Along with millions of others, I recently sat down and watched Netflix’s Wednesday while home on break. After having a good week to sit and think about this show, my opinions are still quite mixed. However, one thing is for certain: Jenna Ortega excels at playing Wednesday Addams.
Right off the bat, Jenna Ortega kills as Wednesday. First off and most noticeably, she physically encapsulates Wednesday Addams in every possible way. She constantly looks with her head down and a blank stare that brings the gloom and doom Wednesday is known for. Ortega also works her voice to be as monotone and emotionless as Wednesday appears to be. In addition, the almost rigid, perfect way Ortega moves throughout the show adds to the power behind the character and the superiority she feels at the beginning of the show. Ortega also learned how to fence and play the cello for the show to once again bring that violent, physical side unexpected of a “little girl” like Wednesday.
Jenna Ortega also brings a new duality to the iconic Wednesday. The character has changed since the 1938’s comics to become the cold-hearted icon we know and love. However, Jenna Ortega wanted to not follow in others’ footsteps but pave her own way with the character, going as far as not consulting past Wednesday Christian Ricci on how to portray her. Jenna Ortega brings a deep complexity to the character. Ortega encapsulates this with Wednesday’s love for her family and friends she shows in small, subtle ways. Though some may say this softer side to the character completely misses the point of Wednesday, this choice actually highlights what the Addams Family has always been about: the importance and love of family. In addition, these new dimensions to the well-beloved character allow for it truly to be Wednesday’s show, focusing on her internal conflicts between her deep love for her friends and family and the feeling that showing her emotions is a weakness.
Overall, Jenna Ortega truly shines as Wednesday Addams. She makes her own mark on this iconic character while staying true to what makes the character iconic. This was only made possible by the dedication and care she put into the show. It is clear in this show and any of her recent works that she is quickly on the rise to becoming a household name.