Released on November 22nd of 2022, Netflix’s Wednesday series is a must-watch for fans of horror, drama, and of course, the Addams Family. Set in a world where so-called “Outcasts” (such as werewolves, vampires, medusa-like creatures, sirens and witches) have been marginalized by society, people thought they finally managed to coexist with humans. However, this is arguably too much of an optimistic take. The show tells the story of Wednesday Addams, a dark-humored and troublesome teenage girl, who is sent to Nevermore, a school for outcasts right outside a small town. During her stay she attempts to uncover the mystery of her past while balancing some unusual coming of age issues. The show is filled with nostalgia, thrilling plot twists, and a talented cast of characters. The special effects and soundtrack are top-notch ranging from Edith Piaf and Vivaldi to a cello rendition of the Rolling Stones.
Part of what makes this show so engaging is Jenna Ortega’s flawless portrayal of Wednesday Addams: the witty, quick, determined, pessimistic and occasionally sadistic star of the show. To play the part, Jenna Ortega took fencing lessons, learned to play the cello and even taught herself to dance for a big scene of the show. That takes some dedication! Jenna Ortega previously starred on a few Disney Channel shows and more recently, the newest versions of the classic Scream horror movies. In an interview with Jimmy Fallon, Ortega commented on all the horror she’s been doing:“It’s something about my face. (…) People love seeing me scared.”
In truth though, Ortega really does deserve a lot of the credit she has been getting for the series. Wednesday has resonated with a lot of people and has risen to be in the top three most streamed shows in Netflix history, ranking among Stranger Things and Squid Game. Director Tim Burton has a lot of experience with this type of fun horror story and is world renowned for his work on films like Nightmare Before Christmas and Beetlejuice (which was adapted for Broadway only in 2018). Additionally, actress Christina Ricci was cast as one of the teachers at Nevermore, after previously taking on the role of Wednesday herself back in 1991.
Wednesday brought about a new perspective on Wednesday Addams’ role in her family and insight into what it looks like to be a struggling teenager. Perhaps this dramatic aspect among all the gore really appealed to a lot of younger audiences, and the excellent execution of the series as a whole made it appealing to adults as well.
As briefly mentioned before, perhaps the most famous scene of the entire show is at the school dance, when Wednesday busts out some sweet moves no one knew she had… while staying very much in character. This dance has since become a sensation. Ortega herself shared in multiple interviews that her directors predicted that it would be “a thing” on TikTok.
What makes a trend on TikTok is a combination of factors, including the popularity and engagement of the content, the number of creators participating in the trend, and the algorithm’s ability to promote the trend to a larger audience. In this case, the trend was set by Ortega, who has a large following on the platform. It also gained fame from its association with Netflix and the Addams family that has been a television sensation for decades now. Interestingly, fans chose to use Lady Gaga’s “Bloody Mary” song as the music to accompany the TikTok dance even though true fans who have viewed the series repeatedly will recall that the original scene played the song, “The GooGoo Muck,” by the Cramps, a band originally formed back in the 70s. Also quite ironically, one of Wednesday’s most opinionated quotes on the show is “I find social media to be a soul sucking void of meaningless affirmation,” which greatly contradicts her largest source of fame All things considered, Wednesday was a huge success and a grand crowd pleaser. Safe to say we all can’t wait for season two! Until then, fans are left to wonder what future trouble and mayhem await Wednesday and her newfound friends.