Director: Tim Burton
Cast: Jenna Ortega, Gwendoline Christie, Catherine Zeta-Jones
Where to watch: Netflix
Rating: 4 stars
Wednesday Season 2 Review: Wednesday Season 2 picks up exactly where its gloriously gloomy predecessor left off—with a scowl, a stalker, and a sharpened sense of doom. Based on the first four episodes made available so far, the moody, morbid teen sleuth returns to Nevermore Academy, where she's mastering her psychic ability, investigating a new killing spree, and unearthing secrets tied to her parents' shadowy past. While Season 1 was a gothic Hogwarts-meets-teen-noir delight, Season 2 attempts to deepen the mystery, raise the stakes, and add emotional heft.
And yet, somewhere between the psychic visions, a mysterious stalker, and a haunted camping trip, the story feels like it’s doing a curtsy when a cold, deadpan stare would suffice. The narrative veers between chillingly clever and clumsily convoluted—at one point, you’re hooked by a plot twist, and the next, you’re wondering if even Wednesday herself would roll her eyes.
Still, the season doesn’t shy away from ambition. It’s more crowded, more chaotic, and ever more committed to its hybrid genre roots: part supernatural whodunit, part coming-of-goth-age drama, and part cautionary tale against teenage optimism. And somehow, it almost works.
Wednesday Season 2 Review: Actors’ Performance
Jenna Ortega is once again the magnetic black hole at the centre of Nevermore’s odd orbit. As Wednesday, she is all simmering intelligence, blink-and-you-miss-it sarcasm, and exquisite disdain. Her performance remains unnervingly precise—never too much, never too little—just enough to make you fear she might actually be watching you through the screen.
The supporting cast is a curious mix but several performances standout sharply. Steve Buscemi as the too-eager Principal Dort is an inspired casting choice—slippery, sweet, and slightly suspect. Catherine Zeta-Jones and Luis Guzmán get more screentime as Morticia and Gomez, though their gothic sparkle occasionally dims under clunky dialogue. Isaac Ordonez returns as a slightly more assertive Pugsley, while Emma Myers brings endearing complexity to the ever-sparkly Enid, still navigating her frenemy status.
Fred Armisen’s Uncle Fester remains delightfully unhinged, while Thing continues to be the most expressive disembodied hand in the business. If only every teenage girl had such handy support.
Wednesday Season 2 Review: Music and Aesthetics
Season 2’s aesthetic continues to be as meticulous as Wednesday’s braids—dark, brooding, and deliciously over styled. The costume design revels in its Victorian-meets-Vogue palette, with dramatic silhouettes and enough blacks and greys to make a raven blush. Set pieces remain rich with gothic grandeur—Nevermore feels both fantastical and eerily familiar, like Tim Burton doodled Hogwarts while on hold with his therapist.
Musically, the season opens on a bold—perhaps bizarre—note with The Sound of Music making an appearance. Irony? Misstep? Either way, it’s a choice. Fortunately, the score recovers, settling back into its spooky-symphonic groove with a haunting cello-led soundtrack that makes even the quiet moments feel ominous.
Wednesday Season 2 Review: FPJ Verdict
Season 2 of Wednesday is like its protagonist: brilliant, brooding, occasionally exhausting. Despite some overstuffed subplots and tonal hiccups, Ortega’s steel-spined performance and the show’s visual flair keep it compelling.
