Wednesday reemerges with its sophomore season, after almost 3 years, an unveiling the initial quartet of episodes in a myriad woven with shadowed allure and cerebral panache. This season is an evolution of mere reproduction, containing within it the nefarious interplay of characters and the growth of its ominous yet poetic world just beyond the horizon.
Jenna Ortega returns to bring embodiment to Wednesday Addams with a flawless combination of icy detachment and under-the-surface vulnerability. No longer a whippersnapper outsider, she now stands as a somewhat reluctant torch-bearer among the tangled web of fame and obsession, through which Pugsley arrives, and the stronger-than-ever presence of Morticia and Gomez is felt in weighty measure. The inscrutable Principal Dort, with the wry subtlety of Steve Buscemi, turns Nevermore Academy into a labyrinth of secrets and shadows of intent.
I find this to be a great write-up: the deliberate withholding of psychic powers from Wednesday would render her unable to navigate the morass with her customary advantage, necessarily raising the stakes for murder and character-development. The brooding Willow Hill Psychiatric Hospital, under the formidable stewardship of Thandiwe Newton’s Rachael Fairburn, introduces a fresh vein of menace and gravitas.
The series adroitly balances the gothic melancholy and that mordant wit peculiar to the show that conjure all sorts of eerie delights and dark comedies, from anarchic encounters with the “normie” scouts to Pugsley’s unintentional raising of the undead. The ensemble cast really shines: Frank Armisen’s Uncle Fester and Joanna Lumley as Grandmama Hester add in lighter bonding moments with a layer of family complexity, while Emma Myers’ Enid acts as a radiant foil to Wednesday’s sombre mien.
Production values remain impeccable, impregnated with Tim Burton’s trademark gothic whimsy in every frame working in splendid harmony to resist the all-too-common sophomore slump genuine artistry. There is only half a season available as it stands now, ending on an excruciating cliffhanger, yet in these episodes, one can find a reaffirmed charm and inventive brilliance for Wednesday.
Season Two makes for a high continuation, exquisite through fusion of mystery, humour, and heart, which not only pays tribute to but also enhances the first legacy, confirming Wednesday as state-of-the-art gothic storytelling.
