Netflix's Wednesday cuts will ruin the show

Wednesday's Netflix show is beloved for its dark humor. However, one change suggested by Netflix would ruin the comedy-horror.

Netflix almost made slashing cuts on Wednesday that would have ruined the show. Created by Miles Miller and Alfred Goff and executive produced by Tim Burton, the adult supernatural comedy-horror adaptation of the iconic Addams family characters is a hit on Netflix and following its release It racked up 1 billion views in its first 28 days. A big part of Wednesday's appeal was Wednesday Adams' (Jenna Ortega) deadpan personality and morbid sense of humor. However, Netflix executives initially suggested changing this aspect of Wednesday's role.

In a recent interview with IndieWire, Miller and Gough revealed that Netflix wanted to drop Wednesday's darkest lines, such as "I do like stabbing. The social part, not so much" because they upset executives. However, the creators declined, arguing that the creepy one-liners were essential to her character. Miller explained that downplaying that part of Wednesday would have betrayed her character. After presenting their case, the lines stayed and became a signature part of Wednesday's darkly humorous persona. The dark humor may have made executives uncomfortable, but it's clear the audience is hooked.

Wednesday's Darkness Is Key To Why The Character (& Show) Works

Dark and creepy humor has always been part of Wednesday Addams' appeal, especially in the '90s Addams family films Christina Ricci's portrayal of the character. While Jenna Ortega's version of Wednesday differs in some ways from Ricci's, thankfully, Wednesday's darkness is a big part of her character. Jenna Ortega delivers Wednesday's aloofness and morbid humor brilliantly. Her Wednesday performance also benefited from a darkly humorous script. She wouldn't be as much fun on Wednesday if her personality was downplayed by the audience.

Darkness on Wednesday is also a big reason why the show was so successful. Wednesday balanced a variety of genres, including horror and comedy, and for the most part, it managed to score well. Wednesday's dark humor is a perfect fit for the show's ominous yet funny tone, and it wouldn't feel right without the titular character's one-liners scattered throughout the Netflix series. Dialing back such an important part of Wednesday's role would cause Wednesday to lose its sickly Adams family edge.

Netflix Needs To Keep Wednesday Dark (Despite Her Becoming More Heroic)

In Wednesday season 1, Wednesday begins to be cold and indifferent to those around her. Yet her character engenders empathy, and she ends up risking her life for her fellow Nevermore classmates on Wednesday's season 1 finale. However, Wednesday's new heroic nature doesn't mean her character will lose her edge in Wednesday Season 2. Wednesday's season 1 episode 7, "If You Don't Break My Heart Now," Enid said Wednesday has mellowed out. Wednesday corrects Enid by saying, "Never. More like evolution." Netflix should stay true to that line and allow Wednesday's character to evolve while retaining her dark nature.

It would have been funnier for Wednesday to follow the Addams family movie and make Wednesday Addams more of an antihero. Wednesday showed that despite her deadpan and cunning, she does have a good heart, and balancing those two parts of her personality will be an interesting challenge for Wednesday season 2. Being an anti-hero on Wednesday will make her a kinder person without ever forgetting her terrifying nature.