Wednesday season 2 part 1 review: "Complex and exciting but weighed down by too many subplots"

When we first met Wednesday Addams (Jenna Ortega) in season 1 of the Tim Burton-directed Netflix fantasy-comedy, I wasn't sure what the show wanted to do with her character – and I don’t think showrunners Alfred Gough and Miles Millar were quite sure yet, either. The first four episodes of Wednesday season 2, however, reintroduce us to a fully realized, fleshed-out Wednesday who, despite being the dreariest girl around, is so easy to root for.

After saving Nevermore Academy from an undead pilgrim and getting the murderous Tyler Galpin (Hunter Doohan) committed to an asylum (with the help of her Outcast cohort) in the season 1 finale, Wednesday willingly returns to campus in order to start a brand new semester – this time with the entire Addams family clan in tow.

The school year is already off to a strange start, of course, as Wednesday happens upon a crow-related murder, deals with the return of her stalker, and has a premonition that her roommate and ride-or-die best friend Enid Sinclair (Emma Myers) is going to die… and that it'll be all Wednesday’s fault. Did I mention that she also tracked down and killed a serial killer (Haley Joel Osment) over summer break?

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 Thrilling and chilling

In the first season, Wednesday was tasked with some fairly normal teenage things, such as getting adjusted to a new school, defeating bullies, and going to dances with boys. In season 2, Wednesday puts down the school books and launches an all-out investigation that takes up the bulk of her time and nearly gets her and the people around her killed.

You could argue that the same thing happened in season 1, sure, but this season's Wednesday is laser-focused on improving her psychic abilities, saving her friend's life from a potential untimely end, and uncovering a bird-related murder mystery that seems virtually unsolvable – she doesn’t have time for anything else.

There is no lead-up to the action this season: it's all action, all the time. Wednesday's plotting and scheming culminate in a vast, tangled web that involves everyone from her Grandmama (Joanna Lumley) and Uncle Fester (Fred Armisen) to the lunch lady at the Willow Hill psych ward, and even Tyler's father (Jamie McShane). In short, the stakes are high this season, and the writers aren’t messing around. The mystery is complex, and it's exciting. Even more exciting are the plot twists, which are both surprising and refreshing.

Too much is more than enough

There's plenty of excitement, sure, but the moments that are meant to let the audience catch their breath are wildly uninteresting compared to the main plot – and this is because of the decision to not only introduce a slew of new characters, but also to give nearly every single character (new and old) their own subplot. I wasn't sold on Bianca (Joy Sunday) and Enid's various exploits, nor did I really see the need for new addition Bruno (Noah Taylor).

And that's the thing: while I was excited for the likes of Steve Buscemi and Christopher Lloyd (he’s the '90s Fester!) to join the cast, both of their characters feel a little unnecessary. Buscemi's Principal Dort has some weird, greedy intentions and starts some low-stakes drama (though I'm sure we'll get some big reveal about his character in part 2). Meanwhile, Lloyd is a professor (and though we won't reveal more… that's basically it).

Don't get me wrong: it makes perfect sense for Morticia (Catherine Zeta-Jones), Gomez (Luis Guzman), and Pugsley (Isaac Ordonez) to become series regulars – they're the Addams family! But while I was plenty interested in Wednesday's ongoing rocky relationship with her mother, I was entirely unimpressed with Pugsley Addams – and I’m not sure that the writers or showrunners know what to do with his character. Obviously, the Addams family isn't complete without Pugsley, but, historically, he's been a man of few words who ends up providing the big laughs (see also: the Thanksgiving scene in The Addams Family Values, or the original run of the 1964 show).

I love the premise of each Addams having their own supernatural powers – it feels like the only upgrade to the characters that makes sense – but something about Pugsley possessing Uncle Fester's penchant for electricity just doesn't feel believable (and that’s saying a lot for a fantasy series where pilgrims come back from the dead and a disembodied hand gives life advice).

To be continued

It's hard to rate a show based on the first four episodes, and given how the fourth episode ends, I'm sure there's a lot more to come – and the expectation has been set for even higher stakes. There isn't really a standout or epic moment, like Wednesday’s big season 1 dance scene, and, according to Netflix's character guide, there are still a few characters we haven't even met yet.

While there might be a bit too much going on, with one too many subplots weighing the season down, the main storyline is fun and captivating enough to keep me excited for Wednesday season 2, part 2 – and that's all thanks to Jenna Ortega. Though Christina Ricci absolutely smashed it as Wednesday in the '90s The Addams Family movies, Ortega's take on the character is darkly wonderful, and as whimsical as it is morbid. Wednesday's child might be full of woe, as the saying goes, but she’s also full of delight.

Wednesday season 2, part 1 hits Netflix on August 6 with four episodes in tow. Part 2 arrives on September 3. For more, check out our list of the best Netflix shows to stream right now, or, our list of the best Netflix movies to stream right now.