Wednesday Addams has always been a freaky force of nature. She knows exactly who she is and refuses to be anything else. This theme is explored in Wednesday season 2, part 1, as Wednesday (Jenna Ortega) returns to Nevermore as a hero but vehemently rejects her newfound fame. Instead, she chooses to dig her teeth into a new mystery, not letting the loss of her psychic powers stop her quest.

Though almost three years have passed since the show's premiere, the opening sequence makes it feel like it was only a second. Like a wolf in sheep's clothing, Wednesday waits with vicious glee, playing with her food until she can finally get exactly what she wants: revenge. Her perfectly calculated cunning is never once questioned as Ortega's masterful performance delivers moments of terror, humour and wit – all with minimal but carefully controlled execution.

This sequence sets the tone for the first part of Wednesday's next installment beautifully, highlighting the dark comedic atmosphere the series aims to depict. However, it is a shame that it fails to capitalise on this as the show quickly falls victim to one of its prior weaknesses.

The main issue with Wednesday is it's limited timeframe, which is only heightened by the unusual choice to split the second season into two. Each episode of the Netflix series packs in so many narrative points in such a short time it falls over its own feet, having to spoon-fed the audience key moments in its mystery so they can keep up. This is truly a shame, especially as this season heavily pays homage to the legendary Sherlock Holmes. Instead, the mysteries are solved for the audience before they can even get a chance.

This jam-packed narrative also greatly hinders the mid-season climax. It is no mean feat to build to cliff-hanger in just four episodes, and Wednesday certainly tries hard to do so. However, an abundance of narrative threads that feel rushed and characters that don't have time to breathe thoroughly hinder the impact of what could have been a very intriguing plot point.

While narratively the series certainly lacked, there are certainly positives. Christina Ricci's surprise return as Marilyn Thornhill is deliciously unhinged, making her limited screentime well worth the wait. Plus, newcomer Evie Templeton as Agnes Demille is an incredible parallel for Wednesday herself. Her unsettling persona is a welcome addition to the Netflix series and Templeton has proven in a very short period of time that she too, will be a name to look out for in the future (that's if you can find her, of course).

Famous faces are also in abundance in the first four episodes of season 2. The likes of Steve Buscemi, Billie Piper and Joanna Lumley are excellent additions to the cast, all with various quirks and charms that accentuate the outcast themology of the season. Hopefully in the second half of the season, there is more to be seen from them and the mysterious roles they play with the show's building story.

While Wednesday hasn't found it's next viral moment just yet, it's continues to be an easy watch that if you don't look too closely into it, is enjoyable. Hopefully it's conclusion can capitalise on it's strengths rather than using it's dark humour and visuals to mask the rushed narrative.

4 out of 4 episodes were available for review.

The first four episodes of Wednesday season two are available to stream now on Netflix. The final four episodes will air from September 3.