Gothic, Latina, and empowered: 'Wednesday' returns to Netflix

BarcelonaWith over 250 million views in the first season, Wednesday It has become one of the most-watched series in Netflix history. Beyond its success, the series has revived a cultural genealogy with more than eighty years of history: that of the Addams Family. pop culture.

The Addams Family was born from the hand of Charles Addams (1912-1988), the American cartoonist who created the humorous cartoons for the pages of The New YorkerThe first was published in 1938, and the series would eventually produce 150 single-panel comics. They were humorous cartoons featuring sinister, impassive characters who initially had no names. Even so, these black-clad, death-obsessed figures gradually acquired an identity until they became known as the Addams Family. Their dark, elegant, and absurd humor became a parody of traditional American society.

Leap into popular culture

The first big media leap comes with the black and white series of The Addams Family, released in 1964. This is where the names Wednesday, Gomez, Mortícia, and Uncle Fester were born. Animated adaptations, films, comics, video games, and even a Broadway musical would later follow. The version that has most influenced modern times is, without a doubt, the 1990s film, directed by Barry Sonnenfeld and starring Anjelica Huston and Raúl Julia in the roles of Mortícia and Gomez. The family has adapted to the codes of each era without losing its essence, being the dark and charming flipside of what is considered normal. In the 1960s, they broke the mold on family television, and in the 1990s, they offered a postmodern interpretation of the traditional family.

Wednesday draws from everything that's been done before, but focuses on the family's youngest daughter, who gives the Netflix series its name. Alfred Gough and Miles Millar, the creators, explained that the goal was "to give voice to a teenager with a radically unique worldview." And they've done so through a gothic aesthetic, a sarcastic script, and a magnetic protagonist. Jenna Ortega plays Wednesday Addams, faithful to the spirit of the character, but updating it. "With Wednesday, I learned not to apologize for being who I am," the actress explained in an interview on Harper's BazaarHer character is an intelligent, reserved, socially skeptical teenager with psychic powers that connect her to a lineage of powerful women.

News from the second installment

Ortega, of Mexican and Puerto Rican descent, argues that his Wednesday brings a Latino perspective to a narrative that had always been white. In statements to People, the actress warned that "with social media, young people are finding it increasingly difficult to build their own identity." The series channels this tension through a character who champions difference, silence, and critical thinking. Christina Ricci, who played Wednesday in the 1990s, is also in the series, this time taking on the role of Marilyn Thornhill—one of the teachers at Nevermore Academy, where most of the plot takes place.

The second season, which premieres on Wednesday, August 6, maintains its gothic and mysterious tone and incorporates new storylines. According to Netflix, these episodes delve deeper into the relationship between Wednesday and her mother, Morticia, and explore what it means to inherit the Addams lineage. Catherine Zeta-Jones, who plays the matriarch, assures that "the new season speaks to the power of women in families and how magic is passed down through generations." New characters are also introduced, such as a teacher played by Lady Gaga and an enigmatic figure played by Steve Buscemi. The season will be released in two parts: the first arrives on August 6 (episodes 1-4) and the second on September 3. The platform has also announced that there will be a third season, but no release date has yet been set.