Wednesday season 3 needs to take the right lesson from the best episode of the series so far. Surprising no one, Netflix has officially renewed Wednesday for season 3. Season 2 wasn’t quite the runaway smash hit that season 1 was — season 1 was the second most-watched original show in the streamer’s entire history — but it still hit the top 10 charts.
Released in two parts over the last couple of months, Wednesday season 2 recaptured everything that made season 1 so great: Jenna Ortega’s pitch-perfect performance in the title role, the gorgeously gothic visual style infused by Tim Burton, and the intoxicating blend of supernatural horror and high school drama. But it also repeated all the same flaws as the first season.
Much like in season 1, the mystery plot that permeates throughout Wednesday season 2 isn’t all that compelling. The best episode from season 2 — and, arguably, the best episode of the series to date — offers a great way to escape that fatal flaw in season 3. The show’s next outing needs to learn the right lessons from Wednesday season 2.
Wednesday’s Body Swap Episode Is The Highlight Of The Show
On the whole, Wednesday’s latest outing was an enjoyable season of television, and a worthy successor to season 1. But season 2 went above and beyond in its sixth episode, “Woe Thyself,” in which Wednesday and Enid wake up in their dorm room and find that they’ve switched bodies. This episode is easily the highlight of the series so far.
It’s a solid piece of storytelling, with a clear-cut supernatural conflict built around character. It plays into the genre elements of Wednesday’s premise, tying into the magic and witchcraft that affect everyday life at Nevermore Academy, but it’s focused entirely on Wednesday and Enid’s dynamic and their individual personalities, which it exploits for both hilarious comedy and poignant drama.
It’s also a great showcase for Wednesday and Enid’s love-hate relationship, and Ortega and Emma Myers’ acting abilities. When you watch a lot of body-swap movies, the characters aren’t clearly defined enough to make full dramatic use of that concept. The actors don’t embody each other convincingly enough for the audience to actually believe they’ve switched bodies.
Wednesday’s delightful body-swap episode avoids both of these issues. Wednesday and Enid are clearly defined as polar opposites. Wednesday is a sullen, brooding misanthrope, and Enid is a bubbly, fun-loving people-pleaser. Ortega and Myers have a ton of fun playing into the flip-side of their usual characterization. Ortega fully captures Myers’ upbeat bubbliness, and Myers fully captures Ortega’s moody moroseness.
At a certain point, you forget that they haven’t actually switched bodies, and you’re locked into this supernatural premise. Ortega usually shares great chemistry with her on-screen family and fits seamlessly into Addams family events, but when she’s playing as Enid in Wednesday’s body, she does a complete 180 to being deeply disturbed by the Addams family’s morbid traditions.
This Standalone Episode Overshadowed The Overarching Plot Of Wednesday Season 2
Wednesday’s body-swap episode was the highlight of season 2 by far, and it’s important to note that it was a standalone episode, mostly disconnected from the overarching plot of the season. Similar to season 1, season 2 is built around a serialized high-stakes mystery story that Wednesday has to solve in time for the season finale.
But the overarching mysteries of both seasons haven’t been as compelling as the individual characters and their personal conflicts. When I was watching season 1, I didn’t really care who the Hyde was. What kept me coming back was the uneasy friendship blossoming between Wednesday and Enid, and Wednesday’s complicated relationship with her parents.
The same could be said for season 2. I found that mystery more engaging than the Hyde in season 1, but it didn’t exactly keep me on the edge of my seat. Once again, I wasn’t coming back to see where the mystery went; I was coming back because I love all these characters and I want to see what wacky antics they get themselves into.
Wednesday and Enid switching bodies was a perfect example of that. It forced them to live each other’s lives and walk a mile in each other’s shoes, eventually growing closer in the process, just like the mother and daughter in the various versions of Freaky Friday. It was a really fun, really touching episode, and it had almost nothing to do with the overarching mystery plot.
Wednesday Season 3 Should Embrace This Kind Of Episodic Storytelling
As it goes into season 3, Wednesday should embrace this kind of episodic storytelling. Standalone episodes — or so-called “filler” — have become a long-forgotten relic in the streaming age. Streaming shows tend to feel more like long movies chopped up into bitesize segments than a traditional television series. But those filler episodes were how we used to get to know the characters and world of a show.
In season 3, Wednesday should have more episodes like “Woe Thyself” that put the serialized storylines on the backburner and give the characters a standalone conflict to deal with. This body-swap episode was a glimpse at just how great Wednesday could be if it lets go of serialization and just allows itself to be a TV show.