Wednesday Season 2 Part 2 Review

Wednesday Season 2 Part 2 is satisfying and weird with great performances, even if things start to feel a little too familiar.

What makes this batch stand out from what came before is the quality of work from her costars, from Emma Myers radiating endless amounts of sunshine as Wednesday’s bestie and roommate Enid Sinclair to Steve Buscemi’s Principal Barry Dort with his Ned Flanders energy, this batch gives each of our main players something to do. That really makes these episodes stand out from the first four, because so many things that felt jumbled together there actually create a compelling giant mystery. The writers also found new ways to not only explore their characters but also move this plot forward. For as much good as this batch does, certain parts do feel like a retread of fun elements from Season 1. Ultimately, this is everything we love about this version of Wednesday Addams and then some. 

So much of what didn’t seem to matter in the first batch, such as siren Bianca Barclay (Joy Sunday) and her mother Gabrielle (Gracy Goldman) hiding out from Morning Song cult leader Gideon Sterling (Casper Van Dien), come back into play and help to create a bigger overall mystery. Bianca’s rift with her Mom because of Morning Song and their eventual reunion have been a recurring thread, so it was nice to see the writers room not leave them hanging. That sort of reaction happened a lot in the second batch and only furthered my belief that this season shouldn’t have been split into two parts. This narrative has a good flow to it and Netflix really hurt it by halting the momentum, thus creating two halves of a season that don’t fully work on their own. 

It’s a bummer because when you put Wednesday Season 2 Part 2 together with Part 1, you get this really kooky web that throws so many interesting things at you. Wednesday’s quest to save Enid (Emma Myers) and regain her psychic ability both take turns that viewers won’t really see coming. This includes the return of Gwendoline Christie as Larissa Weems, who becomes Wednesday’s new spirit guide in a bit of storytelling that may be convoluted, but Ortega and Christie are so good together that most won’t care.

Episode 6, “Woe Thyself” is the best of this batch for doing something I never expected and using that to further not only the larger narrative, but also Wednesday and Enid’s relationship, and their individual plot lines. Said episode sees Ortega and Myers give their best performances of the season as well. What these two were able to do genuinely floored and terrified me more than anything else this season had to offer. It’s not scary in a traditional sense, but more that I never thought I’d see Wednesday and Enid in this particular situation. The duo is the heart of the show and in addition to their stellar scenes together, they further the season and arcs of several characters in Episode 6 and beyond. 

Audiences will also grow to love Evie Templeton as Agnes DeMille. Wednesday Season 2 Part 2 sees the invincible girl with a Wednesday Addams obsession come into her own. Templeton has figured out how to balance being strange and adorable in the role. For someone who is only 16 years old, she has a ton of poise and can hold her own against the likes of Jenna Ortega. Agnes helps Wednesday out a ton in this batch, but we also learn more about who she is outside this one sided friendship with our main protagonist. It was nice to see her get some decent character development after mostly being one note in the first four episodes. I’m excited to see where she goes from here.

Jenna Ortega gets to flex her acting muscles a bit throughout these episodes and once again proves that she is the perfect Wednesday Addams. There’s so much depth and charm to her portrayal. What makes it so great is the fact that Ortega can make you believe in Wednesday, and her very twisted emotions. Each choice seems calculated with the singular end goal to protect those she cares about while also causing as much chaos as possible. This girl revels in darkness, but has a deep love for her family and Enid. She may not show emotion often, but if you cross her, Wednesday will get back at you while wearing this almost painful looking smile that is perfectly built up to whenever Ortega breaks it out. She’s not a hero, but she does care, which is part of what makes this incarnation of Wednesday so fantastic.

My biggest complaint about Wednesday Season 2 Part 2 is that there are elements utilized which were touched on in Season 1. There’s another mystery tied directly to the Addams family, as well as a similar arc for Thing, and of course, audiences are treated to another dance sequence. While said dance sequence doesn’t involve Wednesday and is actually pretty cool, one can’t help but feel it was added on in the wake of Wednesday’s dance from last season becoming a viral hit. When you consider the show did so many different things in Season 2, it’s a tad disappointing that they recycled several ideas.

So much gets wrapped up, but with the series already renewed for Season 3, there is plenty left to explore, such as the next step in Enid’s journey as a werewolf and everything surrounding Morticia’s (Catherine Zeta-Jones) sister Ophelia, who is very different than the flower child version audiences might have seen in the 1964 Addams Family television series. I applaud the writers for finding the right balance between finishing up things from both seasons and opening up new possibilities. 

Wednesday Season 2 Part 2 finishes the season up in excellent fashion, even if the writers reused some story elements. There’s so much to love about this batch of episodes, from its solid mystery to tons of character development, and of course, an amazing cast. Even though this season had its ups and downs, it turned out to be better than the first when all was said and done. Based on that cliffhanger, I feel like Season 3 has the potential to be better than the first two seasons put together and I can’t wait for it.  

Wednesday Season 2 is now available to stream globally on Netflix.