Sibora Sala
CAUTION: WEDNESDAY SEASON 2 SPOILERS
What makes a show good? Is it numbers? Which, Wednesday Season 2 has reached in record breaking ways. Is it the storytelling abilities of its writers or is it the diverse acting range of those that make the show what it is? Season 2 agrees with two of these questions and disagrees with another.
It is easy to admit, even through a casual watch, that while the passion is there, the storytelling of season two is lacking. Despite the other elements that try to hide it, the weakness of this new season is the plot.
Wednesday Season 2 Characters
This season introduces new characters, such as Agnes DeMille, Wednesday’s newest avid follower and left hand, who easily becomes a fan favourite through great acting and the way which she joins the Enid and Wednesday duo. Isaac Night, also known as the zombie Slurp, a mad genius buried near Nevermore. Isadora Capri, a new werewolf teacher at Nevermore, as well as Tyler’s mother, Francoise Galpin.
What this season shows, however, is a clear lack of plot management, pushing some characters to the side and placing others at forefront more than needed.
Plot
With so many storylines created, it is hard to manage the intertwining of it all, which creates plot holes or even confusion among its viewers. One example of this would be the reveal of L.O.I.S, a project aimed at the erasure of powers from Outcasts — established by Augustus Stonehearst, but stolen from Isaac Night’s original blueprint.
This plot, as interesting as it is, is quickly discarded in favour of placing Isaac at the centre. It is simply used as an excuse to introduce his plan to save his sister from the Hyde curse. A similar disregard also happens with Wednesday’s coma. The cliffhanger end of part one where Wednesday was left bleeding after being thrown out a window at Willow Hill by Tyler is all resolved in mere minutes at the beginning of part two.
“What this season shows, however, is a clear lack of plot management, pushing some characters to the side and placing others at forefront more than needed.”
The plot of the Night family, that of Francoise, Isaac and Tyler also takes more than half of the season. For a show called Wednesday, and which aimed to focus on the Addams family, it is disheartening how a big percentage of the storylines of the second season revolve around the Night family. Despite this, even with the remaining story time, the main ensemble manages to do their best with what they are given, serving outstanding performances in each episode.
The Theme Of Loss
The season makes all the mains deal with loss in all its forms: Enid learns she is an alpha, risking losing her humanity, being hunted for her life and doomed to a life of isolation. Bianca Barclay endures the risk of losing her mother to the cult she just escaped. Morticia must bear losing her daughter to her own mother and the visions that consumed her sister. Lastly, Agnes almost loses herself in the journey to be liked by Wednesday.
Wednesday stands at the junction of these narratives, as she often prefers — the middle of storms she might not have created, but which she is willingly part of. As Enid phrases it, “[Wednesday] unleashes chaos only so [she] can stump it out and feel superior”. Wednesday is a character who, despite the writers’ many shortcomings in storytelling, manages to shine through Ortega’s acting choices that allows Wednesday to be a favourite.
“Worry, care and devotion are the main driving forces behind this season for Wednesday, who must deal with the loss of her seer powers after seeing a vision of Enid’s death.”
However, it also highlights the chance to gain something through hardship. Despite its many shortcomings, often correlating with the unfair treatment of the female characters in the time taken with their stories or the repetitive plot lines, this theme manages to shine through.
Wednesday, through every episode, shows her true nature and explores what it means to be an Addams: to do the right thing, even for the benefit of someone who does not deserve it. Though Wednesday takes unorthodox paths to achieve her goals and which create more chaos than not, her intentions remain righteous and fair, even to a boy that tried to kill her more than once.
Wednesday Season 2 Strengths
The story, however, shines most brilliantly when the focus is placed on Wednesday and Enid, whose relationship is easily perceived as the heart of the show.
Enid is a character whose contrast to Wednesday, helps her shine even brighter and allow the audience to see sides of Wednesday we would not see otherwise. Worry, care and devotion are the main driving forces behind this season for Wednesday, who must deal with the loss of her seer powers after seeing a vision of Enid’s death. Her humanity shines through as she tackles all mysteries that come her way to protect Enid from her death, and later her family, from a similar fate.
Enid And Wednesday
Enid and Wednesday, despite their differences, prove that at their core, they remain two halves of the same whole. At the end of the day, they will both choose to do what’s right, even at the risk of their lives, and especially when it comes to each other.
“Enid loses her life, but Wednesday too, loses the person closest to her.”
In the acclaimed body-swap episode, Wednesday admits that if it came to it, she knew Enid would choose to save her life, and Enid proves her right. When Wednesday ends up being buried alive by Isaac in her quest to save her brother from him and Tyler, Enid chooses to sacrifice herself by permanently transforming into a werewolf in order to dig Wednesday out. Enid loses her life, but Wednesday too, loses the person closest to her.
As the season closes, we only hope her quest to hunt down Enid is one treated with importance. We can only hope the writers listened to all the criticism and depict well-explored storylines filled with originality, respect to the namesake of the show and to the way in which all storylines can connect in harmony with each other.
READ NEXT:
-
THE SUMMER I TURNED PRETTY: AN INTERNET PHENOMENON
-
DOCTOR WHO SERIES 15: THE HIGHS AND LOWS OF A SHOW FINDING ITS FEET
-
CODE OF SILENCE REVIEW: A WASTED OPPORTUNITY?
Featured image courtesy of Irene Suwandi on Wikimedia Commons. No changes were made to this image. Image license found here.
