So I watched Wednesday...

So I watched Wednesday. I mean, why wouldn't I? It's an Addams' Family Universe television show on Netflix directed by Tim Burton. Why wouldn't I want to deep dive into this critically acclaimed adventure series starring Disney's Stuck in the Middle's Jenna Ortega? Of course, I saw Wednesday.

Of course, I, in the small percentage of other kids in 2000 who dressed up as Wednesday Addams for Halloween was more than excited to sit down and watch the Television adaptation of the cult classic in 2022. "But Parsley," some would speculate, "why are you just now sitting down to write about it?" In 2022, I was recovering from a stroke I had the prior year and wasn't up for writing except when I absolutely needed to, and it's been a minute since I've really enjoyed such a fix as writing about something I thoroughly enjoyed.

The show, Wednesday tackles a new take on the world of The Addams Family. No more, the little girl who used to chase her brother around the house with weapons and help break her uncle out of a loveless marriage. But now a teenager, defending that little brother of hers in high school. This transformation from weapon-wielding chaos agent to fierce defender reveals something crucial about Burton's adaptation: Wednesday succeeds not by simply aging up a beloved character, but by asking what her core traits would look like when channeled toward genuine care for others.

This evolution is perhaps most clearly illustrated through Wednesday's relationship with Thing. In previous adaptations, Thing was largely a comic relief - a helpful hand around the house. But Burton's Wednesday treats Thing as her closest confidant, revealing a capacity for genuine intimacy that doesn't compromise her essential darkness. When she talks to Thing, there's no performative cruelty or emotional distance. She's simply, authentically herself - deadpan, direct, but undeniably caring. This relationship demonstrates that Wednesday's darkness was never really about isolation or cruelty - it was about authenticity in a world full of fake pleasantries.

This authentic care extends to her human relationships as well, most notably with her roommate Enid Sinclair. On paper, pairing the perpetually cheerful, pastel-loving werewolf with Wednesday Addams seems like a recipe for disaster - or at least cheap comedic conflict. But Burton's Wednesday doesn't try to destroy or change Enid; instead, she offers something Enid actually needs: brutal honesty without cruelty.

When Enid struggles with her werewolf transformation, Wednesday doesn't coddle her with false reassurances. Instead, she provides the kind of unflinching support that only someone comfortable with darkness can offer - acknowledging Enid's fears while refusing to let her wallow in self-pity. Wednesday's 'darkness' here becomes a form of tough love.

This dynamic plays out beautifully across their arc from hostile roommates to genuine allies. Their first meeting establishes the pattern: when Wednesday draws the literal line down their room, she's not trying to torment Enid for sport - she's establishing boundaries while still coexisting. The old Wednesday might have booby-trapped Enid's side of the room just for kicks.

The real turning point comes during the Poe Cup, where Wednesday channels all her signature darkness - her strategic mind, her comfort with rule-bending, her knowledge of chemistry - not to sabotage others for personal amusement, but to help Enid and Ophelia Hall win something that genuinely matters to her roommate.

But the true measure of their evolved relationship comes in the final episode, when Enid finally transforms and saves Wednesday from the Hyde. The hug that follows isn't just a moment of physical affection - it's Wednesday's complete acceptance that caring for someone doesn't diminish her darkness, it deepens it. She doesn't pull away or make a cutting remark to restore emotional distance. She simply holds her friend, authentically Wednesday, but no longer isolated by choice. This reimagining of Wednesday Addams reveals something crucial about successful adaptation.

Season Two Part One came out August 6, 2025, and Part Two will come out early September 2025.