Quid Pro Woe

Ep 6 feels like it's trying to get the weirdness back, but it's still not quite the full Burton buffet we had early in the season. The mystery moves along briskly, with new clues, shifting suspicions, and a couple of decent reveals, but the atmosphere isn't as lush or eccentric as before.

Jenna Ortega remains the glue holding it all together - her glare could probably get its own spin-off - while Emma Myers' Enid keeps injecting energy into every scene she's in. We also get more from Gwendoline Christie, whose Principal Weems continues to be both fascinating and slightly terrifying. The Tyler/Xavier/Wednesday triangle simmers on, though it's more seasoning than main course.... thankfully.

The episode does manage a few fun set pieces, and there's a nice sense that the puzzle pieces are finally starting to click. Still, part of me misses the over-the-top gothic staging that made Nevermore feel like a character in its own right.

A solid instalment, but if the Burton magic doesn't fully return soon, the season risks trading its uniqueness for generic teen-mystery territory.

Like all good hauntings, there needs to be a house, that's all dark and dingy and riddled with louse (or creepy crawlies generally), where cobwebs prevail, the air's grey and stale, the antitheses of, any place you'd carouse. So Wednesday and Tyler and Edith explore, they're not really sure what it is they look for, though behind hidden walls, with their fine knitted shawls, a candescence of evidence provides the decor. But the story so far has left several threads dangling, like all good detectives, she'll need her best wangling, to find the culprit (or culprits), and to make the crimes stick, preventing more souls being lost after mangling.

This episode cranks up the tension as Wednesday's investigation into the Hyde monster edges closer to answers-and danger. It also mixes in a strong subplot about friendship and trust, particularly with Enid and Thing.

A Birthday Surprise She Didn't Want

The episode kicks off with Wednesday's dorm room mysteriously decorated for her birthday-balloons, cake, the works. She's immediately suspicious (because of course she is). It turns out Enid, Tyler, and Xavier were in on it, trying to do something nice. Wednesday is unimpressed, dismissing birthdays as meaningless milestones in the "march toward death." This cold response causes a small rift with her friends, especially Enid.

Thing's Betrayal

Wednesday soon discovers that Thing has been helping her friends plan the party behind her back. She calls it a betrayal and sends him on "probation," but their banter shows there's genuine affection beneath the barbs.

Investigating the Hyde

The core mystery of the episode is Wednesday's determination to prove that the Hyde monster is a real threat and that someone at Nevermore is controlling it. She's particularly suspicious of Xavier, whose strange drawings and secret hideouts keep popping up in her investigation.

Her sleuthing takes her to the local library, where she learns about an outcast named Laurel Gates-a member of the Gates family thought to be dead. The deeper she digs, the more she's convinced that Laurel may be tied to the Hyde killings.

Tyler's "Nice Guy" Energy

Tyler continues to position himself as the helpful, caring presence in Wednesday's life. He takes her to Crackstone's crypt, a secret location in Jericho, where the two share a moment that's clearly meant to push the romance angle. Wednesday is hesitant but intrigued-though it's obvious her focus is still on the investigation.

Enid's Breaking Point

Enid finally reaches her limit with Wednesday's coldness and obsession. She moves out of their shared dorm room temporarily, leaving Wednesday alone. It's a small but important moment that underlines how Wednesday's singular focus on the mystery risks alienating the few people who care about her.

Danger and Clues

The episode ends with Wednesday stumbling upon a major clue that edges her closer to uncovering the Hyde's identity. Tension is high-someone is always watching her, and she's starting to realize her investigation is putting her in serious danger.

This episode carries along the narrative quite well, but the inclusion of Fred Armisen just absolutely ruins the experience and atmosphere.

His consistently high pitched, over-acted voice pulls me out of the experience, and reminds me of a poorly thought out Saturday Night Live sketch. I'm honestly surprised they let Fred take on this role, it's just that bad. The constant "inside jokes", bad puns, and tongue-in-cheek dark comments create a much different vibe than the rest of the cast provides.

The entire episode I was waiting patiently for the moment he left the screen, and I could continue watching the show in relative peace.

Wednesday's friends attempt to celebrate her birthday, but she has other plans.

This is a good episode with some strong character moments.

The central mystery continues to drip feed information at an appropriate pace to allow the filmmakers to showcase a bit of horror movie suspense. This is done well, with great attention paid to the characters behaviour in certain situations as well as the strong visuals on display. It is another chapter that ends with you wanting to find out what comes next.

A big part of the plot is Wednesday's attitude towards her friends and potential love interests. For me, the dynamic with the boys is adequate but not great, as I do not find them particularly interesting characters. What does work is her relationship with Enid, which is credit to the writers for plausibly portraying how this character would react to Wednesday's behaviour. The chemistry between Jenna Ortega and Emma Myers is one of the highlights of the show.

There are some scenes involving Bianca and Lucas that slightly develop the characters more, but I think it needs to lead to something worthwhile for it to be a significant arc. I will reserve judgement until the outcome of this becomes clear.

As ever the cinematography and art design is excellent, with a great soundtrack that enhances everything.

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