Editor’s note: The below contains spoilers for Wednesday Season 2 Part 1.
After a three-year hiatus,Wednesdayhas finally returned with a second season, but this time, boasting an even more star-studded cast. Nevermore Academy is brimming with new faces that the apathetic titular character (Jenna Ortega) is forced to deal with, one of whom comes as an irritating yet pleasant surprise to her.Isadora Capri is the new head of musicat the dark and dreary school for Outcasts, and while you may not initially recognize her under the shock of ginger hair, she is played byBillie Piper. Yet the iconicDoctor Whostar makes an understated and promising entrance that is followed by an immediate letdown asthe show only scratches the surface of what Isadora could contribute to the season. While this is only the first of two parts, the Netflix series definitely could have done more with Piper’s character.
‘Doctor Who’s Billie Piper Is Added to ‘Wednesday’s Cast
We’re used toPiper’s Rose Tyler, one of the most iconic companions in theDoctor Whouniverse, but now she switches out her blonde hair for ginger curls and her wide smile for a reserved, yet warm expression. We first see Miss Capri when she walks in on Wednesday’s solo cello practice session in the music room.Miss Capri was a child prodigy in music before turning to teaching, and she immediately showed interest in Wednesday’s talents, much to the latter’s dismay.
The connection of music between them already sets up an interesting dynamic, since much of Wednesday’s hidden emotions are represented through her instrument, indicating that Miss Capri will play a big role in Wednesday’s emotional narrative this season. But what’s really striking about her is that she doesn’t miss a beat when it comes to verbal warfare.She matches Wednesday’s sharp tongue, though it is tempered by warmth, unlike Wednesday’s ennui, falling into a rhythm that makes her character more enigmatic and alluring.
Of course, Miss Capri isn’t only a child prodigy, but also an Outcast, specifically a werewolf. She has the briefest interaction withthe show’s staple werewolf, Enid (Emma Myers), where she helps the younger girl get out of an awkward interaction with her ex. It may seem inconsequential, but the scene plantsthe possible idea of Miss Capri becoming a mentor figure to the still-budding werewolf. At this point, Miss Capri’s initial encounters with the main characters are short but full of potential.
Capri’s Role in ‘Wednesday’ Season 2, Part 1 Is Underwhelming
Despite the buzz around Piper’s involvement in the show,Miss Capri only ends up making six genuine appearances in this half-season. First, meeting Wednesday in the music room; second, asking Wednesday to join the orchestra; third, meeting Enid before the camp; fourth,her duet with Morticia Addams (Catherine Zeta-Jones)of “Bad Moon Rising;” fifth, Wednesday accepting her offer to join the orchestra; and sixth, her haunting piano cover of “Zombie.” Half of these scenes are less than a minute long, and the other half just offers background music to the rest of the action — it’s underwhelming at the very least.
Aside from when Piper flexes her musical muscles, Miss Capri’s most substantial scene is her introductory one. It’s one that sets up a promise that the rest of the half-season fails to deliver. Instead,Miss Capri is simply used as a plot device to help with Wednesday’s investigation or as a soundtrack. While we can hope she plays a bigger role in the next part, especially since Wednesday agreed to join the orchestra, Capri’s role in this part didn’t havethe memorable flourish we expectedwhen we first saw her.
‘Wednesday’ Season 2 Part 2 Needs to Give Billie Piper a Bigger Role
The thought of Capri’s role and characterization in the season being bigger in the second part rather than the first isn’t necessarily egregious, but it may be a challenge. It was alsoannounced thatLady Gagawould make a guest appearanceinWednesdaySeason 2, and since she didn’t appear in Part 1, obviously, she will be in Part 2. As such,Lady Gaga’s role may overshadow the excitement around Piper’s involvement in the show, so it would have been easier to make her mark in the first half of the season. Now that the opportunity to do so has been missed, we can only hope that Piper’s Miss Capri will be able to make her own memorable impact next to the pop icon.
That being said, theSeason 2, Part 1 finalemay bode well for Miss Capri’s character. At the end of the chaotic conflict at the Willow Hill sanatorium, Wednesday is viciously thrown out of a window by an escaped Tyler (Hunter Doohan). Thankfully, she isn’t dead, and the teaser for Part 2 reveals she is in a coma that she will wake up from, buther temporary comatose state allows other characters to get greater screen time. So, even though Miss Capri did not fulfill the expectations her introduction set up during this half-season, we can only hope she gets the payoff that this enigmatic music teacher deserves.
