Friend or Woe

The show finally stops picking at the thread and begins to present us with what it promised in premise and setup. Everyone is giving it their all with what they're given and the this ultimately provides for an entertaining episode setting up multiple threads at once. That said, the dialogue is humiliating and seems to be written by a 40-year-old teen. Normies is used in-universe with a straight face, one hundo, and mansplaining. Soundtrack is becoming grating at this point as the music smothers dialogue and one can only take so many string covers. The show, like the characters, wears its intentions on its sleeve but is ultimately saved by technical execution.

Wednesday does some historical investigations about one of Jericho's founding fathers.

This is a well made episode with some intrigue and spectacle.

For me the previous cliffhanger could not be more of an anticlimax, but it is pretty funny due to Wednesday's reaction and attitude.

The most revealing plot element in this chapter comes in one of the exposition dumps that are Wednesday's psychic visions. It is another great visual sequence, to go with so many others in the show, plus it drip feeds more information that holds interest in the central mystery. It does not feel particularly original. Her arc feels quite similar to the great Simpsons episode 'Lisa The Iconoclast', but unlike the humorous Springfield story, it gives a more satisfying resolution to the historical whitewash, along with Wednesday's blunt distain for the museum.

As with previous episodes I find some characters better than others. Wednesday carries the show for me, but several other characters feel a bit uninspired, particularly the other students. I am not a fan of the martial arts scenes and doing it again here with the same antagonists feels repetitive.

All performances are strong and the production values are excellent.

For me it's a 7.5/10, but I round upwards.

...are all over this. While people are criticizing this show as Tim Burton not working to potential, Burton's not the only one with input into this series.

The slow tease of Wednesday's story is reminiscent of another Gough/Millar-created show: "Smallville" in which they spent years with this nod nod, wink wink look at the coming of age of Superman.

And for those who don't like Luis Guzman as Gomez (not seen here), there can be only one John Astin. Even Raul Julia in the 90s films was a poor substitute. Let's not be too harsh.

While we've only ever known Wednesday as a child until now and this is terra nova, it seems as if they're trying to create a backstory for Gomez and Morticia as well.

The midweek minx, continues her jinks, takes her leave from the secret assembly, as its time to get dressed, become Pilgrim World's guest, and pretend that she's kind, keen and friendly; in the Meeting House room, she discovers a tome, but the pages are white as plain snow, and a picture reveals, alike image appeals, takes her to a house from long ago; another vision unlocks, 1625 shocks, where an ancestor reveals foul play, waking up in the rain, there's that monster again, just an ordinary Jericho day.

Any show that plays a song from Beach House in the background is always going to be a winner with me!

This is so politically motivated that the 'slumber-free' cheer and the rest wonder at the vilification.

Even so, this is remarkable well done. I am confident that the cast was really well led by the writers and direction. There is enough 'on the page' that the editing can step along briskly. Even the doofus boys are well written. The first episode drags a bit but this features the set-up. Ep.2 shows us Wednesdays character. Ep.3, this one, goes overboard on the two-dimentional mean kids but no hero fares well unless the villains are serious.

I liked best the dialog 'asides' which are numerous and quick enough to keep the viewer interested and chuckling.