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tawneybel · 2 years ago

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Wednesday Season 1 Review

Song of the day: “808s and Goth Bitches” by KIRAW. Wednesday isn’t a goth bitch. I am, though.

It took me a while to finish all eight episodes. And even longer to get around to posting a review. Let’s start off by saying Wednesday surpassed expectations! Not that I thought it would suck.

People are okay with the original Addams Family comics being adult-oriented. (Not as in X-rated. Being published in The New Yorker.) They’re okay with the kid-friendly adaptations. But a spinoff primarily for teenage girls? Stop the presses!

I was first acquainted with the Addamses through The New Scooby-Doo Mysteries. Might post a Scooby-Review someday.

The PG-13 film duology was watched in preparation, so I was expecting some exemplar dark comedy. And Wednesday was full of it! Wednesday made me want to give The Addams Family 2019 another chance, too.

I took notes while watching, then went back and added some thoughts afterwards.

Wednesday’s Child Is Full of Woe

Another show where adults play teenagers. Tyler Galpin’s actor Hunter Doohan is like twenty-nine now.

Already it has some great lines (e.g., “Like electroshock therapy without the satisfying burn”). It’s more inspired by the aforementioned live-action films than the comic or other adaptations. Or so I assume, based on my limited knowledge of them.

I know fans say the Addamses aren’t technically supernatural, “goths are just like that,” but it actually explains a lot. Cousin Itt, Thing, possibly Calpurnia… their extended family in general.

The duology with Christina Ricci didn’t have Wednesday’s narration. It’s nice to see her uniquely creepy and kooky perspective. Her exile to Nevermore Academy reminds me of how Gomez and Fester went to that camp for juvenile offenders.

Wednesday is sassy to her parents, which some reviewers complained about, but it makes sense. She’s a teenager. Although there still is some Dawson casting. Ricci!Wednesday is a preteen.

Adaptations, spinoffs, etc. don’t have to be for every fan of a franchise’s previous works. Again, the comics were published in The New Yorker. Which, while “sophisticated,” isn’t family-oriented.

Unlike other goths, I don’t want to be Wednesday, whose rudeness is amusing. (I really wouldn’t want to hang out with her or her relatives irl, either.) Despite that, they’re all still highly likable as characters. It’s still super easy to empathize with Wednesday at times. Totally understandable why she’d be pissed off with Enid admitting to kinda cyberstalking her.

I respect Wednesday’s devotion to gothiness. She’s not a tryhard. She succeeds. Both her and Enid could easily have come off as annoying, but are highly likable. Enid would fit in with Teen Wolf’s main pack, probably. No transformation? No problem. She doesn’t just have retractable claws, she has manicured, multi-colored ones.

It initially felt like an odd decision to make Nevermore’s cliques vampires, werewolves, telepaths, and sirens. Kind of like a live-action Monster High, only watchable. The only main question this episode left me was, “Why were the Pilgrim World employees rude to the sheriff’s son?”

Woe Is the Loneliest Number

The carousel’s brakes broke at Wednesday’s eighth birthday party? I want to see one of hers or Pugsley’s birthdays so bad. D: This episode features another gothic event, Nevermore Academy’s annual Poe Cup. Seemingly inspired by Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry’s four houses, their inter-house Quidditch matches, and the Triwizard (plus Harry) Tournament.

Thankfully I read His Hideous Heart: 13 of Edgar Allan Poe’s Most Unsettling Tales Reimagined last year. It’s twenty-six Poean texts in all, including the source material. Didn’t have “The Black Cat” or “The Gold-Bug,” though.

“The Black Cat”: Like standard black cat costumes you’d see on Halloween, only a bit cooler.

“The Cask of Amontillado”: Edgy harlequins, like from a joker card.

“The Gold-Bug”: I only read this story once years ago and it was in a more child-friendly anthology, so probably condensed. The original had a really stereotypical black character, though. So I can understand why people would be upset Bianca was team captain. It might also be a reclamation thing on her part. I didn’t mention her earlier, because I thought she’d turn out to be a typical bully, but Bianca’s actually cool. Not sure why some of the fandom labeled her a villain.

“The Pit and the Pendulum”: Are the Hufflepuffs, obvi.

There’s something about boarding school stories, supernatural or no, that are so fun. Anyway, this episode introduces the tomb of Joseph Crackstone. What a name. This is so Potter-esque. There’s also a cool botany class. Compare to Herbology with Prof. Sprout.

Uhh… what else? Headmistress, if you want the children to be “well-rounded,” you’re in the wrong Burton work. Wednesday! Don’t go near the apiary in dark clothes! She’s great. We have no way to know if she’s just messing with people or not sometimes.

Takeaway from this episode: Nevermore is a good successor to Hogwarts.

Friend or Woe

“Nightshades” is a cool name for a secret club, but there are other poisonous plants besides belladonna. As its members should know from aforementioned Botany. (While watching this, my dad sent me an article about herbal/mushroom teas, dangers of. First time I’ve heard of chaga, though.)

“Do you want a matching black eye?” -Wednesday to merguy. In hindsight, he might have been the first Addams Family character to be naked, besides Cousin Itt. Who hasn’t made an appearance so far. The act of giving double barrel black eyes is known as “raccooning,” btw. According to that one guy on Justified.

It’s nice to see that even though Jericho is “normie,” its thrift store Uriah’s Heap has taxidermy roadkill. Which could be considered more ethical than hunting for the sole purpose of stuffing.

I hope Netflix knows Puritans and Pilgrims weren’t the same. 🤨 Taking Addams Family Values into account, it’s unsurprising Wednesday’s unhappy about Pilgrim cosplay. Even if it’s in black and white.

Another callback to the ‘90s movies is her beef with GSUSA. “I eat Girl Scouts for breakfast.” What’s it with her and Scouts? I always felt bad for them because they’re expected to work outside in cold weather.

Wednesday realizing the girl in the Meeting House painting is Goody Addams is the most excited we’ve seen her so far, I believe.

“Whitewashing of American history,” “mansplaining…” (“Sexsplaining” flows better, imo.) I like how her social justice leanings are divorced from her general assholery. Like, she could be performative about it, but no, she’s genuinely pissed at injustice. And does something about it.

Woe What a Night

Wednesday was probably so, so happy to be in a morgue. More so than most macabre goths. Also, using a mortician’s recorder then actually getting to play deadly hide-and-seek in a mortuary cabinet!

Interesting ep for ships. Personally, I’m not picky about who Wednesday ends up with, or even if she ends up with any of the introduced characters so far. I thought she was going to volunteer Enid as a date to Xavier. Whose Rave’N fit made him look kind of like a hatless Doug Dimmadome.

“Give me a call if I ever move up your to-do list.” -Tyler Galpin. Cold. (Note, after finishing this season, I still prefer her with Tyler. :P) It was nice of her to include Eugene in her hunt for the monster, even if it was mostly because she utilized the apiary to store crime scene photos.

So Morticia’s maiden name is Frump? I kind of wondered if she and Gomez had a cousband thing going on. (Not my thing, just noting it.) *googles* Okay, I should’ve watched the TV series. The live-action one. I am woefully behind on Addams lore.

You Reap What You Woe

Ah, Gomez, smiling during his own arrest. Perhaps reminded of his juvenile offender days. Maybe.

Oh good, Eugene’s not dead. Yet. Janet referred to her son’s bees as his “fuzzy wuzzy babies.” 🥺 I hope this show sparked an interest in beekeeping for at least some viewers.

I don’t usually look great in yellow, but I want Bianca mom’s scaly coat. Glamorous family. Glamily. Again, she’s the protagonist’s rival, but not villainous. At all. She’s not worse than Wednesday, really.

Like her daughter, it makes sense that Morticia would have more than one admirer. Even back then, some people just really wanted a goth GF. I wondered if she thought his name was “Garrote” Gates. “His mistook her kindness for interest.” A tale as old as time. No Garrett, you stupid prep, get off the goth campus. >:(

Besides the identity of the monster, the biggest question so far is, “How many times has Gomez played Russian roulette with Wednesday if they’ve been playing since she was twelve??” Eating rattlesnake isn’t even that weird compared to what the Addamses usually do.

I’ve seen people complain that Wednesday had the family be Mexican when Luis Guzman and Jenna Ortega are Puerto Rican, but the keyword is “ancestor,” I guess. The whole werewolf conversion camp thing with Enid was even clunkier.

This is going to make me sound stupider than usual, but at first I thought “FIRE WILL RAIN” was a command. Like, fire someone named “Will Rain.” “FIRE WILL RAIN” is still an improvement over “ENEMIES OF THE HEIR… BEWARE.”

Quid Pro Woe

Enid’s outfits look so comfy. Between the fuzzy pink coat and her Rave’N outfit. Theme: Yeti? Without an actual yeti present? Disappointment.

Aw, she planned a surprise party and even Thing was wearing a tiny party hat.

@judge-m0rt1s and I really wanna see Enid go pastel goth and try to get Wednesday to embrace it. Their characterizations could’ve easily been annoying, but their dynamic’s cute. I felt a little bad for poor infatuated Tyler. With their matching snoods, I’m sure he suspected Enid and Wednesday were dating.

I still can’t get over how much of a name “Crackstone” is.

If You Don’t Woe by Now

Fester finally shows up! Aw, Wednesday’s smiling at her uncle. (If I ever rewatch this season, I’m going to keep a smile tally.) I’m used to Christopher Lloyd’s gruff voice.

“Group electroshock therapy.” Between her mention of ECT in the first ep, the taser, and Ricci!Wednesday’s use of an electric chair on Pugsley… Maybe Wednesday should become an electrician. Eh? Eh?

Penny’s Pooch Patrol is everything.

For someone who’s into Gothic lit, I haven’t seen much Jekyll & Hyde media. Hopefully this show also gets people into aspects of goth culture besides fashion. Besides Harry Potter and Teen Wolf, this show also reminds me a bit of NBC’s Grimm.

Aw, Tyler’s determined to get Wednesday to go out with him. I love how persistent he is, despite her warnings. At first I was really impressed by the crypt picnic date, projector and all, but I can’t get into Legally Blonde. But, oh, so Tyler’s actually a deranged monster? Nice.

(It’s still funny how the actor’s almost thirty.)

A Murder of Woes

Not only is Tyler a Hyde, he’s aware he’s a Hyde. And HE GOT CORRUPT. :D

I wish Bianca had used her siren powers to get Tyler to tell the truth while Wednesday had him chained up. Wednesday’s methods are crude. But she definitely has a strong sense of justice. She had a point, Weems!

I get not wanting the school to go, uh, but uh… Weems isn’t the greatest headmistress. (Cool character, though.) “I didn’t ask what she identified as.” You don’t identify as a Hyde! Francois just was one.

Marilyn (Laurel) had a weird MD/LB thing going on with Tyler. (I say “weird,” because she’s evil.) Morticia and Gomez are supposed to be the kinkiest.

When Wednesday’s the one bound to a chair.... “Kind of a déjà vu thing we got going on, huh?” “Except I won’t cry and whine like a child.” YOU TELL HIM, WEDNESDAY. She’s masochistic, and probably right.

Goody Addams… Goody’s supposed to be her given name, but Goody is an abbreviation of Goodwoman. Basically a Puritan honorific equivalent of Mrs.

Outcasts “stole” Crackstone’s land? Wednesday already got postcolonial. Don’t make her do it again. >:(

Hell yeah, Bianca, stab that undead mofo! Also, Eugene returns. With his bees! It was kind of funny seeing Laurel shoot at a swarm with a handgun.

In conclusion, Tim Burton redeemed himself with Wednesday, after a string of movies I didn’t particularly care for. I love how the show took common tropes but made them entertaining as heck. Like the whole bloodline/sacrifice/night of the (whatever) thing. Goody’s ghost healing her was a bit of a deus ex machina, though.

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