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Season 2, Episode 7: Woe me the Money
This episode opens with a flashback to the formation of the cult sub-plot. Not sure if it’s a B or C plot-line since the A plot-line, much like Wednesday’s premonition switched in part 2 season. So Dort is behind it all and his master to plan was to steal Hester Frump’s fortune and while she herself is not an Addams, she is part of the family and a villain trying to take money from an Addams is basically the plots of both the 90s money, so it tracks.
Essentially this episode rounds out the lesser plot line that has been brewing slightly all season and was set-up in season one. Dort as a the new principle is very much into outcast pride so him wanting raise money for the school by means of blackmailing Bianca to get him to do his biding vis-a-vis involving the Frump fortunes didn’t raise the alarm bells that it should.
In all honesty his behavior and motives were not unlike the camp counselors from Addams Family Values. However no, that’s not the case. Turns out Dort was behind the cult the whole time and just wants money. The entire reveal and resolution is done in this episode since there was no possible way to glean this plot develop prior to the episode. Which makes this episode feels like a filler episode even though the Morning Song plot was Bianca’s main plot-line going back to season one but it seemed more sinister than season two’s plot of hiding her mother and being blackmailed by Dort to the point that they seemed like two separate storyline till this episode.
Speaking of Dort and Morning Song. The flashback of the cult’s formation has Dort meeting a bartender who is the face of the cult a.k.a Gideon a.k.a. Arnold a.k.a Bianca’s (Brandy) Step-dad. Dort is the one who convinces Arnold/Gideon to be the fact of the cult by showing him all the material he has which apparently he just carries around with him because this seems like a chance meeting or maybe not since Dort is a con-man who just wants money. So unless the materials were just props to lure him in it doesn’t really change the fact that Dort makes up the name for the cult on the fly with a Line-of-Sight Name Trope with Morning Song’s name being pulled from the bar’s coaster and it was used a joke or even light-hearted it would one thing but this played very straight in the show.
Giving all the plot-lines and switching of focus, this episode is actually more focused and thus more palatable. The stakes feel lower and that gives way to more humor. It’s a double edge sword because while the show is categorically a macabre coming-of-age story with comedic elements it’s also a mystery that tries to be plot focused and this episode aside form some scenes pulls focus away from Wednesday’s primary main objectives which is revealed by the show itself in Enid’s line “I can’t believe Bianca had a whole crime drama going on and none of us knew.”
Wednesday is still on the case to find Zombie-Issac/the Galpins and as part of that she finally gets a scene with Eugene who was part of her motley crew in season one but in season 2 it’s in the penultimate episode that they even have lines of dialogue with each other. Also as part of the plot Wednesday learns the Gomez and Zombie-Issac were roommate/best friends. There are also scenes involving the Galpins and Zombie-Issac but they are minimal and they want revenge of the Addams but Zombie-Issac is rather vague but that so it’s is only for drama effect.
Another sprinkling of a plot-line is Enid who is learns that if she transforms during a full moon that she might get stuck in her wolf form forever and that due to her alpha status this means other werewolves would hunt her down and kill her. This is rather confusing being is it to be assumed that in the months following Enid’s first transform that she never “wolfed out” on a full moon ever? Either that or Miss Capri is lying or this, again, could be inconsistent writing. Both can still be true though.
Another character thats get a little more develop in the episode is Agnes. Agnes got some in the last episode where she goes to a support group and talks abut how she doesn’t feel seen. She then crosses too far as Wednesday’s stalker as she dresses up as Wednesday. This is a bridge too far for Wednesday. After a prep talk from Enid, Agnes embraces her own personality. Gotta love Agnes she’s been a highlight of the season and does play off the bubbly colorful Enid and the dark one-liners of Wednesday.
And at last the Gala where we set-ups some pay-offs. One weird pay-off is The Phantom Of the Opera, which was used in the trailer and really the only connection was a chandelier falling but is getting ahead. As stated the Gala is where a lot of the converging plot lines come together. Bianca and her on-going crime drama with a cult and her mother, being blackmailed, Dort’s machinations, and Morticia and her mother’s cold dynamic. It’s all happening at the Gala which kids actually love according to Ron Howard, and yes that was an attempt at an Arrested Development reference.
Prior to the Gala Wednesday’s grandmother says she going to leave her entire fortune to Nevermore which is suspect. So Wednesday confronts Bianca and a plan to publically out Dort is hatched. The plan is really just to steal his siren song blocker with Agnes and then Bianca just siren songs him during the speech. However this plan does utilize a fun distraction, the most powerful weapon this show has in its arsenal, A Choreographed dance number.
Unlike is season one were the dance number is was a weird off-kilter kooky dance by Wednesday to The Cramps’ song “Goo Goo Muck” this one is to Lady Gaga’s “The Dead Dance.” Is it weird that none of the Addams have a big creative highly visual dance scene? There is some scenes with dances but the big one of the season is from Enid and Agnes who are great and works as their actresses of both dancers, just seems like an oddity. Guess Wednesday and Morticia’s blinded sword fight and Gomez and Morticia’s quick tango will have to be enough.
The gala ends with Dort’s master plan being reveled, him threatening Bianca which has him striking the rope of a chandelier. Ajax saves Bianca by stoning Dort and then the Chandlier falls smashing Dort. This show might be shorted if Wednesday teamed up with Ajax for her cases.
This episode does side-line Wednesday in defiance to other plot-lines which is a choice and is less action focused. There are bright spots that make up for that like Enid, Agnes, sets, costumes and some familial moments with Wednesday and her family nice to see some growth. Bianca and Ajax get more to do but it does make me wish they had more to do in the A or even B plot lines.
And now a Tangent
Although Dort proved to be deadly with his fire ability, him threatening Bianca with his finger amused me probably because I was just thinking about the acting and not the effect so he just threatening her with his finger is kind of silly as an idea. Also I guess this is a new generation “I Am The Thing” type line. Previous generation had Palpatine’s “I Am The Senate” from Star Wars Episode III and now there is “I am Morning song.” I also saw this line coming a mile away as well as Enid telling Wednesday that she is her pack.
In season one episode eight when Wednesday is telling Weems about Tyler being the Hyde she brings up Tyler’s mother as being a hyde. To which Weems responds “I didn’t ask what she identified as.” But in this episode, Weems talks about how Franciose asked her be her maid of honor but she knew Franciose hadn’t told Galpin about her condition. So either Weems was withholding information from Wednesday or its inconsistent writing, again. Also Tyler’s mother name is spelled differently in the close captions of each season.
Also is Issac’s name a reference to Walter Issacson who wrote a biography on Da Vinci?