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.

This is the strongest episode of the season so far.

There is an effective build up to a crescendo of spectacle that takes place at a specific location. The filmmakers effectively blend moments of humour and terror whilst moving the plot forward in an interesting way. That is as much as I can say without spoiling.

One of the highlights is the use of a guest character who has a key role in what happens and generates the most laughs. Without him I think it would cross the line of being too dark for what the show has established since its first season.

Visually it is one of the strongest episodes of Wednesday. There atmosphere is suitably creepy whilst never losing that slight hint of goofiness that good comedy-horrors need to remind you not to take it too seriously.

All actors are very good but for me the stand out is Fred Armisen.

Season 2 has been notably darker in tone prior to this episode, but I would say this raises it another notch. As it is popular with younger viewers I would advise parents to vet it first before letting any sensitive young ones watch it, as some moments might be nightmare fuel.

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)

Episode 4, and the end of the first part of Season 2.

For me, this episode is by far the best of the four. The plot is starting to make sense and isn't marred by pointless digressions like in previous episodes this season.

While the arrival of Grandma Addams is a bit disappointing (Joanna Lumley deserved better writing for her role), that of Uncle Fetid is, on the contrary, successful, bringing a real touch of humor to the whole thing.

Unfortunately, the same can't be said for Morticia, and Catherine Zeta-Jones, whose face is shamefully and artificially "smoothed" (which, even more shamefully, is also the case for Jenna Ortega's, a process by which she can still play a 15-year-old for another ten years?), doesn't have much to talk about.

Luiz Guzman's absence from this episode is, however, welcome!

I appreciated the return of the always excellent Christina Ricci as Laurel Gates.

The episode is well-paced and the action scenes are effective. However, I still regret the lack of depth and use of most of the characters, even though they have interesting potential to begin with, whether it's Enid, Agnes, or Bianca.

The episode ends on a false cliffhanger, given that there are four episodes left...

It's likely that the "resolution" of the plot proposed in this episode turns out to be a sham... Principal Dort and Isadora Capri still have, in my opinion, a lot to reveal.

For my part, I hope that the second half of this season will build on this fourth episode to increase its interest even more, and not fall back into the same predicaments as the first three...

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.