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Despite the three-year hiatus,Wednesday Season 2 was ultimately worth the wait. The new season focused more on the Addams Family as a whole and brought plenty of exciting twists and turns, receiving even better reviews than Season 1 and making it into Netflix's top ten most-watched English-language TV shows of all time. Netflix renewed the series for a third season early, and it was recently confirmed that there's a spinoff centered on Fred Armisen's Fester Addams in the works. However, as much as fans love the show's take on Uncle Fester, reactions to his solo project have been a little mixed. While it's not surprising that Netflix has plans for more shows set in the same universe asWednesday, fans had a different spinoff in mind that seems like it should've been a no-brainer.
Gomez and Morticia Addams have been one of pop culture's most iconic couples for decades, and inWednesday, they met as students at Nevermore Academy. With their history at the school being such an integral part of each season's plot so far and both of Wednesday's parents getting more to do in Season 2, fans have become quite endeared to the show's versions of these characters. Some have even proposed that Morticia and Gomez should get their own prequel set during their time at the outcast school. Given the success of the prequels to Netflix's other tentpole shows,Stranger Things andBridgerton, it's rather surprising thatWednesday isn't following suit.
Stranger Things and Bridgerton Showed the True Potential of Prequels
Spinoffs are nothing new, but these two Netflix prequels are both great examples of a spinoff done right. AfterStranger Things Season 4 introduced the series'overarching villain, Henry Creel, Netflix followed it up with a stage play exploring his backstory calledStranger Things: The First Shadow. Without giving too much away, it is largely set in 1959, right after Henry and his family first move to Hawkins, and features younger versions of several beloved characters from the original series. Although critics weren't as fond of it as they were of the original series, audiences have loved both the London and Broadway productions, praising the spine-chilling special effects and intense performances. It remains to be seen whether the play's events factor into the show's upcoming final season, but those who've seen it agree that it's a thrilling experience that balances fan service and nostalgia with an emotional story and interesting worldbuilding. In short, it's a must-watch forStranger Things fans who have the opportunity to see it.
As forBridgerton, the steamy romance drama stuck to the same medium for its prequel,Queen Charlotte, which could provide an excellent road map forWednesday. The miniseries follows the titular monarch in the early days ofher marriage to King George III, detailing how they navigate love, secrets and the politics surrounding their union. The latter accounts for the racial diversity among the aristocracy that viewers see inBridgerton and allows the prequel to bring the fan-favorite Lady Danbury into the fold as it explores her rise to prominence. Combined with the bittersweet love story between Charlotte and George, the miniseries earned even more praise than the original series from both critics and fans, with many finding it more emotionally complex and enriching to the franchise's worldbuilding. WhileQueen Charlotte isn't required viewing to understandBridgerton, as its events are only briefly referenced in Season 3, viewers agree that it's undoubtedly worth watching.
A Wednesday Prequel Could Further Explore Fan-Favorite Characters
With bothStranger Things: The First Shadow andQueen Charlotte fleshing out key characters from their respective original series, aWednesday prequel focusing onGomez and Morticia could take a similar approach. The couple has been depicted numerous times over the years, but most versions only focus on their married life together. As such, a spinoff focusing on how they fell in love at Nevermore could explore their relationship in ways that no other iteration has done before. Viewers already know that Morticia and Gomez faced some harrowing obstacles early in their courtship, with Morticia's mother not approving of Gomez, Gomez taking the fall for Morticia when she stabbed Garrett Gates and the two covering up Isaac Night's death. It'd be fascinating to see the buildup and immediate aftermath of such high-stakes situations and how they affected both characters. WhileWednesday has struggled with its romantic relationships, receiving criticism particularly for its use of love triangles, putting Gomez and Morticia at the forefront of this hypothetical spinoff would give it a built-in love story that audiences already root for.
There's also no shortage of beloved side characters that aWednesday prequel could explore further. For starters, such a series would be incomplete without Morticia and Gomez's respective roommates at Nevermore, Larissa Weems and Isaac Night. Fans were ecstatic to seeLarissa return as Wednesday's spirit guide in Season 2, and many are curious about what Isaac and Gomez's friendship was like before Isaac tried to kill him. Although both characters could potentially return in Season 3, a prequel would be a great way to explore Isaac and Larissa without having to write around their deaths. It could even delve deeper into Francoise Galpin's story, potentially explaining why Hydes were banned from attending Nevermore so soon after her time there, as well as introducing new students and teachers at the school.
Additionally, the prequel could easily bring in other members of Gomez and Morticia's families, like their siblings, Fester and Ophelia. Fester didn't attend Nevermore, but he did visit his brother there and could certainly play a significant role in Gomez's adventures as a student, even though he wouldn't be the star of this particular spinoff. As for Ophelia, it's unclear if her time at Nevermore overlapped with Morticia's, but withher presence looming large overWednesday Season 2 and the upcoming Season 3, it'd certainly be intriguing to see what she was like as a teen. If such a spinoff were already in the works, it could've even introduced Ophelia between seasons, helping to tide fans over and get them even more invested in that storyline. This would be similar toQueen Charlotte, which was released during the two-year gap between Seasons 2 and 3 ofBridgerton and helped keep fans immersed in the show's universe.
Nevermore Has More to Offer Than Gothic Scenery
On top of all that, aWednesday prequel could follow inStranger Things: The First Shadow andQueen Charlotte's footsteps by doing some additional worldbuilding with Nevermore. This aspect of the show is unique to this version of the Addams Family, and while Season 1 gave viewers some insight into the school's history and how it operates, Season 2 chose to focus on other locations, like Willow Hill Psychiatric Hospital, and the mysteries buried there. Now,Season 3 looks to be going beyond Nevermore once again as Wednesday tracks down Enid and researches her missing Aunt Ophelia. While it's good to flesh out the world outside Nevermore, it's a bit of a shame that the school, which was such a draw in Season 1, already feels like it's taking a backseat in the series as a whole. Of course, a prequel show could change that.
Morticia had quite the illustrious academic career back when she was a student at Nevermore, something Wednesday has no desire to replicate during her own time there. With this in mind, aWednesday spinoff starring young Morticia Frump would be an excellent way to showcase the school and all it has to offer its students. Through her many extracurricular activities and willing participation inNevermore's various events and traditions, the prequel could bring back the dark academia aspects of Season 1 as Morticia tries to balance her schooling with her family drama and adventures with Gomez. There's plenty of material to work with, given her long list of accomplishments, and this focus on academics could help prevent it from heavily retreading the events fans have already seen in flashbacks. Showing how much Morticia thrived at Nevermore could also help paint the school in a better light than Wednesday sees it. She might begrudgingly admit that she likes attending the outcast school, but Morticia and Gomez see a certain magic in it that their daughter doesn't.
While Fester's spinoff could turn out great, aWednesday prequel show centered on Morticia and Gomez seems like it'd be the perfect complement to the main series. LikeQueen Charlotte andStranger Things: The First Shadow before it, such a spinoff could expand the worldbuilding and give fans more of what they love by showcasing more of their favorite characters. If the creatives behind the Netflix hit don't capitalize on Nevermore and its rich history, it'll just look like a missed opportunity.
- Release Date
- November 23, 2022
- Network
- Netflix
- Showrunner
- Miles Millar, Alfred Gough
- Directors
- Tim Burton, James Marshall
- Writers
- April Blair
Cast
Jenna OrtegaWednesday Addams / Goody Addams
Emma MyersEnid Sinclair
- Franchise(s)
- The Addams Family
