New Show Goes off the Charts

If you have been on Netflix lately, the first thing you will see is the new Netflix show “Wednesday”. Wednesday is a show about a girl named Wednesday Addams. Wednesday is played by Jenna Ortega, who is going to a new high school with a demonic creature and killer on the loose. The Addams Family is an iconic TV family that is all dressed in black and creepy. Since its premiere on November 16th, the show has amassed 411.29 M hours viewed! This is the first time any English language series has topped 400 million hours in a week. “Wednesday” has already claimed the number 3 spot in Netflix’s official ranking. Behind “Stranger Things 4” and “Dahmer’. 

This show has an amazing cast with actors like Christina Ricci (the original 1991 Wednesday), Catherine Zeta-Jones, Gwendoline Christie, and Fred Armisen. It is no wonder the show is such a hit! Another one of the reasons the show has taken off in the charts is because of the iconic dance scene in the show. When Wednesday is at her school’s dance The Raven she does a unique dance to The Cramp’s 1981 hit “Goo Goo Muck”  Many people have recreated the “Wednesday dance” themselves on TikTok.

Waukee has been caught by the Wednesday Addams bug and many students have seen the show. Jenna Ortega originated as a Disney star with her own Disney show “Stuck In the Middle” from 2016-2018 which is when many students at Waukee were glued to Disney Channel. Lots of students also remember her being a music.ly star as well! Sophomore Ana Bull had this to say about the star. “ I think she played the part super well! She was super good at being emotionless.” 

One of the big debates surrounding this show is about Team Xavier or Team Tyler. These two characters will clearly be the Team Edward or Team Jacob (from Twilight) of our generation. And it was a smart move by the director. Senior Anja Martens shares which team she is on. “At first I was team Tyler because he was more supportive and kind to Wednesday at the beginning. However, after the story developed I became team Xavier because he became more supportive and charming.” 

There are many cool moments in this show but I will let you find those moments on your own. But one of the series’s best parts occurs between Wednesday and her classmate Xavier. Sophomore Keely Reiger describes that moment. “My favorite moment was Wednesday snuck into Xavier’s room and saw all the pictures he had drawn of her and he walks in and she hides and that one girl walks in trying to get back with Xavier.” 

Another one of the MANY cool things this show has going for it is that Tim Burton is the director. Tim Burton is a famous director known for his creepy style and for directing movies like “The Nightmare Before Christmas” and “Edward Scissorhands.” Because he has such an extensive career, is Wednesday his best work? Sophomore Lily Soliday shares her revelation. “I think so, coming from someone who doesn’t watch or see many Tim Burton things, and never thought I would enjoy the show, I think it was really good and I ended up loving it.” 

While “Wednesday” is a great show it is not the only representation of the Addams Family. The Addams Family had a show in 1964 and then was rebooted into three movies in 199, 1993, and 1998. There have been multiple animated adaptations in between. There has been a lot to live up to leading the 2022 TV release. But is Wednesday a good representative for the Addams Family? 

Junior Sayko Nayou shares her favorite version of the Addams Family. “No, I don’t think it was a good representation of the Addams family. I felt like it was more of a show for Wednesday, in which they did a good job than an Addams family. Why I say this is because we never got the Addams family. We got Wednesdays all grown up which isn’t necessarily a bad thing but it felt different than what the Addams family actually is. My personal favorite version of the Addams family would have to be the 90s version.”

There is a lot that goes into making a show like this. Both on-screen and behind the scenes. Hopefully, this great show will get cleared for a second season! Season 1 left off on a cliffhanger, so there is still lots of mystery and suspicions to be solved in this world. Sophomore Ian Samples shares his excitement. “I’m just excited to see what they do with the show next!”

 So there is a lot to look forward to in the future of this show! There are so many reasons why this show blew up so much. And I hope the same thing will happen if season 2 is released. “Wednesday ” is a great show that is a comedic, spooky, and new twist on the Addams family. This show has truly everything going for it. Great cast, a great director, etc. This show is for all ages and I would recommend watching it if you’re looking for the new jaw-dropping Netflix hit!