Wednesday Season 2 released as a split season. It’s a lofty goal to keep up the momentum and tie a strong connective thread through both parts. But it did a good job with the main mystery landing on its feet, albeit still with some bumps along the way.

[Spoiler warning: Light spoilers ahead for the remainder of Wednesday Season 2. If you haven’t finished the season, turn back now and return once you’re ready.]

Two halves of the story.

One of the surprising aspects of Part 2 was how it benefited from the seeds planted in Part 1. Did anyone guess that the urban legend of Isaac Night was going to tie back to Wednesday Season 1? Or how Gomez and Morticia played a part in its legacy? It’s clever ties like these that added an extra flair of fun and shock for Part 2, succeeding in landing its mark for the big moments. Wednesday has kept itself unpredictable by shifting its momentum and teasing plot points.

The only wish, however, would’ve been for there to be a stronger connective narrative. Wednesday Season 2 Part 1 presented Willow Hill and the secret experiments as a monumental mystery for what happened to the outcasts. We were treated to that answer after the big battle at the asylum, and a new looming villain was teased to torment Wednesday. But by the time of Part 2, many of those key players (Judi, Marilyn, Dr. Rachael Fairburn, etc.) were just as quickly discarded to chart a new path.

A case can be made that Part 1’s plot was needed to reach Part 2’s climax, but the events seemed very coincidental instead of planned. Like, if Françoise wasn’t one of the patients, would Isaac have conducted the scientific experiment? Would he have tried to claim Thing back as his hand?

With only four episodes per part, there wasn’t enough room narratively to build up two grand villains. Sure, there were other villains as part of the secondary storylines, but the main Big Bads were split down the middle, becoming less threatening compared to the strong foundation set on Wednesday Season 1.

Family ties.

Part 2’s new Big Bad, the reanimated Isaac Night (aka “Slurp”), was an interesting villain for the Wednesday series. Instead of a vicious killer seeking death and destruction, Isaac’s storyline centered on themes of tragedy and unrelenting ambition. A darkly gothic and woeful mood that suited Wednesday’s love for Edgar Allan Poe, while blending themes of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. Here, we have the story of a brother desperately trying to save his sister, Françoise, from dying as a Hyde. And in turn, saving Tyler from a similar fate in the future.

Compared to other Wednesday villains, the trio wasn’t the evilest… and I mean that in a good way. Villainous? Absolutely, they schemed and risked lives to get what they wanted. But the motivation stemmed from a place of love and desperation to conquer their curse. For instance, Françoise sacrificed her chances of survival to cure her son, Tyler, because she loved him so much, and Isaac would do anything to help his sister, even if it was her dying wish. The Night/Galpin family dynamics offered a nice duality against The Addams Family members. Where this new family’s bonds were renewed and strengthened through love and a shared motivation, instead of a family legacy we’ve known for decades.

Though how the Night/Galpin family affected Gomez and Morticia’s life was surprising, to say the least. Between Isaac’s first death and his grand return now, it was great to have the Addams Family get the last laugh once again. No one uses Gomez and gets away with it, let alone trying to do the same to his son Pugsley, either. While Tyler and his mother got the tragic ending they needed, Isaac/Slurp will leave you cheering on his explosive defeat.

A ballad of a doomed man.

Speaking of defeat, did anyone predict the grand conclusion to the Morning Song cult storyline? The cult took a much more active presence during Wednesday Season 2, so it wasn’t completely unexpected for Gideon to make his fateful appearance. However, the true villain at the heart of the case completely caught me off guard. There weren’t any major clues that screamed Principal Dort as the puppet master behind the scenes. He had a few sketchy moments manipulating Bianca and driving donations, but he seemed so harmless. It’s a fine line between shocking and unexpected; a debate that wonders if there was enough buildup to his character before reaching this point.

Still, I loved how everyone banded together to stop him. The minute he controlled Grandmama into potentially giving away all her money, you just knew that his days were numbered! He was blinded by his success, so much so that he didn’t plan for a contingency if people turned on him. (And, once again, he adds another tale of ambition to this season’s overall narrative.) Hopefully, Bianca and her mother can use this as a fresh start for their lives; they won’t have Gideon, Barry, or any of the Morning Song people breathing down their necks.

And with Principal Dort out of the way, this means Nevermore Academy needs a new principal. Who could it be? Fester? Grandmama? Isadora Capri? Either way, I miss Principal Weems! Her death is still a big loss for Wednesday.

Dance of the dead.

The return of Principal Weems was one of many exciting additions introduced during Wednesday’s Season 2 Part 2. As a spirit guide, Larissa is such a fun no-nonsense foil against Wednesday’s schemes. She’s always willing and ready to throw a sassy retort in her dry yet fabulous deadpan way, saying everything Wednesday should hear but is unwilling to listen to. And with Morticia discovering the truth of her being a spirit guide, this opportunity could give her a chance to repair things with Weems and spark more witty one-liners for future episodes.

Comparatively, Lady Gaga’s cameo as Rosaline Rotwood seemed overhyped and underutilized. Don’t get me wrong, Lady Gaga did a good job in her two scenes as the ghostly teacher, but that wasn’t the concern. It’s just that her arrival was heralded as a hotly anticipated surprise for the back half of the season, so for it to amount to 2-ish minutes of screentime, it didn’t match the hype. Even Christopher Lloyd’s cameos as Professor Orloff were more established as essential spotlights throughout the season.

But on the positive side, Lady Gaga treated Wednesday to another viral song and dance moment. This time, to the newly released song, “The Dead Dance.” It’s a shame Jenna Ortega, who plays Wednesday Addams, didn’t return to perform the number; it’s a moment that took the online world by storm during the first season with “Bloody Mary.” However, Enid and Agnes still did a great job dancing to the new song, especially having the number paired at the masquerade ball. Elegant outfits, an undercover scheme, and a dancer going invisible? That’s a show right there.

An alpha rises.

Outside of the main mysteries, Enid and Agnes underwent strong character development in the second half.  Sure, it took a body-switching curse for Enid to learn the truth about Bruno, but she stuck by her decision when all was said and done. She learned from the discomfort of breaking up with Ajax to face things head-on and speak the truth. Even if it was heartbreaking to see her hurt again, she ended up in a good place with her exes, and even learning to set her boundaries and wants with her friendships, like with Wednesday.

Hopefully, Wednesday can cure Enid’s curse. Becoming an alpha doesn’t seem like it’ll be easy to resolve, especially based on Capri’s warnings that it could be permanent. The last thing anyone would want is for Enid to be trapped in the body of a wolf forever. There’s no way! Fester and Wednesday must solve this by Season 3.

In Agnes’ case, her journey from being Wednesday’s obsessed lackey to her own person was a heartwarming path. It’s understandable how she felt alone; even though she had friends, she never truly fit in. And for someone like Wednesday, she barely lets anyone in; a newbie like Agnes wouldn’t have a chance. Agnes’ realization to be herself was the best thing for her. You could feel the change, both in Agnes and with the other characters – she gained a lot more respect from Enid and Wednesday. Arguably, it’s what she needed to do for herself … and to actually become Wednesday’s friend.

Overall.

Wednesday Season 2 Part 2 was a fun and satisfying conclusion to this batch of episodes. While not as perfect or as strong as Season 1, the narrative succeeded in tying the plot threads together for an action-packed ending. Wednesday achieved her goal of stopping the foreshadowed deaths, and ultimately, she solved the big mysteries at hand, too. Plus, Part 2 succeeded in utilizing the cast to tie up loose ends, wrapping up storylines all the way back from the first season. While the two batches messed up the flow of the season, Part 2 still delivers an electrifying end worth the wait.

Wednesday Season 2 is available to stream on Netflix.