‘Wednesday’ Dethrones Netflix’s ‘Big Little Lies’ Replacement on Streaming Charts

In the most unsurprising streaming news of the week, the long-awaited return of Wednesday has seen the series top the Netflix streaming charts in the U.S. Starring Jenna Ortega as the titular psychic troublemaker, Wednesday Season 2 picks up following the chaotic mystery that surrounded Nevermore Academy in the first season, eventually solved by Wednesday but not without its terrifying consequences. No, not any meaningful fatalities, but fame, with Wednesday returning to school and being faced with her most despised foe: popularity.

With an 82% rating from critics and an 85% score from audiences on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, Wednesday Season 2 has so far earned much more success than its first outing, bettering its critical score by 9% at the time of writing. Now the expected chart-topper on Netflix both in the U.S. and worldwide, the series is the most-watched title across both movies and TV, outperforming series such as The Hunting Wives and Eric Bana‘s Untamed, as well as movies like My Oxford Yearstarring Sofia Carson, and Adam Sandler‘s legacy sequel Happy Gilmore 2.

Plenty of critics were full of praise for the new Wednesday outing, including Collider’s Therese Lacson, who awarded Season 2, Part 1 a strong 7/10 in her review, saying, “It may only be August, but Wednesday‘s newest offering of episodes is giving spooky season vibes — we’re just sad there are only four episodes to binge.” However, it wasn’t all positive, with Lacson also saying, “Wednesday‘s two-part season break ultimately weakens the story, cutting things off at the knees just as the plot is ramping up into a good place. Although this means that Part 2 will almost certainly be a wild ride, it means that Part 1 resembles more of an appetizer rather than a full meal.”

A ‘Doctor Who’ Alum Has Joined ‘Wednesday’ Season 2

With Emma Myers and Catherine Zeta-Jones returning for Season 2 alongside Ortega, the sophomore outing also boasts a selection of exciting new faces in the cast. Among them is Billie Piper, who has joined the cast as music teacher Isadora Capri, filling the gap left by the departing Marilyn Thornhill (Christina Ricci). Known best for her work in Doctor Who, Piper’s arrival comes off the back of her shocking reveal as the possible next incarnation of the titular Time Lord following the sudden departure of Ncuti Gatwa.

Wednesday Season 2, Part 1, is available on Netflix now.