Wednesday – A Fantastic Series That Doesn’t Ask Permission to Like. (And Which Proved Me Wrong)
You know, i generally avoided this series for a long time. Not because of lack of time, but out of pure fear of disappointment. The name – that legacy of the Addams Family – stuck in my throat. I was convinced that it would be a weak attempt to reheat our favorite black humor, transformed into a diluted product. When it comes to reboots, i like to stay away from them, so as not to spoil that perfect memory. I was wrong...blatantly wrong.
I don’t often recommend series. Not because i wouldn’t consume them, but because most of them are designed to seduce you, not to provoke you. Wednesday, however, caught me differently. I started it without expectations. I continued it carefully. After three episodes, i can say that it's one of the few series that hasn't disappointed me. And that's rare.
What i liked? The fact that it doesn't try to please anyone. Wednesday doesn't smile, doesn't explain herself, doesn't justify herself. She's there, cold, sarcastic, but functional. She doesn't demand empathy, but respect. And that, in the current landscape, is almost revolutionary.
It's not a cinematic achievement you expect to see at a festival. It's an achievement of style. Of absolute coherence. When i saw the idea, i said: Here, the dilution begins. Another iconic character, transformed into streaming bait. I was wrong.
When it comes to these things, i'm the biggest cynic in the room. I pressed Play only out of obligation, to be able to say i saw it. I was stuck. Not because of the plot – which is solid, with good twists, but not revolutionary. But because of the tone. This is a work that doesn't give a damn about what you want...yep, a super funny work.
The series is classified as a comedy (horror/mystery). The humor is there, but it's that kind of dark, dry humor that comes from the character's lack of reaction. Okay, the main character isn't a clown, but a social critic. And that environment – the school, the enthusiastic classmates, the mystery to solve – become the perfect backdrop for her demonstration of superior contempt. It's a delight to see how the tension between the vibrant world and her absolute restraint generates a quality of humor that you rarely find anymore.
This isn't about laughing with a character. It's about laughing with the idea that a single character is so detached that they ridicule the entire system around them, just by existing.
It's brilliant. It's a genre of comedy that doesn't demand, but rather imposes, appreciation. It doesn't make you feel good, it makes you feel superior – with her. And that, yes, is a good enough reason to give it a go.
I don't recommend it out of enthusiasm, it's a cinematic work that works. It would be a shame to miss it just because, like me, you ran away from the title.