{"id":3020,"date":"2025-10-04T22:49:05","date_gmt":"2025-10-04T22:49:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tmbglobal.news\/index.php\/2025\/10\/04\/wednesday-season-two-tries-to-do-too-much\/"},"modified":"2025-10-04T22:49:17","modified_gmt":"2025-10-04T22:49:17","slug":"wednesday-season-two-tries-to-do-too-much","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tmbglobal.news\/index.php\/2025\/10\/04\/wednesday-season-two-tries-to-do-too-much\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018Wednesday\u2019 season two tries to do too much"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><\/p>\n<div>\n<p><em>Warning: Spoilers for \u201cWednesday\u201d seasons one and two.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>As someone who grew up watching Tim Burton\u2019s (\u201cBeetlejuice\u201d) films, I was more inclined than others toward enjoying Netflix\u2019s \u201cWednesday.\u201d The gothic aesthetic and Danny Elfman soundtrack were reminiscent of my childhood filled with \u201cThe Nightmare Before Christmas\u201d and \u201cCorpse Bride,\u201d so \u201cWednesday\u201d seemed bound to please me. And after the first season, I was excited to watch season two and return to the world of <a href=\"https:\/\/addamsfamily.fandom.com\/wiki\/Outcast\">Outcasts<\/a> when it was released this summer.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The show opens with an unnerving remix of \u201cMy Favorite Things\u201d and Wednesday Addams (Jenna Ortega, \u201cYou\u201d) tied up in a room full of creepy dolls \u2014 a flat-out terrifying situation to find yourself in. Unless, of course, you\u2019re Wednesday Addams. In which case, this might be your most exciting summer yet.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Unfortunately, I can\u2019t say the same for this season.\u00a0<\/p>\n<aside class=\"scaip scaip-1    \">\n\t\t<\/aside>\n<p>Season one ended on a triumphant note: Wednesday and her friends defeated Tyler Galpin (Hunter Doohan, \u201cDaredevil: Born Again\u201d), Wednesday\u2019s former love interest and a <a href=\"https:\/\/addamsfamily.fandom.com\/wiki\/Hyde\">Hyde<\/a> responsible for the mysterious murders in the town of Jericho. With Tyler locked away and a rather-productive summer catching a doll-obsessed serial killer behind her, Wednesday returns to Nevermore Academy for a second year.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>There are quite a few changes to the cast. After being dropped from Netflix following <a href=\"https:\/\/people.com\/why-percy-hynes-white-isnt-in-wednesday-season-2-how-show-explained-departure-11785995\">sexual assault allegations<\/a>, Xavier Thorpe (Percy Hynes White, \u201cPretty Hard Cases\u201d) \u2014 Wednesday\u2019s other former love interest \u2014 has suddenly departed from Nevermore. Following the death of Principal Larissa Weems (Gwendoline Christie, \u201cThe Sandman\u201d), the amiable pyrokinetic Principal Barry Dort (Steve Buscemi, \u201cFantasmas\u201d) takes the helm. Wednesday\u2019s younger brother Pugsley (Isaac Ordonez, \u201cA Wrinkle in Time\u201d) joins Wednesday at school, and Wednesday\u2019s colorful, cheerful, werewolf roommate Enid (Emma Myers, \u201cA Good Girl\u2019s Guide to Murder\u201d) \u2026 has bangs?\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>If the additions to the cast aren\u2019t enough to disorient you, the show also adds an equally large number of new plotlines. Not only does the viewer have to juggle the aftermath of the events of season one, there\u2019s <em>another<\/em> round of mysterious murders (this time involving birds), a zombie that Pugsley accidentally resurrects and names \u201cSlurp\u201d (Owen Painter, \u201cTiny Beautiful Things\u201d), Tyler\u2019s former master Marilyn Thornhill (Christina Ricci, \u201cYellowjackets\u201d) scheming once again, Dort\u2019s coercion of siren Bianca (Joy Sunday, \u201cDear White People\u201d) into using her abilities for fundraising \u2026 the list is dizzying, and not in a good way. Mind you, I haven\u2019t even mentioned <em>all<\/em> of the plotlines.<\/p>\n<p>Having multiple storylines can be effective in pushing the plot forward and developing characters. It offers an opportunity for writers and actors to shine as they head into the finale, making the journey ever more exciting for those watching. However, \u201cWednesday\u201d was too ambitious in its execution.\u00a0By releasing the second season in two parts, it felt almost like the show was trying to cram two seasons\u2019 worth of content into one. New characters like Dr. Rachael Fairburn (Thandiwe Newton, \u201cWestworld\u201d) don\u2019t have enough screentime to settle into the show\u2019s rhythm, losing their relevance by the second half of the season. As a result, some stories that began in the first four episodes felt unnecessary in the greater plot the writers planned. And amid the chaos, the show ultimately loses sight of its titular heroine: Wednesday Addams.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Ortega\u2019s performance is excellent, nailing most of Wednesday\u2019s characteristic mannerisms. But against everything she faces, she becomes too entrenched in this darker characterization. In other adaptations, the Addams family stands out because they are objectively unusual in a world of suburban nuclear families. That\u2019s what makes them so fun and endearing \u2014 yeah, they\u2019re a band of misfits who your average family would <em>definitely<\/em> avoid at all costs, but their love and devotion to each other is truly admirable and beautiful to see. But in this world of Outcasts, Wednesday\u2019s character is unmemorable beyond her allergy to color and disturbing penchant for violence and mystery.\u00a0<\/p>\n<aside class=\"scaip scaip-2    \">\n\t\t<\/aside>\n<p>Perhaps it\u2019s for this reason that the sixth episode, \u201cWoe Thyself,\u201d was such a breath of fresh air. Wednesday and Enid literally get to be in each other\u2019s shoes when they switch bodies. We finally get to see Wednesday smile <em>nervously<\/em> and Enid look unusually grim and emotionless as they navigate their drastically different realities and personalities. Ortega and Myers are both incredible throughout this episode as they perform an entirely opposite character. It was honestly refreshing to watch Wednesday dance to BLACKPINK in the most obnoxiously colorful sweater. Independent of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.out.com\/gay-tv-shows\/wednesday-enid-season-2\">fans shipping<\/a> Wednesday and Enid together romantically (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.reddit.com\/r\/wenclair\/\">#wenclair<\/a>), their canon platonic relationship is one of the more solid aspects of season one.<strong> <\/strong>So, having an episode dedicated to further developing their relationship was a welcome addition to this season, which also helped the show recenter Wednesday as its main focus.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Although there are way too many plot lines happening at once, some credit is due for how the writers explore some of the newer faces in the cast. I have to give a nod to Agnes (Evie Templeton, \u201cLord of Misrule\u201d), one of Wednesday\u2019s fangirls, who goes through the classic journey of discovering her identity. It\u2019s a clich\u00e9 trope, but it works nicely within the realm of \u201cWednesday\u201d as a coming-of-age teen drama. What is being a teenager if not having an identity crisis? By the end of the season, I found myself cheering for Agnes as she developed into someone more authentic to herself.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>This season took chances to dig deeper into the show\u2019s supporting characters and their relationships with those around them. I appreciate the world-building and understand the allure of diving into other stories within a universe, allowing writers to explore mother-child relationships with characters like Bianca and Tyler and providing insight into the woes that trouble the other students of Nevermore Academy. However, \u201cWednesday\u201d season two is ultimately less than successful in its execution, making it easy to forget what made \u201cThe Addams Family\u201d so iconic in the first place. In <a href=\"https:\/\/www.netflix.com\/tudum\/articles\/wednesday-season-3-release-date\">season three<\/a>, I hope the show focuses more on the girl and the family who inspired it.<\/p>\n<p><em>Daily Arts Writer Eilene Koo can be reached at <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.michigandaily.com\/arts\/tv\/wednesday-season-two-crumbles-under-too-many-plotlines\/mailto:ekoo@umich.edu\"><em>ekoo@umich.edu<\/em><\/a><em>.<\/em>\u00a0 <\/p>\n<aside>\n\t\t<\/aside>\n<p><h3 class=\"jp-relatedposts-headline\"><em>Related articles<\/em><\/h3>\n<\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Warning: Spoilers for \u201cWednesday\u201d seasons one and two. As someone who grew up watching Tim Burton\u2019s (\u201cBeetlejuice\u201d) films, I was more inclined than others toward enjoying Netflix\u2019s \u201cWednesday.\u201d The gothic aesthetic and Danny Elfman soundtrack were reminiscent of my childhood filled with \u201cThe Nightmare Before Christmas\u201d and \u201cCorpse Bride,\u201d so \u201cWednesday\u201d seemed bound to please [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3021,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[20],"tags":[315,3149],"class_list":{"0":"post-3020","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-entertainment","8":"tag-season","9":"tag-wednesday"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/tmbglobal.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3020","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/tmbglobal.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/tmbglobal.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tmbglobal.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tmbglobal.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3020"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/tmbglobal.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3020\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3022,"href":"https:\/\/tmbglobal.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3020\/revisions\/3022"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tmbglobal.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3021"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/tmbglobal.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3020"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tmbglobal.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3020"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tmbglobal.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3020"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}