Now that Wednesday season 2 has been released, the focus will quickly shift to season 3 and the future of the Addams Family universe on Netflix. In addition to Wednesday season 3’s renewal confirmation, Netflix is actively exploring spinoff opportunities. As the streamer continues to grow the franchise, a lot can be learned from season 2, in particular.
Wednesday season 2’s ending saw Jenna Ortega’s lead character on a mission to track down Enid. Meanwhile, Tyler left Jericho with Ms. Capri, and the season’s final sequence confirmed that Ophelia Frump was alive. The finale effectively set up season 3’s story focus, but the latest installment as a whole highlighted three distinct lessons for the Netflix show as it looks to the future.
Netflix Shouldn’t Release Wednesday Season 3 In Multiple Parts
Unlike season 1, Wednesday season 2 was released in two parts, with the first four episodes dropped on August 6 and the remaining four on September 3. While this split-release trend has become more popular, especially on Netflix, it didn’t benefit Wednesday season 2 in any notable way, at least in terms of the story.
Ideally, a season released in multiple parts has the potential to extend interest surrounding the show’s new installment. However, that story must also be worthy of discussion, which wasn’t necessarily the case with Wednesday season 2, part 1’s ending. Rather than have an intriguing cliffhanger that would have viewers talking until part 2, the story was just met with a month-long pause of sorts.
Wednesday was injured following her encounter with Tyler at Willow Hill, causing her to fall into a coma. Granted, seeing as she’s the core character of the show, there was no reason to worry about Ortega’s character. Without those high-stakes lingering mysteries, part 2’s release didn’t feel as big as part 1, and the viewership backs up that notion.
Wednesday season 2, part 2 had a viewership drop, with a 43.6% decrease in the first week compared to part 1’s data, according to reports. Still, season 2 as a whole has since managed to enter Netflix’s top shows of all time list, coming in at the tenth spot in global rankings.
Based on the performance, it would have been interesting to see what season 2’s potential would have been without a split season. Either way, Wednesday season 3 should go back to the original release plan and drop all episodes at once. Otherwise, Netflix could risk the show’s potential with another release plan that only ends up hurting the momentum surrounding interest.
Wednesday Season 3 Needs To Steer Away From Romance
Jenna Ortega teased that season 2 wouldn’t lean so heavily on romantic interests for Wednesday, and though the show did so for the most part, season 3 would be better off ditching the romantic storylines altogether, at least for the leads. After removing Xavier from the equation, season 2 still pitted Wednesday against Tyler, with the former attempting to “control” the Hyde.
Francoise Galpin thwarted Wednesday’s plan, but even when the former love interests had a chance to kill one another as the stakes increased, Wednesday and Tyler never followed through. The show didn’t convincingly prove that there were romantic feelings between the characters; it also didn’t rule out the possibility of Wednesday and Tyler seeing each other again, leaving that thread open.
It now seems Wednesday season 3 could be heading toward a redemption arc for Tyler. Wednesday “missed” her chance to kill Tyler, so she will likely see him again, but if that’s the case, the potential teenage romance shouldn’t outweigh the trauma both characters have endured. If Ortega herself doesn’t think Wednesday should be distracted by romance, it shouldn’t be forced on the character to fit teenage tropes.
Interestingly, the viewers who have pushed for a romance between Wednesday and Enid seemingly won’t get their wish. Wednesday season 2’s body swap episode reiterated just how important Wednesday and Enid were to each other. With their opposites-attract pairing and unorthodox bond, many have been hoping for a “Wenclair” romance.
Unless there are plans to genuinely make Wednesday and Enid love interests, the show would be smart to avoid anything that could be considered queer-baiting. Season 3’s story will likely follow Wednesday searching for Enid after her Alpha transformation. Hopefully, the show’s next chapter won’t make Tyler a problem for Wednesday to fix.
Wednesday Season 2 Proves Why A Spinoff Is Risky
The third lesson that Netflix must take from Wednesday season 2 doesn’t involve the next installment, but instead, the entire franchise. Considering how popular Wednesday has been for Netflix, it’s no surprise that the streamer would want to expand the franchise with spinoffs. That said, it’s odd that Uncle Fester is being considered to lead a spinoff.
Don’t get me wrong, Uncle Fester’s appearances in Wednesday‘s first two seasons were entertaining, but like most Addams Family characters, it was better when the core figures directly interacted. The same could be said for Fester, whose story instantly got more interesting when he was working alongside Wednesday.
Therefore, having a show centered on just Fester would likely need to rely on familiar Addams Family characters, which could be more challenging, seeing as Fester is more of a lone wolf within the family. While the spinoff could try to replicate some of Wednesday’s best aspects, it would lack a critical element: Jenna Ortega.
Wednesday might have a great ensemble cast and loads of notable guest stars. With that said, Ortega’s take on the titular character and overall involvement have been key to Wednesday‘s monumental success. It will be extremely difficult to replicate the same interest for a spinoff that wouldn’t include the Wednesday character in a leading role.
Ortega’s character is the centerpiece of the Netflix show, but like the first installment, season 2 featured several side stories. Like the case with Slurp’s identity and the Morning Song cult dilemma, those subplots weren’t as interesting until Wednesday became directly involved. Unless future projects can somehow incorporate Ortega or strike gold again with casting, a Wednesday spinoff might not be worth doing.