Wednesday Season 2 Must Redeem Sheriff Galpin

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

A common YA plot trope used in Wednesday‘s storytelling is that the show’s eclectic Young Adult cast (mostly Wednesday herself) doesn’t always see eye to eye with the older characters. The Sheriff of Jericho town, Donovan Galpin, clashes with Wednesday to the point he isn’t afraid of being seen as her adversary. Principal Weems offers protection and genuine encouragement but keeps an eye out because Wednesday is an outcast in a school of outcasts. Though Weems is gone, Sheriff Galpin will return as a guest. This reappearance must redeem his arc and give him an emotional closure without feeling that he is a dead weight in the ensemble.

Wednesday Gets Into The Nevermore Spirit

Wednesday’s parents, Gomez and Morticia Addams, ship her off to their alma mater – Nevermore Academy, for outcasts, freaks, and monsters, after she is expelled from a regular, eighth school for disproportionate retribution. At the show’s beginning, she exacts revenge on her brother, Pugsley’s bullies, by dumping two bags of piranhas into their practice pool. Remorseless and kicked out of Nancy Reagan High School, Wednesday is accepted midterm at Nevermore.

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

How Does Sheriff Donovan Galpin Figure Into Wednesday’s Story?

Jamie McShane As Sheriff Donovan Galpin In Wednesday Season 1

The sheriff of Jericho, Donovan Galpin, is also the widowed father of the “normie” barista, Tyler (Hunter Doohan), with whom he has a flawed relationship. Tyler wants to address things about his deceased mother, Francoise, but this crucial conversation the Sheriff keeps putting off. Wednesday meets Tyler at his place of work, i.e., the local Weathervane café, where she takes down three local bullies who work at Pilgrim World amusement park. Sheriff Galpin walks into the shop and finds out through Weems that Wednesday is an Addams. He is quick to blame her for the bullying scenario that unfolded at the Weathervane:

Guessing the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.

Sheriff Galpin continues to view Nevermore and Wednesday with a suspicious eye. He quite literally points a finger at her, saying:

I’m gonna keep my eye on you.

Wednesday and Tyler have a romance, which Sheriff Galpin doesn’t appreciate because of his biased view of the young student. He harbors a deep-seated hatred towards Nevermore, particularly Wednesday. But worst of all, he continues to dismiss Tyler, who desperately wants to have a conversation about his dead mother. His being an absentee parent is the reason why Tyler is easy meat for Marilyn Thornhill (Laurel Gates). Laurel unlocking Tyler’s Hyde form was made possible by Sheriff Galpin’s absence and negligence. He failed to supervise his child and provide him with the emotional support required in their dynamic. Marilyn manipulated Tyler and gained his trust because Sheriff Galpin put off that uncomfortable conversation about Francoise. She targeted Tyler by leveraging the knowledge that his dead mother was a Hyde.

Sheriff Galpin’s Role In Wednesday Season 2

Sheriff Galpin should be apologetic in Wednesday Season 2. As Tyler’s only parent, he is squarely responsible for his affliction. Knowing full well about Tyler’s Hyde identity, he lost sight of the bigger picture and let his bias about Nevermore and Wednesday cloud his judgment. It’s infuriating to see Sheriff Galpin refusing to connect Tyler to the milieu of Jericho, despite Wednesday’s intense pleas.

Sheriff Galpin’s guest role should begin with admitting guilt, and how his absence and negligence led to Tyler’s Hyde monster transformation and enslavement at Marilyn’s hands. He failed to discharge his professional duties, and his judgment was always marked by self-interest, and all of these are great starting points for his redemption arc. He can redeem himself by aiding Wednesday in her Season 2 journey and mending his relationship with Tyler. His role as Tyler’s parent had to have gone beyond paying bills, and putting food on the table, but he can try again. For Tyler to embrace his paranormal condition, Sheriff Galpin will have to become a healthy parent and, most of all, a responsible citizen. He should be transparent about his late wife’s affliction and the fact that he let his son masquerade as a normie, all the while working on the case. The answer was right in front of him, but he was a prejudiced cop who focused his attention on the school of outcasts and a newbie.

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