The creepiest, crawliest, most mysterious and spooky family thrilled audiences when Netflix released the hit show Wednesday on Nov. 22, 2022. The show, starring former Disney star Jenna Ortega beat Netflix’s record for most hours viewed in a week and less than two months after its release, has already been cued up for a second season.

Wednesday, which was partially directed and produced by the legendary Tim Burton, follows the oldest Addams child as she attends Nevermore Academy, a school for “outcasts,” trying to navigate the world of teenagers while simultaneously attempting to catch a murderer.

In addition to Ortega, big names such as Gwendoline Christie, known for her roles on Game of Thrones and the new Star Wars trilogy, and Chrisitna Ricci, known for playing Wednesday in the iconic Addams Family movies from the 1990s, are also part of this exciting cast.

Ortega does a fantastic job of portraying Wednesday, adding a modern and Gen Z-like aspect to the character without taking away from the established personality, a feat that must not have been easy with the famous Ricci on set. Wednesday steps foot onto the Nevermore campus gaining instant attention with her monotone voice, unsettling facial expression known as the Kubrick Stare, a reputation for violence, and a lack of attention to everyday teenage matters.

While this aspect of Wednesday remains throughout the entirety of the show, you can see her begin to soften as she forms relationships with her classmates, including her roommate, a werewolf named Enid, played by Emma Myers. Her constant need to be right, and her thirst for answers to the murders going on at Nevermore and the town surrounding it, wins over her classmates, whom she begins to care about in her own way.

The show adds a delightful teenage twist to the original Addams Family story with thoughtful relationships, action-packed fight scenes, cute romances, and insane plot twists no one saw coming.
My only complaint with this show is with the animation of the monster terrorizing the town. It looks way too cartoonish and goofy, not at all fitting the ominous vibe of the rest of the show.

Overall I, like the rest of fans, became obsessed with all aspects of the show and highly recommend giving it a watch. “Every episode ended on a cliff hanger and I was just as invested as the characters to solve the mystery,” senior Lyndsie Lewis said.