Tim Burton rewatch! I couldn’t just watch the first four episodes of Wednesday without finishing season 1, right? These episodes were produced by Burton, and they were directed by Gandja Monteiro and James Marshall. (Not the same James Marshall who starred in Twin Peaks.)

Here’s what happens: The mystery heats up as Wednesday Addams continues investigating strange goings-on in her new school, Nevermore Academy. The creature menacing the school is a Hyde (as in, “Dr Jekyll and…”) who has a human form. What that human wants may have to do with long-buried secrets from the school’s past.

Origin story: The name Nevermore Academy is obviously a reference to Edgar Allen Poe’s The Raven. The Raven speaks, but the only word it says is “Nevermore,” further haunting the poem’s already haunted narrator. Wednesday’s ancestor Goody Addams is likely a reference to Goody Proctor, a.k.a. Elizabeth Proctor, who was convicted of witchcraft in the Salem Witch Trials of 1692. Her story inspired the creation of Arthur Miller’s classic The Crucible.

Outsider theory: Despite Wednesday’s protestations of how she neither wants nor needs friends, she eventually develops a circle of others who come to her aid by the end. It’s pointed out that she might not want friends, but she’s nonetheless good at colleting them.

Reality breaks through: Gomez and Morticia return for an episode involving a parents’ weekend at the school. Here we see that Morticia and Wednesday’s relationship is strained. Morticia wants what’s best for her daughter, but the two do not see eye-to-eye. This goes a long way in exploring why Wednesday is so distant from others.

Best bits: Tyler: “You’re like a cockroach!” Wednesday: “Flattery will get you nowhere.”

Thoughts on this viewing: As noted last week, the mystery plot in Wednesday isn’t as interesting as just hanging out with these characters. I wonder if that’s why Burton only directed the first half of the series, because he knew that’s where the good stuff was. But there’s a lot to like in this half. Some great performances, some gloomy atmosphere, and a memorable protagonist at its center. Great stuff.

And that’s a wrap on Tim Buron until (if?) this Beetlejuice sequel comes out. What should I do next on this blog? Any suggestions?

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