Wednesday (Season 1): Is Fabulous To Watch?

Published by C Reema on

Wednesday (Season 1- USA - 2022) Series Featured Image

Wednesday (Season 1/USA/2022) depicts a fictional coming-of-age supernatural fantasy story about a teenage schoolgirl, Wednesday Addams (Jenna Ortega). As her name suggests, Wednesday Addams (aka Goody Addams) comes from the famous family, the Addams.

And quite often, she finds herself in a tricky position. Notably, a prominent American cartoonist, Charles Addams (January 7, 1912 – September 29, 1988), created the characters of the Addams Family. Critics celebrated his characters for their darkly humorous and macabre qualities. And certainly, various adaptations popularised the now more famous Addams Family.

In FOCUS: Goody Addams, She Is Fun To Watch, Any Place, Any Time, Any Day

Synopsis
Smart, sarcastic and a little dead inside, Wednesday Addams (Jenna Ortega) investigates twisted mysteries while making new friends — and foes — at Nevermore Academy. So, while attending Nevermore Academy, Wednesday Addams attempts to master her emerging psychic ability, thwart a killing spree and solve the mystery that embroiled her parents 25 years ago.
Spellbinding Introduction

Right after watching the riveting but shocking opening scene, we were hooked on this show. That scene depicted the one-of-a-kind, rebellious, irrepressible and unstoppable protagonist, Wednesday (Jenna Ortega), piranha fish and a swimming pool. And soon after, we are introduced to the four delightful members of her Addams family.

The father Gomez Addams (Luis Guzmán), mother Morticia Addams (Catherine Zeta-Jones), and kid brother Pugsley Addams (Isaac Ordonez) are other Addam family member.

[Wednesday takes her name from a line in an English nursery rhyme, which is meant to educate children about the days of the week and to forecast their fortunes based on their birth day. Children born on Wednesdays were considered to be unlucky and were believed to be destined for sorrow.]

But there is no death of the quirky characters in the show. Fascinatingly, in this whodunnit dark fantasy, we also meet a good number of quirky characters in the Nevermore Academy. And curiously enough, these students are collectively called the outcasts. So, this show was a mad rollercoaster ride, indeed.

Tim Burton

Tim Burton and his entire team deserve a round of applause for creating a unique supernatural fantasy. In this mysterious and thrilling crime drama, the lead heroine of the show, Jenna Ortega, dominates and rules the show. Not only does she solve a cold case, but also a series of heinous murder cases happening in the forest area around the Nevermore Academy.

Although we could correctly guess the identity of the serial killer (or the monster) in it, we still enjoyed the way the mystery was revealed in the end.

[Nevermore Academy is named in honour of the poem "The Raven" by Edgar Allan Poe, where the bird famously repeats the word "Nevermore."  In fact, the Nevermore Academy's main building showcases various Gothic Revival architectural characteristics similar to those found in the Addams family home.]

And not to forget the wacky and bizarre character called the Thing (Victor Dorobantu) in the series. But the ‘Thing’ is not alone. There are many more oddballs in it.

Certainly, the tall and beautiful Principal Larissa Weems (Gwendoline Christie) of the Academy leads the way. And then, there are students with special powers.

[The filming process took place in Romania between September 2021 and March 2022.]
Jenna Ortega

It is amazing to watch Jenna Ortega portray the iconic character in such a convincing manner with her dry humour. And, we simply loved her (not-so-normal) facial expressions. She really steals almost every scene in this star-studded show. Not only does she embody Wednesday, but she also breathes fresh life into it. The viewers might have noticed that Jenna Ortega hardly ever blinks in the series.

In fact, she seems to blink exclusively when she is harmed or caught unawares. Her black and white gothic wardrobe choices really go well with the Addams Family traits.

[Jenna Ortega prepared for her challenging role by learning to play the cello and also taking lessons in fencing, archery, canoeing, boxing, and German. And not to forget, we simply loved her Unique & Energetic Dance Number in this show.]

In the black and white world of Wednesday, the colourful personality of Enid shines through. So, in complete contrast, her exuberant roommate at the Academy, Enid Sinclair, is beautifully portrayed by Emma Myers. She is fun to watch.

It was also wonderful to watch the performances of its ensemble cast, especially Hunter Doohan (Tyler Galpin), Joy Sunday (Bianca Barclay), Gwendoline Christie (Principal Larissa Weems), Moosa Mostafa (Eugene Ottinger), Christina Ricci (Marilyn Thornhill), Riki Lindhome (Dr. Valerie Kinbott), etc. Also, the quality of the special effects and visual effects in this fantasy teenage tale is pretty good.

{Colleen Atwood, the Academy Award-winning costume designer, created a mix of creepy, kooky, mysterious, spooky, and entirely whimsical outfits for the show. Notably, Wednesday’s fashion could not be more different from her roommate, Enid, a bubbly blonde who loves rainbow colours.}

Conclusion

The strange mannerisms and the unorthodox behaviour of the Addams Family are their USP. This unique selling proposition for this offbeat show sets it apart. Sometimes, it is good to step away from the normal world. And step into this world, where the normal is simply boring and pathetic. Honestly, we hugely enjoyed this fantasy and magical world.

Here, both the good ones and the bad ones operate outside the natural, scientific laws of our world. And in the future, we would love to watch many more seasons of the show.

Is it fun and fabulous to watch?

Yes, sure.

It is an entertaining and fun-filled fantasy series to watch.

Rating
Focus Magazine (FM) Rating4.05/10
Poster
Wednesday (Season 1- USA - 2022) Series Poster
Key Details
GenreComedy, Crime, Drama, Fantasy, Mystery & Thriller
Original LanguageEnglish (USA)
EpisodesEight (8) Episodes
SeasonFirst (1st) Season
Characters CreatorsCharles Addams
Show CreatorsAlfred Gough & Miles Millar
WritersAlfred Gough, Miles Millar, Kayla Alpert, Matt Lambert, & April Blair
DirectorsTim Burton, James Marshall & Gandja Monteiro
Music ComposersDanny Elfman & Chris Bacon
CinematographersDavid Lanzenberg & Stephan Pehrsson
EditorsPaul G. Day, Ana Yavari & Jay Prychidny
Main CastJenna Ortega (Wednesday Addams/Goody Addams), Hunter Doohan (Tyler Galpin), Emma Myers (Enid Sinclair), Joy Sunday (Bianca Barclay), Georgie Farmer (Ajax Petropolus), Moosa Mostafa (Eugene Ottinger), Gwendoline Christie (Principal Larissa Weems), Jamie McShane (Sheriff Donovan Galpin), Luyanda Unati Lewis-Nyawo (Sheriff Deputy Ritchie Santiago), Oliver Watson (Kent), Christina Ricci (Marilyn Thornhill), Isaac Ordonez (Pugsley Addams), Catherine Zeta-Jones (Morticia Addams), Luis Guzmán (Gomez Addams), Victor Dorobantu (Thing), etc.
Production Co.Toluca Pictures, MGM Television, Millar Gough Ink & Tim Burton Productions
NetworkNetflix
Teaser
[Also, you can watch the YouTube video - Wednesday Season 1: Every Twist, Every Creature, Every Secret | Netflix. Also, note that each episode has "woe" in the title.]
Awards Won
Details of the Awards won by the First (1st) Season of the Show
Names of the AwardsParticulars of the Award Winners
Primetime Emmy Awards2023 Winner Primetime Emmy – Outstanding Contemporary Costumes for a Series
Colleen Atwood, Mark Sutherland, Bobby Soutar, Claudia Littlefield, & Adina Bucur
Imagen Foundation AwardsJenna Ortega – 2023 Winner Imagen Award – Best Actress – Comedy (Television)
Kids’ Choice Awards, USA2023 Winner Blimp Award – Favourite Family TV Show
Jenna Ortega – 2023 Winner Blimp Award -Favourite Female TV Star (Family) – For “Wednesday Addams”
MTV Movie + TV Awards2023 Winner MTV Movie + TV Award – Best Performance in a Show – Jenna Ortega
Set Decorators Society of America, USABest Achievement in Decor/Design of a One-Hour Fantasy or Science Fiction Series – 2023 Winner SDSA Award – Rob Hepburn (set decoration), David Morison (set decoration), Mark Scruton (production design)
Canadian Cinema Editors Awards2023 Winner Canadian Cinema Editors Award – Best Editing in TV Comedy – Jay Prychidny
British Film Designers Guild AwardsBest Production Design International TV Drama, including Mini Series, TV Movie or Limited Series – 2023 Winner BFDG Award – Mark Scruton (production designer), Adrian Curelea (supervising art director), Rob Hepburn (set decorator), David Morison (set decorator)
Critics Choice Super Awards2023 Winner CCA Super Award – Best Horror Series, Limited Series or Made-for-TV Movie
Best Actress in a Horror Series, Limited Series or Made-for-TV Movie – 2023 Winner CCA Super Award – Jenna Ortega
Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films, USA – Saturn AwardBest Fantasy Television Series – 2024 Winner
Jenna Ortega – Best Younger Performer in a Television Series – 2024 Winner
Costume Designers Guild (CDG) AwardsColleen Atwood & Mark Sutherland – Excellence in Contemporary Television – 2023 Winner CDG Award
Astra Television Awards2024 Winner Astra TV Award – Best Fantasy or Science Fiction Costumes -Colleen Atwood
Also, read the FM Review of another fantasy series - House Of The Dragon in our Focus Magazine.]

Poster and Featured Image of the Wednesday (Season 1/ USA/2022) Series are credited to Netflix.

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