Entertainment Article:
By Abby Harveson Feature Writer 12/9/22 She’s mysterious, spooky, and all together ooky. The girl whose passions lie within writing, music, death, revenge, and all things strange carelessly struts through her days, while the sounds of harpsichord echo throughout. Her woe and heaps of sarcasm towards what is “normal” latches onto her victims, just as any parasite.
Wednesday Addams, one part of possibly one of the most iconic, dark families in pop culture history, The Addams Family, receives her own TV show. With her newfound screen time, creator, Tim Burton, gives viewers no choice other than to peek into the peculiar mind of Wednesday Addams. Throughout the variety of shows, books, movies, and even musicals, Wednesday has always been portrayed similarly. Beginning with Lisa Loring in the 60’s sitcom, then most notably, Christina Ricci in the 90’s movie, and Kyrsta Rodriguez in the original cast of the musical in the late 2010’s. In this case, Wednesday is portrayed by Jenna Ortega. Though many viewers complained about Ortega’s performance after the enormous legacy Ricci left behind, Ortega still pulled through and gave plenty of justice to Wednesday Addams as a character. Ricci was featured in the show with her own minor role as a sort of easter egg. The story surrounds Wednesday getting sent to Nevermore, a school for outcasts where her parents met. Because of her past, she is required to attend therapy sessions as well. Reluctantly, Wednesday attends, despite several attempts of running away. At the school, several types of monster cliches remain, and Wednesday still manages to stick out. She is paired with a perky and colorful roommate, Enid, played by Emma Myers. Wednesday also gets stuck in a love triangle between a local barista, Tyler, played by Hunter Doohan, and another outcast, Xavier, played by Percy Hynes White. Another character within the story, Bianca, played by Joy Sunday, displays the popular, mean girl at the school. However, refreshingly, the actress is not the stereotypical white and blonde haired bully. The main conflict throughout the show is a monster attacking and killing several locals and outcasts in the woods. Wednesday, in return, takes it upon herself to prove the reality of the monster and solve who it may be. The story line mysteriously turns to and from suspects into an unexpected ending. Micah Rusch, 12, shares his input. |
“It is a rollercoaster of red herrings; I thought I knew who did it, but it was actually another person in the end,” Rusch says.
Casting throughout the show luckily displayed representation of the Latin community with the family portrayed by Latio actors and Latina actress, Luis Guzman, Issac Ordonez, and Catherine Zeta-Jones. Since the Addams family originally comes from a Latin background, the new cast fits perfectly. October Peplinski-Trevino voices her opinion. “I liked the show, though Morticia and Gomez’s chemistry was very off. I really love the Latino representation!” Peplinski-Trevino exclaims. The overall film quality and cinematography in the show are completely on point and visually, Wednesday is a beautiful show. One aspect in particular is the stunning animation of Thing. Thing is another member of the Addams family. The creature is a stitched up, severed hand that moves and thinks on its own. The animation of Thing isn’t overdone and looks genuinely realistic. Unlike some live-action movies lately, this shows nails how to realistically animate characters. At some points, the show had its cringey moments, but a few lines or actions by did not discount all of the positives the show possessed. Because of its contrast in genres, such as, comedy, mystery, horror, and even some romance, Wednesday caters towards the likes of diverse audiences. In short, Wednesday is for everyone and should be enjoyed for all of the spectacular details and everything that goes into the show. Hopefully, a second season is in store for the future. |