 |
| Credits go to Pinterest for this scene |
I am afraid this autumn's upcoming craze for watered-down "alt" fashion has found its show. But is it at least good? Here's my perspective on the matter.
Disclaimer: Dear reader, I couldn't make this spoiler-free, so proceed with caution.
WEDNESDAY SO2: WAS IT EVEN A KID'S SHOW?
Some classical tropes made Wednesday SO2 kid-friendly. You've got the camp battle, the complicated friendship, and, of course, the school setting. The first half of the show had you thinking about watching it with your kids (you don't have kids) for family movie night. You could easily ignore the impending menace on Wednesday's head as she was in her little detective era, and the asylum's portrayal as a "place to help outcasts" wasn't too direct (if you had kids, they wouldn't have asked too many questions). Then September came, and with it the second half of the show, and it was bloody. With cadavers brutally slaughtered, disfigured, and found in dirty sewers, I couldn't really find an answer to the first question that came to my mind: What is Wednesday's target audience?
THE SCHOOL TROPE: NICE BUT OBVIOUS
I think the school is the ultimate trope to make a show durable and expandable (we all know who paved the way for that), and it can be a sign of a planned franchise. Besides, with the school setting, you get an excuse to get creative, inventing classes and subjects, imagining teachers and school balls that were definitely cooler than those back in your days, all contributing to those cosy vibes that really make or break a show in September. Every school of magic is unique in its way, but they are starting to get a little obvious. Perhaps it is because I am a self-declared millennial and there is only one school of magic in my heart, which also makes me wonder: are they trying to make Nevermore the Hogwarts of Gen Z?
THE PLOT
Watching the show, I had the constant feeling of something too strategic. It was the little things for me: random family connection being discovered just when they are useful to the plot, the random tale of a clockwork-heart man nobody mentioned before that year, Wednesday refusing to listen to anybody, even when it means betraying her rational nature- (okay, maybe none of these are little). The general idea was of an artificial concoction meant to fix the lack of narration in the first season. The timing was also a matter of convenience. The last three episodes felt like a rush to finish the story, which, to me, is a sign of uncertainty and overall bad quality. Overall, the plot is perfeclt summed up by what has become the ultimate Wednesday's sassy quotation: "I don't evolve, I cocoon".
THE SPOOK IS UNMATCHED, BUT CAN IT SAVE THE SHOW?
Honestly, yes. I consider myself an aesthete, I wouldn't give a dime to the story, and yet I watched the series and was not disappointed. The outfits were cute, with Wednesday's "nu Goth" look, as Agnes describes it, becoming more frilly when she swaps bodies with Enid (which is one of my favourite parts!). I loved the idea of colour allergy, I am a huge fan of all-black, and I can guarantee I got plenty of inspo. As for Morticia, I couldn't complain about her even if I tried; they always manage to make her stunning, and it's never boring to see her long dress and red lip combo. They really managed to prove whoever thinks monochrome is repetitive wrong, and as someone who rocks the grey lip for the day/black lip for the night, I feel represented. However, I only wish they had given a cool closet to "secondary" characters. Why was Pugsley wearing that skeleton jumpsuit? Did they run out of budget while sewing Grandma Hester Frump's ball gown? But most importantly, why didn't they give more to my precious little Agnes?
FINALLY, THEY HAVE IMPROVED THEIR CHARACTER GAME
Alongside the plot, I noticed a significant improvement in the characters. I am not talking about Wednesday in particular; of course, she is the lead, and her family trauma is the direct cause of all the most avoidable troubles. I keep thinking if they sat at a table and talked the zombie- at LEAST the ZOMBIE out- they would have avoided losing control of the situation. ("Hey guys, I kinda miss my zombie friend because y'all don't even see me atp" "Brother, I am afraid your pet monster, who is responsible for your temporary sense of fulfilment, is actually the bad guy" or something). But that's the point of the plot, isn't it? I think it was cool to see the amazing Addams in their daily life problems instead of being trapped in a bidimensional satire. We really needed that. I've heard so many in the alternative community who grew up with the '90s movies calling the Addams an inspiration for them. And it's understandable, it's not easy to find non-toxic love portrayed like that, let alone a stable and loving family. I think the series was a nice addition to the Addams umbrella world, not a total waste at least.
Comments
Post a Comment