Wednesday Season 2 Part 1 Review: Jenna Ortega returns with precision, and so does the show’s purpose

The gothic aesthetics and the sharp wit of the series remain as intact as ever, and the overall performances ensure that you are glued throughout the first four episodes of Season 2. With Season 2 Part 1, ‘Wednesday’ returns to screens with the assuredness of a series that knows exactly what it wants to be—and isn't in a hurry to please everyone. The gothic aesthetics remain intact, but this time the series is less preoccupied with its own quirkiness and more invested in deepening the atmosphere.

The plot thickens at Nevermore

Season 2 picks up shortly after the fallout of Season 1, with Wednesday Addams (Jenna Ortega) returning to Nevermore Academy, where Barry Dort (Steve Buscemi) is the new administrator after the disgraced Christie was replaced. A series of ritualistic murders around Jericho hints at a deeper conspiracy tied to Nevermore’s origins. Wednesday sees visions of Enid’s (Emma Myers) death and wants to stop it at any cost.

Meanwhile, Barry Dort decides to organise a fundraising gala for the upkeep of Nevermore Academy and seeks the help of Bianca (Joy Sunday) to persuade Morticia to donate and bring her mother along for the cause. When Morticia takes away Goody’s book from Wednesday, she begins to feel helpless, and her visions become more intense, suggesting a link between her family’s past and the killer’s motives. This season, we are introduced to Wednesday’s stalker, who later begins to help her unravel the delicate threads of the murders caused by ominous crows.

Family matters

In this series, we get to see the Addams Family much more involved in the plot, and Wednesday shares a unique bond with each member of the family. Pugsley, Wednesday’s brother, is now much more independent—to the extent that he brings back ‘the boy from the Skull Tree’ to life and gives him shelter and food.

In fact, the relationship between Wednesday and her mother, Morticia, forms one of the cores of the plot this season. The setting still leans heavily on the supernatural, but this season feels more interested in how the supernatural intersects with human weakness: envy, obsession, and guilt. The result is a story that feels less episodic and more novelistic—almost like the first half of a gothic detective book you can’t quite put down. There are new characters and returning ones who evolve in satisfying, sometimes surprising ways. This season is less about adding noise and more about clarifying themes.

A cast in complete control

Jenna Ortega, once again, is the gravitational center of it all. She plays Wednesday with such assured stillness that every eye roll or eyebrow twitch feels intentional, lived-in. But there’s a softness creeping in, too—not in how she behaves, but in how the camera sees her. Ortega doesn’t show her vulnerability in obvious ways.

Instead, she allows small moments to reveal Wednesday’s deeper emotions, without losing the character’s tough, guarded nature. The supporting cast is equally sharp. Emma Myers returns as Enid with a performance that balances brightness with subtle melancholy. Catherine Zeta-Jones and Luis Guzmán, though used sparingly, feel more grounded this time around. Among the new additions, a couple stand out—especially Thandiwe Newton as Dr. Fairburn and Joanna Lumley as Grandmama. Performances across the board are more restrained, more lived-in, and tonally coherent.

Mood over mayhem

What’s most impressive is that the show doesn’t try too hard to outdo itself. There are no bigger monsters or louder drama just for effect. Instead, it stays focused and thoughtful.

The writing is still fun, but it also cares about the emotions that come afterward—the pain, the consequences, the uncertainty. The production design remains stylish and carefully detailed, and the score continues to hum with playful menace. But the visual flamboyance is never the point. It complements the introspection rather than competing with it.

And in an era of franchise fatigue and streaming sameness, that choice feels quietly radical. As Part 1 ends, it leaves you not with a cliffhanger but with a mood—unsettled, unfinished, and compelling. Tim Burton’s touch is still felt in the show’s dark, stylish world, giving it a unique charm that sets it apart from other teen dramas.

Ratings: 4/5