Category: Blog

The 2017 Netflix adaptation, Anne with an E, immediately proved it wasn’t the cozy, whimsical story people expected. From the opening music, it was clear this version, “Anne 2.0,” was ready to deal with the grit, rain, and trauma behind the classic tale. The pilot, “Your Will Shall Decide Your Destiny,” is a stunning start that focuses more on the emotional scars Anne carries than the charm she creates.

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A Verbal Whirlwind Arrives at Green Gables

The episode’s success rests entirely on Amybeth McNulty’s electrifying performance as Anne. The minute she steps off the train, the story is instantly compelling. She’s a rail-thin, verbose whirlwind, equipped with an astonishing vocabulary and an equally astonishing capacity for dramatic declarations. Matthew Cuthbert, the silent, reserved man who arrives looking for a “sturdy boy,” is immediately overwhelmed by this poetic, slightly feral creature. It’s a masterful setup: the most silent man on Prince Edward Island meets the girl who cannot stop talking, instantly losing himself in her “delightful, romantic, and tragical” narratives.

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The Crushing Weight of Rejection

The charm quickly fades back at Green Gables when Marilla, all severity and sensible brown dresses, delivers the crushing blow: “I distinctly said a boy.” The instant rejection is agonizing. Anne, realizing her chance at belonging has vanished, unleashes a desperate, heartbreaking torrent of emotion. This is where the series makes its most powerful statement: Anne’s vivid imagination isn’t just charming; it’s a fierce, vital defense mechanism she developed to survive years of neglect and emotional cruelty. The viewer is immediately drawn to her because her grand pronouncements are clearly the armor she wears.

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The Necessary Grit and Hope

What truly sets this pilot apart from sunnier adaptations is its unflinching look at the darkness in Anne’s past. We see brief, shattering flashbacks of her life before Green Gables, showing moments of her being bullied, overworked, and effectively invisible. This depth grounds her character, showing that her flights of fancy are a direct result of being in an unbearable world. When she is asked to leave Green Gables, it feels less like a minor disappointment and more like a devastating return to a prison. This pain justifies the grand, magnificent scale of Anne’s hope, making the entire premise feel heavier and more important.

The episode earns its title in the beautiful climax. Though the household is convinced Anne must leave, Matthew cannot shake the image of the girl who loves poetry. In a quiet, powerful act of rebellion against his sister, he drives out to intercept Anne on the road. His small, gruff act of will saves Anne, securing her destiny and setting the stage for a rich, difficult, and ultimately rewarding character study. It’s a perfect, tear-jerking hook.

The pilot episode of Yellowjackets hooked us immediately: a girl is hunted and ritualistically eaten in the snow. The first season, which premiered in 2021, spent 10 brilliant episodes showing us how a high school soccer team got to that horrifying point, exploring the trauma of both surviving a plane crash and living with the secret as adults. The show’s brilliance lies in its two equally disturbing timelines.

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1996: Descent into Savagery

The Yellowjackets high school soccer team crash-lands in the deep Canadian wilderness on their way to nationals. Their fight for survival quickly becomes a rapid, frightening slide into something primal. The girls’ descent from civilization to savagery was defined by several key moments. Equipment manager Misty Quigley intentionally prolonged their isolation by destroying the plane’s black box and transponder, eager to maintain her newfound, essential role as the group’s medical hero. As food and sanity ran out, Lottie Matthews—whose schizophrenia medication was gone—began having visions and ritually sacrificed a bear, setting the stage for the group’s future wilderness cult. This shift was cemented during “Doomcoming,” when Misty laced the stew with hallucinogenic mushrooms, leading to a mass psychotic break where the hungry, hysterical group nearly killed teammate Travis. Finally, after a huge fight with Shauna, captain Jackie was kicked out of the cabin and froze to death overnight in the season’s first snowstorm. This defining tragedy likely gave the group their first grim food source.

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The Present: The Scars of Survival

Twenty-five years later, the adult survivors are desperately trying (and failing) to bury their terrifying secret. Shauna is a cynical, unfulfilled housewife; Natalie struggles with sobriety; Misty is a terrifyingly cheerful, manipulative caregiver; and Taissa is a rising political star haunted by her own dissociative trauma and sleepwalking. The women were forced back together when they received cryptic postcards demanding $50,000. Shauna mistakenly suspected her new lover, Adam, of being the blackmailer, leading to his accidental murder and the women’s collective disposal of his body. The true culprit was later revealed to be Jeff, Shauna’s husband, attempting a desperate, clumsy scheme to pay off business debts. In the most shocking reveal, Taissa’s wife found a gruesome altar in their basement—complete with the severed head of their family dog, Biscuit—suggesting Taissa’s political success is tied to a brutal, ritualistic alter-ego.

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Terrifying Cliffhangers

The season finale delivered massive reveals, cementing the presence of a supernatural element and setting the stage for more horror. Natalie’s investigation into who cleared out Travis’s bank account before his death led to one name: Lottie Matthews, confirming she is alive. In the final seconds, Natalie was kidnapped from her motel room by a group wearing medallions with the mysterious wilderness symbol. This confirmed Lottie is running a present-day cult that is now actively seeking the former Yellowjackets. Season 1 masterfully balanced high school drama with gritty horror and deep psychological trauma. The question is no longer if they ate each other, but why the power of the wilderness hasn’t stopped following them.

Wednesday Season 2 successfully sheds the superficial teen drama elements that occasionally hampered its debut, delivering a stronger, more focused narrative driven by horror and complex Addams family lore. Building on the threats from the first season, the stakes feel immediately higher as Wednesday Addams returns to Nevermore Academy with an unsettling new vision: the death of her brightly-colored roommate, Enid Sinclair. This premonition forces Wednesday out of her comfort zone, compelling her into an intense, proactive investigation that is less about saving a town and more about saving the one person she grudgingly considers a friend. This pivot into higher personal jeopardy provides the psychological depth star Jenna Ortega had advocated for, ensuring the central mystery is genuinely compelling and darkly emotional.

One of the most significant improvements this season is the expanded presence of the core Addams family, who now serve as series regulars rather than guest stars. Morticia, Gomez, and Pugsley are no longer fleeting presences; their involvement in Wednesday’s life is richer, forcing Wednesday to navigate her feelings about family secrets and her own path as a psychic. The introduction of Joanna Lumley as the glamorous and ruthlessly fabulous Grandmama Hester Frump is a standout, providing a wonderful new layer to Morticia’s backstory and offering Wednesday a formidable mentor figure. The entire family is utilized beautifully, creating moments of dark comedy and genuine connection that solidify the show’s foundation in the Addams universe.

The influx of high-profile guest stars and new regulars breathes fresh air into the Nevermore Academy setting. Steve Buscemi is perfectly cast as the new principal, Barry Dort, whose chaotic energy and support for “outcast pride” contrast brilliantly with Wednesday’s rigid cynicism. The highly anticipated appearance of Lady Gaga as the enigmatic Rosaline Rotwood, a legendary teacher, lives up to the hype, bringing a chilling gravitas and deep lore connection to the school’s mysterious history. However, not every new addition lands perfectly; the show sometimes struggles to integrate all the new student characters seamlessly, leading to a few plotlines that feel rushed or underdeveloped, particularly in the mid-season episodes of the first half.

The shift in filming location to Ireland, combined with the continued visual influence of Tim Burton, gives Season 2 a noticeably darker, more gothic, and atmospheric aesthetic. The color grading is richer, and the use of shadows and dramatic landscapes enhances the horror elements. The action sequences are well-executed, focusing less on spectacle and more on strategic, witty confrontations that showcase Wednesday’s calculated intellect. The cinematography excels in capturing the eerie beauty of Nevermore, making the academy itself feel like a character—a place filled with history and imminent danger. The showrunners have successfully maintained the unique blend of teen comedy and gothic mystery while prioritizing the latter.

Wednesday Season 2 is a resounding success that doubles down on its strengths and matures beyond its initial formula. By embracing its horror roots, ditching the romantic subplots, and deepening its commitment to the Addams family legacy, the series feels more confident and artistically unified. While the pacing could occasionally be smoother, the compelling central mystery, the stellar performances (especially Jenna Ortega’s more emotionally nuanced portrayal), and the thrilling new cast members—especially the expanded Addams clan—make this season mandatory viewing. It is a darker, funnier, and ultimately more rewarding entry that justifies the hype and sets a high bar for the confirmed Season 3.