Editor’s Note: The following contains spoilers for Season 2 of Wednesday.Wednesday tackles adolescence and the way people change over their teenage years. This is evident during the show’s return for Season 2 where the main characters’ personalities have evolved after summer break. However, while these drastic shifts may seem possible, the execution is so jarring and leaves some of the most likable aspects of the cast forgotten and ignored. The biggest culprit of this change is Enid (Emma Myers), who has grown out of her insecurity through wolfing out and becoming more confident and self-assured, but in the process of this change, part of her character seems to have been lost in this change. While it is necessary to see characters grow, this change comes at the expense of the show’s core relationship — Enid and Wednesday (Jenna Ortega).
However, this failing isn’t reserved simply for Enid, and many of the returning Nevermore students seem to have changed beyond recognition. This stems from the lack of interaction between them and the over-expansion of Wednesday, bringing in too many new characters. Former queen bee Bianca (Joy Sunday) changed a huge amount in the first season, becoming more empathetic and kind. The second season opened up a plot line exploring her relationship with her mother through a subplot with Morticia (Catherine Zeta-Jones), but this is under-explored. Similarly, Ajax (Georgie Farmer) and Eugene’s (Moosa Mostafa) returns are underwhelming and unsatisfactory, which all heightens Wednesday’s biggest issue in its second season, adding too many components and forgetting its roots.
‘Wednesday’ Season 2 Changes Enid Too Much
The change to Enid’s character in Season 2 of Wednesday can’t be criticized for being unrealistic due to the fluid nature of teenage personalities. However, the way the show has gone about Enid experiencing the werewolf version of puberty (known as “wolfing out”) has undone all the development in the first season. She always served as the perfect balance for Wednesday, showing genuine compassion and relatable insecurity. While it makes sense that finally growing into her werewolf skin would lead to an increase in self-confidence, the character introduced at the beginning of this new season doesn’t feel as though she grew from the mousy Enid from Season 1.
This season, Enid comes across as shallow and dismissive of others’ feelings, particularly Wednesday’s. Their tension made sense in the first season, as Wednesday was her usual blunt self, which unnerves and confuses Enid. However, as the season develops, they create an inseparable bond that culminates in a hug in the season finale, a huge moment for Wednesday, who was adamantly against physical affection throughout the whole season. It appeared they finally understood each other, but that unfiltered kindness seems to have disappeared completely, and Enid now has seemingly more important priorities.
Enid’s Love Triangle is Bizarre and Unnecessary
Wednesday does attempt to explain Enid’s more volatile personality by claiming she is struggling to adjust to pack life. Now that she has “wolfed out”, she is not confined to interacting with outcasts of different species and finds comfort in people that understand her, which feels like the antithesis of Wednesday’s core theme. This is most prominent in her treatment of Ajax, whom she spent most of the first season infatuated with. It is difficult to see the lovesick gorgon, whom Enid hopelessly flirted with in the first season, completely ghosted with no real explanation until Enid has already moved on. Cheating seems like the last thing Enid would ever do, let alone with her puddle-deep new boyfriend, Bruno. There is a skin-deep attempt at making the audience care about this new relationship, showing the pair bonding over being late lupin bloomers. However, it just heightened how Enid’s best character trait was her sense of acceptance and lack of prejudice.
The romance subplot also means Enid is distant from Wednesday, particularly in the scene where Bruno and Enid are captured feels as though Enid could’ve been alone. The scene could’ve centered on Wednesday’s growing sense of protectiveness and care. Instead, it is played as a bonding moment for Bruno and Enid, making him a bizarre extension of the character. Enid provided balance that complimented Wednesday’s straight-faced persona, and played a vital role in her opening up, culminating in that emotionally-charged hug. Season 2 sees her character traits boiled down to her need for romance, which is tied to a need for validation, turning her into a caricature. However, with Wednesday’s vision, there is a sense of hope that the two will be brought back together, and some pieces of the old Enid can peek through.
‘Wednesday’ Has Forgotten Its Original Characters
It is not just Enid who feels like a changed character this season; it seems to have infected all the original cast bar the title character. The separation between Ajax and Enid seems to drain the former of any discernible personality. He spends the whole season attempting to win back her affection, mulling around like a lovesick puppy and leaving gifts outside her door.
Similarly, the once meek Eugene is unrecognizable in the way he treats his new roommate, Pugsley. The character was introduced as being extremely passionate and expressive, gushing about his love of bees to Wednesday and appreciating her friendship. However, he only perceives his relationship with Pugsley as transactional, a favor to Wednesday. For someone who was so self-aware of his position on the fringes of the Nevermore food chain, it is unexpected for him to be so dismissive of Pugsley’s curiosity. It is logical for Eugene not to instantly be Pugsley’s best friend, but there isn’t an ounce of respect, and he is merely seen as Wednesday’s little brother rather than his own person. Considering Eugene was isolated before Wednesday arrived at Nevermore, the way he seems to merely put up with Pugsley throughout the season feels unnecessarily cruel and uncharacteristic.
Bianca’s Character Arc in Season 2 Had So Much Potential
Bianca’s arc is filled with promise at the start of Season 2, after the new headmaster appoints her as student liaison for the big fundraiser, which puts her in close proximity to Morticia. The characters both have difficulty with their mother and daughter respectively, so their discourse lends itself to discussion around the themes of maternal love. Initially, the pair shows signs of opening up, but the subplot is quickly dropped. Instead, Bianca merely becomes a puppet for the new headmaster, who repeatedly abuses her power and blackmails her into doing things she doesn’t want to do. So much of Bianca’s growth was her learning that she didn’t need to use her power to get close to people and trust them; her role this season just undoes all this development. Her newfound mutual understanding with Wednesday in the season 1 finale was a subtle, tender moment indicating how both girls had changed; this season, they barely cross paths.
The way in which all the returning cast have been drastically changed could’ve worked, but misguided writing decisions made these personality shifts jarring and nonsensical. By changing the dynamics, and introducing too many new characters, Wednesday has ripped out its own beating heart.
All episodes of Wednesday can be streamed on Netflix in the U.S.
