Before I get into this review of Netflix’s “Wednesday” series, I want to acknowledge that, yes, I’m aware this isn’t a throwback in the slightest. I just recently watched the first season and — with the second expected to be released in 2025 — I thought it would be a good review for a dreary looking week.

“Wednesday” was released in 2022 and stars Jenna Ortega as the macabre character we’ve all come to know, Wednesday Addams.

Unlike past media, which often showcased every member of the Addams clan — Gomez, Morticia, Wednesday, Pugsley and others such as Uncle Fester — this series focuses solely on Wednesday.

We first meet this new iteration of Wednesday when she releases piranha into her public school’s pool while the swim team — who bullied Pugsley (Isaac Ordonez) — is at practice.

This leads Morticia (Catherine Zeta-Jones) and Gomez (Luis Guzman) to decide it’s time the teenagers go to their alma mater, Nevermore. Nevermore is located in the tiny town of Jericho and is a school for “outcasts” — otherwise known as supernatural beings.

To be expected, the show isn’t some coming-of-age series that sees our Wednesday realize she should shed her cold exterior and showcase her softer side. Nope. Instead we’re seeing our favorite teen with sociopathic tendencies attempting to catch the culprit of a series of murders.

People are being brutally murdered in and around Jericho, Wednesday is beginning to have intense visions about one of her ancestors and it’s all spelling out the doom of Nevermore and its inhabitants.

The storyline itself combines supernatural elements with a classic “who-dun-it” vibe along with just the right amount of gore and emotional depth (typically provided by those around Wednesday) to make it enjoyable.

I also really enjoyed watching Wednesday navigate others emotions. It’s pretty clear from this series, and the character’s adaptations in the live action movies in the 1990s and others, that Wednesday isn’t a normal girl. She likes sharp objects, hates physical contact and finds joy in torturing those around her.

This show was able to keep that energy about her but also allowed some wiggle room that could feel natural. Such as when Wednesday gets into a fight with her bubbly werewolf roommate Enid (Emma Myers) about her willingness to use and put others in danger which leads to her reevaluating how she should handle others. To be honest, I found Wednesday’s dynamic with her roommate — who self proclaims them besties — to be way more intriguing than the love triangle that was forced on her.

Yes, Wednesday Addams was somehow forced into a love triangle, and it was as boring as you’d expect. Our main character really is just interested in solving murders and perhaps causing mayhem of her own, but had to put up with far too many “what are we” discussions with Jericho native Tyler Galphin and Nevermore student Xavier Thorpe.

I overall loved the series, but that whole subplot was annoying. The Wednesday Addams I’ve grown to love since she was portrayed by Christina Ricci in the 90s (who takes on a supporting role in this series by the way) isn’t that interested in love. So to try and have her be stuck between two guys — who were overall very boring — just didn’t feel right.

Beyond that one hiccup, the first season of this show is pretty solid. We get to witness some amount of character growth from Wednesday while still keeping much of her core personality along the way.

The world building overall is also done extremely well, showcasing the overarching villain and the nuances that come along with it — such as the “normies” versus “outcasts” mentality that permeates the show.

I do hope that in the next season we get more interactions amongst the entire Addams family. The casting for Mortica and Gomez is immaculate and I’d really love to see them more. We do get an interesting plot point that features their backstory, and we delve a little deeper into the relationship between Wednesday and her mother. However, because the season takes place while Wednesday is at boarding school, it’s a bit limited.

I’m also curious where the story will lead us. Without giving anything away, Wednesday does manage to solve the murders and save the school. However, more sinister plans are afoot and we don’t quite know where that will lead.

The series was created by Alfred Gough and Miles Millar with Tim Burton executive producing and directing four of its episodes. With Burton involved, his classic aesthetic is on full display, which I’ve always enjoyed.

Ortega is perfectly cast in her role as Wednesday. This shouldn’t come as a huge surprise considering she starred alongside Wynona Rider in Burton’s “Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice” that was released roughly a month ago to high praise. One could argue there was no better person to portray Wednesday’s monotone lines and deliver her unblinking gaze (seriously, I read somewhere that she tried not to blink during her scenes to keep the character as unsettling as possible).

And, like I said before, the entire Addams family was cast perfectly — rivaling even that of the 90s movies I would offer.

The entire ensemble cast around Wednesday’s character also fit well. Enid’s character meshed well with Wednesday in a very “opposites attract” sort of way. Wednesday finds her roommate’s color palette and general demeanor to be horrifying (and not in the fun way) but still learns a thing or two from her whether she wants to or not. And the same could be said about Enid.

And her rivalry with resident popular girl Bianca (Joy Sunday), a siren with a penchant for swordplay, gave us a classic high school storyline with an added supernatural twist.

And, of course, I have to give Ricci her flowers (there’s a pun there if you’ve watched the show) for her portrayal of dorm mother and botany teacher Marilyn Thornhill. It’s always really fun when actors get to pop into universes they were known for and this is no different.

I’d certainly recommend “Wednesday” to anyone who might be interested in a supernatural murder mystery. Especially if you’re someone who enjoyed the live action Addams family movies. This show offers a new, and intriguing, take on the characters we’ve all known for decades. And it serves as a subtle exploration of Wednesday Addams that doesn’t diminish the core characteristics we’ve come to know about the character over the years.

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Laura Jameson is Managing Editor of The Express.