After much anticipation, Tim Burton’s new series Wednesday was released last week (November 23; yes, on a Wednesday). The Netflix show follows the title character Wednesday Addams (Jenna Ortega), the eldest child in the “mysterious and spooky” Addams Family.
In the series, Wednesday is sent off to Nevermore Academy after she gets expelled from her public high school for dropping a bag full of piranhas in the swimming pool during water polo practice. Nevermore is the same school for “outcasts” that her parents Morticia (Catherine Zeta-Jones) and Gomez (Luis Guzman) attended during their youth.
Families getting together for Thanksgiving last week got a chance to sit down together and watch the series after the turkey and tamales were devoured. Wednesday even celebrated the holiday in her own special way.
Before the season one premiere, Remezcla called the series “a hell of a lot of fun” and described Ortega as “the definitive version of Wednesday Addams for a new generation.” Others on social media agreed with the sentiment.
First, rapper Kid Cudi jumped online to praise Ortega for her dancing skills in one of the episodes. “Wow go JENNA!!!!” he tweeted.
Ortega responded in-kind: “When you guys watch Wednesday and ENTERGALACTIC on Netflix… then what?? You are the coolest ever. THE Scott!” she wrote.
Gymnast and two-time Olympics medalist Laurie Hernandez also shared her thoughts on how much they enjoyed the series. “This show is brilliant,” she tweeted. “Jenna Ortega is brilliant. This cast is brilliant. The storyline is brilliant. I’m having a blast watching Wednesday.”
Others chimed in on how much they loved Ortega in the new series and weren’t at all surprised at how great she is in it. “I knew Jenna Ortega was the truth from when she stole the show in You,” author Bolu Babalola wrote. “She is doing this thing with her whole body and soul, a lil star.”
Many fans believed it was Ortega’s calling to play the gothic, schoolgirl character. “Jenna Ortega was born to be Wednesday Addams. Sheesh,” someone posted.
Some viewers wanted to give Ortega more agency with her character and hoped she would be offered the opportunity to give Wednesday some of her own voice. “Personally, I think Jenna Ortega should be the only one in the writers’ room for Wednesday,” one user wrote.
Of course, besides Ortega’s wonderful performance in the title role, many fans tweeted the obvious: “Jenna Ortega is so fine as Wednesday and also in general.”
Overall, Wednesday is where it’s at. Even Lady Gaga agrees.
Let’s cross our fingers (and get Thing to do the same) for a second season.
