Released on the 23rd of November, the series Wandinha, from Netflix, presents the public with a story centered around the eldest daughter of Morticia and Gomez Addams🇧🇷 Well, after several films, series and animations, the firstborn of The Addams Family won a work to call her own.
Now, it was the turn of actress Jenna Ortega (Scream 5) to live the dark girl, who brings with her several special characteristics, let’s say, like a gothic personality, acidic shots, taste for macabre elements and… well, I think it was enough have a clear idea of ​​what Wandinha likes, right?
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In the films of the 1990s, who brought the character to life was actress Christina Ricci, who is also in the Netflix series, however, playing a new figure, called Ms. Thornhill, who is one of the teachers at Escola Nunca Mais, where Wandinha studies. But we’ll talk a little more about the plot in a moment.
Created by Alfred Gough and Miles Millar, the series was directed by the iconic Tim Burton, an artist who directed classic works such as Edward Scissorhands (1990) and Ghosts Have Fun (1988)🇧🇷 In all, the debut season had eight episodes, released simultaneously (a delight for those who enjoy marathoning).
That said, the questions that remain are: Is Wandinha a good series? Is it worth watching the new Netflix production? I did a complete narrative and critical analysis of Wandinha to answer you that and much more. Here we go?
What is Wanda? (NO SPOILERS)
As usual, first, I will make a brief summary of Wandinha’s story so that you understand everything about the work and we are all on the same page.
Very well, the narrative of Wandinha’s debut season begins with the character being expelled from her old school for throwing piranhas into the institution’s pool. Detail: there were people inside at the time. In other words, we already have that taste of one of Wandinha’s passions: sadistic games.
The girl is then transferred to the famous school Nunca Mais, the same one his mother (Catherine Zeta-Jones) and father (Luis Guzmán) attended when they were young.🇧🇷 The place is a kind of educational institution exclusively for mystical and empowered young people, including vampires, werewolves, shapeshifters and so on.
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There, Wandinha arrives and realizes that making friends is not as simple as making enemies. Not that she cares much for friendships, by the way. Right at the beginning of her journey at school, the girl already develops some conflicting relationships and realizes that she will need to solve some local mysteries to keep herself entertained.
Such mysteries involve ongoing murders, secret cults and an old case that seems unsolved and involving their parents. There is no shortage, therefore, of things for Wandinha to have fun with, as she herself says.
one of Wandinha’s hobbies is playing classical music on her cello. Something she does really well!Source: Netflix
Wandinha’s narrative and critical analysis (WITH SPOILERS)
Wandinha is a pleasant surprise and one of the funniest series on Netflix in 2022, especially for those who were already familiar with The Addams Family and longed for a return of the franchise to live-action productions, since the most recent works were two animated films : The Addams Family (2019) and The Addams Family 2: Hit the Road (2021).
But for those who still didn’t know the baddest family in entertainment, Wandinha is a great starting point and does a great job of bringing the Addams to a new generation of people.🇧🇷 I say this because, it is good to remember: The Addams Family was conceived in 1930 and its last live-action production was the film The Addams Family Returns, in 1998.
That is, streaming services were not yet a reality at the time and, therefore, Wandinha serves as a kind of re-introduction of the saga for a younger and more connected audience. And this is clear in the narrative of the series, which, by focusing on Wednesday and his life at school Never Again, hits the target audience: young people.
Which does not mean that Wandinha is a series that should only be consumed by the new generations. One of the strengths of the Netflix series is precisely to unite different tribes and generations by mixing different elements that, throughout the narrative, complement each other, such as friendships, enmities, mysteries, family secrets, drama, school disputes, among others.
In Wandinha, there is a little bit of everything for everyone and, both old and new fans of The Addams Family certainly have reason to smile when watching the work, whether for the nostalgia, for the unforgettable characters, for the new figures, for the acidic humor. and so on.
The narrative, therefore, leads viewers to investigate several mysteries along with Wandinha. We delve into the secrets of the Nunca Mais school and, episode after episode, we get closer to answers alongside the protagonist. And, despite presenting a simple storytelling, the production is effective in keeping those who are watching entertained and curious, either through loose ends in the narrative (which generate apprehension) or plot twists (of which there are several in the final stretch).
All this, added to Tim Burton’s direction, creates a somber atmosphere that perfectly matches Wandinha, The Addams Family and the director’s own style, known for his eccentric and “different” works. The settings, the elements of the scene, the performances, the mysteries, everything has Burton’s trademark, which hits the spot when conducting the series.
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Last but not least, we need to talk about Jenna Ortega, who delivers a wonderful Wandinha from start to finish. The blank, intense and contemptuous face (she notices how the actress almost never blinks), the restrained voice, the mechanical posture. Really, Ortega gave an acting show and managed to capture Wandinha’s gothic spirit very well.
And, of course, Wandinha remains more acidic than ever. His morbid tirades, despite being uncomfortable, cause laughter and add a “weird” humor to the narrative. This aspect, by the way, is one of the most outstanding in the series, showing all the skill of the screenwriters in creating perfectly adjusted lines for the protagonist.
Wandinha navigates through friendships and enmities frequently during her stay at the school Nunca Mais.Source: Netflix
Conclusion
Addams Family fan or not, Wandinha connoisseur or not, young or not, it doesn’t matter. Wandinha makes no distinctions when distilling her contempt and genius on screen and is a full plate for Netflix subscribers to enjoy.
The first eight episodes fly by as we realize how much the narrative pulls us into its own universe and how hypnotized we are by Wandinha, who even though she seems cold and calculating, manages to steal our hearts. Not literally, however, as the character herself would probably like.
