Wednesdayhas continued afrustratingly popular trend in TVby splitting up its latest season, with Part 2 not releasing until September 3rd. So, fans are eagerly waiting to find out Wednesday (Jenna Ortega) and Enid’s (Emma Myers) fate as well asitching to return to Nevermore Academy. The show has a huge number of aspects that make it so bingeable, from the quick wit of the character dialogue to the investigations that thread throughout the whole season.
However, if that detective aspect of Wednesday’s character is what draws you to the show, thereare plenty of amateur sleuth showsand mysteries to keep you entered whilst you wait for the new season. From undercover cops to demon hunters,here are the shows to keep you occupied until the gates of Nevermore open back up.
10’Cracow Monsters' (2022–)
Cracow Monstersis a Polish horror series that sees a group of students investigating supernatural demons that threaten to bring about the destruction of the city. At first, protagonist Alex (Barbara Liberek) is skeptical when she is brought into the group, despite having visions of demons plaguing her. In this way,she shares a lot of traits with Wednesday, albeit in a more mature setting—she is blunt and honest, but never in a malicious way. Instead, her skepticism is a result of her self-preservation and past trauma.
When Alex finally settles into the group, the eclectic mix of personalities is similar to the clashing characters at Nevermore Academy.The way the group relies on incantations and demonology is reflective of the dynamic seen in the Nightshade society, and has that same sense of secrecy and intrigue. It is the perfect show for those craving something with slightly more adult themes thanWednesdaythat doesn’t lose the creature design and folklore elements of the story.
9’The Society' (2019)
WhilstThe Societyis not explicitly supernatural, it has the same sense of intrigue in its mystery asWednesday. The show follows a group of high school students who get redirected back home on the way to a field trip due to a storm,only to find when they return that everyone else has vanished. After a few nights of parties and general debauchery, the teens realizethey need torebuild the community with their own regulations. What ensues is ethical debates about the importance of democracy and leadership.
It lends itself to the same teenage dynamics asWednesday, with parallels in the way the characters experience the loss of childhood and individualization. Similarly,despite not featuring any supernatural characters, the concept of social hierarchy is still present, and the school dynamic is still present due to the age of the characters. However, what is most intriguing aboutThe Societyis the mystery of why the teens disappeared.
8’Riverdale' (2017–2023)
AlthoughRiverdaleis now notorious for the absurdity of its plotlines, the first few seasons are genuinely alluring mysteries that complement the exploration of the darker side of high school. Loosely based on theArchie Comics, the first season followsthe aftermath of the death of Jason Blossom (Trevor Stines) and the truth behind his demise. However, it becomes so much more than that with the complex web of connections developed throughout the series.
As the show progresses, it begins to lean even more into the supernatural, which fans ofWednesdaywill love sinking their death into, from demons to witchcraft and even the existence of parallel universes.Much likeWednesday,Riverdaleisn’t restrained in reality and can be creative in its reveals and conclusions, making it the perfect binge for fans of the Netflix show.
7’Grimm' (2011–2017)
Although stylistically very different fromWednesday,Grimmshould definitely be on any fans' watch list. The show follows detective Nick Burkhardt (David Giuntoli), who learns he is a Grimmand is thus thrust intoa world of mythological homicides to restore the balancebetween humanity and the fantastical. At its core,Grimmis one of the best monster-of-the-week shows of the 2010s, with each episode seeing Nick face a different creature inspired by a lesser-known fairytales from the Brothers Grimm.
Wednesdaytakes well-known fantasy creatures, such as sirens, vampires and werewolves, and reimagines them as students at a school for outcasts.Grimmis similar in concept, but reimagines these creatures in the universe of a procedural drama.Both shows bare similarities in the way they blend the familial tropes and structures with fictional characters. Each episode ofGrimmalso serves as a self-contained story, with longer serial mysteries peppered throughout.
6’A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder' (2024–)
Wednesdayfans will immediately recognize the lead ofA Good Girl’s Guide to Murder, as Emma Myers plays the lovable werewolf Enid. This means there is obvious common ground between the two, but it isnot just shared cast members that make this murder mystery show ideal for fansof the supernatural drama.A Good Girl’s Guide to Murderalso features a lot of the amateur sleuth themes, likeWednesday, as the lead, Pip, is on a mission to prove a local murder case is being insufficiently investigated.
Much like Wednesday, Pip is forward-thinking and resourceful, crafting a unique detective for the audience to follow and root for. Although the mystery takes a while to get going,the short six-episode run means it is a bite-sized puzzle forWednesdayfans to solvealongside the protagonist. Considering how much Wednesday loves a riddle, and the fact she is writing her own teen detective story, she definitelywould’ve enjoyedA Good Girl’s Guide to Murder, and fans of the show will likely enjoy it too.
5’Yellowjackets' (2021–)
Female friendships take center stage inWednesday, not only Enid and Wednesday, but Bianca (Joy Sunday) and even Agnes (Evie Templeton). This aspect is also the key component ofYellowjackets, which seesa soccer team stranded in the wilderness when their plane unexpectedly crashes. Although the show flickers between the past, exploring what happened in the woods and the present, where the survivors are adults, both elements of the story share similarities withWednesday. Perhaps the most notable in the present-day timeline is the inclusion ofChristina Ricci, who plays Misty inYellowjackets. Ricci, who plays twist antagonist Thornhill/Laurel Gates inWednesday, hasthat same eccentricity that is just off-kilter, which feels incredibly unnerving.
The past timeline in the woods and its focus on female dynamics and survival, is a much more mature iteration ofWednesday.The intrigue of what happened in the woods drives theYellowjacketsnarrative, but it doesn’t lose track of those intimate moments of true platonic and romantic love, which also serve as the beating heart ofWednesday.
4’Dark' (2017–2020)
If fans ofWednesdaywanta truly mind-bending mystery to bingebefore the second half of Season 2,Darkis the perfect candidate. The show follows the bizarre disappearance of children in the sleepy town of Winden, with an early reveal showing a cave on the outskirts of the town is a time portal.In the same wayWednesdaytreats the existence of supernatural creatures as the norm,Darkdoesn’t obsess over the absurdity of time travel.This allows the show to dig deeper into the concept than other shows, exploring the ethical repercussions as well as the scientific explanation.
Darkhas the same gloomy, macabre hue asWednesday, with clear similarities between Jericho and Winden. However, if the mystery ofWednesdayleft you itching for something even more mind-bending, thenDarkelevates the jeopardy and complexity tenfold. Even on rewatch, the show is packed full of tiny details that mean total clarity of the situation is near impossible, but that attention to detail is what makesDarksuch an impressive show.
3’The End of the F***ing World' (2017–2019)
The core ofWednesdayis the protagonist’s dark sense of humor, often joking about death and torture in a quick-witted, light tone. If you take that tone and allow it to permeate a whole show, then you haveThe End of the F***ing World. The show follows James (Alex Lawther), whobelieves he is a psychopath and wants to harm a human, and the girl he chooses, Alyssa (Jessica Barden). What ensues is an insane road trip as two misfits attempt to escape reality.
The deadpan humor doesn’t detract from the extremely dark and serious avenuesthe show ventures into. Instead, it just makes the two leads extremely quirky and memorable, in the same way as Wednesday Addams. The bleak, dark comedy takes the pockets of humor inWednesdayand stretches it to its absolute extremity. It is a masterclass in subverting expectations and a must-watch for anyone.
2’Ludwig' (2024–)
If there is one thing Wednesday Addams loves, it is a puzzle. The opening of Season 2 proved this as Agnes sets for her a miniatureSawtrap for her to sink her teeth into, including a note telling her to “play dead” which actually referred to Nevermore Academy’s organ. If watching Wednesday’s brain unpick these clues is your favorite aspect of the supernatural series,Ludwigshould easily be your next binge whilst you wait for Season 2 to conclude.
Ludwigfollows John (David Mitchell), who moonlights as his twin brother James, who works as a police officer, after the latter’s disappearance. However, John’s career as a crossword writer bleeds into his new profession, and he can’t help but begin to solve the cases in front of him. Much like Wednesday, socialization is not John’s strong point, and he often comes across as blunt and awkward.However, there is no denying his flair for puzzle solving, as he maps out intricate criminal cases relating them to common conundrums such as locked-room mysteries and syllogisms.Ludwigvalues logic and order, and nothing is magically revealed, which means the final confession always feels earned, something Wednesday Addams would certainly approve of.
1’American Vandal' (2017–2018)
Wednesdayblends amateur sleuthing with the dynamics of high school, a combination mirrored in the comedy mockumentary seriesAmerican Vandal. The latter is anunapologetic dissection ofthe rise in popularity of true crime, and takes a stab at the way these horrific cases are dramatized. Although the concept of the show is wildly different to the teen drama ofWednesday, there is something intrinsically similar that fans of the latter will gain something fromAmerican Vandal.
The show is framed as a documentary, where students Peter (Tyler Alvarez) and Sam (Griffin Gluck) use interviews, CCTV footage, and digital recreations to prove the culprits of misdemeanor are innocent.American Vandalplays the absurdity of its concept completely straight, which is what makes it so accidentally hilarious, with the tone feeling similar to the way Wednesday speaks to others. However, the show is much more than a light-hearted comedy and serves to criticize the glamorization of true crime and the way we consume it as a society.
