The first reviews for the Netflix Addams Family spinoff series Wednesday are now in. So, is Jenna Ortega’s title character creepy and kooky enough? Or has the mystery and spookiness been lost in following the character into her teens and transporting her to an academy filled with other outcasts, freaks and monsters? Let’s take a look.

Beginning with Collider’s Arezou Amin, it sounds like Wednesday contains a lot for The Addams Family fans to enjoy. Awarding the Netflix series an impressive A-, the critic praised the show for maintaining the core of the iconic characters while making things a little darker.

“Ultimately, despite being a darker-than-usual take on The Addams Family, Wednesday retains all the hallmarks that make the stories and the characters special. It succeeds very well at pushing the story outside its usual genre and into something a little more grown-up, and a little more supernatural, but never loses sight of the heart, humor, and kooky horror that have kept us all double-snapping for decades.”

Next is Adam Barnhardt of Comicbook.com, who awarded Wednesday another impressive score of 4/5 and praised the ensemble cast, dynamic tone, and the efforts of Tim Burton and Danny Elfman.

“The minimal story is certainly relatable, given most of us—hopefully—have suffered through some growing pains at some point in our lives. Though it may have fared better at the height of spooky season, Wednesday still has the right stuff in place to make it a good watch at any point throughout the year.”

Related: Netflix's Wednesday: Plot, Cast, Release Date, and Everything Else We Know

Critics Have Praised Jenna Ortega for her Portrayal of a Teenage Wednesday Addams

wednesday-netflix
Netflix

One thing that all the critics agree upon is Scream and X star Jenna Ortega’s portrayal of Wednesday Addams. While Meagan Navarro of Bloody Disgusting found fault with the series as a whole, they heaped praise on Ortega’s central performance.

"Ortega injects complex pathos beneath the stoicism and dry line delivery. Wednesday may be matter-of-fact and straight-faced in demeanor, but her eyes convey her emotional truth."

The applause for Ortega continues courtesy of Empire’s Dan Jolin, who gave the series an average score of 3/5 but praised Ortega’s above-average, pitch-perfect performance.

“The high-school adventures of Wednesday Addams are less ‘Mean Girls with monsters’ and more ‘gothed-up Harry Potter’. You might have hoped for better for The Addams Family’s best character, but at least she’s perfectly pitched by Jenna Ortega.”

IGN’s Amelia Emberwing adds that, while Wednesday does struggle from time-to-time due to weak writing, Jenna Ortega is “incredible.”

“Jenna Ortega shines as Wednesday in this exciting — albeit rocky from time to time — new addition to the Addams Family pantheon.”

Finally, Daniel Fienberg from THR is already asking for a second season of Wednesday, and hopes that it will live up to the standard being set by Ortega in the title role.

“Or maybe the second season would just offer more Ortega, whose steady ascension from Young Jane on Jane the Virgin to You to features including Scream and X have given the impression she was ready for a full-on starring vehicle. She’s special in Wednesday and if the show falls short of her standard, it has room to grow.”

Created by Alfred Gough and Miles Millar, and starring Jenna Ortega, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Luis Guzmán, Isaac Ordonez, and Gwendoline Christie, with Tim Burton on board as director and producer, Wednesday is set to premiere on Netflix on November 23, 2022.