Summary
Wednesday Addams is an iconic character for more than a few reasons. I love her memorable look and the fact that she can spend so much time alone because she’s so comfortable with herself. Sure, the version of the character portrayed by Jenna Ortega onNetflix’sWednesdayis harsh a lot of the time, and she could soften her edges a bit more. But
SinceWednesday Addams has always been a chaotic and unpredictable character,Wednesdayseason 2 needs to lean more into that part of her personality. She has always acted in over-the-top ways to get revenge or achieve her goals, and there’s no reason why she can’t do that in the new season.
How Can Wednesday Season 2 Embrace Wednesday’s Wild And Dramatic Side?
I thinkWednesdayseason 2 can make Wednesday an agent of chaos by having her become even more of a lone wolf.She and Enid Sinclair (Emma Myers) should get into a huge fight in one episode, which would allow Wednesday to look for her stalker on her own. I thinkWednesday should work with othersfor much of the second season. But I also think it would be fun to see how much she can accomplish when she truly believes in herself and doesn’t rely on anyone else. This could lead to a major breakthrough, and then she could come back to Enid and her other Nevermore friends and tell them what she has discovered. This would be the best of both worlds.
If Wednesday getsmore creepy notes from her stalker, I’d love to see her change her behavior as a result. For example, maybe she thinks that her stalker is someone who she knows, and she decides to get even with them. She could play a terrible prank at Nevermore Academy, or go on a brief trip to find out more about this person.
Most of all, I thinkWednesday should play more pranks in season 2. After all, her parents send her to Nevermore because she plays so many horrible and dangerous pranks on the kids at her previous school. I don’t want her to hurt anyone at Nevermore, but I do think she needs to lean into this aspect of her personality. It would be funny to watch her tease some fellow students or even prank a teacher who gives her a bad grade.
Whether there isanother scary monster inWednesdayseason 2or not, I want to see Wednesday in full detective mode. But I also want to see her become a bit meaner, at least for some of the second season. I don’t think it makes sense to make Wednesday a nicer, softer person. Sure, she befriends Enid in season 1 and is more vulnerable than fans of the Addams Family might expect. But at her core,Wednesday is tough, spirited, confident, and spunky, and that needs to continue.
How Is Wednesday Addams A Rebel In Wednesday Season 1?
I loved watchingWednesday Addams become the biggest rebelat Nevermore Academy inWednesdayseason 1. Throughout these eight episodes, Wednesday doesn’t listen to her teachers, ignores what the other students think, andsearches for the Hyde Monster. Most of all, Wednesday rebels by listening to her gut instincts. Her parents might have a dark history with the school and some might wonder if she should be more careful, but Wednesday truly doesn’t care.
Ortega definitely has her own spin and twist on the memorable and famous character, but she also wanted to honor Christina Ricci’s time as the Goth high schooler. When looking at both performances, it’s clear thatthis new Wednesday Addams is still a huge rebel who does what she wants. Ortega told Ricci when they chatted forInterview Magazine:
“Yes, very different, but I’m just saying you are who people see as Wednesday, and that’s just the truth. I feel like the script was very reminiscent of ’90s Wednesday. It was really important to me that I wasn’t doing a knockoff of your performance, and it was different.”
Ortega added:
“Another thing is every time we’ve seen Wednesday, she’s been 5 years old, 10 years old. So when someone is saying really dark, twisted things out of a place of pure honesty and innocence, that naive aspect of a child, it’s a bit different when you get older and become a teenager…”
