‘Wednesday' Season 2 adds family drama, mystery

“Ordinary feels stranger to me. I actually feel more at ease with outcasts,” director Tim Burton said.

Season 2 of Netflix’s original series “Wednesday,” which became a global phenomenon with its first season, premiered on Sept. 6. Burton, joined by actors Jenna Ortega, who plays Wednesday, and Emma Myers, who plays Enid, visited South Korea to promote the show.

At a press conference at a hotel in Seoul’s Jongno District on Sept. 11, Burton said he approached the project “with as much creativity as I put into films.” Known worldwide for his originality in works such as “Beetlejuice,” “Batman,” and “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” “Wednesday” marked his first attempt at a television drama series.

The series is a spinoff of the American comic “The Addams Family,” focusing on daughter Wednesday. It follows her as she enrolls in Nevermore Academy, a school for outcasts with unusual abilities. Released in November 2022, the eight-episode first season drew praise for its signature blend of gothic horror and black comedy, topping Netflix’s all-time rankings for English-language TV shows. Season 2, divided into two four-episode parts, debuted its first half on Sept. 6, with the second set for release on Oct. 3.

The most notable feature of the Season 2 is its deeper family storyline. The plot now includes Wednesday’s younger brother Pugsley, played by Isaac Ordonez, who also attends Nevermore Academy, along with her mother Morticia, played by Catherine Zeta-Jones, and grandmother Hester Frump, played by Joanna Lumley. Burton said the narrative will explore “three generations of women” in depth. Mystery and horror elements have also intensified compared with the more romance-focused first season.

Wednesday and Enid are far from typical teenagers. Ortega said, “It is difficult to build a character that defies the usual image people expect, but I think girls who are not swayed by social media and can speak in their own voice are the most endearing.” Myers described Enid as “a character I treasure” and said she represents “the honesty of not caring about others’ opinions and the freedom from fitting into the world’s mold.”

The second season also features stop-motion animation, one of Burton’s trademarks. The legend of a skull-shaped tree in the story was brought to life by filming multiple still images and assembling them into motion. “Stop-motion is such a beautiful artistic medium,” Burton said.

Born in 2002, Ortega also served as a producer for Season 2. “I was able to be more involved than just as an actor,” she said. “I learned more about the work, and it felt like a secret door had opened.” Burton praised her, saying, “She has the artistic sense and creativity to excel in a producer role.”


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