Wednesday enthusiasts didn’t have to hold out for Halloween to enjoy more thrilling and eerie antics from their beloved gothic teen sleuth. Indeed, the second installment of the Addams Family offshoot landed just weeks after the first, concluding the show’s initial venture into Netflix’s preferred staggered-release strategy. Following the frenzied and overloaded earlier episodes, this short hiatus only served to underscore the unevenness of this current season.

First off, the pressing issue: Is Wednesday Addams (Jenna Ortega) alive? Clearly, as the show couldn’t proceed without its star. Despite a severe beating from the monstrous Hyde, Tyler Galpin (Hunter Doohan), she swiftly recovers from her coma-induced cliffhanger to resume her detective work. However, this time she reluctantly accepts assistance from the returning Larissa Weems (the ever-charming Gwendoline Christie), Nevermore’s deceased ex-principal who now acts as Wednesday’s ghostly mentor. (And yes, before you question the familial requirement for spirit guides, they’re distantly related as thirteenth cousins twice removed.)

Weems explains that Wednesday’s telekinetic abilities are malfunctioning due to unresolved conflicts within the Addams family, a rift that conveniently reminds our heroine she can’t manage everything solo. She needs all the help she can muster as she not only seeks Tyler but also two other escapees from Willow Hill from the season’s first half: Tyler’s mother Francoise Galpin (Frances O’Connor), also a Hyde, and his uncle Isaac (Owen Painter), a scientist resurrected from the dead. Isaac, now fully regenerated, is known as Slurp, the brain-hungry zombie that Pugsley (Isaac Ordonez) has been harboring as a pet all season, and he was also a long-lost roommate of Addams patriarch Gomez (Luis Guzmán).

Additionally, there’s the ongoing issue with the greedy Principal Dort (Steve Buscemi), who is after the wealth of Morticia (Catherine Zeta-Jones) and her mother, Grandmama Hester Frump (Joanna Lumley). Dort’s schemes, which involve cults, clumsy scams, and manipulating Bianca Barclay (Joy Sunday) to use her siren abilities, prove to be a low point of the season and seem rather forced. (“I can’t believe Bianca was wrapped up in a whole crime saga and we had no clue!” one character remarks accurately.) It’s an unfortunate misuse of Buscemi’s talent, as he is adept at blending humor with menace.

Owen Painter’s performance as both Slurp and Isaac is a season highlight, delivering not only great physical humor underneath the zombie makeup but also a chilling portrayal as Isaac. With the look of a classic Tim Burton protagonist—Burton directs the season’s last two episodes—and reminiscent of Crispin Glover, Painter’s Isaac is a dark, modern-day visionary bent on resurrecting his family and avenging the Addams. His portrayal adds a much-needed eerie touch to a season otherwise lacking in genuine frights. While the storyline involving the Galpin family drags with the repetitive will-they-or-won’t-they-kill-each-other plot between Wednesday and Tyler, Painter’s standout performance lifts the overall quality.

The relationship between Wednesday and her upbeat roommate Enid Sinclair (Emma Myers) truly lights up this collection of episodes—and the series overall. While some dynamics feel out of sync—the historical romance between Morticia and Gomez is notably absent here, and both Ordonez and Guzmán don’t quite match up to their strong female leads—there’s an undeniable, authentic connection between Ortega and Myers as mismatched best friends.

Indeed, the season’s standout episode is the Freaky Friday-inspired “Woe Thyself,” where the polar-opposite pals switch bodies to great effect. It’s an entertaining episode—starting with a memorable performance by none other than Lady Gaga—that allows both Ortega and Myers to showcase their diverse talents. Myers, in particular, shines brightly in the latter half of the season as she grapples with both the realities and limitations of her werewolf abilities, while also forming an intriguing new friendship with Agnes DeMille (Evie Templeton), Wednesday’s former stalker and Enid’s current dance partner. The potential exploration of this new friendship in the next season is highly anticipated.

As for the upcoming third season, which this finale sets up neatly with Wednesday zooming off in Uncle Fester’s sidecar for another eerie adventure—Netflix should consider abandoning the split-season approach. It disrupts the flow and leads to unnecessary plot diversions. Creators Alfred Gough and Miles Millar should focus more on crafting a cohesive family narrative, not just for the Addams but also for the family Wednesday chooses. If executed well, Wednesday could continue to be a uniquely enjoyable series.

Wednesday season two, part two is now available for streaming on Netflix.