Former Disney Channel star Jenna Ortega truly takes Wednesday Addams to a new level through the new Netflix show “Wednesday.” The spin-off centered on the character Wednesday Addams took inspiration from the classic Addams Family series, and was released Nov. 23. Director Tim Burton succeeds in reviving the iconic 90s goth girl.
Known for her stoic demeanor, deadpan humor and somewhat morbid interests in torturing her brothers, Christina Ricci’s performance in 1991 as Wednesday Addams continues to leave a lasting impact on lovers of the Addams Family movies. Ortega’s interpretation of the character maintains her dark nature and colorless aura, however she adds a Nancy Drew-esque persona— since Wednesday tasks herself with solving a murder mystery in the town of Jericho—to the character that prior interpretations didn’t have.
Viewers shouldn’t expect the show to simply serve as a re-telling of the Addams family series through Wednesday’s perspective, because the show “Wednesday” has a completely different plot. The show introduces a refreshing and modern storyline around a teenage Wednesday and the challenges she faces in a boarding school for supernatural students called Nevermore Academy.
In the new show, Wednesday acts and dresses similar to other teens: she rebels against her parents, breaks the rules and gets caught up in romance. In one scene, she even shows off her killer, yet peculiar dance moves at the school dance. Instead of wreaking havoc experimenting on her brothers like other Wednesdays, Ortega’s Wednesday dedicates her time to solving the mystery behind all of the murders taking place in the town of Jericho lately and her family secrets.
She gains assistance from Thing, her family pet hand— a hand with a mind of its own that can communicate and move around— to help her solve the mystery while keeping her company. Viewers have seen some of the characters in the show such as Thing and Wednesday’s family, but the rest of them are new. Viewers meet other supernatural beings — such as sirens, vampires and werewolves — from Nevermore Academy, the headmistress and the other townspeople of Jericho. Christina Ricci even returns to play Marilyn Thornhill, a normie — normal human — teacher at Nevermore Academy.
Netflix’s Wednesday is perfect for lovers of fantasy and a good murder mystery. Not to mention, it contains elements of a classic teen TV show with romance and school drama. So, the best of both worlds really.
