Wednesday Season 2 Part 2 Review: Saved by a Zombie and a Werewolf

It turns out that near-fatal impalement is merely an inconvenience for Wednesday Addams. The second half of her sophomore season at Nevermore Academy picks up with our heroine reviving from her cliffhanger-induced nap, only to be tossed directly back into the cauldron of supernatural conspiracies.

These final four episodes are tasked with untangling the web spun in Part 1 while introducing fresh complications rooted deep within the Addams family tomb. The result is a chaotic sprint to the finish line, powered by the show’s signature spooky-kooky aesthetic and a healthy dose of dark humor. The stakes are certainly higher, but the most profound secrets unearthed are the ones buried not in a graveyard, but under the floorboards of the family mansion.

A Wolf in Gloom’s Clothing

The dreary heart of Wednesday now beats to the rhythm of its central friendship. The dynamic between Wednesday (Jenna Ortega) and her werewolf roommate Enid Sinclair (Emma Myers) has become the show’s emotional anchor, thankfully supplanting the tired love triangle of its freshman year. Their relationship deepens far beyond a simple study in contrasts.

Wednesday, a fortress of solitude, begins to show cracks in her foundation, learning the unpleasant yet necessary art of relying on someone else. We see it not in grand speeches, but in small, nearly imperceptible shifts: a shared glance that lasts a second too long, a cryptic piece of advice that is shockingly helpful.

Enid, in turn, finds a ferocious confidence, her bright disposition sharpening its claws as she masters her lupine abilities. She becomes less of a colorful sidekick and more of a capable partner, defending Wednesday’s morbid eccentricities to others while challenging them in private. Their bond moves past the simple odd-couple setup into a genuine, if begrudging, partnership.

This evolution is best seen in the season’s peak, a sixth episode that employs a classic body-swap scenario. The script gives both Ortega and Myers a delicious opportunity to play against type, a challenge they meet with spectacular results.

Ortega’s imitation of Enid’s effervescent personality is a masterclass in physical comedy, her stiff posture fighting a losing battle against bubbly hand gestures. Myers, conversely, perfectly captures Wednesday’s profound stillness and unnerving stare, delivering lines with a deadpan gravity that is both hilarious and impressive.

Their non-romantic chemistry is electric, a perfect showcase for their comedic timing and a welcome turn in teen television, which often insists on pairing every protagonist romantically. They are soon joined by the formerly creepy stalker Agnes (Evie Templeton), whose power of invisibility proves remarkably convenient.

Her journey from obsessive fan to a functioning, if still strange, friend forms a solid trio. Agnes’s worshipful view of Wednesday provides a humorous counterpoint to Enid’s more grounded affection, creating a slightly dysfunctional detective agency ready to solve Nevermore’s many, many homicides.

Of Stalemates and Zombies

For every narrative thread the season ties up neatly, another unravels into a messy pile. The long-simmering conflict between Wednesday and the Hyde, Tyler Galpin (Hunter Doohan), has gone cold. Their repetitive cycle of threats and hesitations feels less like a deadly rivalry and more like a stalemate in a supernatural chess game where both players have forgotten the rules.

The scenes are structured with a predictable rhythm: a tense confrontation, a flurry of accusations, a moment where one could easily finish the other, and a contrived reason for their escape. The shock of his initial betrayal has worn off, leaving a plotline that seems to be running in place, desperate for a final move that never quite comes. This recurring, unresolved tension does not build suspense; it merely slows the pace, pulling precious screen time away from more dynamic parts of the story.

While that central conflict stagnates, an unexpected player shambles into the spotlight. Slurp the zombie, resurrected by Pugsley, becomes the season’s breakout character. Owen Painter’s performance is a minor miracle, transforming a groaning corpse into a figure of cunning and menace. His physical acting in the early episodes is remarkable, conveying a mindless hunger.

The true surprise is his evolution once his mind begins to heal. As his consciousness returns, Slurp becomes something terrifyingly cool, a charismatic monster ripped from the best parts of a 1980s teen slasher. He possesses the quiet confidence of a movie villain who knows he is three steps ahead of everyone else. Painter is a magnetic presence who hijacks every scene, making one wish the camera would forget about everyone else for a while.

This highlight only accentuates the weakness of other subplots. Bianca’s family drama involving a siren cult feels tacked on, a rushed affair that sidelines a powerful character for a generic story. Principal Dort’s (Steve Buscemi) dark secret culminates in a reveal that is disappointingly bland. Casting a beloved actor known for quirky roles created an expectation of a complex villain, but the writing delivered a one-dimensional antagonist whose motivations feel unearned. The show loses considerable energy anytime it strays from its core trio.

Relative Chaos

The Addams family name looms large this season, yet the family itself remains a curiously mixed bag. The story smartly focuses on its matriarchal line, creating a fascinating tension between Wednesday, Morticia (Catherine Zeta-Jones), and Grandmama (Joanna Lumley).

Lumley’s portrayal is a striking departure from the character’s quirky past, reimagining Grandmama as a glamorous and chillingly elegant figure who drips with aristocratic disdain. This choice generates a compelling generational friction, pitting Wednesday’s blunt rejection of sentiment against Morticia’s graceful gloom and Grandmama’s cold pragmatism. This new interpretation adds a welcome layer of aristocratic frost to the family tree, suggesting a long history of powerful, difficult women.

Gwendoline Christie’s return as the ghost of Principal Weems is another clever move. Relegated to the role of Wednesday’s reluctant spirit guide, she acts as a spectral Greek chorus, commenting on Wednesday’s poor decisions with a dry wit born from experience.

Christie provides sharp, witty banter that cuts through the gloom, her exasperation serving as a perfect foil to Wednesday’s unflappable demeanor. Her presence is a constant delight. Other family members fare less well. The palpable, almost feral chemistry that should define Gomez (Luis Guzman) and Morticia’s romance is strangely absent.

Their interactions lack the passionate spark that made past portrayals so iconic. Pugsley (Isaac Ordonez) remains little more than a sidekick for ill-advised experiments, a character with significant comedic and emotional potential that the show has yet to explore. The family unit feels disjointed, a collection of excellent parts that have not quite assembled into a cohesive whole. Here is hoping next season remembers that the family that slays together, stays together.

Style Over Schedule

Whatever its narrative stumbles, Wednesday remains a visual feast. The production design continues its masterful blend of gothic architecture and macabre camp, creating a world that is consistently beautiful to look at. The cinematography makes excellent use of shadow, often framing Wednesday in stark, chiaroscuro lighting that isolates her from her more colorful surroundings.

The costuming is equally sharp, defining each supernatural clique at Nevermore with a distinct visual identity. A new school dance provides another opportunity for a set-piece, yet it fails to capture the lightning-in-a-bottle virality of its predecessor. The choreography is solid and the song choice is fun, but the sequence feels calculated, an attempt to replicate a cultural moment rather than create a new one. It is competent, not iconic.

The season’s biggest flaw might be its very structure. Netflix’s decision to split the run into two parts, separated by a month-long hiatus, was a critical miscalculation. The pause completely deflated the momentum built in the first half. A serialized mystery box show depends on sustained tension and audience engagement, both of which were squandered by the fractured release.

It is a strange hybrid model that satisfies neither the binge-watcher nor the weekly viewer. The finale resolves the primary threats while planting seeds for a third season, including a curious backstory for Thing that suggests the show is willing to explore the lore of its supporting cast. This new direction is promising. The Addams family closet, it seems, is full of skeletons still waiting for their turn to dance.

The second part of Season 2 of Wednesday premiered on September 3, 2025, with four new episodes. You can stream the series exclusively on the Netflix platform. The show has already been renewed for a third season.

Full Credits

Director: Tim Burton, Angela Robinson

Writers: Alfred Gough, Miles Millar, Charles Addams

Producers and Executive Producers: Alfred Gough, Miles Millar, Tim Burton, Steve Stark, Andrew Mittman, Meredith Averill, Karen Richards, Gail Berman, Jonathan Glickman, Tommy Harper, Kayla Alpert, Kevin Miserocchi, Matt Lambert, Valentina Garza, Lauren Otero, Jenna Ortega

Cast: Jenna Ortega, Steve Buscemi, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Emma Myers, Hunter Doohan, Joy Sunday, Luis Guzmán, Isaac Ordonez, Billie Piper, Victor Dorobantu, Luyanda Unati Lewis-Nyawo, Moosa Mostafa, Georgie Farmer, Evie Templeton, Noah B. Taylor, Owen Painter, Jamie McShane, Joanna Lumley, Joonas Suotamo, Fred Armisen, Christopher Lloyd, Thandiwe Newton, Heather Matarazzo, Haley Joel Osment, Gwendoline Christie

Director of Photography (Cinematographer): David Lanzenberg, Stephan Pehrsson, PJ Dillon, John Conroy

Editors: Jay Prychidny, Ana Yavari, Paul Day, Dan Briceno

Composer: Danny Elfman, Chris Bacon