Netflix’s Wednesday is a fun comedy-horror show, but fans missed the Addams family’s gothic charm and loving dynamic.
Netflix’s Wednesday quickly gained a huge fanbase. It seems like the 2022 series is going to become one of Netflix’s most popular shows, likely due to its entertaining characters, interesting mystery plot, and incredible performances. However, fans of The Addams Family films and TV shows have a lot of negative opinions about the new series.
While Wednesday is an interesting and engaging coming-of-age story, it lacks what The Addams Family franchise is known and beloved for. From the Addams family’s characterization to the change of genre, Wednesday didn’t quite stay true to the franchise.
10/10Wednesda’s Characterization Wasn’t On Point
In previous installments of The Addams Family, Wednesday Addams has brutal, violent, and cruel tendencies. A lot of the jokes are born from the seemingly innocent little girl making sinister and macabre comments.
While Wednesday tried to emulate some of these characteristics, like when Wednesday threw piranhas in her high school’s pool, the character ultimately redeems herself. Netflix’s Wednesday tries to act mean, aloof, and indifferent, but she’s actually protective and soft. Fans of the Addams family believe this was a huge mistake.
9/10The Aesthetic Was More Harry Potter Than The Addams Family
The Addams family has a very specific aesthetic, from the outfits that the characters wear to the macabre decorations in their home. However, Netflix didn’t really continue this tradition, especially when taking into account Wednesday’s setting: Nevermore Academy.
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Nevermore should have had the usual gothic style, but it felt more like Hogwarts or the school in the Chilling Adventures of Sabrina. Fans of the Addams family expected something more gruesome, absurd, and kooky. Some critics even noted the similarities between Netflix’s Wednesday and the Harry Potter franchise.
8/10Gomez And Morticia Weren’t As Loving
Gomez and Morticia are one of the best horror couples, and there’s a reason for that. Despite their unusual and quirky environment, Morticia and Gomez always show their unconditional love for each other, which has set the bar high for other couples in TV shows.
While Wednesday tried to replicate this iconic relationship with Gomez and Morticia’s constant public displays of affection, there wasn’t the usual chemistry between these two characters. This is may be because they didn’t have a lot of screentime together, and when they did, they were mostly focused on Wednesday.
7/10Wednesday Lacked The Comedy That Characterized Other Addams Family Projects
Fans of the Addams Family didn’t find the franchise’s signature gruesome comedy in Wednesday. While Wednesday included some great dark jokes, such as Wednesday’s unusual taste for murder threats, it’s clear that comedy wasn’t the main focus of the show.
On top of that, instead of absurd and interesting situations, the show revolved around murders and Wednesday’s role as a detective. Wednesday is mostly a teenage mystery, and as such, the series follows all the same formulas and tropes. The genre strays a bit from what fans of the Addams family are used to.
6/10Wednesday Wasn’t As Dark As The Addams Family Shows
While Addams Family projects have always placed most focus on being family-oriented, a dark tone is just as important. Wednesday lacked the cynical humor from the other series. The Addamses are supposed to be loving people who aren’t afraid to show the more gruesome aspects of their personalities.
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In Wednesday, the Addams family are pretty ordinary people. Though they wear the color black and like to boast a gothic style, the Addamses weren’t as unusual as they should be. Plus, they felt remorse for Garret Gates’ murder, but usually, these characters are more macabre and creepy.
5/10Wednesday Missed The Mark By Changing The Addams Family Dynamic
Addams Family fans were always entertained by how much the characters truly loved each other. While they had a strange taste for everything related to death, this attitude didn’t take away from their healthy family dynamics. In fact, most of the irony of the franchise resided in this strange contrast.
However, Wednesday took away this dynamic by creating the typical hostile daughter-mother relationship, and Addams Family fans didn’t like it. While it’s understandable that Morticia and Wednesday frequently butt heads, it would have been better for Netflix to give them a wholesome relationship.
4/10Pugsley’s Character Didn’t Feel Like An Addams
Pugsley is Morticia and Gomez’s second child. In previous installments of the franchise, he was portrayed as a chaotic child who spent his time on unusual activities, such as inventing weird gadgets or playing with dangerous things like dynamite.
While Wednesday shows this aspect of Pugsley when he and Wednesday go fishing with grenades, Pugsley is mostly a sweet, naive, and dim-witted boy who is bullied by fellow students and Wednesday. Fans of the Addams Family feel like Netflix failed at depicting Pugsley’s interesting personality, as he should have been one of the quirkiest characters in the show.
3/10Wednesday Was More Of A Netflix Show Than An Addams Family Series
Netflix has been known for its unique and progressive TV series, but some fans noted similarities between Wednesday and other projects on the streaming service. Netflix creates similar projects with the same formulas, and a lot of viewers feel like Wednesday is just another Netflix series.
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While Wednesday has some interesting aspects, it’s true that it has a lot in common with other young adult Netflix projects like The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, First Kill, and Fear Street. While these projects aren’t bad, The Addams Family has a very specific aesthetic, and fans would have preferred Netflix to respect it.
2/10The Lack Of Contrast Between Normies And Outcasts Took Away A Lot Of The Usual Comedy
The Addams Family fans didn’t like how Wednesday attended a school full of outcasts. The franchise usually focused on how “weird” the members of the Addams family are, especially when contrasted with normal people.
However, since Wednesday spends her days hanging out with quirky and powerful people, fans don’t get to see just how cynical and kooky she is.Even though Wednesday is depicted as the biggest outcast in Nevermore Academy, it would have made more sense for her to go to a “normies” school, so her quirkiness would have been more obvious.
1/10Wednesday Going To A Boarding School Makes No Sense
Fans of the Addams family criticized Wednesday for making the setting a boarding school. Since the Addams family are so loving, viewers don’t feel like Morticia and Gomez would want their daughter to be away from them. On top of that, it makes no sense that Gomez would send Thing to spy on her.
The Addamses get along and love spending time together, so sending their daughter to another school without her brother goes against their principles. Even Wednesday going home with Lurch feels strange, as her parents probably would have been excited to go pick her up.
