Wednesday Season 2 Parodies Disney’s Freaky Friday In Body Swap Episode
Warning: Spoilers ahead for Wednesday season 2!Wednesday season 2, part 2 features a major twist for the titular character and Enid, allowing the Netflix series to parody a Disney movie that was first released in 1976. Despite not being the creator, Tim Burton is still heavily involved in Wednesday season 2, serving as an executive producer and directing half of the episodes.
Wednesday Season 2, Episode 6 Parodies Freaky Friday
Wednesday and Enid during body swap episode
Wednesday season 2, episode 6 is not only a highlight of part 2, but it’s one of the best episodes of the Netflix series so far. “Woe Thyself” essentially serves as Wednesday‘s take on Freaky Friday by introducing a fun body-swapping scenario. Unlike the original book and Disney’s Freaky Friday movies, which feature a mother-daughter swap, Wednesday uses Jenna Ortega and Emma Myers’ characters.
The episode initially sees Wednesday visit the grave of Lady Gaga’s Rosaline Rotwood, a former teacher and powerful Raven who can help Wednesday get her powers back. Enid ends up interrupting Wednesday’s interaction with Rosaline, something the spirit told Wednesday not to do, or else there would be “a price to pay.” The consequences then cause Enid and Wednesday to swap bodies.
For the remainder of Wednesday‘s “Woe Thyself” episode, Wednesday and Enid attempt to hide their Freaky Friday-esque situation while trying to switch back. If they couldn’t return to their bodies by dawn, they would have both been killed. The episode is especially timely considering Freakier Friday, a sequel to the 2003 movie, debuted just last month.
Wednesday’s Freaky Friday Parody Gave Us One Of Jenna Ortega & Emma Myers’ All-Time Best Performances
Aside from the compelling twist and high stakes stemming from the body swap, Wednesday‘s Freaky Friday parody idea allowed Jenna Ortega and Emma Myers to give standout performances. The beginning of “Woe Thyself” shockingly begins with Ortega’s character bopping to BLACKPINK’s “BOOMBAYAH,” while putting on brightly-colored makeup.
The sequence gets even wilder as Wednesday cheerfully dances around Nevermore’s quad while greeting and complimenting classmates, revealing that something is seriously off about the character. It’s soon revealed that Enid is in Wednesday’s body at that point, but Ortega does a great job at emulating her on-screen best friend’s demeanor and characteristics.
Emma Myers also nails Wednesday’s mannerisms, transforming into the super-serious deadpan character while trapped in Enid’s body. Despite appearing as Enid, Wednesday doesn’t let that stop her from being her typical self. In addition to breaking up with Bruno for betraying Enid, Wednesday (as Enid) leads Agnes’ rescue mission at Willow Hill.
While some of the body swap details are hilarious, like the case with Enid (as Wednesday) attending an Addams family dinner, it takes a more serious turn at Willow Hill. Wednesday is still trapped in Enid’s body as her emotions cause her to “wolf out,” but she uses the transformation to save Enid and Agnes from Tyler.
Then, Wednesday and Enid share their appreciation for one another after coming clean about what has been going on in their respective lives. The lesson breaks the spell, allowing them to reverse the body swap and return to normal, or whatever is “normal” for them. Even though they survive, Wednesday season 3 will challenge the pair again now that Enid is an Alpha.
What Jenna Ortega & Emma Myers Have Said About Wednesday’s Body Swap Episode
Wednesday and Enid in season 2
Seeing as Wednesday season 2’s body swap episode is such a unique concept for the show, it’s no surprise that Jenna Ortega and Emma Myers have commented on the twist. In a shared interview (via Netflix’s Tudum), Myers revealed that she was “so scared” to body swap into Wednesday. Here’s what she had to add when speaking to Ortega:
“I had clips of you pulled up when we were filming. I enjoyed it because I didn’t have to use that much energy — it was actually a nice break. It’s totally different. Because when I’m playing Enid, I have to remind myself to keep moving. I can’t just sit still, I have to be doing something.”
Ortega felt very similar, revealing that it was “terrifying” for her while praising Myers for her portrayal as Enid being “so bubbly.” Ortega also noted that playing Enid “requires a lot of physicality,” which is a reversal of Wednesday’s stillness; something that Myers found hard to get used to. Here’s what else Ortega had to say:
“I thought it was really beneficial for these two characters, especially since they’re not that close at the beginning of the season. Enid’s going through a huge shift in her life, and Wednesday has been knocked off her feet a bit. It was nice to be able to have an episode dedicated to the relationship between these two girls. I think it’s one of the strongest points of our show.”
In another interview (via Deadline), Myers revealed that she and Ortega only found out about the body swap plan a month before the episode was filmed as part of Wednesday season 2. The timeline didn’t allow for a lot of time to prepare, so they relied a lot on each other despite being “uncomfortable” about portraying each other’s characters in front of each other.
In the end, the episode becomes a turning point for Wednesday and Enid’s relationship, proving why their friendship is the heart of the show. If it weren’t for Myers and Ortega’s ability to pull off the challenge, their shared story wouldn’t have reached the same emotional levels leading into Wednesday season 2’s ending and Enid’s Alpha transformation.
Emma Myers Is No Stranger To Body Swap Storylines
Emma Myers, Brady Noon, Jennifer Garner, and Ed Helms in Family Switch
Though Emma Myers didn’t have a lot of time to prepare to take on the role of Wednesday, the actress has experience with body swap stories. Following her Wednesday debut in 2022, Myers went on to star in the Netflix comedy Family Switch, which follows a similar concept to Freaky Friday, but with an entire family.
In Family Switch, Myers plays CC Walker, who switches bodies with her mom, played by Jennifer Garner, while the dad (Ed Helms) switches with CC’s brother (Brady Noon) and the baby brother with the family’s dog. Like the case with Wednesday and Enid, the entire family needed to learn key lessons to break the spell and switch back into their own bodies.
Based on Wednesday season 3’s story direction, it doesn’t seem like there will be any more body swap situations, at least for Ortega and Myers. Perhaps Lady Gaga could have another Wednesday cameo to body swap another set of characters in a future season, which would become an exciting running gag for the show.
0 Comments