If These Woes Could Talk

After the weird third episode I came into this one a little tentative. Boy was I surprised though. The story continues and is extremely compelling with sudden twists some of which are very shocking(in my opinion) and some great scenes like Billie Piper's character playing Zombie on the piano in that one scene! :> Absolutely devastating cliffhanger and I like the altered formula to make it different from the previous episodes. The relationship between Grandma-ma and Morticia is interesting and it's nice to see Morticia take some action. But the icing on the cake is the last 15-20 minutes with one banger of a cliffhanger. It's also always a plus to see Fester. Agnes is also a very interesting character and I would like to see more on her. Can't wait for Part 2 on September 3rd.

Wednesday is kind of a misnomer in the Tim Burton collection, probably his most accessible and least inventive work to date. Well, that was the perception coming into season 2. Season 2 is rather remarkable in that it maintains its accessibility while laying into the darker and more serious elements much more freely, opting to venture into uncharted territory rather than cheaply rely on what's already worked (as with Stranger Things, for example). The first couple episodes did the heavy lifting of setup and exposition that the second couple episodes were able to tell the story in a more direct and engaging way. The premises from both the third and fourth episodes were whimsical but well-developed (the camp and the asylum), with well-rounded B-stories (which are seemingly coming together as the A-story) that are both compelling and well-structured.

As far as taking the existing, maybe even somewhat contrived formula from season one and turning it into something considerably more intriguing and captivating, the first half of season 2 has more than accomplished this, and I'm hopeful that the conclusion to this season's narrative is able to live up to the promise that these four episodes have shown. That said, for those who are fans of the whimsy and more childish elements (the teenage collegiate rabble and the safe but somewhat edgy humor, for example) this does offer that in fairly sizable heaps as well. It's not necessarily unpalatable, as these have all been hour-long episodes and incorporating that for the younger demographic is fine, but it can distract from the more capitulating elements, like the character development and more experimental story beats.

All-in-all, season two has delivered so far, with "If These Woes Could Talk" offering the best and most compelling example. It's not without its less mature pitfalls, as expected, but there's enough here for those more interested in an engaging time rather than another generic teen dramedy, to a much greater extent than in the first season. My complaints are considerably outweighed by my enjoyment, which is a lot broader than just watching for Jenna Ortega as I did in season one, although she remains just as captivating. Perhaps even moreso. 7.5/10.

In quirky shows like this, the actors, directors, writers, & crew have to work harder to suspend our disbelief. Yes, it's a genre piece so as such it can be read in varying degrees of expectations; however, odd ball comedy, to gentle horror, to a mystery story like this needs convincing character actors so the viewer believes the characters realness over the unreal situations.

In "Addam's Family Values", Christina Ricci smiles in such a way that it is burned in my memory forever. That singular smile is elevated beyond what is written or even the story itself by her incredible acting. The weight & value of that smile is solely dependent on Ricci; that is, she brilliantly establishes Wednesday so that a singular smile would resonate through all time, space, & matter. I was smitten with her talent from that point forward.

Thandiwe Newton is equally as brilliant & is quickly becoming one of my favorite actresses. Have I seen all of her work? No. What I have seen of her is that she's able to layer her characters with such believability that we find emotional pay off in unlikely places. Again, that's incredible talent that helps viewers suspend the disbelief over the situation, for the belief in these characters.

Truthfully, I watched this episode giddy. Who on earth cast this thing? Everyone is fantastic! Honestly! It's as if someone plucked out so many of my favorite talents & put them in the same show just for me. No, I'm not that vain, but it says something about the talent director of this film. It appears to me that talented people love working with Tim Burton.

I love Jenna Ortega as Wednesday. Her portrayal is burning so many great memories into my skull the way Ricci has. The thing about every actor in this piece of literature, is that they seem to only grow stronger standing next to another.

Thank you for keeping the spirit of The Addam's Family and updating the satire for modern day audiences. Thank you for putting so much effort into suspending our beliefs, so that we can see the human in every outcast. Because truthfully, all humans have value & are often limited by how they allow themselves to limit their potential.

Most importantly, thank you for giving us a scene where Newton and Ricci can act in the same room. I could say more about how rewarding it has been to watch Ricci's arc, but I'd have to take time on every character to actor because they all deserve high praise.

This is a brilliant show.

*That look Newton gives Ricci, in that one scene...omg...(spoilers)

Terrific midseason finale. Definitely a much darker tone than last year, what with the gruesome death last episode and the gruesome death(s) this episode. I will admit that most Wednesday fans will be surprised about the demise of a certain character, but it does kind of up the ante that nobody - except the titular Ice Queen herself, of course - is safe.

If I had any complaint about this season so far it would be that they are under-using Enid, who is tied with Thing - imho, anyway - as the show's second most intriguing character. I do like that the primary plot device this season is Wednesday trying to solve her friend's death before it happens. But so far Enid's role is hanging with Thing (awesome) and taking Wednesday's place at the center of this season's love triangle (not so awesome). Hopefully, Burton, Gough and Millar will gave our favorite werewolf girl some cool stuff to do in the second half.

The chaos at the asylum was mindless fun. Tyler/Hyde's rampage. Fester's antics. The reveal of what "Lois" actually means. Poor, deluded Louise/Lois, and so much more.

Plus, the "What happened? Wednesday happened" line was pure gold.

There was another big reveal that I will say took me by surprise - something that most of us thought wasn't going to be revealed until sometime toward the end of the season - but of course will lead to bigger reveals in the second half. Don't want to say more as this is a spoiler-free review but I think most fans who have watched this episode will know what I am talking about.

Eagerly looking forward to part two of this season. Who's behind all the chaos and what is actually going on? Who knows, but I am counting the days until the first Wednesday of September.

The second season of Wednesday allows the show to expand beyond the title character and her spooky-ooky classmates to involve more members of the Addams family. First, I would like to address several comments regarding some of these other characters:

Gomez (Luis Guzman) - Many commenters have negative reviews of Guzman, however he is exactly as how creator Charles (Chas) Addams envisioned Gomez when the comic first appeared in the New Yorker magazine. Gomez was NEVER drawn as dashing. He was drawn to look more like Chas Addams himself - short and corpulent. (That never stopped Chas Addams from romancing the most glamorous female stars of his time - look it up.) Gomez was not intended to be like the late Raul Julia (movie's Gomez) or even John Astin (on TV).

Morticia (Catherine Zeta-Jones) - Some criticize her extreme white makeup and ruby red lips. But that's the point - she's suppose to look like a corpse, with an unhealthy pale appearance. BTW, in the TV series, Morticia was played by Carolyn Jones, who also portrayed her sister Ophelia. Will we see that same dual casting with Zeta-Jones? It's possible we may have gotten a glimpse of Ophelia in the mid-season 2 "cliff hanger".

Wednesday (Jenna Ortega) - Some also take issue with Ortega's complexion. But since she is Morticia's daughter, it only makes sense her skin should have the same pale complexion.

Mama/Grandmama Frump (Joanna Lumley) - Mama's appearance is definitely NOT in line with the original. In the comic and TV show, Mama is more or less shown as a witch - short, old and withered, etc. Instead, Tim Burton has elected to glam her up and make her a funeral home mogul. That only works in service of this season and is not what the character was suppose to look like. And since she also lived with the family in the TV series, making her estranged from Morticia also makes no sense. (But since Mama Frump is supposedly also American, it does make sense for Lumley to affect an American accent in this role.)

Pugsley and Eugene - It was 3 years between seasons 1 and 2. In that time, these two actors went through a dramatic growth spurt. Pugsley does not look like he's suppose to. And without the curly wig and glasses, Eugene could probably be the romantic lead.

Ms. Capri (Billie Piper) - There was absolutely no reason for Piper to drop her British accent. In season 1, Principal Weems (Gwendolyn Christie) certainly didn't change her accent. A poor choice by the producers to change Piper's voice.

It was not completely surprising to see the re-appearance of Christina Ricci. But is she "gone" or not? Not everyone really dies in these shows.

In general, I'm still not sold on the idea that somehow the Addams have powers - that's way out of line with the source material. And to invent a whole new subculture of "outcasts" somehow dilutes the importance of the Addamses as quirky characters in the first place. The whole point was that, despite their appearance, they exhibited stronger family values and morals than the "normies". But in Burton's interpretation, that now makes less sense.

Tim Burton has taken extreme liberties with the Addams family. While we're still waiting to see Morticia to demonstrate any real powers beyond ESP, will Gomez and Mama also be powered, or are they just wealthy? (I'd be fine if they dropped the whole powers thing, but Burton's opened this Pandora's box and now he has to live with it.)

One more thing. Both Ortega and Emma Myers (Enid) are beginning to age out of their roles, both turning 23 in 2025. Maybe for season 3, the show could "time jump" to allow Wednesday, Enid, and others to experience adventures outside Nevermore. Just a thought.