Summary
- Wednesday Season 1 is a reimagining of the Addams Family that captures the unsettling and lighthearted nature of the franchise.
- Each episode explores romance, murder, and the secrets of Nevermore Academy, keeping audiences on edge.
- While some episodes are more predictable and shallow than others, the show is great as a whole.
Wednesday is an Addams Family re-imagining that took the world by storm, and while every episode has to be effective in such a short season, there are always front-runners. Following Wednesday Addams through her new adventures at Nevermore Academy, the series explores romance, murder, and the secrets of a small New England town. These are the three biggest components that any spooky show seems to require, and Wednesday does not fail on that behalf. Despite endless source material and an extensive Addams Family tree to pull from, the show truly achieves the unsettling nature of the franchise while also bringing in lighthearted elements in every episode.
Throughout Wednesday season 1, the titular character uses her new relationships to uncover the secrets of her new school. She learns of secret societies and buried mysteries of her parents’ generation, all of which unfold with each episode. From relationship dramas and potential love triangles to a murder mystery, Wednesday explored different genres. The series took a beloved character and took in different directions, but it managed to stay true to the hilariously haunted nature that fans have come to love. While Wednesday season 2 may be very different from the first season, each season 1 episode was special in its own right, though some were better than others.
8 Wednesday Season 1, Episode 3, “Friend or Woe”
While Episode 3 is not a bad episode of television by any means, it certainly feels like an episode that is less effective. Some important information is provided on the topic of Wednesday’s family problems, but mostly it just follows the political nature of the relationships between the townspeople and the students of Nevermore. The characters have interesting conversations, and the attack happens at the town square, but while other episodes have a plot that keeps audiences on edge, this episode feels more predictable.
7 Wednesday Season 1, Episode 2, “Woe Is the Loneliest Number”
Episode 2 is the equivalent of any sports day episode in a high school drama. There is still the intrigue of Rowan, the victim of the monster attack in Wednesday’s vision from the first episode, mysteriously coming back from the dead. The series also reveals Principal Weems’ shape-shifting power. However, a good portion of the episode focuses on a boat relay race and Wednesday’s bitter rivalry with a siren at Nevermore Academy. It’s entertaining and Wednesday does have another interesting dream. However, in comparison to other episodes, it feels a little shallow and unimportant to the main story.
6 Wednesday Season 1, Episode 5, “You Reap What You Woe”
Episode 5 is an episode that would be great if Wednesday had time for one-off adventures. It’s revealed in this episode that Gomez, Wednesday’s dad, was arrested as a murder suspect during his time at Nevermore. While the episode dives into the past of the older Addams Family members, it spends a lot of time in awkward family therapy sessions, as can be seen in Enid’s struggles with her werewolf powers. The most interesting part of this episode is when it’s revealed that Principal Weems covered up Rowan’s murder by using her powers to become him. Wednesday episode 5 was entertaining but mainly felt like a diversion from the leading plot line.
5 Wednesday Season 1, Episode 6, “Quid Pro Woe”
This is the eeriest episode of the season. It’s Wednesday’s birthday, and in true fashion, she does not want to celebrate in a classic manner. Despite a ban from Principal Weems, Wednesday escapes the school with help from Tyler and Enid to look into the not-so-dead sister of Garrett Gates, a dead town person. At the manor, they find victims of the creature in pieces, while the creature hunts the trio in real-time. As the most unsettling episode nears the end of the season, the future of several characters is left in the air, and Wednesday is still searching for answers to mysteries that are rapidly seeking her out.
4 Wednesday Season 1, Episode 1, “Wednesday’s Child Is Full Of Woe”
As far as opening episodes go, Wednesday‘s first episode captures the feel of the show and the characters perfectly. Starting with Wednesday unleashing a pack of piranhas on the boys’ swim team, the violence and dark overtones of this show were never hidden. The classic Addams Family cast is introduced in a way that honors their history in cinema but blends perfectly with the new series’ additions. The episode dives right into the mystery of the creature terrorizing the town of Jericho and Wednesday watches one of her classmates get attacked. This creates the perfect amount of intrigue to let the next episode play.
3 Wednesday Season 1, Episode 4, “Woe What a Night”
Wednesday episode 4 uses the classic school dance to grow Wednesday’s character for herself and through her romantic relationships. Tyler and Wednesday attend Nevermore’s dance and are interrupted by a prank from the townspeople where fake blood sprays onto all the students. This brings the hatred that has been festering between them to the vicious forefront. Wednesday also discovers clues pointing to her secondary love interest’s guilt in crimes as the monster. Seeing all the clues seemingly come together at the season’s midpoint—as well as the growing relationships—make this episode one of the season’s best.
2 Wednesday Season 1, Episode 8, “A Murder of Woes”
Wednesday season 1’s finale is full of twists and turns. Within this episode, the true killer is revealed to be Wednesday’s main love interest, Tyler. Wednesday’s house guardian has been controlling Tyler the entire season, and she resurrected Joseph Crackstone, who hunted Wednesday’s relative. No character is safe in this episode and Wednesday is put through the ringer both emotionally and physically. The episode finishes with a cliffhanger to guide audiences into season 2. Wednesday has a stalker, and the last shot of the season is Tyler being transported to Nevermore while he’s uncontrollably shifting into the creature.
1 Wednesday Season 1, Episode 7, “If You Don’t Woe Me by Now”
The penultimate episode of Wednesday season 1 is the show’s best so far. It has just about everything a good episode of television needs. It starts with a visit from this rendition of Uncle Fester played by the hilarious Fred Armisen. Tyler surprises Wednesday with a movie night of the scariest film he can think of Legally Blonde. This strengthens the romance between Tyler and Wednesday for a final time before breaking it completely. The episode also lulls audiences into a false sense of security by arresting the supposed killer, setting the tone for the finale. It also combines classic Addams Family comedy with Wednesday‘s unique tone.