PLOT: When Wednesday Addams is sent off to Nevermore Academy, she finds herself embroiled in a mystery.
The Addams family is kooky and spooky. When the cartoon aired in the 90s, it was a little hard to get into considering that it was quite different from the regular toons where characters boinked each other on the heads and it was considered comedy gold.
It was about a family with a darker sense of humor. Subjecting each other to torture showed that they loved each other. It was unique and it did take some time to develop an interest in it but it happened.
The family became beloved regardless of their eccentric behavior and dialogues a kid would probably not repeat in public.
And then there was a movie and the standout performer was Christina Ricci who played Wednesday Addams.
Wednesday Addams was portrayed as a goth girl who always wore black and had a deadpan expression, and talked about death in a way no one would.
Christina Ricci won everyone over with the way she delivered her dialogues that were humorous and morbid.
So when any movie is remade years later, it becomes a matter of debate. Will a new actress be able to fill those shoes? Can she play it with the same aplomb Christina Ricci did years ago?
Jenna Ortega is a marvellous actress with a wide range of movies to her credit in which she often stood out despite limited screen time. It was only time before she became a lead.
Does Jenna play Wednesday Addams well? Yes. Yes, she does. But the comparisons will remain and while the first three episodes are in line with Christina Ricci's Wednesday, the rest of the episodes become less about Wednesday's unique behavior and more about her being in a foul mood.
Somewhere along the series, Wednesday Addams loses her trademark characteristics and becomes standoffish. She uses her friends, becomes rude, and at times, appesometimesty.
Wednesday Addams may have a deadpan humor but she did care for people, especially her brother. She just had a different way to show that.
So, for fans of the Addams Family, Wednesday may not be all that enjoyable. After all, The Addams Family were their kooky self in front of normal people.
In Wednesday, she is an outcast in a school full of outcasts. That doesn’t really make Wednesday stand out per se.
Wednesday is also given psychic abilities and her affection to her family is seen in spurts.
But Wednesday is no longer the girl we saw in the cartoons and movies. She's a teenager now and prone to even more mood swings.
WEDNESDAY Plot
The show begins with Wednesday entering school. Everyone watches her warily. She opens a locker and out falls her brother Pugsley.
She demands to know who put him here. When he is hesitant, Wednesday touches him and has a vision where she sees the bullies who put him there.
Wednesday is pissed off more than she already is. She enters the swimming pool area and the boys who are swimming barely see what she has in her hands. They begin to call her a freak and make fun of her. Wednesday reminds them that they aren't allowed to torture her brother. Only she is.
Then she drops two bags of piranhas into the pool. The boys scramble to escape but one of them is still attacked by the piranha.
Wednesday is called to the principal's office where her parents Morticia and Gomez are already present.
Wednesday is informed that she is being expelled because the boy she attacked lost his testicle. Wednesday remarks that is a fortunate outcome for a bully.
Next time we see Wednesday in a car being driven by Lurch. Gomez and Morticia are all over each other, and Wednesday watches them with disgust. She is being sent off to Nevermore and she isn’t pleased because it is the school where her parents went and also she knows there is no one to protect Pugsley now.
Pugsley used to be able to defend himself in previous adaptations but in this one he is a timid little kid, scared of everything, a quality the Addams Family never possessed.
Wednesday is taken to her dorm where she meets her roommate Enid. She remarks about Wednesday's choice of color in clothes to which Wednesday replies that she is allergic to colors.
The family leaves after Wednesday gets her uniform which is darker than that of the other students. Morticia tries to connect with her but Wednesday throws a bit of attitude.
After that the dorm mother shows up who is Thornhill. The principal is Weems, and the therapist Dr. Kinbott.
In addition to this Wednesday learns about the various groups at school who all sit together all the time. Enid is supposed to be a werewolf but she is unable to transform except for her fingernails.
Then there are the sirens whose leader is Bianca. Bianca used to date Xavier but not anymore. Xavier likes to paint, and brood, and watch Wednesday from afar.
Wednesday is not impressed with the cliques and has no intention of palling around with anyone.
Later at fencing class, Bianca brings down a boy called Rowan. Wednesday jumps to the opportunity to challenge Bianca and ends up losing. She is disgusted she lost and when she walks out, sees a gargoyle falling overhead.
Xavier saves her just in time and she is disappointed that she didn't have an unusual death.
Wednesday sure keeps getting knocked out a lot throughout the series.
Later, the Principal takes drives her to therapy. Weems and Morticia went to Nevermore at the same time and so she does have some affection for Wednesday.
Wednesday barely meets with Kinbott before she escapes and ends up at a café where she meets Tyler who can't fix his coffee machine. Leave it to Wednesday to fix everything.
She also manages to take care of herself when confronted with the town bullies.
She enlists his help to escape Nevermore but is caught by the principal.
Later at her dorm, she is busy typing away her novel on a typewriter when she notices movement. It is Thing. Her parents had left someone to watch over her after all. Thing pledges his loyalty to Wednesday.
Wednesday and Enid share a moment where Enid is upset about being unable to transform. Wednesday tells her a secret about how she cried when her pet scorpion was squished by some bullies. Of course she avenged her pet's death.
Enid promises to keep Wednesday's secret, realizing that is the closest Wednesday is ever going to come regarding feelings.
At the fair, Xavier approaches her but retreats when Tyler pops up. He has been invited by Thing who gave him Wednesday's contact.
When Wednesday bumps into Rowan, she has a vision of him being killed in the woods.
She follows him to warn him but is shocked to find herself pinned to the tree. Rowan wants to kill her, having found a painting in his mother's book about Wednesday bringing chaos to school.
Before he can kill her, he is attacked by a monster and killed.
Wednesday tries to alert everyone but when Tyler's father, Sheriff Galpin about it, he cannot find a body.
Wednesday tries to convince everyone about Rowan's death but he suddenly appears after Wednesday is knocked out in the woods.
Rowan is, however, behaving strangely and she suspects him when he isn't seen in any of his classes or at school. Even Xavier, his roommate, hasn't seen him. When Wednesday meets with Weems and expressed her desire to talk to Rowan, she is told that he is leaving school. Sure enough, Rowan is seen getting into a car and going to a train station.
Wednesday gets Thing to follow him but Thing loses Rowan at the station. That's because Rowan turns into an older man, and then Principal Weems. Turns out she is a shapeshifter.
Wednesday gets angry at Thing and refuses to talk to him despite his apologies.
Enid has grown to like Thing because he gives the best massages.
Wednesday resumes her classes and gets into a competition with Bianca at Thornhill's botany class. Xavier smirks when his ex loses the verbal spat.
Wednesday also plays the cello at night and the Principal is impressed.
Later, Wednesday has a vision of a book that seems to hold the school's secrets.
She tries to find it and ends up overhearing Bianca telling her friends her plans to sabotage the upcoming tournament.
Enid is all excited about it and tries to get Wednesday involved who declines. But when one of her teammates falls sick, Wednesday tells Enid about Bianca's sabotage and then joins her team.
The next day, Wednesday puts on her cat uniform and participates in the tournament which has no rules. While Bianca has one of her friends turn into a siren and sabotage their opponent's boats, Wednesday has Thing to help her who is finally forgiven.
Of course Wednesday wins. And her team. Who else would win in a show called Wednesday?
Enid invites Wednesday to a party later on and she does tell her roommate she will think about it.
But Wednesday comes across a statue with a riddle on it and since in her vision she did see Rowan at a library she hasn't come across so far, she suspects it to be hidden somewhere.
She comes back later and realizes that the riddle, when solved, suggests she snaps her fingers twice. She does and the statue moves to allow her inside the secret room. Before she can take a closer look, a bag is put over her head.
Turns out there is a secret society of which Bianca and Xavier are members. There is also Ajax, Enid's love interest who has medusa hair.
Wednesday shows them a drawing of her and then Xavier wonders if they should let her join. Wednesday refuses the offer much to Bianca's surprise. Wednesday has also untied herself while the rest of them were chatting away.
She manages to take the book from which Rowan had torn a page and realizes that the second half of the drawing shows a man coming up to her wearing a pilgrim hat.
Later, Weems tells her that she has to participate in the band at the Mayor's event to revere the founding father Joseph Crackstone.
Wednesday is given no choice but to attend. Before that, the students are told to participate in the Outreach program that is supposed to get normal humans to tolerate the outcasts (Nevermore students).
Wednesday exchanges her assignment with Enid by telling her that her partner was going to be Ajax.
Enid who is crushing on Ajax agrees and continuously flirts with him even though he is completely clueless.
Wednesday enters the woods and is almost attacked by the monster from whom she manages to escape. But later when she finds footprints, she discovers the monster is able to turn into a human.
Wednesday has visions of a girl that looks like her but with lighter hair and clothes that look like they belong from centuries ago.
She is told that she is the key. Her next vision shows that the girl was called Goody and that she was falsely accused by Crackstone to be a witch. She is thrown into a house with other people, one of whom is her mother. Goody escapes before the house burns down.
Wednesday now knows that the founding father of this town is her enemy.
She returns to the event with a plan that includes Thing helping her set fire to the statue. Wednesday happily plays the cello while chaos is unleashed.
She is reprimanded by Weems but Wednesday remains unmoved.
Later, while investigating the woods, the Sheriff discovers a homeless man's body and a camera that has pictures of the monster.
Wednesday, meanwhile befriends a boy called Eugene who is into bees. Wednesday needs to join a club according to Weems so she joins his. In order to create a love triangle, Wednesday is shown to try out Xavier's archery club where she outperforms him. Instead of being offended, Xavier is impressed.
There is also some mystery regarding Gomez and he has a criminal record which Tyler takes.
Enid is stood up by Ajax who, unknown to her, saw his reflection in the mirror and turned into stone.
A dance is coming up, and Lucas, the Mayor's son, asks Enid. Angry at Ajax for standing her up she accepts not realizing Lucas' hidden agenda.
Wednesday snoops around Xavier's art shed and finds a large portrait of her playing the cello. Apparently, Xavier has psychic abilities and at one point advises Wednesday that not all her visions may be true.
Well, his may waylay him but this is Wednesday we are talking about and she is always right.
Wednesday creeps out of Xavier's art shed only to find him outside. He assumes her nervousness is because she wants to ask him to the dance. She agrees to his assumption.
But later when she checks out his art studio shed again, she finds paintings of the monster and insinuates he may be the monster. Deeply offended, he tells Wednesday he won't go to the ball with her.
His beef with Bianca is because she used her siren powers to trick him. When she learns he is free, she asks him out and he accepts.
Wednesday breaks into the coroner's office with Thing to do some investigating and finds the victims attacked by the monster are missing body parts.
She also finds a claw during her investigation and gives it to the sheriff who is tasked with matching DNA. He is working with Wednesday, because, why not? It is Wednesday Addams, the star of the show.
Wednesday later buys a dark-colored dress and goes to the dance with Tyler. The now viral Wednesday dress takes place that everyone is in awe of.
Xavier asks Bianca to make him forget about Wednesday. She feels insulted by this.
Lucas triggers the sprinklers with his friends that rain down red paint. Wednesday is disappointed that it isn't blood.
This is supposed to be revenge for what Wednesday did at the event for Cracksworth. Enid screams at Lucas who appears sheepish for using her.
Wednesday has a vision about Eugene and goes into the woods to find he is alive but was attacked by the monster.
He has to be hospitalized.
The next time we learn that Nevermore has invited parents to come see their children. The sheriff is unhappy to see The Addams Family, especially Gomez. He remarks he hates to see criminals roaming about free.
The Addams family is sent to see Kinbott for counselling. Enid has a hard time with her mother who is disappointed that her daughter still can't turn into a werewolf. Bianca thinks her mother won't come but she does and gives her a hard time.
Eventually, differences are resolved but not for the Addams Family.
The Sheriff comes to get Gomez for a crime he committed years ago. In prison, Wednesday meets with him and learns that he was accused of killing his classmate because he was stalking Morticia. He had accidentally stabbed him and was then let go.
Pugsley is sad about his father and Wednesday cheers him up by throwing grenades into the lake to catch fish. Wednesday asks her mother for her version and Morticia admits that she was the one who had killed her stalker and that his eyes were glazed and he was foaming from the mouth. Wednesday realizes something is foul. She and her mother dig up the stalker's grave and Wednesday's suspicions are confirmed. The stalker had been poisoned. He was the poisoner.
Wednesday takes a finger to the Mayor who was in charge of the coverup. Apparently, the stalker was ordered by his father to kill the Outcasts. He was supposed to poison the, but accidentally bumps into a wall and ends up cracking the vial causing the poison to seep into him. The Mayor confesses that he did cover it up to prevent protests but that they needed to keep this quiet and so allows Gomez's release.
The Sheriff too realizes he made a mistake and Gomez is acquitted.
Wednesday realizes that Weems is a shapeshifter and covered up Rowan's death to avoid controversy.
Wednesday has another vision of Goody who shows her the Gates' mansion. According to the story, Gomez had not only supposedly killed the son, but inadvertently caused the death of the stalker's parents as well who were heartbroken. The sister was orphaned and was sent away, only for her boat to sink before she could reach her family. Now that Gomez was acquitted, Wednesday has her doubts about the girl's survival.
She sees the gate but is unable to recognize it. She finds Xavier has drawn the gates and asks him about it to which he replies that it is the Gates' mansion and that he runs by it everyday.
Later, Enid leads Wednesday to a tomb which belongs to Crackstone. Wednesday is disappointed to learn that it is her surprise birthday party. She doesn’t appreciate the gesture and sulks. She's more interested in seeking out her ancestor so she can learn more about what is going on at Nevermore.
Enid gets disappointed.
Wednesday skips the party and follows the Mayor when she overhears him talking about some secret with the Sheriff. She gets into his car and when the Mayor stops and gets down at the diner to meet with the Sheriff, he is run over by a car.
Wednesday gets out and everyone sees her at the accident scene resulting in Weems imposing a curfew. After all, she wouldn't want her students roaming about crime scenes.
Wednesday confides in Weems about conducting an investigation that would ultimately benefit the school. Weems warns her of a possible expulsion should she not adhere to the rules. Wednesday is henceforth forbidden from going out.
Wednesday convinces Enid to break curfew, suggesting they celebrate her birthday with a girl's night out. But they need a car so she ropes in Tyler with a lie about wanting to go on a date.
Both Tyler and Enid are disappointed to learn later on that Wednesday just wanted a ride to the Gates' mansion.
Once there, Enid helps open the door because she has werewolf strength, and this emasculating Tyler who only fits the driver role.
While there, Wednesday finds the family portrait and evidence that someone has been there recently. She also realizes that the daughter may be alive after all. The missing body parts from the victims is also found.
Just then the monster arrives and disrupts the amateur detectives.
Tyler is injured in the process. Xavier arrives and Wednesday is dubious of his arrival. They're trying too hard to pin the crimes on him so obviously it isn't him.
They return to Nevermore and of course, the Sheriff is pissed off that his son was injured. Weems is super pissed that Wednesday broke the curfew. Wednesday tells them about her findings but of course, when they reach the mansion and the place where Wednesday found evidence, it is all cleared out.
Weems threatens to expel her again and Wednesday begs for another chance. Weems pities her since Wednesday looks earnest.
However, Enid no longer wants to be roomies with Wednesday since she feels used. Wednesday tries to maintain her impassiveness but clearly, she is affected at being isolated.
Thing tries to point out that Wednesday is missing her friend but she denies it. Enid finds every opportunity to visit on the pretense of looking for some things she left behind.
At the hospital, an unknown person enters the Mayor's not guarded room and pulls the plug. The Mayor dies.
The funeral takes place and Wednesday notices someone wandering about. Suspecting the person to be a criminal, she follows him. The person reveals himself and Wednesday smiles for the first and only time in this season.
How WEDNESDAY Ends
It's Uncle Fester!
He has brought along with him a wealth of info but is also on the lam. He tells her that the monster is a Hyde.
They ride along in a motorcycle and a sidecar that looks like dalmatians. That's Uncle Fester's idea of laying low.
The new detectives in town figure out that the Hyde has a master that he is loyal to, and that he is quite possibly brainwashed so his powers could be awakened. Wednesday suspects the Hyde must be controlled by Laurel Gates who must not have drowned.
They then witness Xavier meeting up with Kinbott and think that Laurel must be the therapist and Xavier must be Hyde. Since this isn't in the last episode, it is obviously an incorrect assumption.
Later, Wednesday manages to get Tyler to forgive her for using him, and afterward, she finds that her room has been searched to find the book. She looks for Thing and is shocked to find he has been stabbed.
Wednesday rushes to Uncle Fester who uses the paddles to bring Thing back to life but it does seem for a moment that he may not return.
Wednesday is determined to find the person responsible for doing this to her friend.
Uncle Fester leaves when the Sheriff gets on his trail.
Wednesday confronts Kinbott and accuses her of being Hyde's controller. She denies it and Wednesday leaves. The next moment, Kinbott is attacked by the monster.
Wednesday waits for Xavier at his shed and accuses him of being Hyde as he was present in all the places Hyde has been seen. She reveals she found evidence in his studio. Kinbott's necklace has been found in his studio too. The police arrive to arrest him even as Xavier denies being the culprit.
Now with the threat behind bars, Wednesday and Enid reconcile. She then meets Tyler at the diner and after they pretty much tell each other they like one another, they kiss. Wednesday has a vision of him being Hyde and is shocked. Tyler doesn't know about Wednesday's psychic abilities and wonders what is up with her. She flees.
The next day, Wednesday feels bad about having Xavier wrongfully arrested. She lured Tyler into a trap where he finds Wednesday's friends awaiting him. He is subdued and tied up. Wednesday threatens him with torture unless he admits to being Hyde. He denies it.
Bianca and the others leave, not realizing the lengths Wednesday is going to. They complain to Weems who immediately puts an end to this. She expels Wednesday.
Wednesday is taken to the police station and of course, the Sheriff isn't going to side with her instead of his son. Tyler plays innocent before admitting to Wednesday, when they are out of earshot, that he is indeed who she thinks he is. He is gleeful that she can't prove it.
Before leaving Nevermore, Wednesday asks Weems for a favor: to meet Eugene who woke up after being attacked by Hyde. She meets him and he tells her that he saw someone before passing out: a person wearing red boots.
Wednesday realizes who Laurel Gates is.
Wednesday goes to confront Thornhill. See, Christina Ricci hadn't taken an insignificant role after all. Wednesday claims Tyler has come clean about her involvement. Tyler comes in and Thornhill shows her true colors. But psych! It's not Tyler but Weems who has used her shape-shifting abilities.
Thornhill manages to kill Weems using her knowledge of poisonous herbs. She also subdues Wednesday.
She then reveals her master plan: to resurrect Crackstone because he would be able to help her get rid of Outcasts. For that, she needs Wednesday's blood.
Wednesday is stabbed and Goody comes to help her. She tells her to allow her inside so she can heal her. However, after that Wednesday will no longer see her again.
Elsewhere, Enid who had saved Wednesday from being mauled by Hyde gets into a fight with Tyler. She has finally transformed into a werewolf and thus is s strong as Hyde.
Crackstone is resurrected and it turns out he was the man who was confronting Wednesday in that painting. Wednesday wasn't going to destroy the school but save it.
Along with Bianca's siren powers, and Eugene's bees, Thornhill and Crackstone are defeated.
Enid gets back into human form and Ajax lends her hus jacket. Wednesday and Enid embrace, a first for Wednesday since she isn’t so touchy-feely.
The school closes for the semester since sincno teachers or principals are s left. Xavier tries to pick up Wednesday by giving her a phone with his number already in it. Wednesday plays hard to get.
Tyler is restrained and transported but on the way, his Hyde persona helps him escape.
The end...?
The show is called Wednesday so she and the other characters don't necessarily have to return to Nevermore.
Obviously Wednesday will have a season 2 considering it did well with ratings.
Season 2 will probably show Xavier and Wednesday having a relationship with probably a new character thrown in for a triangle. Tyler may also return, as well as Enid.
It would be interesting to see Wednesday within her family unit and how she copes with being a teenager.
Scare Scale: 3.5/5
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