Netflix made a change within the Addams family dynamic, and it might actually be what makes Wednesday so good and stand out from the franchise.
Netflix’s Wednesday series totally tweaked an aspect of the Addams family dynamic, and that decision may have been for the better. The gothic comedy horror has become a smash hit on the streaming platform as of late and that is largely due to staying quite true to the wildly wacky but near and dear conventions of The Addams Family and the rest of the franchise. Despite this, Netflix and a production team that included Tim Burton made some essential changes that proved to the surprise of old-time fans, and now new ones, that a nostalgic formula could become even greater with a few alterations.
While the obvious change within the franchise to feature the family’s iconic daughter Wednesday Addams lends to Wednesday’s success as a reboot, there exists a more subtle change that is not as easily picked up on. Those that know the spooky happenings that occurred in Wednesday’s predecessors know that the Addams family unit embarked on their adventures and took on the ordinary population together. One key change in the Addams family dynamic made in the series Wednesday is new for fans and definitely fresh to the franchise, but this change might actually be key to its continued success.
Netflix Added Tension To Wednesday & Morticia’s Relationship
Wednesday has challenged aspects of The Addams Family, in particular the Addams family being shown across the board to have love, if not great loyalty, for one another. It came as a surprise in Wednesday for the mother-daughter dynamic between Morticia and Wednesday to be riddled with not just run-of-the-mill tension but with a contention that ran the plot line of the series. Wednesday met her mother with more than dry lines and an air of mischief, and her inner monologue exposed a fear so strong of turning out like her mother that she felt she had to pave her own way through the supernatural halls of Nevermore.
The primary point of view guided by Jenna Ortega’s Wednesday coupled with Wednesday’s oldest on-screen age may be the origination of the conflict that’s written into the mother-daughter dynamic. Regardless of the reason why they included this particularly small change, it motivates Wednesday’s character to dive deeper into the world around her, including the intricacies of her own family history. As she discovers herself throughout the Wednesday series, passionate fans are able to discover the depth within her and Morticia’s characters that are not particularly viewable in other avenues of the franchise.
How The Netflix Wednesday & Morticia Relationship Compares To Other Media
The tense relationship between Wednesday and Morticia in Netflix’s Wednesday series is a change from pretty much every other version of the characters. A major reason for that is often Wednesday’s age as she’s typically depicted as a younger girl. She has never been a character to show a ton of warmth or adoration but she was never really one to butt heads with her mother, whether it was in the comic books, the TV show from decades ago, the ’90s movies, or even the more modern animated takes on The Addams Family.
The fact that, despite their issues, Wednesday still kind of follows in her mom’s footsteps at Nevermore Academy is telling of their bond. Audiences might not have seen this aspect of their relationship in the past because Wednesday isn’t yet at an age where that happens. It’s possible that in every version of the franchise, she grows up to try and get out of her mother’s shadow or they might have issues like a typical parent/teenager relationship. That’s the kind of thing that can be explored or expanded upon in Wednesday season 2.
Why Wednesday’s Relationship With Morticia Is More Interesting In The Show
Netflix made Wednesday and Morticia’s relationship more interesting because of the added tension to the family dynamic, but they also may have done so to add dimension to Morticia Addams’ storyline in season 2. While what may happen in the next season of Wednesday is not fully released, what can be expected is an extension of how Wednesday navigates her relationship with her mother. The show could even bring in other family members like Grandmama to boost Morticia and Wednesday’s stories.
But as season 2 gears up to explain what is next for Nevermore and Wednesday Addams, the most logical conclusion is that Netflix is prepared to dive even deeper into the relationships of these characters than the rest of the franchise has done before. Whether fans might be introduced to more small but notable changes is a mystery. Nevertheless, the evidence of Wednesday’s success suggests the conventions of The Addams Family could benefit from a little change if it expands on the characters that have become so dear to fans.
