Wednesday

Read Time:3 Minute, 57 Second

By: Andreas Lattas and Imani Jean-Baptiste

The Wednesday series premiered on Netflix in November of 2022, starring Jenna Ortega as protagonist. This series came out with a new second season on August 6, 2025. Season two was deficient to season one for a very simple reason. It was a game of catch up to live up to what season one was. It felt rushed and the story lines dragged.

Wednesday is a horror series, focusing on the Addams family. The story is an updated view of the original 1964 gothic series which starring Christina Ricci. There was also a movie version about this family that was released in 1991. Ricci did a cameo in the new Netflix show, by playing Laurel Gates at the school Wednesday attends as a wink to the original audience.

The original Addams family series that aired on network television in the 1960s used humor to offset the dark plot twists. This theme was continued in the updated Netflix version. In 1966, the series did not end with a planned scripted format or finale, but was abruptly canceled by ABC because of low ratings. The show did not perform well, although the characters became iconic. In 2020, Tim Burton decided to resurrect the main character of Wednesday and build a series around her and her odd family in hopes of attracting a new generation of teenage fans.

Wednesday Season two was released in two parts. The first part, four episodes, was released on Aug 6, 2025, and the second part, the last four episodes, were released on Sept 4. Before Season two even aired, the show confirmed that Season three was ordered, and it will be released in the summer of 2027.

Wednesday Season One premiered on November 23, 2022. 252.1 million people viewed season one in the first 91 days it was available, which broke records on Netflix as the “most watched English language Netflix series”. Prestige magazine reports that the show broke many records and produced two Golden Globe nominations.

In Season one, the premise of the show began with a prank that Wednesday enacted as revenge against a student who was bullying her brother. This series follows Wednesday Addams when she is then sent to attend Nevermore Academy. Her psychic visions help her uncover that her love interest Tyler, played by Hunter Doohan, is a Hyde controlled by Laurel Gates. With help from her roommate Enid, played by Emma Myers, she defeats Laurel’s plan to resurrect Joseph Crackstone, and the season ends with Wednesday receiving a threatening message from a stalker setting up season two. The shocking reveals, as well as the gothic vibe of Nevermore Academy, kept it exciting.

In Season two, Wednesday returns to Nevermore determined to uncover who is stalking her, leading her to mysterious deaths tied to Willow Hill and the secret Long-term Outcast Integration Study (L.O.I.S.) program. A zombie, Tyler’s uncle Isaac Night, played by Owen Painter, is resurrected to restore his sister’s powers, ending the season on a strong cliffhanger. Season two also dives deeper into Wednesday’s family and her bond with Enid, showing how much they trust and support each other. While the character growth was a highlight, the season sometimes felt overcrowded with too many plots. In every episode there was either a new character introduced or a new storyline. Throughout season two, the plot lines were difficult to follow and hard to invest in. In Season one, the plot lines were simple and characters were slowly introduced.

Season one is exponentially better than season two. Season two was too emotional. The tone shifted frequently between horror, comedy, and melodrama. Season one had fewer competing storylines, so the plot was easier to follow. Season one had more memorable moments, such as a dance scene that went viral on TikTok, as well as shocking plot twists, for instance when Wednesday’s teacher turned out to be controlling a serial killer monster.

Season two of Wednesday has been viewed 94.5 million times in the first two months since its release, according to Netflix. Viewership for Season two has been lower than Season one, a reduction of 43 percent. This large reduction is not surprising, due to the reduced quality of the content. Netflix attributes this reduction to a lapse between seasons, splitting the release into two parts, and the lack of viral moments.

For horror fans getting ready for the upcoming Halloween season, season two of Wednesday may disappoint them. The macabre storylines and gory scenes are a draw for the same fans who love Universals’ Halloween Horror Nights. Wednesday and her woes in season two do not make for good Halloween television viewing.