thanks almost entirely to Jenna Ortega
Though the main character's name was inspired by the poetic phrase "Wednesday's child is full of sadness," "Wednesday" is generally a lighthearted affair, thanks almost entirely to Jenna Ortega. Having outgrown her Disney Channel days, Ortega turns the now-high-school-aged Addams Family daughter into the coolest humorless gothic sociopath you'll ever meet, in a Netflix series that's more eccentric than creepy or spooky. Director Tim Burton sets the perfect visual tone (a blend of humor and the macabre reminiscent of “Edward Scissorhands”) when he teams up with “Smallville” producers Alfred Gough and Miles Miller to create a TV show centered on an extraordinary teenage boy. Knowing something. In fact, when Wednesday enrolls at a new private school, Nevermore Academy, she tells the headmistress (Gwendoline Christie of “Game of Thrones”) about her repeated transfers from school to school: “They didn’t make me strong enough to endure.” Not only ...