This review discusses some light spoilers regarding plot and characterization.

Netflix released Wednesday on November 23rd and has remained on the streaming services’ Top 10 since then. This comedy-horror series is another take on the classic Addams family and centers around Wednesday Addams (Jenna Ortega) as she navigates her new school meant for outcasts like her.

After Wednesday gets expelled, her parents decide to send her to Nevermore, their old boarding school built for outcasts. While planning her escape from the school and being bombarded with psychic visions, she learns of a killing spree going on in town and takes up an obsession with trying to solve the mystery at hand.

The series does a great job of creating a story with well-known characters in a way that newcomers can easily follow along with the story. Wednesday isn’t like most people— even within the outcast society at Nevermore. I think that’s what adds to her charm in this series. She is also pretty blunt and has some funny quotes as a result. I find it refreshing that even though there are horror elements to this show, it doesn’t shy away from having some comedic moments.

Wednesday has become a very popular character as a result of this series. Many people are expressing their love for her as she doesn’t fit the status quo or even try to. I love this about her, as she doesn’t grapple with trying to get people to like her. The main goal she strives for is to solve the mystery of the killings, and she doesn’t let anyone get in the way of that. Her growth is also lovely to watch. We see her coming from a place where she has very little care for others and then grows past that. She learns to let some people in while never letting go of who she is, and it’s very refreshing to see this in a teen show.

The plot of the show is well-paced and does a good job of giving some background to the mysteries at play. Although, I was thrown off by the subplot regarding Wednesday’s father being charged with murder. I feel like it took time away from the main plot and it didn’t take many risks. It was still entertaining to watch, but it ended too fast and there wasn’t any weight from it after it was said and done.

With any show that has elements of mystery, expect some twists. Revels and revelations can make or break a satisfying ending. Unfortunately, I found that most of them were very predictable and fell flat. I was easily able to figure out who the main villains were before it was revealed to the audience. However, the ending is still a fun time despite this, and not every twist needs to be jaw-dropping to be good.

If you are newer to horror, this would be a great series to start off with as it isn’t too scary. I will say, if you are also nervous about jump scares, know there are a few, so keep that in mind. Overall, if you have the time, I’d say it’s definitely worth checking out and joining in on the hype.