For a mystery show that clearly planned to have a second season, the Wednesday Season 1 finale was surprisingly tidy. At the end of Season 1 of Wednesday, the main mysteries of the season were all resolved, and the main characters had completed their arcs in ways that feel satisfactory — with one major exception. Tyler (Hunter Doohan), who in the final few minutes of the penultimate episode had been revealed to be the monstrous Hyde that had been tormenting Jericho, didn't get a concrete ending to his story. Even though he was beaten in the woods by Enid (Emma Myers) during the finale, the final shot of Wednesday Season 1 lingered on him in a way that makes it seem like we definitely haven’t seen the last of him. Keeping Tyler around for Season 2 is an absolute no-brainer, and the story potential he has going forward is incredibly exciting.

There’s More to Hydes Than Meets the Eye in 'Wednesday'

The Hyde monster in Netflix's Wednesday
Image via Netflix

A lot of interesting lore was dropped about Hydes in the final episodes of Wednesday’s first season. We know they’re rare and often dangerous, having killed Nathaniel Faulkner while the Nevermore founder was trying to study them. Even more intriguing is the fact that they haven’t been allowed at Nevermore for 30 years, according to Principal Weems (Gwendoline Christie). There seems to be a strange and long-standing connection between Hydes and Nevermore. Given the emphasis placed on them toward the end of the season, it stands to reason there’s more to Hydes than we’ve seen so far.

Tyler’s inclusion in Season 2 and beyond is a tangible way to explore these mysteries and ideas. As Wednesday's only (so far as we know) living Hyde, he’s the best resource Wednesday (Jenna Ortega) has if she wants to learn more about them. Faulkner died trying to study them, so maybe Wednesday could attempt to pick up where he left off. Tyler will be locked away for the foreseeable future (we assume), making him the perfect subject for Wednesday’s research. Or maybe another Hyde might start causing problems for Nevermore, and Wednesday will try and use Tyler as a source of information, like her own personal Hannibal Lector.

RELATED: All the Easter Eggs You May Have Missed on 'Wednesday'

It also feels significant that Wednesday specifically called out that Hydes aren’t allowed to attend Nevermore. That’s the exact sort of bigotry that Wednesday was working to dismantle in Season 1. Maybe Season 2 (and beyond) could feature Wednesday attempting to change the rules of the school to allow Tyler to attend, hoping that the community and training might help him to live a normal life. This would make for compelling drama, as other students and citizens of Jericho might feel uncomfortable with Tyler being allowed out, even if he’s being carefully observed. This development could reignite tensions between Xavier (Percy Hynes White) and Wednesday if she chooses to defend Tyler. And as a bonus (if you're a fan of this sort of thing): a serial killer is way more Wednesday’s type than a Normie barista. Not that the show needs to keep its love triangle plot alive in Season 2, but Wednesday of all characters wouldn’t be put off by one of her prospective love interests turning out to be a horrible monster. If you were on Team Tyler in Season 1, there may be hope for you yet!

What Will Tyler Be Like in Season 2 of 'Wednesday'?

Tyler, played by Hunter Doohan, standing in his apron in the coffeeshop in Netflix's 'Wednesday.'
Image via Netflix
 

This does raise an interesting question about how Tyler might fit into the interpersonal dynamics of Wednesday in Season 2. In Episode 8, “A Murder of Woes,” Tyler tells Wednesday that he had slowly become aware of his monstrous side and that he’s been willingly going along with Laurel Gates' (Christina Ricci) plans. This, and his general demeanor for the rest of the episode, seem to suggest that any role Tyler serves going forward will be an antagonistic one, but it’s possible that that’s not the case. Minor details in Wednesday indicate that the line between a person and their Hyde side is often blurry. Tyler’s Hyde lashed out at Xavier the previous year without obviously transforming him into a monster. Additionally, the methods of awakening a Hyde (especially those Laurel used on Tyler) are traumatic and damaging, and could be seriously affecting Tyler's mental state. Is it possible that at that moment, Tyler was being influenced by his Hyde side? Maybe the more friendly and caring version of Tyler we saw for most of the season was genuine, only to be slowly overpowered by the monster.

After all, it feels a little odd for Wednesday to frame Tyler as entirely villainous. The entire show is built around the idea of accepting outcasts, and it's set in a school designed to help its students form a community with others like them and help them to learn to control their powers. Excluding Tyler from that because he’s a very specific kind of “bad” outcast flies entirely in the face of Wednesday’s values as a show. Even if he wasn’t lying about enjoying what he did as a Hyde, it still feels weird to frame him as explicitly evil. He was a teenager who was manipulated and abused by an adult into committing horrific crimes. For these reasons, it seems likely that Tyler’s story will likely be more complex than just being kept around to give advice from behind bars.

Tyler may have ended Season 1 as a villain, but it’s far more interesting to keep him around and at most partially villainous. Wednesday is a show about the value of community and friendship, and about overcoming bigotry and hate in whatever form it takes. When we first met Tyler, he seemed like one of the rare few who didn’t care about the fact that Wednesday was an outcast, and while his interactions with her are now tainted by the knowledge that Laurel was just using him to get to her, it’s a stretch to believe that it was all an act. That part of him had to come from somewhere, and maybe, with a bit of work, Wednesday might be able to dig it back out. The best version of Tyler’s story going forward is one that remembers his humanity in the same way the show remembers the humanity in all its characters, whether they be werewolves, sirens, or disembodied hands.

Wednesday is available to stream on Netflix. You can check out the trailer below: