Netflix may not have set out to reboot The Addams Family, but it has certainly succeeded in reintroducing everyone to Wednesday. Tim Burton’s series Wednesday sees a teenage version of the titular character (played by Janet Ortega) coming into her own as she strikes out on her own while away at Nevermore Academy.
While there, she dances, falls in love, and does some sleuthing. But for some viewers, it all seems a bit too much.
Wednesday Has Enough Charm For Critics…
Ever since its release, critics have applauded Burton’s series for being fresh and original, earning the first season a 72% rating on Rotten Tomatoes after 87 reviews. “These reboots usually suck (see: Tales of the City) but, to my surprise and delight, Netflix’s new Addams Family spin-off, Wednesday, works a charm,” The Australian wrote.
At the same time, Ortega has received a lot of praise for her take on the iconic Wednesday. “Ms. Ortega is a charismatic performer playing a character who is decidedly anti-charisma, so that’s an accomplishment; she has a face that triumphs over deadpan,” Wall Street Journal said.
Remezcla also noted that Ortega’s Wednesday “doesn’t feel like a redo or a copy. Instead, it feels like what Wednesday Addams was always supposed to be.”
But Viewers Have Called It Out For Being ‘Annoying’
There are several reasons why. For starters, there are claims that the show is nothing like the '90s Addams Family films, which many grew up with.
“I didn’t mind Wednesday, but the whole vibe of the family overall is sad. The fun of the Addams Family has always been overall, they don’t care what others think and you can’t get really get them down and if you do, it doesn’t last long at all…” one user said on Reddit.
Another wrote, “I think the whole charm of the Addams family is that they are a foil to normies- so when you put one of them in a school full of other 'weirdos' that charm is lost.”
Similar sentiments were raised on Metacritic too. “This is not an Addams family show; it plays like a campy preteen romance novel mashed together with a Tumblr-level Harry Potter fanfiction, thinly covered in an Addams family coat of paint,” a user wrote.
Similarly, another said, “This has failed to capture the magic and essence of the Addams Family on every level and I truly hope it doesn’t get reviewed for season 2.”
Some viewers have claimed that Luis Guzmán’s Gomez and Catherine Zeta-Jones’ Morticia don’t have chemistry. “I also felt Morticia lacked warmth in her eyes when facing Gomez,” a Redditor explained.
“Her gazes at Gomez looked like that of someone who stepped in a freezer more than the sultry stares I remember from the films.”
“Chemistry between Morticia and Gomez was horrible omg,” another remarked. “Morticia seemed to be hiding disgust every time she kissed Gomez.” On Rotten Tomatoes, one user also criticized the couple for “acting like normal parents.”
On the other hand, some are also under the opinion that perhaps, the project should have never been Burton’s. “It's freaking Tim Burton. His whole schtick is "nobody likes me because I'm not like normal people", juvenile resentment and misplaced rebellion towards society at large. It just doesn't work for the Addams Family,” one Redditor explained.
“Yes, Wednesday is morbid and sadistic but she's not supposed to be a total bitch to everyone, just the people who deserve it.”
“Don’t like the new Wednesday. It’s the try hard vibe and Tim Burton should have known better 🙄,” another wrote. One Redditor also said, “was hoping this was gonna be Burton's return to quality. Imo dude hasn't made anything worth a watch since Sweeny Todd, and it was Big Fish before that.”
Wednesday Still Won Fans Over Though
Amid the negative reviews, however, Wednesday has also won over a lot of fans. “This is an amazing series that is kinda like a fantasy detective show,” one viewer wrote on Rotten Tomatoes. “Love the fact we have a new spin on the Adams family [sic] movies.”
“It's a television series dedicated to the daughter of the Addams family, and her impossibility to attend a normal school, but only one dedicated to people like her,” another wrote on Metacritic. “This series has a truly mystical backstory dedicated to all's gothic things, including creatures. The central theme is an history of intrigue and mystery.”
“I love Wednesday's teenager version of herself and I really like her more by the end of the season too after everything has happened,” a Redditor also wrote. “Original AF Wednesday has to only do shorter scenes so I can't imagine it being easy to make a whole show surrounding her character.”