“Wednesday” is a sleuthing, supernaturally infused mystery charting Wednesday Addams’ years as a student at Nevermore Academy. Wednesday’s attempts to master her emerging psychic ability, thwart a monstrous killing spree that has terrorized the local town and solve the supernatural mystery that embroiled her parents 25 years ago — all while navigating her new and very tangled relationships at Nevermore.
For in-depth thoughts on Wednesday: The Complete First Season, please see the review from my colleague Larry Fried from its streaming debut here.
Video Quality
Wednesday: The Complete First Season arrives on Blu-Ray with a stellar AVC encoded 1080p transfer in its original aspect ratio. Streaming shows typically have a more interesting visual aesthetic compared to network shows, and the cinematography here provides the series with a cinematic quality that enriches the viewing experience. The detail in this presentation is favorable, as all of the subtle facets in the costumes and production design are easily distinguishable. There are also no significant instances of aliasing or compression artifacts detectable in this transfer.
The color palette runs on the appropriately dour side with a focus on blues, but there are some instances of dynamic colors leaping off the screen. Highlights are crisp and contained while black levels are deep which allows for an excellent amount of detail in shadows. Skin tones appear natural to their intent across the entire cast throughout the season. The special effects are rendered effectively here which allows you to get lost in the world. The Blu-Ray presentation treats the show well in HD.
Audio Quality
This Blu-Ray comes with a first-rate DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio track that represents the series perfectly. The music from Chris Bacon and Danny Elfman is essential to the atmosphere of the series. Their work perfectly sets the tone for the story, and it creates a nicely enveloping sound that draws you further into the journey. Kinetic sequences spring to life in the mix to deliver some raw power in the low end. Ambient sounds are meticulously placed in the rear channels. The spatial awareness of the track always comes as a benefit, and the panning techniques are deployed with purpose. Dialogue comes through clearly without being overwhelmed by the score or any sound effects. The audio presentation is a star on all fronts. There is an array of subtitles provided including English SDH, French, Spanish, and many more.
Special Features
There are no special features provided.
Final Thoughts
Wednesday is a unique take on the Addams Family lore that understands that the characters have already been brilliantly adapted on numerous occasions and sees fit to try something new for this outing. The results are somewhat mixed as you lose the juxtaposition of normalcy with the kooky nature of the Addams brood, but things are held aloft by the captivating performance from Jenna Ortega. Wednesday is the perfect match for Ortega, and it is so much fun following her journey throughout the season. We see room for improvement in future seasons, but this is a solid first outing. Warner Bros. Home Entertainment has released a new Blu-Ray with a fantastic A/V presentation but nothing in the way of special features. If you like Addams Family content or Tim Burton creations, this is a worthwhile watch. Recommended
Wednesday: The Complete First Season will be available on Blu-Ray and DVD on March 26, 2024.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Warner Bros. Home Entertainment has supplied a copy of this set free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.
