In “Addams Household Values,” Wednesday and Pugsley are despatched to a cartoonishly conservative summer time camp (Camp Chippewa). There, the opposite youngsters continuously decide on the siblings, whereas the adults try and punish them for his or her lack of ability to “combine” with the group at massive. This societal exclusion is not the worst a part of the expertise, both, as Wednesday can be compelled into collaborating in a racist Thanksgiving-themed play — which she does, solely to subvert expectations and train everybody an unforgettable lesson.
That is traditional Wednesday: She pretends to mix in simply to introduce chaos when least anticipated, wiping off the glee worn by those that undertake (and implement) such problematic ideologies. “Wednesday” season 1 immediately echoes this when she retains taking part in the cello after covertly blowing up Joseph Crackstone’s statue, all of the whereas inciting town-wide chaos round her.
“Name of the Woe” takes a extra empowering, tongue-in-cheek method, with Wednesday attending a summer time camp, Camp Jericho, solely to assemble clues about her thriller stalker. Camp Jericho, nonetheless, is nothing like Camp Chippewa, as Nevermore’s new headmaster, Dort (Steve Buscemi), desires to foster Outcast delight and encourage these outliers to specific themselves with out concern of being ostracized or shamed. Integrating with the Normies does not appear to be a precedence for Dort both, which explains why he is irritated when the Phoenix Cadet Grasp and his group arrive, claiming to have booked the identical space for tenting functions. Earlier than their arrival, although, the Outcasts are seen fortunately establishing creatively-decorated tents and doing no matter they need, together with Pugsley (Isaac Ordonez) making an attempt (and failing) to hide his pet zombie from prying eyes.
Whereas Camp Chippewa feels genuinely stifling for Wednesday and her allies, Camp Jericho locations the Outcasts and Normies on equal footing, the place this establishment is challenged with an intense recreation of seize the flag. It is usually price noting that “Addams Household Values” presents chipper camp guides Gary (Peter MacNicol) and Becky (Christine Baranski) as being malicious behind their joyful facades, whereas “Wednesday” inverts this by having Dort give a team-building speech that feels genuine and earnest in distinction.
Though the Normies find yourself getting the shorter finish of the stick, “Wednesday” employs darkish humor to introduce levity and enjoyable — a sentiment that is been sustained all through each seasons of the present (up to now) to nice impact.
“Wednesday” season 2, half 1 is now streaming on Netflix, with season 2 arriving September 3, 2025.
