Wednesday Addams: Individuality Amidst Darkness and Family
The central theme of this penultimate episode of our "Flix Fridays" series revolves around our examination of the Netflix Original series "Wednesday," wherein TJ Blackwell, assuming the role of co-host alongside Joshua Noel in the absence of Rev. Justin Coleman, who was unable to participate due to a family emergency. TJ's engagement with the series was marked by a distinct lack of enthusiasm, resulting in a critical perspective that diverged sharply from Justin's favorable reception, which TJ endeavored to articulate in his stead. Throughout our discourse, we deliberated on the complexities of character development, particularly focusing on Wednesday Addams' struggle for individuality amidst an eccentric familial backdrop. Our conversation further traversed the thematic elements of identity and belonging, as we scrutinized the juxtaposition of Wednesday's quest for uniqueness within a world of similarly unconventional characters. Ultimately, our analysis sought to uncover the deeper implications of personal and familial dynamics within the context of this modern adaptation of a classic narrative.
A comprehensive exploration of the Netflix series 'Wednesday' unfurls within the context of our ongoing 'Flix Fridays' series, which has garnered attention through the enthusiastic participation of our Facebook group, 'The Priests to the Geeks.' In this penultimate episode, we delve deeply into the complexities and thematic elements of 'Wednesday,' a show that, while it has captured the hearts of many, has elicited a rather tepid response from co-host TJ Blackwell. The absence of Rev. Justin Coleman, who was initially slated to join us, is felt throughout the episode, as TJ assumes the mantle of both critics: his own and Justin's. While Justin's appreciation for the series shines through the discussion, TJ articulates a series of critiques that reflect a stark divergence in taste. The juxtaposition of these perspectives invites listeners to ponder the nature of individual preferences in television and the broader implications of character alignment with familial legacies. The episode further contemplates the significance of Tim Burton's distinctive style, the interplay of dark humor and quirkiness, and how these elements resonate differently with viewers of varying backgrounds. As we dissect the character of Wednesday Addams, we grapple with her quest for identity amidst a family of eccentrics, ultimately questioning what it means to forge one's own path in a world that often conflates identity with conformity.
Takeaways:
- In this penultimate episode of our 'Flix Fridays' series, we scrutinize the intricacies of Netflix's 'Wednesday', considering both the artistic merit and our personal responses.
- TJ Blackwell found 'Wednesday' lacking in substance, contrasting sharply with the enthusiasm expressed by co-host, Joshua Noel, who resonated with its quirky charm.
- A significant theme within 'Wednesday' is the exploration of individuality amidst a backdrop of eccentricity, particularly within the context of the Addams Family.
- The juxtaposition of Wednesday's character against her vibrant peers raises questions about authenticity and the nature of identity in a world of stereotypes.
- While TJ did not favor the series, it is crucial to acknowledge its appeal to a demographic that identifies with the protagonist's struggles for acceptance and self-discovery.
- Ultimately, the series prompts a dialogue about familial bonds, individuality, and the complexities inherent in navigating one's identity within a fantastical realm.
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Systematic Geekology
Our show focuses around our favorite fandoms that we discuss from a Christian perspective. We do not try to put Jesus into all our favorite stories, but rather we try to ask the questions the IPs are asking, then addressing those questions from our perspective. We are not all ordained, but we are the Priests to the Geeks, in the sense that we try to serve as mediators between the cultures around our favorite fandoms and our faith communities.
Transcript
Foreign.
Speaker B:Piranhas in the school pool.
Speaker B:Well, if it's been recent, you might be Wednesday Addams.
Speaker B:Guys, welcome back to our Flix Friday spring bonus series.
Speaker B:We're gonna have a lot of fun with this.
Speaker B:We've been having a lot of fun with this series and excited to continue on discussing the Netflix shows that we enjoy, that our Facebook group voted on, that they most wanted to hear us speak about.
Speaker B:I'm Joshua Null here with TJ Tiberious.
Speaker B:Juan Blackwell, the founder of Netflix as well as the universe.
Speaker B:I think probably Justin Coleman was originally going to be on here with me.
Speaker B:Reverend Justin.
Speaker B:He had some family stuff, so TJ was like.
Speaker B:Well, he wasn't, like, volunteering.
Speaker B:It was more like, can you?
Speaker B:He's like, I guess so.
Speaker B:He watched Wednesday just for you.
Speaker B:If you're listening, TJ did this just for you, so you should consider sponsoring the show for him.
Speaker B:I think that's a fair trade.
Speaker A:It's true.
Speaker A:It's true.
Speaker A:And you might like what I have to say about it.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker A:But not if you like the show.
Speaker B:Which I think most people did.
Speaker B:We're gonna jump right into this one.
Speaker B:First thing first, tj, if you were Justin Coleman and you just finished this series, what would your first thoughts probably have been of?
Speaker A:I was Justin.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:In honor of him not being able to make it.
Speaker A:Wow, that's fantastic.
Speaker A:I hope they do more in the Addams Family universe in this, like, same vein.
Speaker A:Like, I would love to see, you know, Pugsley or Lurch or Mortegia, like.
Speaker B:Specifically just a series on the hand.
Speaker B:That's it.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:Cousin it.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker A:Perfect would be great.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:Thanks, Justin.
Speaker B:I agree.
Speaker B:I know Justin did one wish he was here.
Speaker B:He also really enjoyed the show, like myself.
Speaker B:For me, I'm putting this, like, right up there with series Unfortunate Events, because, you know, it's the same, like, dark, quirky kind of humor, except for it's Tim Burton.
Speaker B:And I just.
Speaker B:I love Tim Burton.
Speaker B:I also kind of grew up with the Addams Family.
Speaker B:But before any of that, obviously I finished this and was like, when season two.
Speaker B:I literally immediately googled when season two was gonna happen and got no answers.
Speaker B:Tj, what was your reaction after you first finished this?
Speaker A:I don't like this show.
Speaker B:That was your reaction the whole way through, too, though, right?
Speaker B:Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker A:Every once in a while, I'd be like, that's kind of funny.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:So I.
Speaker B:You know, we picked it on Facebook.
Speaker B:I was the initial one who put it up for the vote and was really excited when Justin was like, I want to do that, too.
Speaker B:And then the Facebook group actually voted it in because I was like, I didn't expect to make it so many rounds because there's, like, so many other Netflix shows.
Speaker B:Other people love, like, you know, my worst opinion.
Speaker B:I just don't like Stranger Things.
Speaker B:It's boring and predictable.
Speaker B:I don't get it.
Speaker B:But that's why I'm not on the finale of our Flicks Friday series, where it's gonna be three people who do love Stranger Things talking about it, because that'll probably be more fun for everybody.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:So with that, since everybody just loves hearing our excitement around these shows.
Speaker B:Tj, why didn't you like Wednesday?
Speaker A:I feel like growing up, I was in, like, alt adjacent, like, you know, friends with all the goth kids.
Speaker A:I was just kind of friends with everybody growing up, small town.
Speaker A:But I.
Speaker A:I don't know if any of our listeners are going to understand what I'm saying, but there's a very specific vein of person who's constantly trying to be edgy for the purpose of creeping somebody out.
Speaker A:And that's the vibe this show gave off to me all the way through, because it is.
Speaker A:There's a stark contrast between the Addams Family show and the.
Speaker A: movies from, like, the early: Speaker A:It just feels like they are more themselves there.
Speaker A:They're not doing it for the shock value.
Speaker A:They're doing it because that's who they are.
Speaker A:And I just didn't get that from Jenna Ortega here.
Speaker B:I.
Speaker B:In a weird way, I do feel like Wednesday specifically was that.
Speaker B:I think that was kind of intentional, but I think the rest of the family were genuinely just.
Speaker B:Just weird.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker B:Just free.
Speaker B:Yes.
Speaker A:The rest of the Addams aisle, they were good.
Speaker A:I like them.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:And I think it's a little bit intentional.
Speaker B:I'm curious what they do in the future with it, because I do think Wednesday is trying to be her own.
Speaker B:And how can you be edgy in your own amongst a family that's literally the Munsters, you know, like, it's like my mom, literally a witch.
Speaker B:You know, I have a hand for an uncle.
Speaker B:Just a disembodied hand.
Speaker B:It's like, how do you be edgy in that?
Speaker B:And then she goes to, like, weird extremes, and it is a little bit forced.
Speaker B:I think it's because she's trying to be her own, and it really desperately does not want to be her parents.
Speaker B:And then it just comes off kind of.
Speaker B:Eh.
Speaker B:And it's really funny when you Put it in contrast with her roommate, which is where you got some of the best memes when the show was on.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:Which also was something I really appreciate about the show, is that the roommate was, like, perky and happy and really colorful, but, like, it's a Tim Burton show, so it wasn't like Barbie colorful.
Speaker B:Like, it was, like, colorful, but still kind of fit the universe.
Speaker B:Like, it didn't.
Speaker B:Not what was happening.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:I don't know.
Speaker A:I just feel like they played the juxtaposition a little bit too hard.
Speaker A:And I get it.
Speaker A:It's campy.
Speaker A:It's supposed to be kind of like that.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:I'm media literate.
Speaker A:I understand.
Speaker A:This is still my least favorite Tim Burton project.
Speaker B:Bold.
Speaker B:Although I can't think of many.
Speaker B:Timber.
Speaker B:Actually, Tim Burton did Frankenweenie, right?
Speaker A:Mm.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:I didn't care for that.
Speaker A:No, it's good.
Speaker B:Anyway.
Speaker B:Why do you think, though?
Speaker B:I actually.
Speaker B:I do get what you're saying.
Speaker B:I kind of feel like it's a little bit intentional.
Speaker B:I'm not 100% sure, but why do you think for so many other people there, though?
Speaker B:This show is so bingeable.
Speaker B:Like, so many people did gravitate towards this.
Speaker A:I, like, I understand it.
Speaker A:A lot of people your age can kind of, like, see themselves in Wednesday as, like, the person who didn't fit in or, you know, was trying to stand out and didn't want to fit in.
Speaker B:So I'm very millennial in a way.
Speaker B:I.
Speaker B:You know what's weird to me also, I.
Speaker B:I just.
Speaker A:I looked it up really quick just to make sure I wasn't missing anything.
Speaker A: deed think Planet of the Apes: Speaker A:Frankenweenie, Pee Wee's Big Adventure, and Mars Attacks are all better than this.
Speaker B:Strong disagree, but.
Speaker A:And Dumbo.
Speaker B:Dumbo was good, though.
Speaker B:I'm with you on Dumbo.
Speaker B:I actually did like that one.
Speaker B:But.
Speaker B:So, yeah, I don't know.
Speaker B:For me, I think it was bingeball just because it was so quirky, and I just like quirky things, and I just like Tim Burton's vibe, and the whole show just oohs Tim Burton.
Speaker B:But, yeah, I still.
Speaker B:I still do understand what you're saying, and it's kind of making me rethink things, but I still think.
Speaker B:I still think I'm on the.
Speaker B:You know, I enjoyed it.
Speaker A:No, you should.
Speaker B:Like, too hard.
Speaker B:I want to keep enjoying it.
Speaker B:Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker B:But what's weird, though, so, like, you mentioned the whole.
Speaker B:The Fitting and stuff.
Speaker B:And like, people in my generation.
Speaker B:I think what's interesting is she's trying to stand out in a family that's already freaks.
Speaker B:She's like the freak among the freaks.
Speaker B:And it's so funny.
Speaker B:Like, I was the freak among the freaks for a very different reason.
Speaker B:Because, like, people like, oh, yeah, you're weird and don't fit in.
Speaker B:You obviously like this music.
Speaker B:And I'm like, yeah, no, I've literally never heard of that.
Speaker B:Like, like, like, I was weird and also vanilla.
Speaker B:So, like, I was the weirdo among weirdos for all the wrong reasons.
Speaker A:Yeah, yeah, he's never heard of anything that's.
Speaker B:Yeah, it's pretty accurate.
Speaker B:I feel like you could probably do a demonstration if you wanted to, but that's not what this is about.
Speaker A:It's not what this is about.
Speaker B:Okay, so, tj, if you were Justin, though, how would you convince other people that they need to check the series out?
Speaker A:If I was Justin, I would just smile and I would say, I think, yeah, that's cheating out.
Speaker B:It's cheating because, like, it's really hard not to.
Speaker B:Like, if Justin tells you to do something or is like, oh, man, this is great.
Speaker A:Yeah, Justin asked me to do something, I'm gonna do it.
Speaker B:Yeah, love that guy.
Speaker B:Okay, so I don't know for myself, I really.
Speaker B:To me, it really is just a matter.
Speaker B:Like, do you like Tim Burton?
Speaker B:Did you grow up with the Munsters?
Speaker B:If so I think this is worth it.
Speaker B:There is a little bit of a.
Speaker B:I feel like it doesn't quite fit.
Speaker B:Noir.
Speaker B:What is it?
Speaker A:Noir?
Speaker B:There's a little bit of a mystery, but it's not quite that.
Speaker A:I mean, I feel like it's.
Speaker A:It's noir esque.
Speaker B:Yeah, I enjoyed the mystery.
Speaker B:For me, it's annoying because they use kind of, you know, spoiler alert, whatever.
Speaker B:They use kind of a cliche that still caught me off guard where it's like, oh, who's the killer?
Speaker B:Oh, there's actually two of them.
Speaker B:And for some reason, it still got me.
Speaker B:And I'm like, I should have seen that.
Speaker B:That's such an overused plot.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:But it got me still.
Speaker A:Shout out Scream 2.
Speaker B:Yes.
Speaker B:Green tooth.
Speaker B:All the Scream movies are great.
Speaker B:Are you excited for him to be back for the new Scream movie?
Speaker A:Yeah, I mean, I was excited for him in Mortal Kombat 1.
Speaker A:I'm not really.
Speaker B:No.
Speaker A:Yeah, we'll see how the new movie is.
Speaker B:Fair.
Speaker B:Okay, so there's a bunch of different themes and stuff throughout.
Speaker B:You know, she's starting to get psychic powers and also going to the boarding school her mom went to and realizes I think she's becoming her mom, but desperately wants to be her own person.
Speaker B:And that sucks.
Speaker B:So real quick, though, like, psychic visions, prophecies, that's all part of this.
Speaker B:Tj, do you believe in such things?
Speaker B:And if so, how do they work?
Speaker A:I believe they exist and I believe it's a side effect of time being circular.
Speaker B:So this is one of those where, like, we actually just disagree.
Speaker B:This is fun because, you know, I don't think time.
Speaker B:Time's just not a thing.
Speaker A:So that's the same.
Speaker B:Yeah, that could be a long conversation.
Speaker B:So we won't sit.
Speaker B:People are probably tired of hearing me talk about time.
Speaker B:They should go back to our Pokemon episode.
Speaker B:The beginning of the year, though.
Speaker B:That was.
Speaker B:That was a good one.
Speaker B:We talked about time there.
Speaker B:I do think, and it's hard for me because I don't believe in time, but I still think that prophecy happens.
Speaker B:I've had people prophesy over me growing up Pentecostal and got pretty.
Speaker B:Pretty darn accurate stuff sometimes, but also a lot of stuff that are just completely wrong and, like, completely bs.
Speaker B:So I'm like, I'm not sure.
Speaker B:One of the weird ones for me.
Speaker B:And I don't, you know, I'm not biblical inerrancy, so I'm not like, everything in The Bible is 100% true, but I still think the Bible has authority and is true biblically.
Speaker B:The thing with prophecies, at least one.
Speaker B:A lot of times in New Testament, when it talks about prophecy, it's not talking about someone who's telling the future.
Speaker B:It's literally talking about somebody who has wise words to say, who can just kind of read the room, basically.
Speaker B:So in that sense, TJ would be a prophet.
Speaker B:TJ is really good at reading the room and usually is like, josh, not now.
Speaker B:And I'm like, oh.
Speaker B:And in that sense, TJ is being a prophet, but a prophet.
Speaker B:That's literally just keeping me from saying stupid stuff.
Speaker B:But in the sense of, like, seeing the future, that does still exist, even in the New Testament.
Speaker B:In Acts, there's a really interesting.
Speaker B:Where someone gives a prophecy to Paul of what's going to happen.
Speaker B:And it's really close, but technically wrong because the different people capture.
Speaker B:And then what he said was going to capture Paul.
Speaker B:I think he was like, he said the Romans were going to capture him, but then the Jews actually captured him.
Speaker B:But he came really close.
Speaker B:He got where and what was going to happen.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:Just not who did it, which is one of those where it's like, maybe, maybe there's something to all this.
Speaker B:But also, even the one prophet in acts didn't completely get it right.
Speaker B:So I don't know.
Speaker B:Prophecies are weird, that's all.
Speaker B:How do we decide who to trust, tj?
Speaker B:Do we trust anybody who calls themselves a prophet?
Speaker B:Do we trust people who are over us in school or pastors?
Speaker B:How do we know?
Speaker B:Because in this there is a theme.
Speaker B:Because some of the leaders of the school aren't very trustworthy.
Speaker B:She knows she can trust her parents, but she doesn't want to go to them because she doesn't want them to have that validation, basically, that she's becoming like them.
Speaker B:Yeah, there's a lot of stuff about who to trust.
Speaker B:How do you know what someone really is or who they're really like?
Speaker B:And even you said, like, Jennifer Ortega's character, Wednesday, the tiddler character, does seem like she's putting on a show the whole time a little bit.
Speaker B:So we can't even really trust what she says, I guess.
Speaker B:I don't know.
Speaker B:How do we know what to trust, who someone really is, etc.
Speaker A:Well, I like to trust people, so I just trust people.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:Weirdly enough, I feel like I pretty much do the same thing.
Speaker B:In my mind, I'm just going to trust somebody until it's not proven not true.
Speaker B:Unless here's a weird, like, rule I have myself.
Speaker B:If tj, for some reason, were to tell me something about Will, I just assume it's not true.
Speaker B:Like, I completely ignore everything TJ said about will.
Speaker B:Like, if TJ's like, you know, Will's like a hardcore pothead in my mind, that's just not a thing.
Speaker B:Until I literally see Will do it, or Will tells me, like, I just refuse to accept gossip.
Speaker B:If you gossip to me, I'll.
Speaker B:I might listen, but I'm just not retaining the information at all.
Speaker A:No, that's.
Speaker A:That's still just trust.
Speaker B:Just you not trusting the person telling you I'm trusting the original person.
Speaker B:Yeah, but that goes for anybody.
Speaker B:Like, not even, like, also, like, if I.
Speaker A:Not a thing that happens comes in.
Speaker B:By the way, in the show.
Speaker A:No, like, or just in general me talking.
Speaker A:That's just not a thing that happens.
Speaker B:You don't gossip about people.
Speaker B:But, like, okay, so like at work, though, if a new person gets hired, someone, like, happens to know them.
Speaker B:Like, oh, yeah, he's a really bad motorcyclist.
Speaker B:I don't know why I went with motorcyclist.
Speaker B:I'm just thinking about south park episode where they make loud noises through town and everybody hates them.
Speaker B:But, like, you know, I just ignore that until I literally see the guy come in on a motorcycle.
Speaker B:Then I'm like, okay, yeah, he drives a loud motorcycle.
Speaker B:I just refuse to accept what you tell me about other people because, I don't know.
Speaker B:Just a principle.
Speaker B:I mean, it's gossip.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker B:I feel like that's an okay thing to be.
Speaker A:It is.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:Okay.
Speaker B:So around the trust, around the prophecies, all the other stuff we talked about, we've hinted around it the whole time.
Speaker B:This is going to be a very short flex.
Speaker B:Friday, she's trying to wrestle with, like, who she is as a person.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:Like, Wednesday, she doesn't want to be her parents.
Speaker B:She's trying to stand out.
Speaker B:She literally is in a school of vampires, werewolves, sirens and monsters and other, like, goth.
Speaker B:And she's still trying to be the dark, edgy kid in the group of already dark, edgy monster kids.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker B:And it's really.
Speaker B:I feel like she really struggles to figure out what does it mean to have her own individuality amongst that kind of family, that kind of school, the kind of Tim Burton universe.
Speaker B:Like, if I was in a Tim Burton universe, I would just be way too boring to be on a podcast.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker B:I'm already borderline too boring to be on podcast.
Speaker A:I do think that's one of the more interesting things in the show because it's calling out that group of, like, who make their click their entire personality, which, like, you're.
Speaker A:At that point, you're not unique.
Speaker A:You're just one of a different group.
Speaker B:Yeah, yeah.
Speaker B:Because you see that with, like, the sirens, the wolves and all that.
Speaker B:They all have their own little cliques.
Speaker B:And then even outside of that, it's like the school is their own group within the town's.
Speaker B:Its own group.
Speaker B:There's a lot of, like, I don't know, almost like, prejudices, but it's not necessarily racial all the time.
Speaker B:Some.
Speaker B:Some of it is, I think, but some.
Speaker B:It's literally just was a werewolf.
Speaker B:Werewolves are cooler than vampires.
Speaker B:Are there vampires?
Speaker B:I feel like there was.
Speaker B:I don't remember now.
Speaker B:Anyway, there are werewolves and there are sirens.
Speaker B:I just don't remember any werewolf characters, now that I think about it.
Speaker B:Werewolves exist in the Adams universe, though.
Speaker B:Adam's family universe.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:But so going further into that, though, it kind of reminds me of, like, you see this a lot in cartoons, where it's like, I'm gonna be different like everybody else.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker A:Mm.
Speaker B:How, like, everybody is trying to be their own person.
Speaker B:Like, that's just a fact.
Speaker B:A real world, even outside of high school, it gets dramatized for tv.
Speaker B:And in high school, it's, like, really obvious that everyone's trying to be their own person, but even as adults, like, it's still a thing.
Speaker B:Like, I don't want you to think that.
Speaker B:Oh, yeah, Josh, he's just like all those other people who podcast.
Speaker B:Or Josh is just like.
Speaker B:You know, Josh and TJ are just like all the other guys who work at Chipotle, you know, Like, I don't like that, but at the same time, I realize everybody's trying to be unique, and in a way, I am just trying to be unique like everybody else, you know?
Speaker B:So how do we.
Speaker B:How do we escape that?
Speaker B:Is that just a paradox we're all stuck in?
Speaker A:You just be yourself.
Speaker B:Explain.
Speaker B:Just have really bad opinions.
Speaker A:Yeah, I just.
Speaker A:I just live my life, and whatever people want to say about me, they can't.
Speaker A:I'll get at work.
Speaker A:A lot of times someone will come up to me and be like, you know, she said this, and it's like, I don't care.
Speaker A:She can say whatever she wants.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:I think it is a thing.
Speaker B:And it's funny because it's like, there was, like, a big cultural push against this too, where it's like, oh, you're just being hipster.
Speaker B:I remember that being a thing that people said a lot in college when you didn't like something that everybody else was like, to be fair, supposed to, like.
Speaker A:I know people like that who are actually just being hipster, who are, like, actually just don't like something if it's too popular.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:Well, in a weird way, I kind of get it.
Speaker B:Like, sometimes it really is annoying when it's like, literally everyone in the universe loves.
Speaker B:What's funny is Iron Man's a really good example, except for I didn't like Iron man before anybody knew who Iron man was.
Speaker B:My first conversations about not liking Iron man involved me explaining to people who Iron man was so I could tell them that I didn't like Iron Man.
Speaker B:Yeah, yeah.
Speaker B:Which is a very hipster thing to say.
Speaker B:I didn't like Iron man before he was cool, you know?
Speaker B:Yeah, Yeah.
Speaker A:I like Iron man when everyone hated him.
Speaker B:I still don't like him.
Speaker A:I liked Iron man when he was fighting the Mandarin, the original Android.
Speaker B:I cheered for the Mandarin back then with the Animated series.
Speaker B:Anyway, I was a weird kid.
Speaker B:I cheered for the Mandarin and I cheered for Lex Luthor.
Speaker B:And see, like, that's a good example, too.
Speaker B:Like, I honestly don't know, because I was a kid, if I was just trying to be weird or if I just genuinely didn't like Superman and Iron man, you know?
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:I think not liking Superman is indicative of a negative spirit.
Speaker B:Well, until recently.
Speaker B:So now I've come to terms with appreciating Superman.
Speaker B:Recently, though, it was more of like a.
Speaker B:It's just annoying.
Speaker B:He literally is just invincible.
Speaker B:That's such a boring character.
Speaker B:So I think it was less.
Speaker B:I think it was less like me cheering against the person.
Speaker B:And, like, it was like a puzzle.
Speaker B:Like, oh, he can't be stopped.
Speaker B:And I'm like, well, now I want to know how.
Speaker B:How to stop him.
Speaker B:And I think, like, my kid brain was just like, there's gotta be a way he could die.
Speaker A:Doomsday.
Speaker B:It was like a puzzle, you know?
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:Well, I didn't know about Doomsday.
Speaker B:But anyway, going back to, like, the topic, though, I just kind of thinking of, like, it is difficult to try to be unique in a world where everyone's trying to be unique.
Speaker B:And I think until you accept that you're never going to be unique.
Speaker B:You'll never be your own person.
Speaker B:And it's just a really annoying paradox.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:You just have to get over it.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker A:And that's a good thing.
Speaker A:You.
Speaker A:You don't want to be unique.
Speaker A:It's true.
Speaker A:You want to know people who are like you.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker A:So you can hang out with them and form a community.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:I found.
Speaker B:Of course I'm gonna find a way to bring it back to Kingdom Hearts.
Speaker B:One of the things I've actually really enjoyed is for a long time, I was the weirdo who liked Kingdom Hearts.
Speaker B:And I was like, I don't really care.
Speaker B:Like, I know other people like it too, but, like, there wasn't many people obsessed with it the way I am.
Speaker B:But now the Internet exists, so I find other weirdos who are obsessed with it.
Speaker B:And it's really funny because, like, you find, like, groups who are like, yeah, Kingdom Hearts fans.
Speaker B:You know, those people who are like, whatever.
Speaker B:You know, like, they'll plug something in, like.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:Who just completely.
Speaker B:Don't question the fact that first game, romance, second game, but Riku.
Speaker B:And we're all like, yeah, that's fine.
Speaker B:We just ignore it.
Speaker B:And it is.
Speaker B:There's a thing of, like, all Kingdom Hearts fans have just all agreed that we do not care, that continuity just doesn't really exist.
Speaker B:Like, in all honesty, there is no.
Speaker B:You know, it was not planned out.
Speaker B:We all know it wasn't planned out.
Speaker B:It's going to be conned probably in a tweet later today.
Speaker B:And we're just all fine with that.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker B:And at first I was like, I thought I was the only one who saw the holes and decided to ignore them.
Speaker B:And then I got really aggravated because other people were like me.
Speaker B:Then I was like, actually, it's kind of cool.
Speaker B:It's kind of cool that there's just all these other people who had the same experience as me who are also overlooking the same holes because the experience is worth it anyway.
Speaker B:And it's kind of like, okay, I'm a stereotype, but at least it's like something I could share with people out in the world.
Speaker B:And I think that's the thing.
Speaker B:Like, no matter what uniqueness it is, in some ways, most of us do follow fall into a stereotype.
Speaker B:And the question is, are you going to fight against that and be upset that you're not unique or you're going to embrace it and have community?
Speaker B:And I think community is what makes life worth it.
Speaker B:So maybe just embrace whatever your stereotype is.
Speaker A:Yeah, sure.
Speaker A:Some weird way to say it.
Speaker B:Okay, what are your thoughts?
Speaker B:I mean, I'm still wrestling with this.
Speaker B:I already said, actually plan out thinking any of this.
Speaker A:Yeah, I already said that.
Speaker B:Okay.
Speaker A:The same thing you just said, but.
Speaker B:Without using annoying words.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker B:Yeah, that's fair.
Speaker B:Okay.
Speaker B:Any other thoughts about Wednesday?
Speaker B:Tim Burton, finding your own personhood.
Speaker A:I think the true strength of the Addams Family is that they're still a family and they still love each other.
Speaker A:And at the end of the day, every day, they still love each other.
Speaker A:And I think that is the biggest piece of what's missing from Wednesday.
Speaker A:We just don't get enough of that.
Speaker B:More of the actual family.
Speaker B:That's fair.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:I like the bits we did see of the family, though I do wish they were a little more prevalent.
Speaker B:But I understand the show is literally called Wednesday.
Speaker A:It's about Wednesday.
Speaker A:Yeah, I get it.
Speaker B:But I also see where you're coming from.
Speaker A:Adam's family values was also, like, predominantly about Wednesday and Pugsley was still there.
Speaker B:I.
Speaker B:Okay, beginning of the show, the piranhas thing, are you pro her trying to murder the boys who bullied her brother?
Speaker B:Are you like, hold on.
Speaker A:I am anti piranha abuse.
Speaker B:So your concerns about the piranhas, because.
Speaker A:They are going to die because they.
Speaker B:Don'T belong in a pool.
Speaker A:Yeah, they got dumped into a chlorinated pool.
Speaker A:They're going to Die.
Speaker A:They probably got killed anyway because they attacked a person in a pool.
Speaker B:That is also animal abuse.
Speaker A:Piranhas, like, that's not how piranhas work.
Speaker A:They don't just chase people.
Speaker B:Maybe they do in this universe.
Speaker A:Unless you, like, specifically starved at them.
Speaker B:Also, this will be my other last note.
Speaker B:We just have time to kill.
Speaker B:So I was just thinking about it.
Speaker B:We're in a weird age.
Speaker B:We're, like, between Wednesday and her parents.
Speaker B:As far as, like, age ranges go, I feel like, who do you relate more to?
Speaker B:Like, in the scenario, like, the kid who wants to be her own person or the parent who's, like, wanting to see something of themselves in someone else?
Speaker B:You know, like, as managers, as people who've been leaders in church.
Speaker B:I feel like both of us probably have had that desire of, like, we want to instill something that we've learned of ourselves into someone else, but we also are still kind of becoming our own person.
Speaker B:Maybe.
Speaker B:I'm unsure.
Speaker A:Lurch.
Speaker B:What?
Speaker A:Lurch is who I relate to the most.
Speaker B:Please tell me more.
Speaker A:Do job.
Speaker A:Job.
Speaker A:Good.
Speaker B:And for those listening, who's Lurch?
Speaker A:Lurch is the butler of the Addams Family.
Speaker A:Frankenstein's monster, basically.
Speaker B:He wasn't even present, was he?
Speaker A:Yes, he was.
Speaker A:He was driving the car in the first episode.
Speaker B:Oh, yeah.
Speaker B:That doesn't count.
Speaker A:This does.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:Weirdly enough, I'm gonna say I relate to the hand more.
Speaker B:Says just it.
Speaker B:Right?
Speaker B:Is that what the hands come.
Speaker A:Cousin it?
Speaker B:Cousin it or.
Speaker A:No, the hand is the thing.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker A:Because cousin it is the.
Speaker A:The hair.
Speaker B:Oh, yeah.
Speaker B:Well, as TJ does research briefly, I'm gonna explain why I relate to the hair.
Speaker A:It's thing.
Speaker A:Yeah, I was right.
Speaker B:Thing.
Speaker B:Okay.
Speaker B:I just.
Speaker B:Like, his.
Speaker B:His whole thing is just support.
Speaker B:And a lot of times, that's really what I feel like.
Speaker B:At one point, I wanted to be unique.
Speaker B:Like, that was a whole thing.
Speaker B:We had a meaningful conversation here about it, I think.
Speaker B:Still a meaningful thing.
Speaker B:But at some point, I stopped caring about that as much.
Speaker B:And I'm at a point now in my life where, like, I just want to.
Speaker B:How can I support others best, you know?
Speaker B:And I feel like that that's Thing's whole thing, and it's kind of my whole thing.
Speaker A:I do, like, dig it.
Speaker A:We are in the era for Thing to have his moment.
Speaker A:He used to be limited to a guy under a table with his hand in a box.
Speaker B:I'm just saying, if James Gunn did the Thing movie, and it was literally about the hand or series, I think it would be great.
Speaker B:It was specifically James Gunn directed.
Speaker B:It would be fantastic.
Speaker B:Yeah, he's great at weird characters.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:All right, Any final notes before we wrap this up then?
Speaker A:I don't think so.
Speaker B:All right, guys, I.
Speaker B:I do recommend watching it.
Speaker B:It's a lot of fun.
Speaker B:Boarding School Monsters, Adam's family.
Speaker A:Cool.
Speaker B:Really great music.
Speaker B:Tim Burton.
Speaker B:Quirkiness, Fun time.
Speaker B:Dark humor.
Speaker B:For some reason, my two favorite Netflix series, both are just dark humor and quirkiness.
Speaker B:Most of my favorite things aren't that.
Speaker B:It just turns out that when it comes to Netflix products, that's what I appreciate the most, I guess because Daredevil doesn't count anymore.
Speaker B:Anyway, tj, if you were to binge another show or do something after you finish this to fill in the void.
Speaker B:Although for you, maybe it's to make yourself feel like, feel better because you just feel like you wasted however many hours.
Speaker B:What do you do after you pinch this and you actually did just bench this so you can answer this honestly.
Speaker A:Well, I.
Speaker A:So I didn't do this.
Speaker A:I just kind of do what I always do and I got on a competitive FPS game.
Speaker A:What's F.
Speaker A:First person shooter.
Speaker A:Okay.
Speaker A:Also, long time show.
Speaker A:Fans of the show.
Speaker A:You might remember my Apex Legends era.
Speaker A:We're back.
Speaker A:I'm back on the game.
Speaker A:It is.
Speaker A:We are back on Apex Legends.
Speaker A:They've changed a lot.
Speaker A:Back on Storm Point, that means nothing to you because this is not visual.
Speaker A:But still.
Speaker A:But if I was just in an Addams Family mood after watching this, which I wasn't, I would either go watch the 84 series or I would go watch the Addams Family and then Addams Family Values by Barry Sonnenfield.
Speaker A:I think those movies are great.
Speaker B:What's funny is, like, I feel like I said this after we watched, after we did the series Unfortunate Events, I was like, I want to play a game instead.
Speaker B:It really is true.
Speaker B:I feel like after binging something, I want to do something.
Speaker B:Like, I don't want to just watch another show.
Speaker B:So what I'm about to do, like, right after we're done recording, I'm gonna start playing Final Fantasy 15.
Speaker B:So I guess that's what I would do after Wednesday.
Speaker B:Not really related at all.
Speaker B:But no, that's what I'm doing.
Speaker A:I've spent at least 12 hours fishing on Final Fantasy 15.
Speaker B:Yeah, I.
Speaker B:I hope I don't, but I feel like I might.
Speaker B:I fear I might.
Speaker B:Fishing is more than that.
Speaker B:Should be.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:Anyway, guys, thank you again so much for joining us and hearing why TJ did not like Wednesday we hope that you rate review our show on podchaser, Spotify or Apple Podcasts.
Speaker B:Please give us a higher rating than TJ would give Wednesday.
Speaker B:Check out all the rest of the Flicks Friday series down below with the link.
Speaker B:Come back next week when we're people who like Stranger Things will be talking about Stranger Things.
Speaker B:And remember, you're all a chosen people.
Speaker B:A Geekdom of priest later.
