EDIT: I started the review of this episode in a completely wrong headspace. I thought I knew everything there was to know about the story and where it was going and I was proven wrong. And never have I loved being disproven.
This is totally my own personal opinion, but the show is fantastic and remains engaging throughout... But where maybe others saw a quirky, well-structured show, I saw the next step in artistic filmmaking arriving to TV. When a renowned, visually-distinct movie director will grab the helms of a franchise that begged to be rebooted and provides the same amount of quirkiness he applies in his movies to TV. With its macabre visuals and characters backdropped in our current world, it was a collision of circumstances that gave birth to this fantastic piece of media.
When I thought the visual and stylistic flair of the show had began to slowly wear down; it was instead replaced by great narrative and character writing. And I was wrong to judge the show too harshly on its stylistic and filmmaking merits given its progenitor had step down from direction. The rest of the music and visuals are impeccable. But I yet can't help but have this sensation of being trapped between the slowly deflation of the flair the show had in the first episodes and feeling excited about the resolution of what the story had been building up to.
Uncle Fester shows up, and I can't help the feeling that Fred Armisen is trying too hard. I thought the same of Chris Lloyd at first but I have seen him do wacky roles before and his mannerisms and gestures sold me his erratic, oddly behavior. But Uncle Fester here doesn't strike me as odd, just as someone who is acting odd. But by the end of the episode he was fine. It wasn't subtle the fact that he was there merely to help Wednesday out and to provide some needed information, not really to be introduced as a new character. Granted the show at this state was in the middle of the build up to the mystery's climax, but I would have loved to know/see more of him.
The mystery continues to unravel and while I like well constructed mysteries, I really didn't follow this show for it. Or better, I followed the show for it because of how the show was being presented as: a Tim Burtonesque, oddly-filmed, artsy, visually-over-the-top Addamesque look at how Wednesday perceives the world. It was one of those instances where the "content" is not the main event but the "container" is the piece de resistance. Because "show-wise", the story being told here isn't as groundbreaking as the unique voice of the visuals. They are magnificently told, but they aren't anything we haven't seen before; but it was the execution, the how it was approached that was groundbreaking. I just felt at some point we forgot about the cynicism, dark humor and charming awkwardness of it all. For a straight forward but great murder-mystery.
So it saddens me (just a little bit) to be watching the conclusion of this first season as a fan of the mystery and the characters but not really because the direction or visuals are strikingly different from what we have seen before. Like, it's been a while since there as a scene with such "high" and visually striking as Wednesday cello scene in episode 3, where there's so much happening that elevates that moment: the music change, the build-up to that scene, the reactions of the adults, the outcome of the mayhem created by Wednesday,... But as always, I'll keep an open mind and wait to see how things develop.
The fight and banter between Wednesday and Enid is good... just not as sharp. I don't know what happened to the writing and characterisation in this episode but Wednesday just comes across as mean, and I know that's how it's supposed to be. She has difficulties showing her emotions, and I didn't expect her to open up right away the minute her friendship was flaking; but, again this could be entirely subjective, but she doesn't have the wit about her that she had in the previous episodes, it's hard to describe. She had this sense of unpredictability that made me stay on edge when it came to the way she reacts to things and people. But now it has become predictable and a bit tired. I still love these characters, and will follow their adventures, but there's something about their writing that isn't quite there. And it isn't as bad with Enid or any of the other characters, but between the sudden appearance of Uncle Fester, the missing Addams parents and the weak writing for Wednesday I'm starting to feel a bit down.
For the Uncle Fester issue, I would have just had him referred to in an old photo or appeared in a flashback to give us a grasp of who this character is to the family rather than spring him (literally) out of the blue. I know who he is, but it just felt like we had only been introduced to this show's version of the Addams and he was never part of it until now (considering they aren't the same actors). Also, I completely forgot I saw him in the trailer.. I really thought he was more a part of the show, but I wouldn't mind that he appears briefly, the show hopefully will last more seasons and we had plenty of characters to fill the runtime, more would have been too bloated.
The reveal of who was the monster and the build up to it, all the stones unturned, they were fine. I mean, they were fine. You can predict some things but the twists sort of worked themselves out. I think I have a bigger issue with the romance. I think if this show's main target is teenagers, the romance is good enough. A bit cheese for me and cringy at times, but I like the characterisations of both characters, it's just that it feels rushed for no reason. Like Tyler comes accross as too "pushy", I feel like knowing how Wednesday is with those "touchy-feely" uncomfortable situations, it would have taken more time for her to let him "closer". And perhaps through other "forced scenarios" like, they were trapped in the fright lift instead of Enid or some other place where they'd have to come in close contact, unable to escape because of the danger that awaits; I feel it would sort of break that barrier a little bit. I know it also sounds cliche, but it comes less rushed than having him set up a date, confess his feelings AND try to kiss her all in a row.
EDIT: And here comes the edit, in this part I bash over how I don't like that the show didn't "prepare" us for the build up to this romance and instead of trusting the writers I did what I always do lately and assume they had screwed up. New information in the previous episode make me rethink a lot of the truths I thought I knew about the show and that includes this one. But it'd be kind of spoilery so I won't say a thing. To be fair though, I still think Wednesday let herself be "romanced" a bit too fast considering the kind of person she is. But I can understand it given she is a teenager underneath all her precociousness.
Eitherway, I may have criticised a lot the show here but I must say I still love it. I found flaws in Stranger Things yet I still consider it one of my favorite shows. Just the visuals, characters, aesthetic, story and subplots and world is fascinating to me and I will follow this show, see where it leads to. But even if it wavers a bit in the style of unique filmmaking established at the beginning by the master, Tim Burton, I commend the rest of the crew involved in the project for keeping up with it as best they can. I think part of the problem for me personally was that the show started strong, with strong direction and presentation of the story; and as the story grew and took more of the focus of the show, all the characters' development and interactions were focused on the main plot. Which isn't bad, is just that now all the attention is going to one of the storythreads that Wednesday was going on for herself. I know the town has been affected by the main plot's development, but what happened to class? What happened to the other kids' problems? It reminds me of the Harry Potter series of books, up until the 4th book (before the return of Voldemort) the books were focused on the school, kids, teachers, history and world-building. Once he came back, all character, world-building, story-threads, decisions development went towards him and the plot he started. And don't get me wrong, this is how it should be. The return of a very important and status quo altering being or story development isn't just ignored until it becomes relevant, but it simply changes the DNA of what the story began as. Now there are "two Harry Potters'" I enjoy: the whimsical one-off adventures; and the "bad guy is about to conquer the world, we gotta stop him" adventure.
All in all, great 7th episode, let's see how it concludes!
