I know this will be unpopular, as there seems to be almost nothing but praise for the show, but I was immensely disappointed.
The biggest let down was the fact that you could completely remove Wednesday Addams from the series and you'd be left with "teen supernatural drama number 34." Magical people / creatures? Check. Ancient grudge? Check. Awkward love triangle? Check. Member of love triangle put in logic-defying positions to look suspicious? Check. Outcast who learns to fit in? Check. Absolutely nothing about the show needed or depended upon the Addams property. If you can replace your main character and still have the same show, you've got a problem.
It just felt so... tired and lazy.
The show also doesn't really handle the actual Addams family very well. Part of the point and charm of the franchise is a) that the Addams family think they are the completely normal ones, and b) watching how the rest of the world reacts to them. This show makes the mistake of constantly making Wednesday the least strange character in the room. Against the framework of Nevermore, or even the city of Jericho, the Addams family aren't very ooky or kooky, and not even really all that spooky in comparison.
The weird rift / antagonism between the members of the family was also completely out of place. There's a reason that many people look to the Addams' as relationship/family goals, and almost none of that bond was present in the series. And there was just zero spark or chemistry between Gomez and Morticia, what little we wind up seeing of them. The only Addams relationships that the writers seemed to understand and get correct were the woefully brief interactions between Wednesday and Fester, and Wednesday and Pugsley.
Wednesday was often just brutally mean, not just in her attitude (which constantly made me wonder why anyone even bothered to want to try to be friends with her, let alone pursue her romantically), but even actions. There's a scene involving a pair of tasers that is almost on the level of Superman snapping Zod's neck regarding misunderstanding how to handle the character or a situation. Yes, there is a definite aspect of sadism to Wednesday, but when she's torturing Pugsley, for example, he's always a willing participant, which is part of the joke, and the opening scene with the piranhas still retains a sense of whimsey in its absurdity. The taser scene wouldn't have felt so uncomfortable had the writers been more imaginative with it -- Wednesday certainly would have been.
Having said all of that, Jenna Ortega absolutely knocked it out of the park with the material she was given. She somehow manages to even deliver painfully clumsy writing authentically and with humor (exactly how does one display "tells" during Russian Roulette, a game that is random chance and involves no bluffing?). The rest of the cast also does exceptionally well with the material. Also, I don't completely hate the show. There were definitely some fun moments and some standout moments (the "dance" had the perfect Addams Family vibe, with everyone standing around not really knowing how to react to Wednesday).
I just wish the cast and the show had all been given a more original plot and writers that better understood the property. Tim Burton was offered the chance to direct the first Addams Family movie and he turned it down. Maybe young Burton knew something that older Burton forgot about whether or not he was right for it.
I expect to get roasted for this opinion, but hey, it's mine.
I’ve not watched yet. But you sound like what I might think, and few times does Burton connect with me. Yet there are some glowing words here too. Wife and I just started Andor so maybe this is next. Sounds like you made it through.
