The moment Wednesday's first teasers came out, I was immediately drawn to it and in anticipation of it. I expected others like me, who enjoy horror, suspense, mystery, and dark academia, would be too.
With Tim Burton involved in the direction, no doubt we would be delighted and indulge in his odd and twisted artistic style. I certainly have been one of the many intrigued, fascinated, and influenced by it - since I was tiny.
Plus, how can we forget the classic that is The Addams Family and not appreciate more of it? For some of us, the Addams has not only been an unusual family, but an alternative way of looking at things, giving us much to ponder and debate while questioning the norms that people live by. Something impactful and significant in our lives.
And as if all this wasn’t enough already, they had to top it by adding an instrumental version of “Paint it Black” to it. A song that is deeply meaningful to many. And even if some of us are torn about it being used casually and commercially while we may still be mourning great losses, hearing it again is still moving and affirming. At least they did it justice as a hauntingly beautiful and powerful melody.
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I was hoping for Wednesday to come out during October. It seemed like it would be perfect for Halloween month. So I was taken aback by their decision to release it in late November. Was this intentional as a criticism of the roots of Thanksgiving? I’m not sure. But the Addams have done it before. Addams Family Values (1993) is a November release that touches on the topic, with giant turkeys, hypocritical celebrations, and more.
Regardless, in its reception, it did amazingly well. It wasn’t only a success among the few of us that are into this sort of stuff. It also became a worldwide phenomenon as one of Netflix’ most viewed shows. And that’s only within a couple of weeks. To be honest, I wasn’t betting on that and I’m still wrapping my head around it, what it implies and entails...
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Wednesday was met with praise, criticism, and controversy. To an exceptional degree. And while I will not devote myself to addressing each and every point risen, as that would take a lot - especially nowadays, when a large number of people take it upon themselves to post about whatever the latest hot topic is, whether they’re personally invested or not - there are, however, a few I’d like to address.
• Latin@s Wokeness
Gomez, Wednesday's father, is indeed a Latino character. By consequence, Wednesday is part Latina and it makes sense to be played by a Latina actress. This is not some extra woke BS.
• Harry Potter Rip-off
Boarding school and magic themes have been around for various decades. J.K. Rowling did not invent nor does she own that. Complaining about the resemblance denotes that you’re too wrapped up in the Harry Potter universe, to the exclusion of other stories, and/or never played “Spot the difference”.
• Not Odd if you’re Surrounded by Oddities
Looks like the purpose of this spin is for Wednesday (after having been expelled from several schools for ‘normies’ that ‘could not handle her’) to finally find a place that more closely resembles her and where she may have a chance to belong. Not to stand out like an anomaly. I’m sorry if you wanted to keep seeing the Addams being the only weirdos around. Despite that, Nevermore is still diverse enough so it’s not an absolute echo chamber.
• Too Attractive to be Bullied
Many have aired their annoyance with how many people claim to like Wednesday as a fictional character but would probably bully or reject her if she was real. Some say it’s because she’s conventionally attractive and not because she’s fictional. I believe it’s a bit of both and then more. Wednesday can be quite intense and macabre, and that can be unnerving in larger doses and unflattering packaging.
• Love Interest
Shippers will ship. It can be argued that Wednesday is aromantic and asexual, but it seems more likely that she's just currently preoccupied with other matters so she's not prioritizing relationships. And even if she were to prioritize them, it's unlikely that she will adhere to playbooks on what's typical. In any case, she is clearly capable of caring.
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Autistic individuals and the autistic community welcome Wednesday as one of their kind. But is she really autistic? Given that there is quite a wide spectrum for autism, yes, she can be considered autistic, on the spectrum. She displays many of the traits associated with autism, such as a disregard for socially proper behavior, the propensity to hyper-fixate on interests, and an obsession with the truth. Nevertheless, I’d still suggest getting to know characters (and people, for that matter) for their specific qualities and not for which categories they fit. You get a more complete and accurate picture of them that way.
As for imitating Wednesday now that she basically became an icon? Please don’t. If anything, let Wednesday's unapologetic authenticity give you permission to find and express your own. After all, a world filled with too many of her would quickly turn bleak and cynical. The importance of variety and balance is one of the key lessons here.
Which character do you identify with the most?