Wednesday by Netflix: 5 Rights, 5 Wrongs, & Easter Eggs!

Wednesday is a North American show that premiered on Netflix in November 2022. The first and second parts of its second season just came out now, in August and September 2025, respectively.

The show itself was created by Alfred Gough and Miles Millar and directed by Tim Burton. It was based on the classic Addams Family by cartoonist Charles Addams.

The cast includes Jenna Ortega (Wednesday), Gwendoline Christie (Larissa Weems), Hunter Doohan (Tyler Galpin), Percy Hynes White (Xavier Thorpe), Emma Myers (Enid Sinclair), Christina Ricci (Marilyn Thornhill), Catherine Zeta-Jones (Morticia), Luis Guzmán (Gomez), Isaac Ordonez (Pugsley), Victor Dorobantu (Thing), Christopher Lloyd (Professor Orloff), Steve Buscemi (Barry Dort), and Lady Gaga (Rosaline Rotwood).

Wednesday was heavily praised for certain choices, as well as heavily criticized for others. In this article, we go over what Wednesday got right, what it got wrong, and some Easter Eggs. Check it out!

Jenna Ortega's Performance

Jenna Ortega's performance as Wednesday is one of the best things about this show. She stepped into a very familiar character and made her even better. The most impressive thing about her performance is how she conveys emotion without relying on big expressions or smiles.

Through microexpressions and subtle body language, she manages to show exactly what Wednesday is thinking and feeling, including her sarcastic and sensitive moods. This discreet but powerful performance is what makes this character so interesting and real for us, even though this is a mystery/fantasy show. It's one of the best portrayals of a classic character we've seen in a while.

Tim Burton's Visual Style

Tim Burton directed 8 episodes across the first and second seasons. He left his clear signature over them and created a visual universe that goes perfectly with the Addams Family.

His influence is noticeable in each detail. The production design behind the Nevermore Academy is a spectacle in and of itself: its dark architecture, sinister details, and mysterious atmosphere seem to have come straight out of a Tim Burton movie.

The wardrobe also leans heavily on this aesthetic. Each outfit, particularly Wednesday's, is iconic. They mainly feature a dark color palette and classic cuts with modern touches and, in Wednesday's case, essentially reinforce her personality.

The Dynamic Between Wednesday and Enid

The friendship between the gothic Wednesday and the colorful Enid Sinclair is one of the strongest parts of the series. The two roommates, who couldn't be more different, added a special touch to the story.

The contrast between dark Wednesday and extroverted Enid is what makes many moments in the show both funny and thrilling. This unlikely friendship shows that different people can get along and actually complement each other.

Enid helps Wednesday open up a bit more, and Wednesday, in turn, makes Enid a little bit stronger. It's this fun dynamic that sits at the very heart of the series and shows us that even the weirdest person can find a real friend.

Musical Score

Wednesday's musical performance is also one of the best things about the show. This soundtrack is not just an accompanying musical score but rather an essential part of the atmosphere. It combines the classic Addams Family theme with music from gothic bands like The Cramps and pop artists like Lady Gaga. These songs perfectly fit Wednesday's universe because they contrast with the dark story in a very fun and unique way.

One of the most memorable moments is when Wednesday dances to "Goo Goo Muck", by The Cramps. The sequence went viral on the internet and showed how music can shine a new light on this eccentric personality and the overall tone of the series.

The soundtrack not only builds up the mysterious, gothic atmosphere but also adds a lot to the story. It makes each scene more emotional and unforgettable.

Mystery Plot

The show turned Wednesday into a sort of detective with psychic abilities. She has to use these abilities and her wits to unravel the mysteries that appear in her way. In each episode, she uncovers dark secrets about the school, faces supernatural threats, and has to confront the complex history of her own family.

The mysteries are not only a background for Wednesday but also the driving forces behind the entire series. They manage to combine Wednesday's peculiar humor with suspenseful, horrifying moments and build up a plot that is, at the same time, dark and full of tension. This combination keeps us, the viewers, invested in her story, as well as anxious to find out the truth behind what is happening in Nevermore Academy.

The Supporting Characters Aren't Well Developed

The story centers almost entirely around Wednesday. All other characters have little to no screen time and are in simpler plots. This means we couldn't connect with them as much, so we just missed out on exploring the school and its universe a bit more, as well as understanding the motivations behind those who live there.

That's what happened with Ajax Petropolus (Georgie Farmer), a gorgon who is infatuated with Enid. He became the comic relief character and didn't play any relevant role in the show, despite his interesting powers.

And Director Weems (Gwendoline Christie), despite her strong presence, also remained a mystery. It would have been interesting to see her relationship with the Addams Family and her past as a student.

Predictable Mysteries

Wednesday's detective plot is well done, but the clues are delivered to us in a very obvious way. Hyde's revelation and the zombie's identity are very predictable, so we aren't at all thrilled about it, considering we can easily guess what it all means. This makes the entire thing a bit plain and boring. Furthermore, the show always connects the current mysteries to something that happened with the Addams Family in the past, which is also very predictable.

The murder and the monster in the first season, for instance, are directly connected to old secrets involving Wednesday's father, Gomez. This repeats again and again, and the solution to every problem always seems to be in a secret from the past.

These predictable revelations made Wednesday's detective journey less surprising. Instead, it just confirmed what most viewers already suspected.

The Focus on Romance

Wednesday is, by default, uninterested in touchy relationships and public displays of affection - it's part of her iconic personality. However, the show places her in the middle of a love triangle with Tyler and Xavier and leans heavily into this teen drama cliché. This was a bit too far from the gothic, peculiar atmosphere surrounding Wednesday.

The mystery plot and the friendship with Enid are enough to go on. The romance, besides not being that realistic for Wednesday, pulls the focus away from her self-discovery journey and the supernatural mysteries, so it just gets in the way of what this show does best.

Wasting the Addams Family

Iconic characters, such as Morticia, Gomez, and Uncle Fester, only showed up in a few scenes at first. We were expecting more interaction with the family in the first season, as the dynamic between them is one of the most incredible things about the Charles Addams universe.

However, they made up for this mistake in the second season. A few family members are now actively involved with the plot and take part in Wednesday's day-to-day life at school more intensely.

Wednesday's Inconsistent Personality

Jenna Ortega's performance is remarkable, there's no doubt about that, but Wednesday's personality is a bit inconsistent at times. For instance, she states she doesn't care for emotional connection and technology, but she uses a cellphone, gets closer to Enid, and shows love for her friends at times. This directly contradicts her lonely, "antisocial" nature.

Another inconsistency is how she treats a few characters. Wednesday says she hates Christmas and isn't interested in parties overall, but she works hard to help her friends, like when she gets worried about Eugene or protects Enid. These decisions could represent how her character is evolving but may also seem forced and directly contradict her uninterested gothic essence.

Snapping Fingers

Wednesday snaps her fingers to get into the headquarters of the secret society known as The Nightshades, which is a clear reference to the theme song from the original 1964 show.

Pugsley with the Apple

The first scene featuring Wednesday's brother, Pugsley, tied up with an apple in his mouth, is a nearly identical recreation of a scene from the 1991 movie.

The Pilgrim's Speech

Wednesday's hatred for the pilgrims and the scene where she sets the stage on fire during a Thanksgiving play are a direct reference to Addams Family Values, the 1993 movie.

Edgar Allan Poe

The Nevermore Academy is named directly after the iconic Edgar Allan Poe poem, The Raven. Furthermore, the canoes in the canoe race are named after Edgar Allan Poe works, like The Black Cats.

Stephen King

The ball scene, where fake blood falls over the students, is a direct reference to Carrie, the book by Stephen King.

The Return of Christina Ricci

The actress who played the iconic Wednesday in the 90s movies returned to the franchise as Marilyn Thornhill, a teacher at the academy. Her role is a thrilling way to honor her previous performance and a treat for any fan.

Wednesday is a fun, captivating show, particularly for its visuals, soundtrack, and, above all, Jenna Ortega's performance and Tim Burton's directing. Despite some plot holes, it managed to breathe some new life into a classic character.

The mystery plot is exciting but predictable, and the cliché focus on romance really didn't fit the protagonist's personality or the overall story. In any case, you should definitely watch this series if you're looking for mystery, lots of peculiar humor, and gothic fantasy.

What do you think? Tell us your thoughts in our comment section below.

Thank you for reading, and see you next time!