Wednesday season 2 review: Magic lies in friendship, not in frights
When Wednesday first landed on Netflix, it felt like a bolt of lightning. Jenna Ortega’s deadpan charm, the gothic style, and yes, that viral TikTok dance turned the show into a phenomenon. Season 2, Part 2 keeps a lot of that appeal, but it also shows how tricky it is to capture the same magic twice.
The season doesn’t waste time dealing with the big cliffhanger that left Wednesday apparently dead. Within minutes she’s back, after a quick brush with the afterlife and a chat with the ghost of her old headmistress, Larissa Weems (Gwendoline Christie). From there, the story races ahead, throwing in curses, ghosts, new villains, family drama, and even a messy love triangle. It’s busy, sometimes too busy, and you can feel the show straining to juggle everything.
What saves it, as always, are the performances. Ortega is still brilliant as Wednesday, walking that fine line between sharp humour and cold detachment without ever making her unlikable. Emma Myers is equally good as Enid, her colourful and endlessly supportive roommate. Whenever the show puts them together, it finds its rhythm. The standout episode has them swap bodies, and it’s easily the best of the season, funny, warm, and a reminder that this friendship is what makes the series tick.
Around them, there are plenty of highlights. Evie Templeton is a delight as Agnes, Wednesday’s obsessive admirer, who ends up being more layered than expected. Steve Buscemi adds sly wit as Nevermore’s new dean, and Joanna Lumley absolutely devours her scenes as Grandmama. These side characters give the show bursts of energy, even when the main plot feels overcrowded.
Still, the series does stumble. The reliance on CGI monster fights feels unnecessary, and Tyler Galpin’s family drama drags on far longer than it deserves. Meanwhile, the setting of Nevermore Academy often feels wasted, for a school full of magical teenagers, we don’t see a single actual class. Instead, the characters are constantly whisked off to theme parks, family estates, or underground lairs. It’s fun, but it leaves the school itself feeling like little more than a backdrop.
Despite its flaws, Season 2, Part 2 is rarely boring. It’s stylish, witty, and full of moments that remind you why people fell in love with the show in the first place. Ortega and Myers carry it effortlessly, and when the focus is on them, Wednesday works beautifully.
Wednesday season 2 review: No, it doesn’t reach the same dizzying heights as its debut, and yes, it sometimes feels like it’s trying a bit too hard to repeat past success. But when the show slows down and leans into its characters, especially the bond between Wednesday and Enid, it still feels special. That’s the real magic here, not the monsters or the mysteries, but a friendship that gives this gothic fairytale its beating heart.
Rating: 3/5
