Wednesday’s creators announced that the second season will delve into Jenna Ortega’s Latina ancestry. Based on the saga of the Addams family, Wednesday launches on Netflix in November 2022. The show was a huge hit, garnering two Golden Globe nominations, and was confirmed for renewal for a second season the following January. Wednesday is played by horror queen Jenna Ortega, who plays the eponymous daughter of the Addams family.
In an interview with IndieWire, co-creators Miles Millar and Al Gough confirmed that Wednesday’s second season would delve into the character’s Latino ancestry. Miller stated that the series would seek to explore further aspects of the life of Wednesday, Gomez’s daughter, a character of Latino descent. Below is Miller’s statement:
“It is very rare to find such an iconic (Latin American) character. We are always looking for ways to explore it authentically. What would he have heard on Wednesdays when he was younger? What will Gomez play? We’re trying to find moments to get a feel for the life of a girl growing up with parents of Latino heritage in New Jersey, and how that might have resonated with her as a teenager. We’re definitely looking for more ways to explore that theme this season.”
While more details about The Wednesday’s second season have yet to be released, it is likely that new episodes won’t appear until 2024 due to delays caused by the American writers’ strike. However, The Wednesday’s first season launched Jenna Ortega to great success, making her one of the few Latino actresses currently starring in a hit television series.
Season 2 of The Wednesdays could not only delve into themes related to the origins of Jenna Ortega and the character of The Wednesdays, but also had the opportunity to expand the representation of other groups. The first season was criticized for its low representation of black characters, with only two black actors (Joey Sunday and Iman Marsan) playing bullies on the show. Therefore, there’s an opportunity for a second season of The Wednesdays to create a Black protagonist or to further deepen the characterization of pre-existing characters. Many Wednesday viewers have requested a romantic relationship between Wednesday and Enid (Emma Myers), which could broaden the representation of the LGBTQ+ community on the show.
At a time when many film and television productions are on standby due to the US writers’ strike, it may be a while before we have more information about Wednesday’s second season. Still, it’s a good sign that producers are already working to improve representation on the show, especially given Netflix’s tendency to cancel series featuring characters of color. Even though The Wednesday’s second season is still a long way off, it promises to be an opportunity to delve into issues related to representation, a much-needed step forward for larger television productions.