Ah, the Addams Family. Originating in Charles Addams’ panel of comics from The New Yorker in 1938, the creepy, kooky family has been around much longer than most people would expect. Since then, pop culture has obsessed over Morticia, Gomez, Thing, Cousin Itt, and Uncle Fester in various movies, TV shows, musicals, and more.
Perhaps the most beloved family member is the morbid, independent Wednesday Addams. In the early ’90s, Christina Ricci gave an iconic performance as a ten-year-old Wednesday. But the latest project of The Addam’s Family, Netflix’s Wednesday, features a 16-year-old Wednesday portrayed by Jenna Ortega.
Overview
The new spin-off series begins with Wednesday standing up to high school bullies by letting piranhas loose in a swimming pool. After facing expulsion, the series follows Wednesday’s experience at a school for outcasts (werewolves, sirens, vampires) called Nevermore Academy. Wednesday must master her psychic abilities to solve the mystery of a monstrous creature terrorizing the town with killing sprees.
Standout appearances include Fred Armisen appearing as Uncle Fester, Victor Dorobantu (who plays the disembodied hand called Thing), and Emma Myers as the bubbly werewolf named Enid Sinclair. Plus, Christina Ricci appears in a series-long role as Marilyn Thornhill, the only “normie” faculty member at Nevermore Academy.
Wednesday’s child is full of woe
In a world filled with social media, insecurity, and cyberbullying, Ortega’s portrayal of Wednesday is both refreshing and important. Unlike other teenage stories, Wednesday doesn’t start out feeling insecure or like something’s missing in her life (a boy, prettiness, popularity — do I have to keep going?).
Wednesday is a societal noncomformist with confidence and self-assurance. She dresses in a way that makes her feel good about herself, stands up to authority and bullies, plays the cello, and spends an hour every day working on her novel. Wednesday is unapologetically intelligent and curious, and she isn’t afraid to spend time alone.
As the series progresses, Wednesday doesn’t lose her spirit or conform to the norms of the town. She only befriends people that accept her for who she is, like Enid Sinclair and Eugene Ottinger. Plus, the viewer gets to see her masterfully wield an umbrella-sword, speak multiple languages, and hit the center of an archery target with ease.
Ortega spoke to Shondaland about the importance of playing such a capable, confident young teenager. She said the message is “that there’s always space for you, and you should never feel the need to kind of conform to other people’s expectations or give people what they want [while forsaking] one’s own well-being.”
Latinx RepresentatioN
The Addams family has always been Latino. But despite this, Wednesday marks the first time that the titular character has been played by a Latina. The role also makes Ortega part of the 3.1 percent of Latinx leads on TV.
Speaking about the role, Ortega told Shondaland she appreciates that the series “doesn’t make the family’s heritage a big deal or even a talking point.”
Ortega continued: “A lot of times, they put a person of color in a film; it’s kind of like checking a box, like, ‘Oh, look at what we’ve done!’ And they try to push it as far as they possibly can. Wednesday is just who she is. You don’t have to talk about it. And naturally, having actors who are very known in the Latin community, like Luis Guzmán, is very powerful and speaks volumes.”
Conclusion
While the show is far from perfect, it’s certainly enjoyable and filled with mystery, sarcasm, and quirky fun. Ortega is a clear scene-stealer who kept me on constant edge with her non-blinking eyes, back-bending psychic visions, and tendency to appear out of nowhere.
If you haven’t watched the new series yet (or seen the TikToks recreating Ortega’s iconic, self-choreographed dance), you can watch it on Netflix now! In the meantime, I’ll be waiting for news about season two.
This article is part of a series, #FeministFriday, where Chloe Hummel seeks to highlight standout feminists making a difference in the world right now. Stay tuned!