Wednesday Season 1

This reflection on *Wednesday* and werewolf mythology delves into the fascinating blend of folklore, psychology, and cultural interpretations. Here's a summarized translation of the key points:

In *Wintering* by Katherine May, she mentions that the full moon in January is called the "Wolf Moon" because wolves, having endured a harsh winter, emerge from the forest in search of food. This is the perfect time to talk about werewolves, and in *Wednesday*, Enid, Wednesday's "best friend," is a young werewolf. Werewolves, as a mythical creature, have dual traits connected to both wolves and humans.

Historically, humans have harbored fear and hostility toward wolves. In the medieval Anglo-Saxon period, people were required to pay a tribute of wolf pelts or even offer a wolf’s tongue as punishment for crimes. Wolves were often associated with supernatural evil forces, such as witches, and were portrayed as villains in fairy tales. In Anglo-Saxon law, criminals were labeled as “wolf-heads,” meaning they could be hunted without consequence. The transformation of a person into a wolf was seen as a form of punishment, stripping away their human identity.

The emotional core of the werewolf myth aligns with these themes of repression and fear of non-human traits. Transforming into a wolf symbolizes the exposure of one's "inhuman" qualities, traits that human society often suppresses, fears, and rejects. The first werewolf myths often featured villagers who secretly transformed into wolves at night to steal livestock. Wolves were seen as a manifestation of unrestrained, subconscious desires. In *A Song of Ice and Fire*, characters like Arya and Bran experience dreams of transforming into wolves, highlighting the connection between dreams, subconscious desires, and the "wolf" within.

The werewolf metaphor represents the duality in humans—the civilized, rational side and the untamed, animal side driven by biological instincts. Some scholars argue that werewolves represent the suppressed human nature or societal side, where the beastly instinct, like sexual desire, takes over. In some Northern European legends, werewolves have strong sexual implications, as seen in stories where werewolves lick their victims or engage in strange acts.

The transformation of a werewolf is tied to the full moon, which in many cultures is associated with femininity and fertility. Moon goddesses like China's Chang’e or the Greek goddess Mene symbolize the moon's connection to the female cycle. The moon’s phases also align with the menstrual cycle, reinforcing this link. Some folklorists suggest that the werewolf's transformation under the full moon symbolizes the release of repressed sexual and reproductive energy.

In *Wednesday*, Enid's words about the potential loneliness of a wolf unable to transform into a werewolf, emphasizing the desire for connection and the importance of finding a mate, reflect this aspect of werewolf lore. The werewolf's transformation isn’t just about physical change; it also symbolizes sexual maturity and the unleashing of desires that were previously repressed.

This analysis enriches *Wednesday* by showing how Enid’s werewolf identity isn’t just about a fantasy creature; it’s tied to deep-rooted cultural and psychological themes around sexuality, repression, and identity.

Where did my Wednesday go?

She was supposed to be quirky, witty, insightful beyond her peers, with deep thoughts and a family with strange values.

But then... poof, it's gone.

The story begins with a mother-daughter conflict. The mother wants to send her daughter to the same academy she attended, a school full of supernatural beings. The daughter thinks her mother is forcing her to follow in her footsteps, while the mother believes her daughter is rebellious and heartbroken.

Main theme one: Family relationships, family identity, and fitting into society. The little werewolf girl faces the challenge of transformation, a siren is brainwashed into attending the academy, her mother forces her to return and inherit her legacy, and Tyler and his father can never talk about his mother. These themes are fine. The problem is that Wednesday is an Addams, and her family is anything but ordinary. The show tries to force it into a typical mold.

Main theme two: Wednesday's transformation. In the first half, Wednesday is portrayed as cold, heartless, self-centered, and manipulative, but then she suddenly changes because of a few people's words... This kind of turn in character development is hard to ignore.

Addams family backstory. The blonde girl occasionally makes a cameo, but her role is so insignificant it’s laughable. She starts to make a difference but then fades away completely!

Main theme three: The big bad boss and the Addams family connection. This plotline was purely designed to create a villain and add a bit of history to the story, but honestly, it could have been left out. Removing it wouldn’t have changed much.

Who’s the killer? In detective mysteries, finding the killer is often a process of elimination, but Wednesday’s show turned it into a game of Werewolf. “Night falls, please close your eyes; the killer chooses a victim, and someone reveals their suspicions!”

Main theme four: The search for the serial killer. This was the most detailed and well-executed storyline in the entire series. But by the end... the principal just exits stage left…

As for other minor subplots, such as the old case or the psychiatrist obsessed with making outfits for his specimens, I won’t get into it.

What I couldn’t stand the most was the ending.

If the first seven episodes were bearable, I stayed up all night to watch the final episode and then felt like I’d just been force-fed a huge plate of nonsense.

Who wrote the last episode? "Put them on the electric chair, I’ll pull the switch!"

After watching, I lay in bed for a long time, unable to calm down. I sacrificed sleep for what, exactly?

I knew there would be a big villain at the end, but the plot was so weakly done.

The villain tries to resurrect the big bad boss, and Wednesday is powerless!

Remember how Wednesday used singing to shatter the glass earlier? The bottles used in the ritual were made of—glass! Glass!

So why didn’t she use that? I thought it was a setup. After all, the villain had to be resurrected before dying again?

The villain is resurrected, Wednesday seems smug about it, and then gets stabbed, completely powerless to defend herself...

Then, her ancestor shows up and says, "Don’t worry, I’ll give you a buff and heal your wounds," and then she vanishes...

The villain struts around the academy, and none of the monster students do anything to stop him. Then, Wednesday shows up and fights him. What happened to the villain’s magic?

Then the big boss gets stabbed again, and just like that, the boss is gone after a few minutes on screen. Truly a shame.

The bee boy makes an appearance, suddenly awakening the ability to control bees—a power he’s never shown before. I don’t buy it, but I guess it’s still somewhat entertaining.

Is this really an Addams family story?

They tried to cover everything but failed to deliver anything properly.

I heard there’s going to be a second season? Will it be any better?

A pure mess of adaptations, it gives me the feeling of mixing Harry Potter with an American teen drama.

If you're going to make it like this, then don’t slap the Addams Family IP on it. I’m really done. In the movie version, Wednesday is nothing like this pretentious girl. The whole story’s essence is just about the protagonist being a Mary Sue, rebellious, and non-mainstream. The first episode starts with the male backup love interests coming one after another, and I was genuinely shocked by what I saw.

It’s undeniable that the adult female actors in this show are exceptional in both acting and looks—top stars all around. But the story itself still focuses on the underage characters. The whole thing is just a high school romance + the protagonist’s rebellious growth. They could’ve kept going without the Addams IP and it would’ve been the same. Wednesday should be cunning and simply bad, not some rebellious girl trying to stand out by being non-mainstream. Please, the copyright holders should just sue this show.

I have to admit that *Wednesday* is both an interesting and not-so-interesting show. The plot is just about a spoiled girl's school life. Originally, Wednesday was a unique character, but now she’s attending a rough version of Hogwarts, which doesn’t feel very gothic at all. Compared to Hogwarts, this academy doesn’t have teachers, and there’s nothing fantastical—it's like a group of people performing circus tricks at the climax. Wednesday doesn’t seem to be particularly rebellious anymore, possibly because she’s grown up. Her glory now exists only in her words, and aside from the piranha scene in the first episode, she hasn’t done anything outrageous. Even in the most ordinary school, she wouldn't even be considered a bad student.

That said, the art style is still quite fascinating. This family has been eye-catching since its inception, and still is. Honestly, it’s much easier to draw than most American TV shows. Even a random scene setup is often filled with humor. Most of the characters are also quite fun, but rather than the overly forced Wednesday, what’s more surprising is her werewolf roommate—she's like a female version of Ron. Whether intentional or not, her facial expressions are as entertaining as Ron’s.

You may not be happy that Wednesday’s transformation from a dark girl to a beloved sharp-tongued princess feels off, or that the so-called "monster school" has no real monsters (most of them are actually more normal than the average person), or that the plot is just a poor imitation of *Harry Potter*. But despite all this, the gothic Hogwarts combo still makes it worth a watch—after all, only the Addams family could create so many fun scenes.

I actually liked the trailer for this, but as for the TV series itself, I think the plot ended up being quite average. Before watching, I skimmed through some reviews, and most of them were overwhelmingly positive, so my expectations were higher, and as a result, the more I watched, the more off it felt. So, as a reminder to those who are familiar with the Addams family, don’t dive into this expecting it to stay true to the original, because this is more of a reimagining.

I read in the synopsis that Tim Burton based it on the Addams family, but I really think the story is just average. It’s about an odd little girl who gets sent to a school full of fantastical creatures, where she deals with family grudges and various murder cases. The main focus is on a coming-of-age mystery, but the problem is, the little girl makes a lot of wrong assumptions during her investigation, which is honestly a bit hard to digest.

It feels like the director concentrated most of the plot on Wednesday’s dark crime-solving journey and her somewhat forced emotional opening. I should mention that in the original, Wednesday didn’t need all of this, but in this version, she does because she fits the rebellious, somewhat melodramatic teen character better. I understand that the world is supposed to be filled with all sorts of monsters, like the disembodied hand and the mad scientist butler, which aren't real creatures. But then the school also has characters like a snake-headed person, mermaids, werewolves, and vampires, which definitely amps up the fantastical vibe. No wonder people are calling it a *Harry Potter* knock-off. It definitely follows a *Harry Potter*-esque formula, but calling it outright plagiarism is a bit harsh. Saying it borrows the quirky school dynamics of *Harry Potter* is more accurate.

As for the lead character Wednesday, I didn’t find her very likable. At first, when she introduced the piranha, it was tolerable (a little over-the-top), but then she turned into a "tough girl." I could just about understand it through the scorpion incident, given the context—it makes sense that in this plot, if she didn’t become the "tough girl," she’d be at a disadvantage. Plus, her fencing skills are pretty cool. But from the start, she’s so single-minded in solving mysteries, which, though not completely disruptive, just feels like she’s all over the place.

Let’s not even get into how weird it is that the two male leads start developing feelings for her. Her constant suspicion of the second male lead got on my nerves, and her constant interference in police investigations, only to be led by the nose by the killer, felt like she was lacking some smarts. The one thing I did notice about her is her determination to never give up. Another thing is that the relationships with other characters, especially with Wednesday, feel a little extreme. Is this how foreigners make friends? They cut ties over the smallest issue and then make up as if nothing happened. The second male lead, for instance, was so passionate, starting off with harsh words in prison and cutting ties with the main character, and then later, without any build-up, buys her a phone and stores her contact info. I guess I’m the only one who cares that she got the wrong person?

The final battle with the big boss felt really rushed—there was no build-up. Why did this boss come back to life with instant superpowers? So, apparently, coming back from the dead means you get magic powers now? And this magic is ridiculously strong, enough to make the entire student body useless against him. The only savior is Wednesday, who has no werewolf strength, no mermaid mind control, and no petrifying gaze like the snake-headed person. She has nothing special, except for an ancestor and prophetic ability, knowing the boss's weakness: stabbing his heart. She lands the final blow, killing the boss, who also seems to be an old, outdated character. I mean, would this weakness really be that hard for anyone to figure out? If the mermaid queen had just stabbed him in the right spot earlier, she could have taken him down. The ending felt a little too convenient.

Lastly, I kept questioning myself while watching, because, in my opinion, the Addams family loves death. They view graveyards as beautiful scenery, death as a blessing, and they’re always playing with bombs and guillotines as if tempting fate. So, why did Wednesday feel so heartbroken over the death of her pet scorpion? This part really confused me, because I don’t know if the original Wednesday would feel sad or happy about it. In my view, the Addams family can do all sorts of dangerous things and never really die 😂

But, just watching *Wednesday* without thinking too hard about the plot is still quite fun. While the Addams family’s setting here doesn’t carry much weight, the mixture of styles is still enough to satisfy some curiosity. Especially the snake-headed guy, who’s dating the little werewolf. He’s quite handsome—I feel like I’ve seen him somewhere before.