5 Reasons Netflix's Wednesday is Actually Better Than 90s Movies
Or, at least, a little more interesting.
As Jenna Ortega delivers the new generation's Wednesday Addams, let's take a look back.
Wednesday Addams eerily marches back onto our screens in a new spooky Netflix adaptation starring Jenna Ortega. But the iconic Addams Family member already has a history of screen appearances - something the new show even nods to by casting Christina Ricci, who portrayed Wednesday in The Addams Family (1991) and Addams Family Values (1993).
But despite the respect the show pays to the Wednesday Addams legacy, Jenna Ortega's character is very different from the movies - and perhaps even better for it.
Wednesday's Main Character Now
Quite literally. Instead of being a supporting character who has to develop against the backdrop of the entire Addams Family, Wednesday takes center stage in the Netflix show. Although the family is still a major part of the series, Wednesday is now the main protagonist, the IT girl, and the star of the show.
In the show, she has to deal with being a teenager, going to a school for outcasts, and the occasional encounter with homicidal monsters. Isn't that every girl's dream?
Wednesday Has Powers
The Addams Family can hardly be described as a normal family, but Wednesday had no supernatural abilities in the movies. That changes in the Netflix show, where Ortega's character has psychic visions that give her a glimpse into the future, even if they are sometimes messy and unreliable.
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Wednesday Goes Dark
Although the movies tell the story of a spooky family, they rarely crossed the "dark" line and never really showed anything too violent or bloody. Netflix's Wednesday is full of blood and scary monsters ready to tear someone apart, though the show is clearly not as gory as, say, House of the Dragon.
Wednesday Got Game
While not being reduced to an obvious Mary Sue, Netflix's Wednesday Addams has a lot of previously unseen talents. She is good at fencing, archery, and even plays the cello. She is also an aspiring author who is disciplined enough to schedule "writing time" in her schedule every day.
Wednesday Grows Up
As she "takes a stab at being social", Wednesday not only learns how to communicate with people without openly threatening them, but also makes friends and even finds herself in a love triangle of sorts (although Wenclair shippers would clearly argue that there is only one angle for Wednesday Addams in this show...).
In the movies, Ricci's Wednesday also had her own chemistry with an outcast named Joel Glicker, with whom she even shares a first kiss. The show, however, delves deeper into Wednesday's romantic life.