post contains affiliate link
Season 1, Episode 7: If You Don’t Woe Me by Now
Following the murder of the mayor, Wednesday runs into her uncle Fester. Fester tells her that he needs to “lay low” which Wednesday is fine with. Wednesday then informs him about the monster which Fester just so happens to know exactly the monster’s type, it’s a Hyde. Wednesday also learns that Hydes have a master, the one that frees them from dormancy so Wednesday has find two suspects. And because Wednesday is a bad detective she then implicates the wrong people but her exposition vision clues her in at the end of the episode.
There is a lot to unpack in this episode starting with Fester. Armisen portrayal is more aligned to the 60s sitcom but its still feels like his own take and plus the juxtaposition against Ortega’s performance as Wednesday did liven up the kooky factor that it felt for a moment more akin to the Addams’ Family type of humor. However while this version claims it’s not based on the 90s film it’s hard to ignore that they made Fester Gomez’s younger brother which was change that 90s did first and Fester in the 60s sitcom was Morticia’s uncle. At least he has the Addams’ brand spooky, mysterious and ooky vibe so he liven things up a bit.
While on the subject of Fester, Fester just tells Wednesday outright what the monster is, an anticdotal story and a hidden source about the Outcasts which includes the Burton Monster /Hyde, a la Jekyll and Hyde. This moment feels very unearned because Wednesday is never shown researching the monster nor expressing any hardship in identifying the Burton monster. She doesn’t seem to really care WHAT the monster is. She just knows it’s human which the reveal of that was fine as it was a show don’t tell type of reveal. But with Hyde revel it’s Fester who just happens to know this information and just happens to know where the book in is locked up. How Convenient! Not sure if it completely subpar writing or just rushed. They did one reveal fine but not another which leads to it being a case of rushed.
Speaking of the source that explains the Hyde, it was the Nevermore founders’ research which Weems knew about and had locked up. Weems knew the monster was Hyde all along and covered It up. How does that make any sense? The excuse she gives is if the monster’s identify got out then Nevermore would be shut-down but Hydes are ban from the school and have been for 30 years. So wouldn’t her telling the sheriff that it’s Hyde exonerate the school? That’s a logic fail but there needs to be drama in the dark edgy CW-style supernatural spooky ooky comedy show… right?
SO Wednesday being the bad detective that she is gets the identity of the Hyde wrong, believing it to be Xavier and Kinbott who were obvious false flags. But through Wednesday’s exposition visions it’s revealed Tyler, the normie barista and one side of the self-proclaimed like-like triangle is the Hyde.
For whatever reason Wednesday kisses Tyler prior to vision and it feels like nothing but that just because many of the “emotional” moments are not landing. Tyler is a boring and underwritten, clearly because the writers have been withholding on his character for this reveal and didn’t want to give anything way. They just say that he has had issues in the past. So when Wednesday and Tyler kiss it’s more confusing to the point of being uncomfortable. Apparently the novelization just made it so the Wednesday was more investigative about the experience rather than seeking enjoyment.
There is a thought that the reason why the like-like triangle is so underwhelming is because of Ortega’s acting choice to minimize the love-triangle. So when Tyler says there are signs from Wednesday or Uncle Fester claiming there is tension between Wednesday and Xavier the show was trying to make it happen and Ortega was acting circles around it. Since Ortega’s Wednesday is a highlight of the show and love-triangle are considered a cheap trope it’s hard to fault Ortega but at the same time it makes the rest of the show sloppy. Though even if Ortega did act in accordance to the script, Xavier and Tyler are still boring and they didn’t have to be, the writer chose to have love-triangle with two similar boring angsty guys.
Another emotional moment that didn’t land was Thing getting stabbed by the person who stole the diary. It felt too over-the-top for this brand and story.
Side note, it’s weird that again this show does not want you to connect it to the 90s movies but does the same joke of Wednesday watching an upbeat movie and it being liken to ”torture.” In Addams Family Values the upbeat movies where used to brainwash Wednesday into being perky and here Wednesday makes a quip about Legally Blonde being ”torture.” Same joke
