India, Aug. 7 -- After nearly three years, Netflix's Wednesday returns with the first half of its second season-four episodes that bring Jenna Ortega's gothic heroine back to Nevermore Academy. Created by Alfred Gough and Miles Millar and directed in parts by Tim Burton, the series once again blends teenage angst with supernatural mystery, this time expanding its world with more Addams family members, more mythology, and more murder.

But while the style and tone remain alluring, Season 2, Part 1 struggles to find narrative clarity. With the second half of the season-another four episodes-set to drop next month, this batch feels like buildup without payoff.

Following a blood-soaked summer of mastering her psychic abilities and playing ca...