Wednesday’s Season 2 Must Redeem Sheriff Galpin

With its dark humor, sarcasm and emotion, Netflix Wednesday It successfully tapped into the cultural Zeitgeist of the Addams Family characters. The series became one of the streamer’s biggest hits of all time, thanks to Jenna Ortega’s perfect portrayal of the eponymous protagonist. Wednesday Addams’ deadpan, moody character is juxtaposed against an incredible cast, including her bubbly werewolf roommate from Nevermore, Enid Sinclair, and diligent shapeshifter director Larissa Weems, among others.

A common juvenile plot trope used in WednesdayThe narrative is that the show’s eclectic cast of young adults (mostly Wednesday herself) don’t always see eye to eye with the older characters. The sheriff of Jericho City, Donovan Galpin, clashes with Wednesday to the point that he is not afraid of being seen as his adversary. Principal Weems offers protection and genuine encouragement, but is vigilant because Wednesday is an outcast in a school of outcasts. Although Weems is gone, Sheriff Galpin will return as a guest. This reappearance should redeem his arc and give him emotional closure without feeling like he’s dead weight in the ensemble.

Wednesday enters the spirit of Nevermore

Wednesday’s parents, Gomez and Morticia Addams, send her to her alma mater, Nevermore Academy, for outcasts, freaks, and freaks, after she is expelled from an eighth normal school for disproportionate retaliation. At the beginning of the show, she gets revenge on her brother, Pugsley’s bullies, by throwing two bags of piranhas into her practice pool. Unremorseful and expelled from Nancy Reagan High School, Wednesday he is accepted midterm at Nevermore.

By the end of her first week’s escape attempts, Wednesday is convinced that Nevermore is the right place for her. Through the local sheriff she learns that her father must be behind bars for murder. She learns of a dark prophecy that says she will destroy Nevermore and decides to dive deep into the monstrous killing spree. Wednesday is lately dealing with her inherited psychic visions and finds herself among her peers (Eugene Ottinger, Ajax Petropolus, Xavier Thorpe, Enid Sinclair) who understand her better, if not completely.

How does Sheriff Donovan Galpin influence Wednesday’s story?

Jamie McShane as Sheriff Donovan Galpin in Wednesday Season 1

Jericho’s sheriff, Donovan Galpin, is also the widowed father of “normal” barista, Tyler (Hunter Doohan), with whom he has a flawed relationship. Tyler wants to talk about his late mother, Francoise, but the Sheriff keeps putting off this crucial conversation. Wednesday meets Tyler at his workplace, namely the local Weathervane cafe, where he defeats three local thugs working at the Pilgrim World amusement park. Sheriff Galpin enters the store and discovers from Weems that Wednesday he is an Addams. He is quick to blame her for the bullying scenario that unfolded in Weathervane:

Guess that the apple does not fall far from the tree.

Sheriff Galpin continues to look at Nevermore and Wednesday with suspicious eyes. He literally points his finger at her and says:

I’m going to keep an eye on you.

Wednesday and Tyler have a romance, which Sheriff Galpin does not appreciate due to his biased view of the young student. He harbors a deep-seated hatred towards Nevermore, particularly Wednesday. But worst of all, he keeps dismissing Tyler, who desperately wants to have a conversation about his dead mother. Being an absent father is the reason Tyler is easy meat for Marilyn Thornhill (Laurel Gates). Laurel’s unlocking of Tyler’s Hyde form was made possible by Sheriff Galpin’s absence and negligence. He did not supervise her son or provide her with the emotional support required in his dynamic. Marilyn manipulated Tyler and gained her trust because Sheriff Galpin postponed that awkward conversation about Francoise. She targeted Tyler by taking advantage of the knowledge that his dead mother was a Hyde.

Sheriff Galpin’s role in Wednesday Season 2

Sheriff Galpin should apologize Wednesday Season 2. As Tyler’s only father, he is directly responsible for his grief. Knowing Tyler’s Hyde identity all too well, he lost sight of the bigger picture and let his prejudice about Nevermore and Wednesday cloud his judgment. It’s infuriating to see Sheriff Galpin refuse to connect Tyler with Jericho’s entourage, despite intense pleas on Wednesday.

Sheriff Galpin’s guest role should begin by admitting his guilt and how his absence and neglect led to Tyler’s monster Hyde transformation and his enslavement at the hands of Marilyn. He failed to fulfill his professional duties and his judgment was always marked by his self-interest, and these are all excellent starting points for his redemption arc. He is able to redeem himself by helping Wednesday on her season 2 journey and repairing his relationship with Tyler. His role as Tyler’s father had to have gone beyond paying bills and putting food on the table, but he can try again. In order for Tyler to accept his paranormal condition, Sheriff Galpin will have to become a healthy father and, above all, a responsible citizen. He should be transparent about his late wife’s grief and the fact that he let his son pretend to be normal while working the case. The answer was right in front of him, but it was a prejudiced cop who focused his attention on the outcast school and a rookie.

Further

Wednesday Season 2: What Possible Plots Could Jenna Ortega’s Comments Suggest?

Jenna Ortega has opened up about Netflix’s Wednesday season 2, and fans can make some guesses about what her character might be up to.