Jenna Ortegais finally back as the eponymousWednesday, and season two ofTim Burton’s hit Netflix show couldn’t come soon enough. The first season dropped way back in 2022, but rich performances by Ortega and company — not to mention the epic cliffhanger at the end ofseason one— have kept it fresh in fans' minds. Many of those cast members return for the alreadywell-received season 2. And while the brand-new episodes offer somedarker story beats, Burton has ensured the overall feel is consistent with what his team offered up in the first season. It was well worth the wait — at least, with what these first four episodes have set up thus far.
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Welcome Back, Addams
Wednesday Season 2, Part 1
Follows Wednesday Addams' years as a student, when she attempts to master her emerging psychic ability, thwart and solve the mystery that embroiled her parents. Directed by Tim Burton.
Catherine Zeta-Jones and Luis Guzmán are irresistible as Wednesday’s kooky parents. And Burton brings them closer to the action in season two, through a clever twist where Nevermore’s new principal, Dort (Steve Buscemi, perfectly cast), invites the perpetually troubled Wednesday’s elders to move into a house on campus. And Wednesday isn’t the only Addams heading to class in season two: Tagging along is her bright younger brother Pugsley (Isaac Ordonez), and his dynamic with the disdainful but protective Wednesday is among the many highlights of this latest batch of episodes. (Don’t forget that the reason Wednesday was sent to Nevermore in the first place was because had fought Pugsley’s bullies at their previous school.) Unfortunately, however, they’re not one big happy Addams Family in their new digs, especially when Morticia’s mother Hester Frump (Joanna Lumley) arrives to further complicate the dynamic.
Several of Wednesday’s classmates are also back in action, and all are a welcome sight. For starters, Enid (Emma Myers) remains a perfect complement to mean-mugger Wednesday. Wednesday’s lovable roommate (and newly revealed werewolf!) sees character development in season two, through her rocky rapport with her love interest Ajax (Georgie Farmer). (The secret gorgon is now a dormitory monitor at Nevermore, interestingly enough.) Then there’s Wednesday’s rival Bianca (Joy Sunday), the mystical siren who finally settled her differences with our ice-cold protagonist at the end of season one. Principal Dort — filling in for Larissa Weems (Gwendoline Christie), who met her tragic demise in the season one finale — is already making a daunting request of poor Bianca, a scholarship student, that will complicate the siren’s place in Nevermore going forward.
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Humor, Intrigue and More
Buscemi is a great match for the Addams TV universe, strutting into season two with such confidence that it seems like he’s always been there. And by the time the second season’s fourth episode concludes, viewers will be begging to see what’s left in store for his character in particular. Ortega, meanwhile, is still flawless as Wednesday, nailing Burton’s signature deadpan humor. Her comedic timing is impeccable from the introductory sequence, as Wednesday attempts to board an aircraft with roughly 50 deadly weapons stashed on her person.
Whenever the humor lets up, the gorgeous set designs — and Nevermore’s endless intrigue — are there to keep viewers entranced. Wednesday may be allergic to color, but there are certain points in season two where viewers might want to jump to their feet and lick the screen. Burton himself wears the director’s hat for the season two premiere, just as he did for season one. And it looks like he’ll return for the finale as well. The anticipation is killing us —and it’s delicious.
Wednesdayseason 2, part 1 is now streaming on Netflix.
