The Addams Family Dynamics In Netflix's Wednesday Show Explained

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The Addams Family dynamics in the upcoming Wednesday series are explained by co-showrunner Miles Millar, saying how they're like an ordinary family.

Miles Millar, the co-showrunner of the upcoming Wednesday series for Netflix, discusses how the family dynamics of the Addams Family will play out in the new interpretation. The Addams Family has appeared in a variety of media since its inception in 1938, including comics, movies, television shows, and a Broadway musical. Wednesday sets itself apart by being the first project in the franchise to focus on a singular member, rather than the entire family.

 

Wednesday will follow Wednesday Addams (Jenna Ortega) as she comes of age in high school, trying to master her psychic abilities and stop a monstrous killing spree in town. It's unknown how big of a role the rest of the family will play, with only matriarch Morticia Addams (Catherine Zeta-Jones) slated for a leading role. Millar and his partner Alfred Gough have made it clear that Wednesday is not an Addams Family reboot, but rather a new take on the source material.

 

In an interview with Vanity Fair, Millar talks about the family's dynamics, particularly Wednesday's relationship with her brother Pugsley (Isaac Ordonez). He says that Wednesday has a love-hate relationship with her brother, protecting him from bullies but bullying him herself, a fairly typical sibling exchange. Millar goes on to say that the family has a deep love for one another that transcends their oddness and can be universally relatable. Read his quote below:

 

She's allowed to torture him. Nobody else is. That's the difference. She will defend him to the end against bullies or anything else, but she has license to do what she wants. She's protective of him in a very Wednesday way. Every family is weird and this one happens to be extremely weird, but they love each other, and that's ultimately what it's about. They always have each other's backs and that's unconditional love.

One of the main appeals of the Addams Family is their strong support for one another which demonstrates a healthy dynamic, with Wednesday hopefully continuing that idea. What Millar is describing is a pretty grounded family/sibling relationship, one that's rooted in love and set aside from the Addams' twisted sense of beauty. Millar points out that each family has its own quirks, with the Addams being quirky for comedic effect, but still maintaining the familial connection that all families have.

 

The Addams family has been cited as one of the healthiest families in fiction, with very little interpersonal conflict, strong mutual support, and clear communication. Comedy in The Addams Family has always been in their view of the world and the joy they find in it, not relying on internal dysfunction like most family sitcoms. When Wednesday premieres, it'll be important to see how Millar and his team are able to bring that essential dynamic into a more character-focused story, with Wednesday Addams getting the chance to shine on her own.

 

Source: Vanity Fair