All 4 Wednesday Episodes Directed By Tim Burton, Ranked
Tim Burton played a key role in the inception and production of the hit Netflix show Wednesday and even directed the first four episodes of season 1.
The first four episodes of Netflix’s hit series Wednesday were directed by renowned filmmaker Tim Burton, who also served as executive producer on the Addams Family spinoff show. Created by Alfred Gough and Miles Millar, Wednesday put a new spin on the titular Addams Family character (played by Jenna Ortega) by aging her up a few years, sending her to a boarding school for outcasts, giving her psychic powers, and throwing a murder mystery her way. Wednesday season 1, which consisted of eight episodes total, was a smash hit, making the anticipation for Wednesday season 2 very high.
Tim Burton was immediately interested in Wednesday after reading the pilot script and relating heavily to Gough and Millar’s interpretation of the titular Addams Family character. Burton signed on as an executive producer under his eponymous production company and as director for the first half of the season. The degree of Tim Burton’s involvement in Wednesday season 2 remains unknown, but hopefully, he’ll return to the director’s chair after doing such a great job on the first four episodes of Wednesday season 1, ranked here from worst to best.
Wednesday Season 1 Episodes Directed By Tim Burton
4
Season 1, Episode 2, “Woe Is the Loneliest Number”
Wednesday Leads The Black Cats To Victory In The Poe Cup
Of all four Tim Burton-directed episodes of Wednesday, “Woe Is the Loneliest Number” ranks the lowest. In the aftermath of Rowan’s slaughter, episode 2 follows Wednesday as she tries to convince everybody that there’s a monster on the loose responsible for all the murders. When Rowan turns up alive (or so it seems) much to Wednesday’s disbelief, she begins searching for evidence to prove the monster exists while trying to figure out what the mysterious drawing of her actually means. Amid her investigation, Wednesday participates in the Poe Cup to spite Bianca and leads the Black Cats to victory.
This episode’s events are more underwhelming and low-stakes than the other three Burton-directed episodes.
“Woe Is the Loneliest Number” is still a solid episode all around with enough thrills and shocking reveals to sustain interest. Finding out the truth about Rowan’s disappearance (that Weems used her shape-shifting powers to pose as him) is certainly significant to the larger developing story. However, the hour-long series premiere was a tough lead to follow, and episode 2 failed to sustain the same level of intrigue as the preceding pilot. In the grand scheme of things, this episode’s events are more underwhelming and low-stakes than the other three Burton-directed episodes.
3
Season 1, Episode 3, “Friend or Woe”
Nevermore Celebrates Outreach Day In Jericho
“Friend or Woe” isn’t the worst episode of Wednesday that Burton directed, but it’s also not the best. Episode 3 sees Wednesday and the students of Nevermore heading into Jericho to participate in Outreach Day. Wednesday uncovers a lot of new information in this episode, including the revival of the Nightshade Society and the identity and true backstory of the figure from the drawing: Jericho’s founding father, Joseph Crackstone. Wednesday has her first fully immersive vision into the past, in which she witnesses the persecution of her ancestor Goody Addams (also played by Ortega) at the hands of Crackstone.
As a whole, it still pales in comparison to the novelty and stylistic feats of the first and fourth episodes of Wednesday season 1.
The evil pilgrim, who has convinced his fellow colonizing pilgrims that they must rid the town of all outcasts, proceeds to burn all the outcasts alive in the Old Meeting House, but Goody escapes. This intense and disturbing scene alone makes “Friend or Woe” more engaging and eventful than “Woe Is The Loneliest Number,” thus ranking it higher on the list of Burton-directed episodes. However, as a whole, it still pales in comparison to the novelty and stylistic feats of the first and fourth episodes of Wednesday season 1.
2
Season 1, Episode 1, “Wednesday’s Child Is Full of Woe”
Wednesday Arrives At Nevermore Academy
“Wednesday’s Child Is Full of Woe” served as an exceptional introduction to the world and characters of Wednesday. Opening with the scene of Wednesday dumping the piranhas in the pool was a brilliant way to set the specific tone of this Addams Family spinoff and communicate to viewers what kind of protagonist they’re dealing with. Though it covers a lot of expository ground, from Gomez and Morticia’s history at the boarding school to the different outcast species at Nevermore, the first episode of Wednesday still manages to avoid a common pilot trap by actually getting right into the action.
The episode is also exemplary of how Wednesday expertly balances style and function.
By the end of the pilot, Wednesday has already escaped death twice. Both attempts by Rowan to kill her foreshadow her prophetic destiny to save outcasts from Crackstone’s bigoted bloodline. The second of these near-death experiences also marks Wednesday’s first exposure to the monster, raising the stakes of the murder mystery that anchors the events of the whole season.
The episode is also exemplary of Wednesday’s expert balance of style and function. Wednesday’s cello rendition of the song “Paint It Black” playing over a montage of Tyler and Rowan seeking more information on her serves to both further the plot while also perfectly embodying and contributing to the gothic, mysterious vibe of the show. There’s no doubt that Wednesday started off strong with “Wednesday’s Child Is Full of Woe,” but one of the other Burton-directed episodes still has it beat.
1
Season 1, Episode 4, “Woe What a Night”
Wednesday Hits The Dancefloor At The Rave’N
Probably the most widely known and referenced episode of Wednesday, “Woe What A Night” brought the world the most iconic scene of the whole series: Wednesday’s strange yet memorable dance to The Cramps’ “Goo Goo Muck” at the Rave’N. The routine, choreographed by Ortega herself, became a viral trend on TikTok, though many fans opted to do the moves to Lady Gaga’s “Bloody Mary” instead. Episode 4 was a cultural moment in itself, but it’s not just one scene’s virality that ranks it the highest of the episodes directed by Burton.
Episode 4 stands out the most visually and stylistically and has an especially cinematic quality to it, but still feels consistent with the series’ dark tone and gothic aesthetic.
Episode 4 stands out the most visually and stylistically and has an especially cinematic quality to it, but still feels consistent with the series’ dark tone and gothic aesthetic. Wednesday’s genre intersection with horror is also much more blatant with the overt reference to Stephen King’s Carrie with the (albeit fake) pig’s blood. Overall, “Woe What A Night” is a major highlight not just among the Burton-directed episodes but the season as a whole, and will be difficult to top in Wednesday season 2.
