Previously on Wonka’s The Golden Ticket… so I guess Netflix has the rights to the Chocolate Factory now? Netflix gave out golden tickets for twelve people to enter the factory with someone that is close to them. The estate of Gene Wilder allowed for AI to replicate his voice, taking that job from some actor. I still don’t see the point of the AI if they’re going to hire celebrity hosts like Howie Mandel anyway. Anyway, as the show whittles down to seven contestants, the factory lounge divides itself into singles and the couples. And for the last two episodes, Willy Wonka’s Half Office comes back, threatening to tear some couples apart. The final seven becomes the final two, and the Wonkavision comes back, taking them to a lifetime of money.

The Chocolate Factory is in the pop culture zeitgeist thanks to Roald Dahl, so sure, they approved this. The previous paragraph also denotes Gene Wilder’s estate’s consent for the show to replicate his voice via AI. That doesn’t stop, though, from making me and other critics think of the AI use as ghoulish. Gene Wilder never gets to say names like Ziad and I’m mad that that privilege goes to wasted water. Still, my emotions about the show are a more nuanced rollercoaster because the Bill versus Hunter showdown was HILARIOUS.  The show has some compelling personalities, and I know that tropes are necessary in reality or any genre. But a lot of Wonka’s The Golden Ticket is just the final seven talking about alliances which is boring imo.

Peter Ostrum, the movie’s Charlie, makes a cameo in a cutaway, but again, Golden Ticket has compelling personalities. I’m not mean enough of a critic to not give in any credit – it’s at least half watchable. Another aspect that this subverts is who it gives its cutaways and who gets to reveal their backstories. A flashback of Bryce and Taylor appear during the first episode, making me think that they’re going home. Strangely enough, they stick around to make it to the final seven, the episodes revealing some personality differences. Meanwhile, the show doesn’t reveal the backstories of other contestants like Gabrielle, who is still likeable regardless. I’m also trying to figure out who I’ll see on Perfect match, and I feel that’s a Ziad gig.

Another takeaway for Wonka’s The Golden Ticket is that I’m equally ambivalent about this show’s game play and design. Sure, a lot of the games have deeper references from a great film that I barely remember. It’s also a relief that these contestants, even the Gen-Z ones, understand the references better than I do. It also makes sense as, maybe spoiler alert, Taylor said, that the final game, or part of it anyway, references their first game. However, I’m not a fan of the maze in the final episode because within the maze are just references to previous challenges. I get that this entire show is nostalgia slop, but it’s sad to see that some of the producers ran out of ideas.

Netflix is the only place to stream Wonka’s The Golden Ticket. Also, don’t post hateful stuff about Kayla, you Reddit weirdos.