Netflix in their infinite wisdom decided to split this season in half, with eight episodes separated by a month hiatus. This was very obviously a financial choice, as their binge model does not allow for continuous viewership past a couple of weeks. In this case the split felt jarring, because the mid-season cliffhanger was more frustrating than actually effective. There was zero chance Wednesday was going to die. If it had been any other character (we cared about) then it would’ve had more umph. Anyway, moving on.
This review contains full spoilers for the final four episodes of season two.
Splitting up the season did preserve my sanity after all. Yay!
2.5 Hyde and Woe Seek
While there was some fall out from the cliffhanger, the main thrust of this episode was to pick up the strings of plots left dangling. Namely Tyler and Slurp. Wednesday as per usual came up with a terribly risky and somewhat egocentric plan to stop Tyler by using the same formula Marilyn Thornhill used on him to make her his master. It was one step shy of evil mastermind, because I’m not entirely sure Wednesday thought out all the ramifications of taking control of him like that.
Slurp continues to cause both chaos and death, and is now starting to look almost human. His attack on the Pilgrim World festival for the Day of the Dead was gruesome, but the biggest plot reveal was the moment of recognition between Gomez and Slurp. Tyler on the other hand spent most of the episode looking trashed, only for his mother to show up in full Hyde mode and become his new master, which is honestly for the best because Wednesday seriously didn’t need to take that one on.
The biggest development which alters the series in the best possible way is the return of Headmaster Weems as Wednesday’s new spirit guide. She continues with her complicated relationship with the Addams family and especially Wednesday. While clearly trying to help her new charge, Weems is also clearly upset that she was stuck with Wednesday just as much as Wednesday is frustrated that she needs a spirit guide in the first place. Wednesday’s convinced that she doesn’t need anyone, which of course is her biggest flaw and weakness, because of course she needs people. Especially Enid and the rest of her family which she is shown again and again throughout the rest of the season.
2.6 Woe Thyself
While not an original idea, the execution of this episode’s plot was hands down the best in the entire series. Starting with Wednesday’s desperate need to recover her powers, she seeks out a dangerous spirit guide (played by Lady Gaga) who gives her a test. That’s when a frustrated Enid interferes without knowing the consequences and they end up switching bodies.
It sounds like an almost tired idea, right? Well, perhaps it would’ve been if the lead actresses were not so strong and capable of completely inhabiting each other’s personalities as though they had always played those characters. We all knew Jenna Ortega was capable of playing nearly anything, but her turn as Enid was a delight. From her public displays of exuberance and excitement to her reactions to Wednesday’s legitimate allergy to color, there wasn’t a second where I didn’t believe Enid was inhabiting Wednesday’s body.
For Wednesday, she learns that Enid has been struggling with the news that she is an alpha and might be stuck permanently in wolf form if she transitions under the full moon. This is obviously quite traumatic and terrifying for Enid. It does bring up the point of why she was hesitant to talk about the problems with Wednesday, perhaps she believed her friend would just shrug it off as unimportant, but I think both of them failed to see the fact that they were each other's 'person,' whatever that means. This was inarguably the strongest episode of the season, at least for me.
This final exchange between Wednesday and Enid encapsulates their entire relationship and what each is struggling with perfectly:
Enid: "You know what I love about being Wednesday? Your fearlessness. Except when it comes to your mom. But... I get it. She can be a lot. You're afraid she'll never accept you for who you truly are. That your darkness is even too much for her to grasp. You'll become the disappointment she'll never want to speak of. Just like your aunt. I can feel it in your bones. That's why you push her away. But maybe she has more to teach you than you think."
Wednesday: "The best thing about being Enid is your quiet strength. I know you think that being an Alpha will mean you'll be alone. I won't let that happen. You need to stop trying so hard for people who don't deserve it. Like Bruno, who mistook your kindness for weakness. It's not. It's your power. Which I could barely handle for one night. I regret ever underestimating you."
2.7 Woe Me the Money
Okay, so this episode was basically the season ender, before the season ender. It wrapped up all the Nevermore plots involving Dort, the cult and Bianca’s mother. It also managed to tie all of those two season plot threads to the Addams family by roping Hester into Dort’s scheme. How it all plays out quickly revealed how awful Dort truly is; he’s behind the whole Morning Song cult and had basically created Gideon’s whole persona.
As a puppet, Gideon turned out to be somewhat okay. While complicit, he seemed to genuinely love Gabrielle (Bianca’s mother), and he had made some terrible choices. I’m not entirely sure he deserved to be burned alive like that, but it did quickly establish Dort as a big bad. The ultimate culmination of events turned out to be a lot of fun, as the dance that had been hyped up centered around Enid and Agnes finally mending fences and becoming friends.
However, the biggest emotional and character beat of the episode centered around Agnes as she finally broke down and confessed why she has been so obsessed with Wednesday, to Enid who has been hostile towards her all season. I won't go in to why Enid has been jealous because... anyway, Agnes has been as invisible as her powers her entire life and really just needs friends. Enid encourages her to be herself and when she does Wednesday finally starts to respect her. I personally love the three of them together. They are a good team. Looking forward to more next season.
2.8 This Means Woe
As a season ender, this episode did a good job bringing all the disparate elements of the season together in a satisfying way. It paid off all the threads involving Thing and Isaac as well as giving some closure for Tyler’s arc. That being said, the ultimate conclusion of all those threads were as complicated as usual, with Wednesday, Thing, Morticia and Gomez acting heroically to save their family.
Isaac turned out to be a fairly good big bad, with telekinetic powers that were truly frightening and a plan to use Pugsley’s powers to strip Tyler of his Hyde. Is it wrong that I wish he had succeeded? I mean it would suck for Pugsley, but Gomez has more than made do without his powers, and ridding the world of a monster seems like a good trade. Of course it might have killed Pugsley, so that would be bad… I’m probably over complicating this one.
Tyler's monster movie family dynamic has been one of the stronger elements of these final episodes. With his mother and uncle's return to the living after decades, they are never played as remotely normal, almost a twisted inversion of the Addams family, which is saying something. While it is tragic when Francoise chose to side with Isaac to rob Tyler of his powers, it was worse when she fell to her death in front of him.
Maybe it's enough to snap him out of his murderous ways, but it could also just be the final pin in Tyler's supervillain origin story. Or because they made Tyler almost sympathetic here, are they possibly going for some kind of redemption arc for him down the line? I’m all for complicated villains, and I kind of like him (mostly due to the actor’s performance), but I’m also kind of done with Tyler and wouldn’t be upset if he didn’t return for season three.
(rant) I won’t get into the whole ship culture for Wednesday and Enid, but I will say this series is heavily coded LGBTQ+ and it would be shortsighted to ignore the clear romantic chemistry between the two leads. Whether or not a romantic plot is in the cards, the show has gone to great lengths to show Wednesday and Enid would literally die for each other. If either of them were the opposite gender they would already be the primary romantic pairing. (/rant)
Bits:
While I’m thrilled that Tyler’s backstory was fleshed out and finished, I’m marginally curious where he will go next. Looks like he is joining up with Isadora who turns out to be half Hyde and has formed a pack of Hydes. That sounds terrifying.
A sub-plot involving Wednesday’s aunt has a potential follow up next season as it is revealed in the last moments that Hester has her daughter locked up. Morticia is not aware that her sister is even alive.
The entire build up of Willow Hill ended abruptly when Slurp took out Judi (Heather Matarazzo). I’m not upset by this since the Willow Hill plot was definitely weaker than the Isaac Knight plot.
Christopher Lloyd’s Professor Orloff was ultimately killed by Slurp in front of Agnes. This was one of the first moments Agnes became sympathetic and that arc continued until she became a part of the core group with Wednesday and Enid.
Quotes:
Hester: "Are you resorting to emotional blackmail?"
Wednesday: "There's nothing emotional about it. It's just blackmail."
Principal Dort: "Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity."
Hester: "Flattery is like formaldehyde. It is to be sniffed, never swallowed."
Agnes: "I was the mistake that kept her and my dad together long past their sell-by date."
Wednesday: "Gunpowder, penicillin, the rack. Those were all mistakes."
Enid: "Did it ever occur to you that we're all just trying our best?"
Wednesday: "Trying your best means you're planning on failing and letting me know in advance."
Sheriff Santiago: "Wherever there's murder and mayhem, you'll always find an Addams."
Morticia: "With corpse bells on."
Wednesday: (as Enid) "Thank you for saving my life.
Enid: (as Wednesday) "I just asked myself... What would Enid do?"
Wednesday: "Secrets are the bedrock of the Addams family. Toxic and festering just below the surface. As I venture into the unknown, I am determined to exhume every lie and deception, or die trying. Sounds like a perfect vacation to me."
Wednesday: "Poe said, 'I don't believe in ghosts, but they've been chasing me my whole life.' I've always believed that to be haunted is a choice. What we are really haunted by is our past. No matter how hard we try to shake it free, it has us by the teeth."
The second half of the season was much much stronger than the first half and finally tied up all the lingering threads. The remaining plot threads are far more personal, dealing with friendship and family. Here's to hoping the next installment focuses less on Nevermore and more the Addams family and specifically Wednesday's core relationships.
3.5 out of 4 Big Bad Villains Killed Off in Satisfying Ways
Samantha M. Quinn spends most of her time in front of a computer typing away at one thing or another; when she has free time, she enjoys pretty much anything science fiction or fantasy-related.
Thanks for your review, Samantha. Like you, I definitely enjoyed the Freaky Friday episode the most, because the two of them were just terrific. I kept getting tired of the Nevermore stuff, though. I'm also hoping that they'll change direction in season three.
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