Netflix's new series 'Wednesday' transports the iconic Addams Family character into a fantasy realm of her own, and it is creepy, charming, and features a lead who more than matches Christina Ricci's legendary portrayal. Jenna Ortega steps into the role of Wednesday Addams, who after a piranha-related revenge on school bullies is sent to Nevermore Academy, a boarding school for outcasts.
The series, directed by Tim Burton, follows Wednesday as she navigates the cliques of Nevermore, including vampires, werewolves, gorgons, and sirens. She soon becomes embroiled in a murder mystery involving killings in the nearby town of Jericho, possible attempts on her own life, and visions that seem to show fragments of the future. The show also features a stellar cast including Catherine Zeta-Jones as Morticia, Luis Guzmán as Gomez, and Gwendoline Christie as the unsettling headteacher Larissa Weems.
While the series loses something by not setting Wednesday against normality as the films did, and by having a more fractured version of the Addams clan, it compensates with wit, charm, and propulsive energy. The love and unity of the family against the world was always a great pleasure, but the show's strengths ensure that this absence does not detract too much from the overall experience.
Creators Alfred Gough and Miles Millar, known for 'Smallville', handle multiple plotlines crisscrossing the real and supernatural worlds with skill. The series is a coming-of-age tale with classic high-school drama tropes, and it successfully keeps viewers engaged throughout its eight-hour runtime. The 11-year-old test audience was reportedly deeply satisfied with both the resolutions and the cliffhanger.
