Filmed in Bușteni, Romania with award-winning actress, Jenna Ortega, Netflix’s ‘Wednesday’ has made its mark on the entertainment industry. After its release, it quickly grew to become the second most popular English-language series, with over 1.02B viewing hours. Along with its roaring success, ‘Wednesday’ has sparked international conversation and debate over issues including racism. 

‘Wednesday’ surpassed the viewing numbers of popular shows including ‘Stranger Things’ and ‘Squid Games’. After just three weeks of streaming, over 150 million households had viewed the young adult murder mystery. ‘Wednesday’ only needed 21 days to become a smash hit, but like many other popular shows, with great success also comes great controversy.

After the series aired on Netflix, it didn’t take long for ‘Wednesday’ to get accused of racism for its use of black actors to play bullies and villains. Specifically, people were upset that black characters Bianca Barclay and Lucas Wilson were portrayed in a negative light. It was noticeable that few white characters were made to be cruel or evil in the show. 

In a more positive light Jenna Ortega, who plays Wednesday, is of Mexican and Puerto Rican descent. Her outstanding performance and Latina representation were celebrated by many.

As ‘Wednesday’ continues to stream on Netflix, its impact on the world will continue to grow. From the startling jumpscares to the heartwarming friendships, this series is still growing in popularity and is sure to leave a positive influence on its viewers.