Last November saw the premiere ofWednesday, the latest Netflix production created by Alfred Gough and Miles Millar that featuresTim Burton as directorand executive producer. This show, which has already turned into an all-time favorite on the streaming platform, follows Wednesday, the popular character fromThe Addams Family. After being expelled from her school for taking revenge on her brother’s bullies, she ends up at Nevermore Academy, an institution for outcasts where her parents studied. There, Wednesday must solve a mystery that threatens thetown of Jerichowhile attempting to bond with her fellow schoolmates and her family.
Wednesdaystars Jenna Ortega, who is being widely acclaimed for the role, alongside Catherine Zeta-Jones, Luis Guzman, Gwendoline Christie, Riki Lindhome, Fred Armisen, Christina Ricci, and an ensemble of emerging stars, such as Emma Myers, Percy Hynes White, Hunter Doohan, and Joy Sunday. Burton directed the first four episodes of the show, while Gandja Monteiro and James Marshall helmed the remaining. In this TV series, which was Burton’s comeback to television productions, he relied onrenowned composer Danny Elfman, one of his strongest collaborators, to work on the score. As always, the composer rose to the occasion and delivered an impeccable score that not only features original pieces, but also a number of popular songs. Here are the best of them.
8Perfect Day
After much insistence, Tyler finally gets Wednesday to agree to a romantic date with him. to impress her, he treats her to a perfect movie night, planned down to a tee. Knowing Wednesday’s inclination for the macabre, it’s fair to assume that most of the relevant horror movies do not scare her in the least. Bearing this in mind, Tyler chose a different kind of production: the comedy filmLegally Blonde, starring Reese Witherspoon, which succeeded in utterly terrifying Wednesday. Of course, this movie’s fans recognized it right away thanks to the song “Perfect Day” by Hoku.
Related:Wednesday Cast: Other Roles You’ve Seen the Actors Play
7Nothing Else Matters
“Nothing Else Matters” by Metallica is featured in the third episode of the TV series, at a fairly rare moment in the story that offers us a glimpse into the vulnerable side of the characters. For one, Wednesday is trying to make connections between all the information she has regarding the Jericho murder case. Meanwhile, Enid is excitedly waiting for Ajax to show up for their date, and flies into a rage when she realizes he is not coming. Tyler screams underwater while taking a bath, revealing that there is indeed something haunting him, while his father, Sheriff Galpin, gets his first glimpse of the unveiled photo of Jericho’s murderous creature.
6La Llorona
One great thing about this new series is that Wednesday and her family’s Latino heritage was taken into account from the choice of actors to the story itself. In fact, while Wednesday hangs out in her room, Hispanic or Latin music often plays in the background. Among the best known songs played in the first episode is “La Llorona,” performed by Costa Rican and Mexican singer Chavela Vargas, which was played while Wednesday was writing her novel.
“Winter,” by composer Antonio Vivaldi, could not have been a better choice for the scene it goes with. During the third episode ofWednesday, the students of Nevermore Academy pay an obligatory visit to the town of Jericho, where Mayor Noble Walker is performing a ceremony to honor Joseph Crackstone. The main character must also perform with the school band, but when she discovers Crackstone’s true story, she decides to sabotage the event with Thing’s help, setting a fire that completely ruins the statue of the local hero. As the rest of the students and residents of Jericho race to safety, Wednesday plays “Winter” on her cello, with the tranquility of someone who fulfilled her goal, as she enjoys witnessing Jericho in flames.
4La Mamma Morta
Wednesday is not the type of girl who enjoys social events, so her decision regarding the school dance was not to attend. However, thanks to Thing’s intervention, she ended up showing up with Tyler. What Wednesday didn’t see coming was that the event would be more interesting than she expected: some Jericho bullies who hate Nevermore students sabotaged the event by setting off the building’s fire sprinklers filled with red paint and water, drenching all the attendees as they desperately ran to the beat of Umberto Giordano’s “La Mamma Morta.”
Related:Wednesday Season 2 Storylines We Hope to See
3Paint It Black
The Rolling Stones' cello rendition of “Paint It Black” is one of the most iconic songs of the series. After a very disappointing first day at Nevermore Academy, Wednesday takes the night to play her cello on the rooftop, performing this melody that is heard by the rest of the school’s students and teaching staff. It is a particularly moving scene, because it is the first one in which we get to see her really connect with her feelings and doing something she is really passionate about. While the cello rendition was not actually performed by Ortega, the actress did spend a few months taking lessons to master this instrument, one that she had not played before.
2Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien
“Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien”, by Edith Piaf is the song that sort of introduces Wednesday, and it really is an excellent choice, as it captures her just the way she is. At the beginning of the series, Pugsley Addams is harassed by bullies at his school. After rescuing him, Wednesday sets out to get revenge on the bullies in the worst possible way: she hurls piranhas into the pool they are practicing in, which gets her expelled from school. However, judging by this young girl’s attitude, like Piaf, she has absolutely no regrets.
1Goo Goo Muck
If the scene featuring Wednesday playing the cello on the roof is one of the most iconic ones of the show, then this is definitely the most popular one. Despite her unwillingness to attend the school dance, once she’s there, Wednesday surprises everyone on the dance floor with hypnotic moves to the rhythm of “Goo Goo Muck” by The Cramps. Fun fact: Ortega wasresponsible for choreographingthisdaring dance routine, inspired by 80s goth club videos and figures of the era.
