This article contains spoilers for Wednesday season 2 part 1Tim Burton’s best contribution toWednesdayis his dedication to honoring pastAddams Familyfilms and TV shows. The reviews forWednesdayseason 2, part 1, have already greatly surpassed those of season 1, smashing a massive Netflix record in just one week.Netflix’s newly released trailer for part 2has also made some serious waves.
The trailer’s most shocking reveal brought a majorWednesdayseason 1 character back from the dead: Principal Larissa Weems.Wednesdayseason 1, part 1, concluded with several cliffhangers, but Principal Weems’ return indicates that season 2 has much more in store than what was initially expected.
WhileWednesday’sexceptional casting and brilliant stylization are certainly a factor in its success, it is Tim Burton’s commitment to integrating callbacks into theseries that truly makes it stand out from other adaptations. In the first episode of season 2, Burton made his biggest callback yet.
How Wednesday Season 2 Paid Homage To The Addams Family TV Show From The 1960s
In season 2, episode 1 ofWednesday,Principal Dort enlists Morticia’s help to organize the gala fundraiser by asking her to join the committee as a chair. In order to keep her and her husband, Gomez Addams, close by, he allows them to stay in the Gardener’s Cottage on Nevermore’s campus, aka Marilyn Thornhill’s previous residence.
From the outside, the Gardener’s Cottage is eerie and gothic, seemingly a perfect fit for Morticia’s tastes. However, the outside proves to be nothing more than a deception. As the Addams Family steps inside, they are met by an orchestra of pink flowers, dated wallpaper, and frilly decorative pillows.
However, Burton didn’t include the Gardener’s Cottage scene just to make a joke about the Addams Family’s aversion to anything bright and cheerful. In the 1964 TV show, the set piece for the Addams Family’s living room was decked out in pink. The series was shot in black and white, meaning the pink allowed the colors to translate correctly on-screen.
Production designer Mark Scruton stated that he was inspired to turn the Gardener’s Cottage into one giantAddams FamilyEaster eggto honor the sitcom that truly made the characters an icon of modern television (viaTVInsider):
“And the inspiration when we read that, certainly when I read it — I, only not that long ago, had seen a picture of the Addams Family house in the TV show in the 1960s, which was actually completely full of pinks and pale greens and everything else. It was only black and white when it went to screen. So, we took that idea into here and did exactly the same thing.”
Tim Burton Is Truly Genius For Incorporating So Many Elements From Previous Addams Family Adaptations
In a sea of live-action remakes and TV adaptations of previous Hollywood hits, Tim Burton has cracked the code to creating a hit reboot. Christina Ricci’s casting alone was enough to draw in lifelongAddams Familyfans. While Ricci wasn’t the first Wednesday, she was undoubtedly the most iconic, and her appearance inWednesdaymade for the best callback yet.
Christopher Lloyd, Uncle Fester from the 1991Addams Familyfilm, also made a surprise appearance inWednesdayas Professor Orloff. With the return of the most beloved iterations of Wednesday and Uncle Fester, Tim Burton took his seriesto the next level. Another nostalgia-inducingEaster egg fromWednesdayis the incorporation of the snaps from theAddams Familytheme song.
While it may seem like nothing more than a couple of cameos to draw in publicity,Wednesdaymanages to accomplish what other adaptations fail to do: remain true to its roots.Wednesdayseason 2’s easy-to-miss, but extremely pink callback to the original ’60s series is surely director Tim Burton’s way of paying credit where credit is due.
