This review relates to season 1

I’ve heard a lot of people waxing poetic about this series, so I finally decided to check it out.

I should preface this by saying that I’m not really an Addam’s Family fan. I didn’t grow up with it, and I haven’t seen much more of it than a few clips. I know who the characters are and generally what their “deal” is, but I’m not a huge fan of them.

I thought Wednesday was perfectly fine. Enjoyable enough that I didn’t turn it off, but definitely not interesting enough to draw my attention away from whatever else I was doing while watching. Wednesday is a pretty fun character, but I do have my issues with her. I get it, she’s an antihero, and that’s totally cool and good for her. But why is everyone in the show so obsessed with her?? Why does she have multiple people falling for her, even though she’s been dismissive of them and has zero chemistry with either of them? Why does Wednesday have to couple up in the first place?

Most of the characters weren’t very interesting, especially the men. The only truly fun character was Enid, who pretty much carried the show. I do think her inclusion was a very smart move on behalf of the writers. Wednesday Addams is a fun character conceptually, but she needs something to balance her out. None of the other characters managed to do this in the way Enid did.

I will say that I think Wednesday Addams seems like an incredibly difficult character to write a show about. She’s an amazing side character, but turning her into a main character must have been a huge challenge. I don’t think the writers did a bad job at all. I just think they had an almost impossible assignment.

This review relates to season 1

I was surprised that I was amused by this series. Wednesday was definitely a teen drama, but relatively well executed. I don’t have a lot of nostalgic feelings surrounding the Addams Family, and I thought it would be more horror-y than it turned out to be. Of course you get your fair share of teenager angst and there are some gory moments from time to time. But nothing unbearable. If you’re looking for a straightforward whodunnit series you can watch on a lazy evening, this might be your pick.

This review relates to season 1

It’s been years (decades?) since I last saw anything Addams Family related. I had a fondness for the 1991 movie, though, with its melodramatic and “colorful” characters and humorous goth vibes. It’s these two things that really make the franchise, I believe. Characters like Wednesday, Lurch, Thing and Cousin Itt, and the passionate relationship between Morticia and Gomez are what I still remembered, apart from a general feel.

I hoped Wednesday would invoke the same enjoyment I felt as a child when watching the 1991 movie. I was not disappointed. Though Wednesday is definitely its own thing, it took enough key elements from the franchise to speak to my nostalgia.

The plot of Wednesday is a classic whodunnit. The mystery is clever enough to keep most people guessing for a long time, though those familiar with the genre will quickly have an idea about who is the culprit. It’s decently executed.

Wednesday’s bigger strength would be its characters, though I felt there were some characters who worked really well, while others were quite flat or too unrealistic. I’d say that most of the female cast were strong. I loved Enid – she is the best werewolf girl ever <3 – and Wednesday, as well as their dynamic. I was also intrigued by the roles of Principal Weems and Bianca. However, I didn’t care about the two male love interests and their struggles.

On the whole, I agree with Lotte that Wednesday is a challenging main character to write. The way she treats other people should often have had more consequences than was the case. Sure, as viewers we might find her awkwardly dismissive demeanour endearing, but I hope people who really have to deal with it, would respect their own boundaries more.

One last small thought about the special effects… Thing and the werewolf were a delight to look at. I’ll always want more werewolves in my visual media, and I’ll forever be grateful to Wednesday for providing me with my heart’s desire.