Series in one sentence:
American colonizers killed other American colonizers, but the evil ones were slightly whiter.
Series in more sentences:
Wednesday Addams is sent to a peculiar high school her parents attended themselves, inhabited by supernatural beings. Through a series of unsolved monster attacks plaguing town, she learns more about her family's background, and Wednesday can't help but chase the mysteries this seemingly boring town holds.
This entertained me fine enough, Wednesday herself was a joy to watch, but there were plenty of things I just didn't buy. Though the character is mostly consistent in her behaviour, there were still conflicting moments I rather didn't have. This Wednesday is an interpretation of her, no matter how much she seems identical to the dead-pan child of darkness from the 90s that popularized her.
The first clue we're given is her unreasonable disdain for her mother. I didn't like this random, forced conflict the series started off with. That's not Wednesday, nor has that ever been Morticia's struggle. Unless I've missed some other Addams Family rendition, this woman is the queen bee of the family. Her word is always obeyed, even by Wednesday.
Morticia is overly romantic, that's not something Wednesday can relate to, but there's nothing about her mother that should offend her. Morticia isn't some pink-ribboned suburb mom, but Wednesday sure acts like it. Why? They're identical in their morbidness and interests.
What follows soon after is that Wednesday's immediately thrown in a love triangle with two men she wisely gives little of her time, and this could've been a funny running gag if the dudes and series itself didn't take it so seriously. Why do these boys act so offended every time they're rejected or ignored? It's not like they were ever super close, it's real damn silly. The artist guy especially has no reason to be this attached, and the speed in which he comes back smiling after an overdramatic boohoo scene makes it hard to take him seriously.
I don't mind the character arc of these love interests, but it -and this is the case for pretty much every character in the show- goes way too fast. There's no proper build-up.
Wednesday remains the biggest issue for me, though, since she's an established character.
It's surreal seeing her getting spooked by (attempted) murders happening in front of her, getting upset over the prospect her father is a criminal, or even seeing Gomez and Morticia in a flashback scene where they battle a crazed man with genuine fear in their eyes. Thing gets stabbed and Wednesday is crying. Like, what? This is normal people-drama, the real Addams' would not have made a big deal out of it, they'd 100% be murderers themselves, even if it's accidental, and celebrate it with glee.
Getting her father out of jail and Morticia crying about it should not have been a plot point. It would've been so much funnier if everyone went "lol, enjoy your holiday Gomez" and left him in prison. Everyone moves on, then Wednesday proves her father's innocence by pure accident the same day he's jailed, comically upsetting the family.
I also didn't think the role of liberal leftist detective fit Wednesday. This girl is defined by her "don't give a fuck", but in this show she's fairly political and oddly driven to crime-solving. Not because the idea of seeing corpses or meeting criminals intrigues her, which would've been a plausible reason, but because she has this insatiable urge to unravel mysteries. Not common behaviour for a nihilist.
The show throws around alot of modern day terms, like "biased", "oppression", "discrimination", "whiteness", you know the drill, and it became slightly annoying after a while. I'm sure it was meant as a joke, but the general plot -which is meant to be taken seriously- also uses the same points of criticism. This is not how the Addams' do. The regular crowd doesn't like them and they ignore it, because they love themselves. They wouldn't complain about being discriminated against. Getting burned at the stake is a birthday present to these freaks.
The general plot revolves around "outcasts", also known as supernatural humanoids, trying to live amongst humans that still persecute them. That can be fun and have a valuable double meaning, but it's one I don't believe Wednesday would engage in. Her uncaring attitude would be welcome in a community where everyone feels the need to adapt or prove something, but that's not her role in the story. Here she is instead, going out of her way to solve some kind of mystery she'd realistically speaking wouldn't even get out of bed for.
It's probable that the vast majority of people won't recognize the points I just made, or not see why they matter, and that'll make this show way more entertaining, so that's good. For them. I just wish Wednesday cared less and the show had more episodes to help develop all those rushed character arcs thrown at us.
The rampaging, giant 3D Smeagol walking the woods didn't even slightly hold my attention, not until the end, and the main villain has an unexplained magic staff and somehow could not be confronted by these powerful students, who instead chose to run. We have mermaids with brainwash powers, vampires who somehow manage to sit in daylight, werewolves with the same strength as the forest monster everyone's struggling to stop; this is a setting that makes it hard to introduce a villain, unless that villain is a half-god. Not an undead pilgrim with a staff that only casts wind. And is defeated within 2 minutes.
The prophecy was nonsense as well. The popular mermaid girl struck the villain where it should've killed him, but if we assume she missed by a fingernail, she was still the sole reason Wednesday succeeded. So, yes, an anti-climax of an ending, though the series conveys there's still a threat watching Wednesday. Customized animated Whatsapp emoticon included, real scary threat there..
So far my review. Despite everything, I'd watch more. It just needed more time to brew; more episodes to really establish these relationships. The characters work well on each other, but their responses sound foolish at times, since we've seen so few interactions to warrant those responses.
I'm not asking much. Wednesday should refrain from smiling and shedding tears at all times and I'd rather not have her or her series become gothic Nancy Drew.
Just have Wednesday, ruining everyone's day.
Also, Wednesday kissing a guy was cursed. She would've loved seeing my response.
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