How Wednesday’s Viral Dance Led to Season 2

After becoming an internet phenomenon and one of Netflix’’s most popular series with 1.237 billion hours viewed in its first 28 days, Wednesday is officially returning for a second season! In a video released by Netflix, the internet’s favorite goth and titular heroine recounts the events of the past few weeks since the series’ premiere saying “I’ve been hunted, haunted, and mimicked millions of times across the internet. It’s been pure torture. Thank you.”

The video then goes on to play the version of Lady Gaga’s “Bloody Mary” used by fans on TikTok to recreate Wednesday’s iconic Nevermore Academy dance that was choreographed by Jenna Ortega herself, further acknowledging the role that viral trends have played in the series’ popularity. According to a press release from Netflix, #WednesdayAddams has amassed over 22 billion views on TikTok since Wednesday premiered, with Lady Gaga herself even partaking in the trend. According to Netflix, the song used in the original dance scene from the series, “Goo Goo Muck” by the Cramps, has seen a 9.5k% increase in streams on Spotify since Wednesday premiered, and “Bloody Mary” has similarly seen a 1,800% increase in streams. 

But it’s not just Jenna Ortega’s mesmerizing dance moves that have contributed to the series’ viral success. From tutorials on Wednesday’s gothic look to recreating Thing’s presence with DIY visual effects, Wednesday Addams makeup tutorials have also been popular on TikTok with over 100 million views by fans of the series.

In an interview with Netflix’s Tudum, series creators and showrunners Alfred Gough and Miles Millar spoke on the series’ renewal and viral success saying “It’s been incredible to create a show that has connected with people across the world. Thrilled to continue Wednesday’s tortuous journey into season two. We can’t wait to dive head first into another season and explore the kooky spooky world of Nevermore. Just need to make sure Wednesday hasn’t emptied the pool first.”

Considering how brief and fleeting internet trends can be, it’s a testament to the lasting power of the series that fans continue to use these methods to share their love for Wednesday. Not only are they able to share what this show and character mean to them via these short videos, but they can also connect with others who, like Wednesday, see themselves as weirdos or outcasts. 

Officially, Wednesday is “a sleuthing, supernaturally infused mystery charting Wednesday Addams’ years as a student at Nevermore Academy, where she attempts to master her emerging psychic ability, thwart a monstrous killing spree that has terrorized the local town, and solve the murder mystery that embroiled her parents 25 years ago — all while navigating her new and very tangled relationships at Nevermore.” But as the fan response has proven, the series is more than just another teen mystery drama.

While season 1’s mystery was mostly solved by the end of the season, there are definitely still plenty of loose ends for the series to explore both at Nevermore and in Wednesday’s personal life. It will be interesting to see where season 2 takes Wednesday, the Addams family, and the students of Nevermore Academy and how soon we’ll get to see the story continue, but until then we all have plenty of time to perfect our dance moves.