A large theme running through Netflix’s supernatural comedy series Wednesday is the titular character’s need to break away from her family and, more specifically, her mother. Wednesday lives in the shadow of her mother at Nevermore, never quite reaching the same high standards or popularity that her mother did. This desire to distance herself from her mother works as a nice exploration of growth in this coming-of-age series, giving Wednesday’s character more depth and plausibility.
Wednesday’s mother, Morticia Addams, is played by Catherine Zeta-Jones. The Welsh actress is best known for her roles in Chicago, The Terminal, The Mask of Zorro, and Traffic, having worked with some of the best directors in the business on some of the biggest Hollywood movies. In the nineties movies, Morticia was played by Anjelica Huston (The Royal Tenenbaums), which landed her a Golden Globe nomination for that beguiling performance. Like the other characters in this series, Anjelica Huston and Catherine Zeta-Jones’ portrayals of Morticia are quite different but equally as enticing.
Zeta-Jones plays Morticia as an elegant and charismatic individual, someone who has a mysterious past of their own and otherworldly characteristics. She is regal and gothic, just like her daughter, and has the tendency to get rather sarcastic, like Wednesday, as well. Huston’s Morticia was even more obscure. She was whimsical and overdramatic, harking back to the B-Movie icons of years gone by.
In the series, Morticia attempts to befriend her daughter and offers her some motherly advice at her most uncomfortable age. Wednesday is reluctant to listen to her mother’s advice, though, and would rather struggle than seek any help.
Morticia is a nostalgic and positive individual who fondly remembers Nevermore. She was a successful student both in class and out of it, winning trophies and finding love along the way, something that leaves Wednesday feeling useless and inferior. Wednesday must learn to become her own person as the series progresses.
Upon arrival at Nevermore Academy, Wednesday is introduced to her new roommate, Enid, and later, her dorm mother. The dorm mom is the teacher in charge of overseeing a certain section of the Academy’s sleeping quarters.
Wednesday’s dorm mom is Marilyn Thornhill, a normie teacher who specializes in exotic plants and science. She wears spectacles and red boots, with an upbeat and caring personality. Wednesday, of course, detests the teacher and her positivity, making her life hell whenever she gets the chance. Marilyn tries to look out for Wednesday and even helps her with her case, but Wednesday never fully trusts the woman.
Marilyn Thornhill is played by Christina Ricci, who is no stranger to the Addams Family franchise herself. She played the nineties film version of Wednesday Addams, making the role an iconic character in history. It’s nice to see her return to this world once more for a small guest role. It also marks a reunion for Ricci with director Tim Burton, who directed the first four episodes of the series.
They had previously worked together on Sleepy Hollow. Again, Wednesday sees Marilyn as an authoritative figure and possibly as a motherly one as well. She fights those who represent these roles in her bid to become an adult instead of an adolescent.
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