Wednesday season 2 episode 3 “Call of the Woe” feels like they took into consideration some of the complaints that I had in my Season 2 Episode 2 review. They managed to give me a rather significant moment between Wednesday and her mother, gave Bianca a little bit more backstory that wasn’t tied to a white man in power manipulating a young woman, while also being very campy. Like literally at a camp campy.
As if that wasn’t enough, this episode finally gave us more Enid development that isn’t tied to Wednesday. Because yes, I do love seeing Wednesday and Enid together, but Enid needs her own journey. Combining this episode with the box breathing and kiss from the last episode with Bruno, you’ve got Enid being on the same wavelength of importance as Wednesday herself. And that needs to be explored.
MORE: Need a refresher on Wednesday Season 2 Episode 2 Review: “The Devil You Woe”
Wednesday and Morticia’s Forest Fight Was Unexpected
When TV shows deliver moments like the fight at the end of “Call of the Woe” between Wednesday and her mother, the hero often ends up being triumphant. Netflix decided to twist that into something unexpected. Wednesday doesn’t win. She loses. And I feel like it’s the writers playing with our expectations but also ramping up the stakes. If our titular character has something large to lose and all of her avenues to save that person are gone, what are they left with? The unexpected. That’s what.
In a way, the show has left me kind of floating when it comes to what’s going to happen next. Obviously Wednesday is going to contact her grandmother to get her to come to Nevermore. Morticia made it clear that she knows that her daughter is speaking with her grandmother. But I don’t know what’s going to happen when grandmother arrives. She’s a powerful woman that obviously the headmaster wants at the school. But there is something wretched between her and Morticia that makes Morticia want to protect her daughter and save her from having a similar fate as her own sister.
I did want to point out something when it comes to Wednesday, particularly in this episode. Her minions. They are a little cringe. But they’re the audience. That is abundantly clear. Fans of Wednesday are charmed by her macabre way of looking at life. It’s different and everyone loves a little rebel. And while some fans admire casually. There are those who obsess, scream, and make the object of their affections into some sort of God that can do no wrong or act like they own said person. The invisible teenager and her shape-shifting friend are a way to bring awareness to the audience. As much as you love Wednesday, she’s probably not going to love you.
But jokes on Wednesday. That’s just going to make her fans love her even more. As we saw in the show.
Enid and Her Season 2 Journey
On any other show, a character like Enid would stay in her lane. She would be the Barbie werewolf with colorful claws who was always bright and bubbly. And it would go no further than that. But there’s been a shift in how we see Enid in season 2 that is very abundantly clear in Episode 3. She’s not the same young woman that she was in Season 1. She has wolfed out and feels this exhilaration for life that she wants to explore.
Unfortunately that means that others like Xavier get left behind. And I’ll give it to Xavier, he deserved better than chasing Enid around and not getting a clear answer. That wasn’t fair of Enid. But he also was kind of stalking her. And that wasn’t fair to Enid either. At the end, Enid and Xavier had a conversation that was awkward but necessary. And this could lead to an even bigger exploration of who she is among the wolves, with or without Bruno. (Hopefully, without. He’s nice and all but she doesn’t need him to define who she is.)
Then there’s the jealousy with Agnes. Enid’s journey is mirroring Wednesday’s on the show when it comes to exploration of the self. And Enid understands that more than Wednesday does. So seeing someone new come in and seemingly take away her best friend’s time/attention as she’s feeling this sense of freedom and like she’s found her place, it shakes Enid. And I think the show itself is doing a good job at making me want to enter the TV and shake Enid’s shoulders while saying, “Wait. Don’t jump to conclusions. Wednesday is doing this all for you.”
But I guess I’ll be patient. For now.
Literally What is Going On in Season 2?!
While I enjoy seeing Billie Piper sing, while also not enjoying Morticia’s character taking all of the praise, I need a little bit more when it comes to the mystery of this season. I feel the strings being pulled together, from Bianca’s mom escaping to this zombie revival by Pugsley, Wednesday’s desperate fight to save Enid, and then the asylum. But I’m having trouble figuring out what the point of Season 2 is.
Usually I wouldn’t mind that by Episode 3 I don’t know where something is heading into. But Season 2 has the most ridiculous release schedule with the episodes being released in multiple parts. It could be because special effects weren’t done on time or reshoots needed to happen. But I feel like there’s no reason for this division besides trying to get more views on the streaming service itself. That leads to bundles of episodes that feel disconnected and me as a viewer feeling like I’m watching mini-series instead of a season.
In a way I feel like Netflix is testing out what they’ve done with the Love is Blind side of their shows. They released those in batches, having people come back for more. The difference is that in reality TV, I don’t have to remember everything. For a scripted series, I have to pay attention because this information is essential. And people will forget. But maybe that’s the whole reason why this Season has been scheduled the way it is. People forget, they watch again, and the show breaks records in minutes watched. Genius.
Wednesday Season 2 episodes 1 through 4 are available on Netflix. Part 2 arrives September 3rd.
