Let’s start with the titular Wednesday. Jenna Ortega has been quietly and consistently turning in excellent performances for a while now, and her Wednesday isn’t so much still as permanently coiled, one part cat with its fur up and one part pig-tailed vengeance avatar. The temptation to let the wardrobe and expectations do the heavy lifting must have been huge but Ortega doesn’t need the help. As we learn more about Wednesday we understand more about why she is the way she is, and through Ortega’s performance, we see the nuance Wednesday herself refuses to acknowledge. She’s the still point of a gothic tornado of murder, magic and politics and expects all of your attention — and she deserves it. Though whether it’s in appreciation, or in the sense of never taking your eyes off the ocean, is up to the viewer.
Contents
Simple Palate, Complex Feelings
The Darkside Beat
Interstitials: Dan Schkade Presents Part 2
Playout: Beach House by Carly Rae Jepson