Wednesday is the Best Character for a Series

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Of all the characters in the Addams Family, Wednesday and Thing make the two perfect leads in a television series. Wednesday, which streams on Netflix, is one of the cutest, most entertaining, and refreshing series around. The show is helmed by the brilliant Tim Burton whose movies like Willie Wonka and Edward Scissorhands have become iconic.

The character of Wednesday pulled away from the Addams Family and placed into a private school gives the show a wonderful gothic edge that is relevant to current culture. Since goth girls are popular, the show has a built-in audience. Consider, though, how Wednesday offered the ideal character to focus on in this era. Of all of the Addams Family, her supposed unemotional personality and candor make her so interesting to watch on her own. Then Burton tossed in her perfect companion, Thing, to accompany our goth girl all over school. 

The show's premise revolves around the teens in the school and includes machinations going on with the school's staff. As a throwback to The Addams Family movie, Christina Ricci, who played Wednesday, is featured in the cast as a fun teacher. As the series gets underway, we find Wednesday caught up in a monster murder mystery. The murder puts Wednesday on a mission to solve the crime with the help of Thing. Thing runs around, does sign language to communicate, and watches out for her. Thing also gives her someone to talk to and acts as a narrative tool to convey what Wednesday thinks.

She's a female lead played perfectly by the talented newcomer Jenna Ortega. Ortega gives the audience a stunning interior performance and brings heart to the seemingly heartless teen. However, she shows her true colors in her concern and care for others. Wednesday plays teen alienation with aplomb and grounded wisdom that isn't as one might believe rooted in darkness, but more in just being herself and not caring what others think. 

 The show also brings whimsy and lightness together with Wednesday's roommate being unicorn girl who is all about color and rainbows, which gets contrasted against Wednesday's darkness and shadow. It's quite something to see the two girls together. When her roommate drags Wednesday to get a dress for the RaveN at some lollypop-like boutique, it's amusing. Of course Wednesday isn't going to go for that one. Her dress turns up in an antique shop. It's fun to see how Burton has created these wonderful character foils. 

Then we have the now famous dance to "Goo Goo Muck". Click here to see the dance on YouTube. Ortega told Jimmy Fallon how Burton allowed her to choreograph the dance. It went viral across social media. Now other people are doing that dance on social media.

Wednesday is one of those iconic characters that all writers hope to create. Pulling her away from the family and giving her the stage has paid off. The show is a trending success, and it's so well done and worth the time to watch. 

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