Werewolves, sirens, vampires and bodiless hands: Netflix’s “Wednesday” carries on the character’s legacy and does it phenomenally — with similar eerie qualities and more.

Released on Nov. 23, the series follows Wednesday Addams (Jenna Ortega) after she gets expelled from public school for defending her brother, Pugsley Addams (Isaac Ordonez) from a prank gone too far. She’s sent to Nevermore Academy, the school where her parents, Morticia Addams (Catherine Zeta-Jones) and Gomez Addams (Luis Guzmán), met and fell in love. She attempts to master her new psychic ability, along with putting an end to a killing spree invading the town.

Admittedly, I was nervous about this series. I didn’t want Netflix to ruin “The Addams Family” image, since they often incorporate modern media into series and movies, resulting in it becoming cringey or annoying. However, I was surprised with how invested I became. 

Even after the mention of social media, I was glad the series focused on the original vibe and didn’t try to modernize it too much. The setting was created beautifully; the small town combined with the old, eerie atmosphere felt comforting and connected with the audience. 

The casting for this series was perfect. Ortega did a great job portraying the character’s deadpan and intimidating demeanor. I loved the relationship between Wednesday and her family, especially the mother-daughter dynamic with her and Morticia. 

Wednesday’s character development was something I admired. From the way she went from rejecting any form of affection to initiating it at the end of the series, it was remarkably written. The development in her relationship with her roommate Enid Sinclair (Emma Myers) was excellent. I loved how they went from being cautious around one another to showing an open display of affection, and I hope we’re able to see more of them in a possible upcoming season.

That’s not to say everything was perfect; the love triangle between Tyler Galphin (Hunter Doohan), Wednesday and Xavier Thorpe (Percy Haynes White) felt out of place. Even as someone who loves romance in any form, I don’t think a love triangle is up there as a hugely favored trope of mine. I thought both of their relationships with Wednesday were a bit too boring at times, but I enjoyed their characters as individuals and the plot twist at the end was interesting.

Overall, this series had great execution and it exceeded my expectations. I can only hope for an upcoming season two.