"I don't bury hatchets. I sharpen them." “I enjoy funerals. I’ve been crashing them since I was old enough to read the obituary section.” "You know the old saying: never bring a knife to a sword fight. Unless it's concealed" "Use the words 'little' and 'girl' to address me again and I can't guarantee your safety." "I see the world as a place that must be endured, and my personal philosophy is kill or be killed." "I know I’m stubborn, single-minded and obsessive. But those are all traits of great writers. Yes, and serial killers." “For the record I don’t believe that I’m better than everyone else. Just that I’m better than you.”
At our latest "binge-watch" yesterday, John-John and I not only completed watching the She-Hulk series, and watched two further Marvel specials Werewolf By Night and the Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special [Bah Humbug], but managed to also watch back-to-back all eight episodes of the cult Netflix hit series Wednesday, which places The Addams Family's sepulchral daughter front and centre of the action. I'd heard good things about it, and wasn't disappointed.
The show is firmly marketed at a "Young Adult" audience, so has all the expected tropes of the genre - fumbling teenage relationships, angst, "believing in yourself", rivalries, a smattering of "socially aware" issues around societal stigma, identity, sexuality, climate; the usual shebang that goes with the territory - but with Tim Burton on board, you just know it rises above all that into something very quirky indeed.
The sinister nature of Addams Family lore pervades everything here, from the Gothic architecture of the Nevermore Academy (described by one reviewer as "Hogwarts for Goths") and its cobwebby secret passageways and hidden libraries, to the dark inversion of bad=good, and the campery that goes with it [it features many tributes to the 1960s TV series, too: the entry call for the secret doorway is its trademark "double-finger-snap"; an arcane book is hidden behind a dusty oil painting of Cousin Itt]. And as the most chilling of all the Addams the eponymous "Wednesday", Jenna Ortega is an absolute sensation! From the moment she exacts revenge on the water polo team that had been bullying her brother "Pugsley" at her most recent school - with piranhas! - she is utterly convincing as everyone's favourite cold-hearted junior psychopath. I loved her!
Her singular blooody-mindedness and lack of any concern what anyone thinks of her cleverly subverts the schmaltziness that American-high-school-based dramas tend to offer, and as Wednesday cruelly undermines everybody in her path - her candyfloss-coloured werewolf roommate "Enid" (Emma Myers), school top dog (and siren) "Bianca" (Joy Sunday), fellow pupils, prospective boyfriends ("Xavier" (Percy Hynes White ) and "Tyler" (Hunter Doohan ), both gorgeous), teachers (including "Miss Thornhill", played by Miss Ortega's predecessor in the role Christina Ricci) her therapist and the local townsfolk, as well as her battles of wits with the magnificent Nevermore headmistress Larissa Weems (a superb performance by Gwendoline Christie) and the local Sheriff Galpin (Jamie McShane) - we still rooted for the malevolent little monster!
Speaking of monsters, the thread of the plot revolves around a series of gory murders in the area by a mysterious beast, and its potential link to the grim and supernatural history of the town and its environs; all of which Wednesday takes as a direct challenge that she (and her sidekick, the ever reliable disembodied hand "Thing") must investigate and solve. There are multiple twists and turns (of course), and some standalone interruptions to the ongoing story - not least the appearance of the Addams clan (with Catherine Zita-Jones as the imperious "Morticia"), and a hilarious "Uncle Fester" (Fred Armisen) - before the inevitable, action-packed denouément in which all the loose ends are tied up. Or are they? [There is a second series in the offing]
There is one scene in particular that has gone viral amonst the show's many fans - and here it is!
And, by way of a further taster, "a featurette"...
I highly recommend it!
It's probably the best show and most excited over something on tv I've been since American Horror Story begin for me. And no surprise that Burton is at the helm. I'm a fan of most of his work. The only cast I couldn't stand was the actor who portrayed Gomez...a minor detail. And might be the most delicious role I have seen Gwendoline Christie in. I'm a fan of hers.
ReplyDeleteI must admit that Luis Guzmán's "Gomez" was somewhat disappointing (although several reviewers have pointed out that he's closer to the original Charles Addams character than either John Astin [incidentally, he's still with us, aged 92] or Raul Julia played him).
Delete"Delicious" is a very apt term for Miss Christie's portrayal of the headmistress - a sort-of taller version of a character that might have been written with Emma Thompson - she's brilliant. Jx
I'll probably check it out, but I loved Addam's Family Values so much I hate to muddy that experience.
ReplyDeleteAnd since you're talking TV, I've been watching Big Mouth on Netflix. Can you imagine an old poop like me liking the show? It can be okay & then become amazing.
I would definitely recommend you give it a go, if only for the remarkable turns by Miss Ortega and Miss Christie. It might bill itself as a "YA" show, but it has enough Tim Burton darkness and fan-boy references to earlier iterations of the Addamses to be a very rewarding experience indeed. An old cynic like moi would never have sat through six hours of any show if I wasn't thoroughly engrossed! Jx
DeletePS I don't subscribe to any streaming services at home (not Netflix, Amazon Prime, BritBox, Disney+ or anything), which is why I go to John-John's when there are any Marvel-type shows I actually do want to see on any of them. I can wait until previously streamed series come to terrestrial TV (and even then it's rare to be interested enough to bother, as Madame Arcati and I work different days so we're never off at the same time, just evenings, so binge-watching's out of the question). Jx
Oh yes, I have enjoyed this too! I've just realised that she is dancing to The Cramps - what? The group from the eighties??? I had a friend who was obsessed with them - I will have to go Google...
ReplyDeleteSx
I was surprised that there wasn't more classic Goth music, tbh - the likes of Bauhaus, Siouxsie, the Damned, Sisters of Mercy or The Mission must surely make an appearance in the second series. Jx
DeleteAll pretty much beyond me, since the only tv "horror" show I recall was The Munsters. I went, very late one night, to a fancy-dress affair dressed as Eddie Munster and scared the pants off two elderly ladies at a taxi rank...
ReplyDeleteI always regarded The Munsters as a later "knock-off" of The Addams Family - although it turns out they were on rival telly channels around the same time. I only ever remember the latter being shown on British telly, and we adored it. I'm pretty sure the UK only got the former much, much later. Jx
DeleteI definitely watch to watch Wednesday, but will have to do so alone.
ReplyDeleteFor fear of scaring the cats? Jx
DeleteHee hee. For fear of scaring the resident saint.
DeleteSG's not an Addams Family fan, then? Jx
DeleteThat looks fun but I must admit that the dance in the first video reminded me of Tracy Turnblad dancing 'Do the Roach'.
ReplyDelete...only a slimmer version. Jx
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