Wednesday: Season 1 (2022) Dir: Tim Burton
Updated: Dec 31, 2022
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Usually, when I see that a new spin-off or remake has been announced, I immediately feel skepticism at what will be produced. However, I can't deny that I was excited for this Netflix original series, particularly after first seeing that Tim Burton would be directing, and then after seeing some of the footage prior to release.
I wasn't entirely sure what the narrative would be like, but I can safely say they took it in a very enjoyable direction - with a number of subplots interwoven into a very intriguing main arc. The only slight disappointment with the story was that I predicted the reveal very early on, but the series did try to mislead the audience with several red herrings along the way.
The CGI was a little weak with one specific part of the series, but, aside from that, it was rather solid. Additionally, there was a good selection of non-original and adapted music, matched by the equally good composition of the iconic composer Danny Elfman.
The series had a lot of references to classic comedy and horror, including the prior Addams Family films, as well as others such as Carrie. The series has just 8 episodes, which is a pretty ideal amount in my view. Each one is 45 minutes or longer, which could have felt like a drag, but the content was such that each episode flew by for me.
Jenna Ortega is absolutely superb as Wednesday Addams. Her delivery, physical acting and use of facial expressions were immense. She even choreographed a dance sequence, which has already exploded on social media, such was the creativity of it.
I wasn't sure what to think of Emma Myers at first, but her character grew on me very quickly in the end, and a lot of that had to do with Myers wonderfully endearing performance throughout the series.
Percy Hynes White showed some real potential here and was another whose character really grew on me - although, I still wouldn't class him among my favourite performers.
Gwendoline Christie played an interesting secondary character who added a little extra depth to the plot and exposition. Her performance was consistent for the most part, other than once or twice where she was perhaps a little overdramatic - but that's nitpicking really.
Hunter Doohan was really good up until the last episode or two, in which his performance dropped off, at least in my view. Moosa Mostafa performs wonderfully as a character who very quickly became one of my favourites. He is so likeable and his timing is strong for someone so young.
Joy Sunday started off being an irritation, but developed into a really intriguing prospect which the audience will hopefully see plenty more of in the second season. Sunday and her character have some definite potential with this series, I think that much is clear.
Jamie McShane is another who grew into the series really well. I wasn't too bothered about him initially, but in the last few episodes I think he really came through and helped his character become another who I hope to see more of next season.
Christina Ricci, who played Wednesday Addams in both the 1991 and 1993 films, has a relatively quiet role for much of the season, but she performs it solidly, and makes sure her character's role is effectively presented.
Finally, I'd like to give mentions to Catherine Zeta-Jones, Luis Guzmán, Isaac Ordonez, Riki Lindhome, George Burcea, Fred Armisen and William Houston, whom all gave some interesting performances - I especially enjoyed the fresh takes on Morticia and Gomez from Zeta-Jones and Guzmán, as much as I adore the 90s version of the couple.
Overall, this was a wonderfully creative series that took the story of an iconic character and gave her new life, as well as her own stage to shine. Yes, it did feel very teen-drama at times, but when you consider the modern audience, I don't think that's even a negative. I thoroughly enjoyed each episode and anxiously await a second season.
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