Macabre vibes all around
The new series Wednesday came out last week on Netflix, and it’s already broken the most-watched series in a week record. The show has had more hours streamed than Stranger Things, which is a hard record to beat. The show is based on Wednesday Addams from The Addams Family.
Jenna Ortega, who plays Wednesday, also played Ellie on another hit Netflix show, You. She does a great job of acting emotionless and playing an extremely angsty, goth-esque teenager. She even commits to never blinking throughout the show, which seems like an impossible task to me. She delivers many blunt, monotone lines that encapsulate the character well. I also love how Wednesday’s roommate, Enid, contrasts her dark vibes with a bright, vibrant personality. I think they could bring out good sides of each other in future episodes.
The show has very macabre vibes that add to Wednesday’s character and give the show an interesting feel. Wednesday’s all-black wardrobe is fabulous and sets her apart from the other students at Nevermore Academy. Her signature braids include bangs, which update the original Wednesday look and make it more mature and edgy, fitting her teenage vibes.
After being expelled from her old school, Wednesday enrolls at Nevermore Academy, a school for misfits. There are werewolves, sirens, gorgons, vampires, hydes, shape-shifters, and psychics like Wednesday. Like many movies with high school settings, there’s a hierarchy at Nevermore and the students seem to stick to their cliques. There are also a few students who feel like outcasts, even in a school for outcasts.
In the show, strange murders are occurring in the nearby town. Many of the students and teachers are seen engaging in mysterious activities, with these scenes set to the tone of Wednesday dramatically playing the cello. Wednesday even says that there’s something not quite right about her new school and its occupants. Wednesday loves mystery, so I think she’ll want to solve the murders.
Wednesday is an interesting show to watch over winter break, but it’s probably not for everyone. I find it a refreshingly different show that updates a classic. I can’t wait to see the viral dance scene and more of Jenna Ortega’s take on the character.