The status of one Wednesday cast member’s return in season 2 is not a good sign for another character’s potential redemption arc. Six months after the resolution of the SAG-AFTRA strike, filming for Wednesday season 2 has officially begun. On May 7, 2024, Netflix shared an update on production, including some major changes to the Wednesday cast for season 2. Along with the previously announced Steve Buscemi and Thandiwe Newton, Netflix unveiled the full roster of additional series regulars and guest stars for Wednesday season 2, including Christopher Lloyd, Heather Matarazzo, and more.

Along with all these cast additions were a few cast exits, as well. Percy Hynes White, who portrayed Nevermore student and Wednesday’s prospective love interest Xavier Thorpe, will not be returning for Wednesday season 2, nor will Naomi J Ogawa as vampire Yoko Tanaka. Another series regular from the cast of Wednesday will now be returning as a guest star in season 2, which could have negative implications for the further development of a significant character he’s linked to.

Wednesday season 2 does not have an official release date yet, but the series is expected to return sometime in 2025.

Jamie McShane’s Guest Star Role In Wednesday Season 2 Raises Questions About Tyler’s Return

McShane Plays Tyler’s Dad & Jericho County Sheriff Donovan Galpin On Wednesday

Netflix has announced that actor Jamie McShane will take on a guest star role in Wednesday season 2 instead of being a series regular. On Wednesday, McShane plays Donovan Galpin, the sheriff of Jericho County and father of Tyler Galpin (Hunter Doohan), Wednesday’s love-interest-turned-nemesis. The father-son duo already had a complicated relationship before the events of Wednesday season 1 because of the sheriff’s refusal to speak about Tyler’s late mother, who was not only an outcast but a Hyde, like her son.

In the season 1 finale of Wednesday, Sheriff Galpin’s suspicions that Tyler was the monster that had been terrorizing the town all season were confirmed after tracking his location to find him in Hyde mode fighting with a wolfed-out Enid in the woods. The sheriff then shot and incapacitated his son, who reverted to human mode. At the very end of Wednesday season 1, Tyler transformed back into his Hyde form while being restrained in the back of a prison van. This cliffhanger left many lingering questions about what Tyler’s return in Wednesday season 2 will look like.

The change in McShane’s status as a cast member raises new questions about how exactly Wednesday will handle Tyler’s arc in season 2 now that his father won’t be around as much.

Doohan is confirmed to be returning as a series regular, meaning Tyler will definitely have a prominent presence in Wednesday season 2. Considering how things were left off with his dad, it was expected that Sheriff Galpin would continue to play a significant role in Tyler’s story post-Hyde reveal. However, the change in McShane’s status as a cast member raises new questions about how exactly Wednesday will handle Tyler’s arc in season 2 now that his father won’t be around as much.

Sheriff Galpin’s Decreased Screen Time Doesn’t Bode Well For A Tyler Redemption Arc

Tyler’s Hypothetical Redemption Arc After His Hyde Reveal Seems Less Likely Now

Before Sheriff Galpin found Tyler in the woods, Wednesday discovered that Tyler’s Hyde was being controlled by Mrs. Thornhill (Christina Ricci), who turned out to be Laurel Gates, the lone survivor of the bigoted Gates family who faked her death years prior. Laurel was using Tyler as a pawn in her scheme to resurrect her evil ancestor, Joseph Crackstone, and continue his mission to eradicate outcasts. To do so, Laurel acted as Tyler’s Hyde master and manipulated him into unleashing his Hyde in order to kill outcasts and normie sacrifices.

Now that Laurel is seemingly dead, Tyler is free from her mind control and has a shot of at least trying to make up for all the damage he did in his alternate form.

Before it was revealed that he was the Hyde monster responsible for all the bloodshed, though, Tyler was a likeable and sympathetic character. Since Tyler was essentially brainwashed by Laurel to commit all those murders in Hyde mode, there’s still hope he might see the error of his ways and redeem himself in the future. Now that Laurel is seemingly dead, Tyler is free from her mind control and has a shot of at least trying to make up for all the damage he did in his alternate form.

Tyler’s redemption arc would be incomplete unless he and his father took the time to rebuild their relationship.

However, the fact that McShane won’t have much screen time in Wednesday season 2 suggests that Tyler may not be getting a redemption arc after all. In addition to paying his debt to society and making things right with Wednesday and the whole Nevermore crew, Tyler’s redemption arc would be incomplete unless he and his father took the time to rebuild their relationship. With McShane’s limited involvement as Sheriff Galpin in Wednesday season 2, it seems less likely that Tyler will be headed in a redemptive direction.

How Wednesday Can Continue Tyler’s Character Arc Without Sheriff Galpin

One Possible Explanation For Jamie McShane’s Reduced Role In Season 2 Could Redeem Tyler

Sheriff Galpin only appearing in limited episodes of Wednesday season 2 may set off alarm bells about the direction of Tyler’s arc, but one potential explanation for these new casting circumstances would actually bode well for the future of Tyler’s character (but not his father’s). McShane’s role may have been reduced to guest star if Sheriff Galpin dies at some point early on in Wednesday season 2. McShane himself wouldn’t be onscreen, but his character’s absence would haunt the narrative and have an effect on the living, especially Tyler.

Tyler losing his father would no doubt have a severe impact on him, especially if they never got the chance to make amends. The grief and guilt from his father’s sudden death could contribute to Tyler’s development in a substantial and satisfying way if it propels him to take the first step on his path to redemption in Wednesday season 2. Ultimately, McShane not returning as Sheriff Galpin in the same capacity in Wednesday season 2 won’t necessarily compromise Tyler’s redemption arc, as long as his absence is of some significance.