Wednesday Season 2 Review: Tim Burton & Jenna Ortega’s Netflix Series Wisely Gives The Addams Family More To Do

Understanding Outsiders: Tim Burton and The Addams Family

Society’s Limited Response to the Unique

In most situations, when individuals come across characters of peculiar and truly strange nature, culture shows a very narrow range of alternatives: either take in these people, giving them a reshaped version that is more acceptable and easier to understand for the most of the way, or, in case that takeover is not feasible, actively reject them. As a consequence, if their distinctive traits cannot be absorbed and changed, the society will quite often deal with them by a mixture of the following: rejection, mockery, and an attempt to reduce their power.

Noteworthy, Tim Burton, the director, has been dealing with the same problem, but in an opposite way, all through his long career, moreover, his long tenure in the business has given him experience of all the different ways of handling fame and the conformity pressure. At the very beginning, the first period of his professional life, Burton’s eccentric style was taken to such an extent that it was praised with no limits.

However, later on, much like characters he created such as Edward Scissorhands or Oswald Cobblepot, that shine and appeal noticeably faded, whether due to changes in his own creative output, shifts in what the public enjoyed, or likely a combination of both factors; as a result, he went through a phase marked by enormous commercial profits strangely mixed with very negative critical reactions. More recently, over the past several years, Burton seems to have finally found a kind of stable point in his career; importantly, this isn’t really a major return to former glory but rather settling into a position where he is appreciated primarily by a specific, devoted audience.

The Unwavering Spirit of The Addams Family

Without a doubt, each one of us has a different opinion about Tim Burton’s individual movies and shows (and obviously, everyone knows their own thoughts), but the one remarkable thing about the director has constantly been his absolute dedication to the authentic expression of his own unique perspective. It is quite surprising that this fundamental trait is the one that he shares most with the characters of The Addams Family. The Addams family, a family invented by cartoonist Charles Addams, has been re imagined in different versions in various media over several decades, with the most widely recognized instances being the classic 1960s television comedy and the two popular movies that came out in the early 1990s.

Though their features and the manner of their humor changed and became more contemporary with each period of time in which they were represented, the Addams Family has never lost their characteristic iconoclastic attitude against popular culture; indeed, they persistently, and with wit, confront and mock the frequently observed social norms and the recognized clichés of the plot, albeit sometimes quite jokingly by using those very same conventions. In fact, this is the main characteristic of subversion, and the Addamses are still the best at it.

“Wednesday”: Subversion Within the System

Following this, when the Netflix series “Wednesday” first arrived in 2022, certain critics loudly complained that the show was a blatant, cynical effort to forcefully fit the famously clever and unusual main character into a trendy, commercially safe, “Hot Topic”-style mold designed for prestige television (this very website included that critique), comparing it essentially to “Harry Potter” but aimed at goth teenagers. Admittedly, there’s little question that studio executives and marketing teams saw that exact potential formula and were extremely excited by the financial possibilities, and equally, on a superficial level, “Wednesday” does present itself as that kind of mix. Although the series had business-based backgrounds, it remained bizarre and even quite contrary to those typical sorts of things under Burton’s sure confident direction.

The second season of “Wednesday” seems to be following the right path as it is very much dependent on the achievements of the first season to not only get better but also to be more tense and to give more maverick and darkly humorous aspects. Although my viewing is currently limited to only the initial four episodes provided for review, it is already quite clear that Burton, lead actress Jenna Ortega, and the entire ensemble of delightfully odd characters are engaged in some wonderfully wicked and mischievous activities this time around.

Returning Favorites and Fresh Faces

If, much like a snake, you found yourself utterly charmed by the very first season of “Wednesday,” you will definitely be pleased to discover that nearly all the elements that made that initial season a highlight have successfully returned completely intact for this second outing. Furthermore, it’s important to note that “Wednesday” is absolutely not a series overly concerned with keeping every character or actor around indefinitely; consequently, several guest stars and recurring figures who met their unfortunate demise during the first season simply do not reappear here.

Nevertheless, some of the most outstanding performers of the past actually get a lot more screen time and opportunities to shine in this new season; in particular, Emma Myers comes back as Wednesday’s inexhaustibly cheerful werewolf roommate, Enid, and Joy Sunday returns as the morally ambiguous siren, Bianca. Moreover, the show happily brings in a few interesting characters to the Nevermore Academy gang; as an example, Steve Buscemi becomes the new, slightly quirky headmaster, Barry, while Billie Piper steps in as Isadora, a secretive but very insightful music teacher whose arrival is yet another fascinating aspect.

The Addams Family Moves In

Nevertheless, the single most significant change to the show’s fundamental structure involves the much more frequent and integrated presence of Wednesday’s immediate family members right there at Nevermore Academy itself. Of course, Thing, brilliantly portrayed once again by Victor Dorobantu, remains a constant and invaluable companion, practically a main character. However, Wednesday’s younger brother, Pugsley, played by Isaac Ordonez, is now actually enrolled as a student at Nevermore; predictably, he quickly gets himself entangled in some mischievous trouble involving a pet zombie, adding youthful chaos. Whereas the first season featured Wednesday’s iconic parents, Morticia (Catherine Zeta-Jones) and Gomez (Luis Guzmán), appearing only occasionally for specific plot reasons, this second season provides a solid justification for having them both present almost constantly.

Specifically, the new headmaster, Barry, becomes absolutely insistent that Morticia spearheads a crucial fundraising campaign for the school, a direct consequence of the near-catastrophic events that unfolded at the end of season one. Desperate for success, Barry intensely pressures Morticia to secure a desperately needed large donation from her notoriously estranged mother, Grandmama Hester; eventually, this formidable woman does indeed arrive, portrayed with evident relish by the wonderful Joanna Lumley.

While other loved ones from the family, such as Grandmama, the towering butler Lurch (played by Joonas Suotamo) and the delightfully unhinged Uncle Fester (Fred Armisen, gladly returning as the character), might not show up in absolutely every episode, the fact that the entire core Addams clan is now a regular, distinct presence in “Wednesday” is a major change in the vibe of the series. In the end, this integration takes it a lot closer to a true “Addams Family” storyline and not so much like a somewhat separate spin-off only about Wednesday.

Mystery Blended with Fun

First, what “Wednesday” season 2 absolutely nails, even better than the first season, is how smoothly it mixes one big, ongoing murder mystery story with smaller, fun adventures that happen just within single episodes. These days, many series on Netflix regularly end up following the same pattern: creators indecently “marinate” on one single idea throughout the whole season that is typically several episodes long. As a result, fans may often find that the entire run is sluggish, not particularly engaging, and it goes on for quite a while before finally wrapping up. Nevertheless, the “Wednesday” show is not that different as it is basically centered on Wednesday (Jenna Ortega) getting the awful murderer case. Importantly, this killer has the creepy power to control birds and also holds a serious personal grudge against Wednesday herself.

Though very smartly, several smaller side stories are part of the main show, and these issues often get unfolded and solved only within one episode. To be honest, this method is not very far from those used in the past famous series like “The X-Files,” where the authors had very distinct separations between the standalone “monster of the week” episode and the ones with a bigger, season-long “mythology” story. However, this framework certainly allows “Wednesday” to attract its audience in two ways: the major, long-term enigma and the minor, shorter adventures. Consequently, the show avoids becoming monotonous or getting stuck focusing on only one thing for too long.

Creative Team Shines

Next, one of the major aspects that really contributes to the success of the show is the extent of the liberty it grants the very talented creators to showcase their individual styles. Clearly, creative director Tim Burton is the main creative voice behind the whole series, as “Wednesday” is very much his typical visual terms and nuances. For instance, practically in every detail of the show, starting from the peculiar “circus-goth chic” look of the sets and costumes to an unexpected, quite stop-motion animated sequence that appears just in the first episode of this new season. Furthermore, by working closely with head writers and creators Alfred Gough & Miles Millar, plus writer Lauren Otero, Burton brings that same successful mix of weird humor and gross-out horror to “Wednesday” that audiences recently enjoyed in his movie “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice.”

Meanwhile, director Paco Cabezas, who took charge of filming two of these first four episodes, along with writers Matt Lambert and Valentina Garza, does an excellent job continuing this creative vision. Specifically, they add Burton’s quirky, dark style perfectly to fun ideas like a school-wide “Prank Day” event and an overnight camping trip gone weird.

Detective Work Falls Short

Nevertheless, the main issue limiting the production is that the investigation by Wednesday sometimes is so brief and indifferently performed that the viewer gets the impression of a lack of depth of the actual detective work. Frankly, the whole mystery-solving aspect is not the principal focus of the show, although Wednesday is well-known as a detective; rather, it is arguably the character of Wednesday Addams that wins the whole show. Consequently, the character is always intimately connected with almost all the events at Nevermore since she is constantly present in every plotline. Unfortunately, this often means the central murder investigation doesn’t get quite enough time or depth, leaving it feeling a bit underdeveloped and thin in certain parts. Additionally, it seems like the show really wants to give Wednesday a major, long-lasting enemy, similar to classic hero/villain rivalries.

They try to set up Tyler (played by Hunter Doohan) for this role; remember, he was shockingly revealed as the monstrous Hyde last season. At present, the television show similarly depicts Tyler as the Joker (Batman’s enemy) or even as the Moriarty (Sherlock Holmes’s nemesis), as if he was Wednesday’s personal foe, but with Tyler imprisoned in the Willow Hill psychiatric hospital. Unfortunately, the interaction and antagonism between Wednesday and Tyler have only been lightly sketched, thus not really having a profound effect on the viewer. Therefore, this attempt to force such a legendary enemy status onto Tyler just doesn’t feel convincing yet.

Horror Meets Humor Perfectly

Now, the absolute biggest strength of “Wednesday,” and something its second season truly masters, is how brilliantly it places the classic “Addams Family” spirit firmly inside a scary horror setting while never, ever losing the funny comedy that makes them special. Think about it: the very first versions of the Addams Family were all about playfully turning normal society upside down. They let regular, everyday people interact with this strange group who were constantly hinting at doing truly awful, frightening things regularly. However, “Wednesday” cleverly stays faithful to this “Addams” tradition by not actually showing us most of these terrible activities happening on screen.

Instead, the show makes them feel real and spooky in a different way: by surrounding the Addamses with other dangerous beings like Hydes, Sirens, and werewolves roaming freely around Nevermore Academy. Such a change spins an interesting turn: the weirdly famous Addams family is now the most “normal” ones that we, the audience, can relate to! At the same time, they can still be the fantastic odd ones, the weird, creepy, and nicely peculiar among the monsters in this universe. It’s a really smart reversal of their usual role.

Burton and Ortega Drive the Spirit

In addition, this very distinct and original, eccentric vibe goes on and on just because Tim Burton and Jenna Ortega are the two main pillars that hold the show up. Very significantly, whether you love his style or not, “Wednesday” is first and foremost a priority for Burton and his crew to express their artistic vision. This focus remains strong regardless of how many products like cereal boxes or t-shirts feature Wednesday’s face for marketing. Crucially, it helps tremendously that the actual face bringing Wednesday Addams to life belongs to Jenna Ortega.

Her performance continues to be astonishing; she captures every detail of this long-standing, iconic character so perfectly it feels effortless. One of the most interesting things is that in several interviews, real-life Ortega has become known for her truthful comments about the series and her unusual taste in films. Without a doubt, this real-life behavior just amplifies the character’s cynicism, quick comebacks, and strong will that we get to see and feel throughout the show. You truly believe this Wednesday lives by her own rules.

Rebellion On and Off Screen

In the end, though, Wednesday the character is an outrageous, vocally rebellious against any rules she hates, “Wednesday” the TV show flaunts its dissent more stealthily and smartly via the sly subversion. Such rebellious tv show never fails to keep the audience thrilled and on the edge of their seats with blending “Wednesday” fascinating genre elements like the chase, mystery, and scary things side, with satirical clever, witty satire, that makes fun of the boarding school, the genre of teen dramas and of society, and all this with great style and confidence.

Of course, the last four episodes of the season may become dull or lost in the tangled main storyline. However, if we consider how amazingly strong and entertaining these first four episodes are, the biggest issue that “Wednesday” is facing right now appears to be nothing but the show itself. To be honest, only one, a very sad one, and full of troubles by the end of the season based on this fantastic start is probably Wednesday Addams herself!”