When it was originally on: 2022-present

Original network: Netflix

Where you can stream it now: Netflix

Had I seen it before: Nope, never seen any of it. I’ve seen some of the original Addams Family sitcom but it’s been ages, and I haven’t seen any of ’90s adaptations

What IMDb says: Follows Wednesday Addams’ years as a student, when she attempts to master her emerging psychic ability, thwart a killing spree, and solve the mystery that embroiled her parents.

Why I picked it: I’ve mentioned in a few of my other writeups for Netflix originals this go-around that Netflix doesn’t feel it’s consistently churning out hits the way it once did, but one of the exceptions to that is Wednesday. People seemed to actually watch this one in large numbers. There were memes and everything. Anyone who didn’t know who Jenna Ortega was yet certainly knows her after Wednesday.

What I liked: I like how different this show feels from the The Addams Family. We meet a ton of new characters, including a perky, gossipy werewolf roommate, evoking a galinda/elphaba dynamic; a love triangle between two skinny white boys, one a Nevermore student from Wednesday’s past and another a townie boy.

Then you have the adults. There’s the perky therapist played by Riki Lindhome. The idea of someone trying to do therapy with Wednesday is objectively hilarious, definitely a thread a hope they continue to pull throughout the show. You have the principle of Nevermore played by Gwendolyn Christie, who was also a classmate of Morticia’s. You have the sheriff who knows there’s something weird about Nevermore, but not quite sure what. Oh, and he’s the father of the townie boy from the love triangle, which is sure to get sticky.

I know this just reads as a list of plot points and characters moreso than actual criticism or analysis, but I say all this to emphasize just how much new stuff has been introduced and I think all of it provokes curiosity and excitement for where the rest of the show might go. One of the mistakes this kind of premise can make is leaning too heavily on the nostalgia aspect. Here, the general spirit of The Addams Family remains intact but the world of Nevermore Academy is entirely its own.

What I didn’t like: This is less of a “this is bad” take and more of a “this is not for me” take but there did come a point where “Wednesday always talks about death” got old. At some point it feels less like informing or entertaining your audience and more like patting yourself on the back for your own gimmick, especially for well-known IP where the audience isn’t starting entirely from square one. For what it’s worth, I’ve had similar “we get it, Tim Burton made this” reactions to other Tim Burton projects, so it might just be part of his style that doesn’t suit my tastes.

However, I do think making Wednesday so 1-dimensional through this entire episode made the end of “I think I’m gonna like it here” feel rather abrupt. I wish I could’ve seen Wednesday gradually warming up to Nevermore over the course of the episode. I’m concerned that the show is less interested in making Wednesday a nuanced character who grows over the course of the series, and more interested in her being a caricature that spits out dark one-liners.

Do I want to watch Ep. 2?: Eh, not really? Like a lot of Tim Burton properties, I can see how this would be fun for some people but not quite my thing.