The re-imagining of the cult classic The Addams Family, centred around Wednesday Addams, is one of the most popular series available on Netflix, and it is clear why.
The announcement of the series set high expectations for viewers, with Jenna Ortega revealed as its titular character, the return of Christina Ricci to the Addams universe and Tim Burton acting as one of the directors and producers. Also starring in the series are Catherine Zeta-Jones and Luis Guzmán as Morticia Addams and Gomez Addams, and Gwendoline Christie as Principal Weems.
The series was created by Alfred Gough and Miles Millar, with Wednesday at the forefront, and her family appearing in a few episodes. After she enacts revenge against her brother’s bullies, she is expelled and enrolled in a school for outcasts, Nevermore Academy. Here, she eventually forms alliances in her pursuit to solve the intricate mysteries she becomes embroiled in.
The supernatural abilities Wednesday experiences are an intriguing new development for the character, as her visions enable her to piece together numerous murders. She is also able to connect the past of the town with the modern day killings, and uncover the animosity between the townspeople and outcasts.
There are evident Burton influences, particularly the gloomy backdrop to the series and Wednesday’s appearance. Ortega embodied the spirit of the character, maintaining Wednesday’s woeful disposition and subsequent amusing reactions to those around her.
Yet this portrayal provided further insight into Wednesday’s personality, as she is impacted by the cryptic murders, not simply intrigued by their morbidity, but because her family are intertwined, and fellow students are endangered.
One feature which somewhat detracted from the mystery was the love triangle between Wednesday, Tyler and Xavier. In an interview with ETalk, Jenna Ortega stated, “I don’t think Wednesday would ever be in a love triangle” and that she thinks “boys are probably the last thing on Wednesday’s mind." However, Wednesday’s friendships with fellow students could have been further developed in place of this, including that of Wednesday and Enid.
Enid, portrayed by Emma Myers, is the vibrant, complete opposite of Wednesday, yet their friendship develops within the show as they investigate the string of puzzling events together. This results in a humorous, yet touching representation of female friendship, with Myers portraying a supporting character who is not merely comic relief, but an unlikely, yet significant addition to Wednesday’s story.
The ambiguous end opened the series to another season, which has been announced by Netflix, where further mystery and intrigue is bound to continue.
Edited by Lucy Wilcox