Now on Netflix: Jenna Ortega Breaks Down Her Mommy Issues in Wednesday Season 2
The Netflix mega-hit returns with deeper, darker explorations of Wednesday Addams’ complicated family life. Ortega delivers a gripping performance as tensions rise, secrets unravel, and every twist keeps fans on the edge of their seats.

Wednesday’s Child is full of woe… and mommy issues. Season 2 of the hit Tim Burton Netflix drama, Wednesday, dropped its first four episodes yesterday. The Jenna Ortega-led Netflix drama’s sophomore season brought on more of the family dynamics as Wednesday Addams returns to Nevermore Academy for another school year. One of the core dynamics featured in the first half of the second season is between Ortega’s Wednesday and her mother, Morticia Addams, played by Catherine Zeta-Jones. The pair have consistently had a contentious relationship since the previous season, as Wednesday tries to hone her psychic ability. Now, with Morticia and the rest of the Addams Family close by, things only seem to become more strained. In talking with Blavity, Ortega explains the growing tension between Morticia and Wednesday, “I mean, she’s infuriated and incredibly annoyed. Just when she thought she had gotten rid of her, she moves into the school’s cottage.” She says:

“I really love the dynamic between our two characters, and it feels very authentic and real. And to be able to weave that into such a supernatural story, it’s just such a great opportunity as a performer. It adds great complexity and depth and just makes the days more exciting. But for Wednesday, you know, like any teenager, you want space to grow and be as independent as possible, and sometimes it’s hard to feel like your own person when you have your parents hovering over you.”

Morticia Addams Has Her Own Mommy Issues in ‘Wednesday’ Season 2

An addition to Wednesday this season is Joanna Lumley as Hester Frump, Morticia’s mother. The first half of the season builds a beautiful and complex narrative surrounding the complicated mother-daughter relationships between Wednesday and Morticia as well as Morticia and Hester. With Morticia and Wednesday both possessing a psychic ability, but walking in those abilities so different (as a Dove for Morticia and a Raven for Wednesday) it stirs dread within Morticia, to not repeat history in failing her sister Ophelia. When Ophelia, also a Raven, descended into madness, Hester shipped her off, which Morticia thought would only make her worse. And as she explains to Wednesday, growing up with such a bleeding heart, she did everything to protect Ophelia and still felt like she failed. So, when Hester re-enters the picture to help Wednesday, seeing the bond between affects Morticia greatly. Zeta-Jones tells Blavity:

“What I portray to my mother [as Morticia], the contentious relationship sometimes is exactly what I do not want to have with my own daughter [Wednesday]. And history does repeat itself. My mother, Hester Frump, has a little bit more of a mean bone in her body than Morticia and Morticia is always family first as [her] mother wasn’t.”

The signs of their own complicated relationship are there, with Morticia’s passing comments about Hester being better with the dead than the living, as well as Zeta-Jones’ acting with unique microexpressions of the deep-seated hurt of seeing Wednesday understood and embraced by a woman that she feels barely understands her. For Zeta-Jones, she knows, “Everything’s heightened on an emotional level between these really three iconic, strong women. I think it’s so relatable and interesting dynamic to watch.”

The first four episodes of Wednesday Season 2 are available to stream now on Netflix. Stay with Collider for the latest updates.