Review: Netflix’s Wednesday – Season One (Spoiler Free)

I binge-watched all eight episodes of Wednesday Season One in two days. The series premiered on the 23rd of November 2022. I watched the first episode at midnight on the 23rd slept and did life things then finished the last episode at 5:00 am on the 24th. I made sure not to follow the hype on this show so that if it was bad I wouldn’t be too upset. I’ve been a fan of The Addams Family franchise since the old black and white which used to do reruns when I was a child in the 80s. Then the two movies in the 90s with Christina Ricci as Wednesday are some of my favorite comedy films. The second is my favorite of the two.

The television show isn’t as goofy as the original show nor is it on the same level as the movies from the 90s. However, this isn’t a bad thing. Tim Burton and Danny Elfman have given this show its own identity and mood. It fits the past work for both of them in other projects. Dark but lighthearted enough not to pull down the emotions of the viewer. All the gore fits into the storyline and isn’t over the top at all.

The design of the sets, costumes, makeup, and more are spectacular and bring a great blend of modern and classic to the show. I especially like how they worked in vivid punches of color into Wednesday’s typically monochromatic world.
The cast did an outstanding job with their roles. As someone who grew up with Raul Julia as Gomez, it is a little weird having the new version in this series. However, Luis Guzmán is growing on me so I look forward to the new season. If there is one that is. Since I have binge-watched the series so rapidly, and, it is the holidays here in the USA. I haven’t been keeping up with the overall take on the internet with how well this has been watched or received as of yet.

I’ve seen Jenna Ortega in other things the one that I love more than this new series is The Babysitter: Killer Queen. She is a phenomenal actress and I look forward to seeing where her career goes. Hopefully, it will be illustrious and busy!
The storyline (without getting into spoilers) is a typical coming of age with personal character growth, but, it doesn’t feel overdone or trite. For me, half of the mystery in the season was easy to see only a few episodes in but the other parts were surprises. They left enough open at the end to tie some things back in newer seasons without having to rehash them. The formula is great with enough bits in every episode to show there is an overarching storyline without overpowering the other things going on in each episode. It is a great balance that I hope they continue with for the rest of the show’s lifetime.

If you are the kind of person that liked or loved the original Addams family movies then I think you will love this series. Just give it to the third episode for it to really take off into the storyline and to get comfortable with the character dynamics. Try not to do what some critics are and be so cynical that you can’t just enjoy good entertainment for what it is.