Wednesday‘s return to Netflix has left a stronger impression on critics than season 1, as season 2 has earned itself a higher Rotten Tomatoes score. The Netflix series is based on Charles Addams’ delightfully dark characters, with Alfred Gough and Miles Millar serving as showrunners. Jenna Ortega leads Wednesday season 2’s cast, playing the titular character.

Wednesday season 1 proved to be a hit for Netflix upon release in 2022, at the time receiving positive acclaim and becoming the platform’s second highest-viewed English language program. However, the first volume of Wednesday season 2’s two-part installment has surpassed its predecessor, earning an aggregated score of 83% on Rotten Tomatoes over season 1’s 73%, while also being awarded a “Certified Fresh” score.

5Wednesday Has Found Its Own Identity

For Wednesday season 1, the series had plenty of hurdles to overcome. While two animated Addams Family movies had been released prior to the series’ release, the franchise had been without a major live-action entry since 1993’s Addams Family Values. As such, it was unclear whether the property could still be a hit, even with its lasting cult status.

Furthermore, there were also apprehensions about whether a modern reimagining would suit The Addams Family, as projects such as Riverdale showed the risks that modernizing these projects could bring by veering too deeply into a darker, edgier tone. However, upon release, season 1 was praised for its handling of the source material by Gough, Millar, and producer Tim Burton.

With season 2, critics have highlighted that it doubles down on what worked in season 1 while also retaining what made it a unique hit. As viewers now have a better idea of what to expect from the series after season 1’s release, it is clear that Wednesday has found its own identity and honed in on its strengths.

4Wednesday Season 2’s Cast Helped It Shine

Another notable element of Wednesday that earned immediate praise upon season 1’s arrival was its cast. Ortega immediately earned praise for her portrayal of Wednesday, which was celebrated as being much more than a simple retread of the character’s past characterizations. Ortega’s Wednesday managed to capture the character’s woeful nature and deadpan snark.

However, the rest of the cast also managed to leave a strong impression on audiences. While Luis Guzman and Catherine Zeta-Jones were praised for faithfully portraying Gomez and Morticia Addams, Gwendoline Christie’s Larissa Weems and Emma Myers’ Enid Sinclair were embraced as welcome additions to the franchise’s lore.

Similarly, critics have highlighted the cast as another element to season 2’s greater success. Alongside praise for the established stars like Ortega and the rest of the first season’s cast, season 2 has been lauded for the greater screen time dedicated to the other Addams Family members, with Zeta-Jones’ Morticia in particular being cited as a notable presence.

Season 2’s new cast members have similarly struck a chord with audiences as welcome additions to the world of Wednesday. Steve Buscemi’s Barry Dort, Nevermore’s new principal, has been highlighted as a welcome presence in critics’ reviews. Similarly, Billie Piper’s music teacher, Isadora Capri, has become a favorite among fans online.

3Wednesday Season 2 Is Better Paced

Interestingly, one element that struggled to land with audiences in season 1 was its core mystery. In season 1, Wednesday found herself embroiled in not only the difficulties of a new school, but also learning to get a grasp on her emerging supernatural powers while trying to solve the mystery of the Hyde rampaging through Nevermore and Jericho.

For critics, Wednesday season 1 struggled to strike a balance between these three core elements of the narrative. Some critics felt that the series played too heavily into the teen drama storylines, while others stated that Wednesday season 1’s Hyde mysteries evoked generic, familiar murder-mystery tropes. As such, season 1 felt unbalanced and uncertain of what it wished to be.

In comparison, one big element of improvement that has been noted by critics with season 2 is its more streamlined and intriguing plotlines. The latest batch of episodes has been praised for offering a more intriguing mystery with Wednesday’s loss of powers and black tears, while also being less committed to fitting into a specific genre.

That said, some have still raised concerns that the pacing feels uneven in places. Furthermore, the decision to divide the season into two parts has been met with a divisive response. While some reviews have celebrated Wednesday season 2, part 1’s cliffhanger ending for offering a gripping end, others have stated that it could harm the season’s momentum.

Regardless of where the series’ overall reception may land, Wednesday season 2, part 1 has at the very least shown that Gough and Millar have shown greater care in what they wish to focus on. They built upon what season 1 established and chose to maintain a consistent scope, as opposed to juggling too many story threads that could overwhelm viewers.

2Wednesday Season 2 Is Righting Season 1’s Mishandled Themes

While Wednesday season 1 proved to be a hit thanks to its cast and characters creating a world that viewers would want to return to, certain choices around the deeper themes and subtext of the series came under scrutiny by critics. Within the world of Wednesday, Nevermore Academy is heralded as a refuge for various Outcast species.

Wednesday is far from the only franchise to use supernatural powers as an allegory for marginalized identities, as most famously, the X-Men series has been used to handle several themes, including race and sexuality. Still, there were elements of season 1 where the explorations of these themes felt tone-deaf at times.

Season 1’s mystery resulted in the revelation that Marilyn Thornhill was Laurel Gates, someone with a vendetta against the Addams family, who hopes to resurrect her ancestor, Joseph Crackstone. In the 1600s, Crackstone despised Outcasts and hunted them down as he colonized Jericho, with Laurel hoping he’d continue his spree upon reawakening.

While Crackstone’s villainy drew connections between colonization and the persecution of minorities to this day, it is a rather surface-level analysis of the themes that some critics felt mishandled what it wished to say about gender, sexuality, and race at best. These critiques were further emphasized as certain characters were sidelined.

Though it remains to be seen whether season 2 can address all of these mishandled themes, the first batch of episodes has already shown much promise. The place of Outcasts within the world of Wednesday is more clearly defined, rather than relying on certain tropes, while previously sidelined characters like Bianca are given a greater chance to shine.

1Wednesday Season 2 Has A Consistent Creative Vision

Finally, one other element of Wednesday’s initial success that season 2 further refined was its sense of artistic style and identity. While he may only serve as a producer, Burton’s filmmaking presence can be felt in the production. From his German Expressionist-inspired visuals to his morbid humor, the director’s auteurist marks are easily recognizable.

Wednesday season 2 also sees Ortega being promoted from not just leading the series, but serving as a producer herself upon the series’ renewal. Throughout season 1’s production, Ortega was noted to have been heavily involved in developing her characterization, from learning new skills, developing Wednesday’s iconic dance, to adjusting her lines to better capture the character.

With both Ortega and Burton having continued involvement behind the scenes, Wednesday season 2 is being celebrated as embracing and blending the morbid, but distinct, stylings of the original works with Burton’s directing trademarks. It’s also continuing to shape Wednesday into a continuously fascinating character, thanks to Ortega creating a consistent creative vision.