Mixed reviews as Netflix finally releases season 2 of global smash ‘Wednesday'
Yet three years after viewers were first introduced to Tim Burton's macabre thriller centred around Wednesday Addams (Jenna Ortega), it seems for some, the wait wasn't worth it.
The streamer finally released part one of Wednesday 's second season on August 6, with the first four episodes generating a deeply divided reaction among fans and critics.
While there's yet again wide praise for Ortega's performance, the key takeaway is the character becomes lost in a convoluted plot with an overcrowded cast.
Season two picks up back at Nevermore Academy, where Wednesday is – to her disdain – the toast of the school after her murder-solving exploits last season.
The Hollywood Reporter was among the most scathing of reviews, criticising the unmemorable screenplay, and the bolstered roles of the entire Addams family, including Pugsley (Isaac Ordonez), Morticia (Catherine Zeta Jones) and Gomez (Luis Guzman).
'I can't think of any more damning criticism for these four new episodes of Wednesday than that, just two days after watching them, I legitimately can't remember anything that Wednesday is trying to accomplish this season, nor any single withering line of dialogue,' wrote reviewer Daniel Fienberg.
'Whereas my original review of the first season praised Wednesday for having the restraint and focus to not simply become The Addams Family … Wednesday has simply become The Addams Family,' Fienberg continued.
The LA Times, meanwhile, ruled season two failed to 'recapture the magic' of its debut.
'It's impossible to recapture the magic of the first season, and Wednesday Season 2 isn't quite as crisp or surprising,' wrote culture critic Lorraine Ali.
'In the first four episodes made available for review, Wednesday 's zingers aren't as wickedly sharp as they once were. And because we know she's going to be annoyed by her classmates, such as perky werewolf roommate Enid (Emma Myers), the dynamic is not as morbidly charming.'
IndieWire described the plot as 'so ordinary', while lamenting several 'lazy' one-liners.
' Wednesday 's dry, morbid humour is, at best, noticeable, but too often forgettable and sometimes actively lazy,' the outlet's review read.
'While arguably inconsequential in the long run, the faux pas exemplifies Wednesday 's priorities: all looks and little else.
'The absent attention to detail beyond what's stylish, combined with the neat-and-tidy aesthetic mandated for broadly appealing teen dramas, puts the focus back on what Season 2 is trying to say, which isn't much.'
On the flip side, Variety was much more positive in its assessment, writing the show offered 'the same visual delights that have made all of Burton's worlds so fascinating.'
'With the Addams family getting increased screen time, several layered enigmas, and Ortega leading the charge, the show is still as twisted, enticing and devour-able as it was when it first debuted three years ago,' penned critic Aramide Tinubu.
The Telegraph gave it four out of five stars, declaring the second outing offered 'both substance and style.'
'Netflix has given the series every chance with glittering additions to the ensemble and a twisting, turning storyline, full of homicidal crows and dark family secrets. A near three-year delay would have killed off a lesser show, but Wednesday 's murderously enjoyable second season proves worth the wait.'
Part two of the season, which hits the platform September 3, has already generated considerable buzz thanks to a solid cliffhanger and an anticipated A-list cameo from Lady Gaga.
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