Hunter Doohan Addresses Tyler’s Feelings for Wednesday, Teases Season 2 Finale and Future on the Show (Exclusive)

Just because Tyler’s relationship with Wednesday got even more complicated in season 2 doesn’t mean there’s no hope for the fictional couple — or Hunter Doohan’s fan-favorite Wednesday character.

“[Going into season 2], emotionally it was about figuring out where Tyler was. For me, it just felt like he had been totally abandoned by everyone,” Doohan, 31, exclusively told Us Weekly about Tyler’s state of mind while in Willow Hill Psychiatric Hospital. “Laurel had promised him all this stuff and was going to take care of him. Then he is just totally abandoned and basically feels like he’s been left to die.”

The human-turned-Hyde spent the time between seasons 1 and 2 trying to “figure out some way to get out” before Wednesday (Jenna Ortega) walked back into his life.

“For me, it was constantly him replaying what it might be if he saw Wednesday again,” Doohan recalled. “So there’s so much anticipation for him when she arrives in episode 2.”

Tyler and Wednesday’s reunion doesn’t go as planned. After dating in season 1, the now-exes were left at an impasse when Wednesday realized he was at fault for the murders happening in town. Despite being at odds, Tyler still held out hope when crossing paths with Wednesday again.

“To him, Tyler thought his whole life that his mom had just died and then he finds out she died because she was a Hyde and that had been hidden from him. Then Laurel obviously comes in and grooms him and blames the outcasts for his mom’s death. Then he finally understands why his dad hates him because, for Tyler, he always wanted his dad’s love and didn’t understand why he treated him the way he did,” Doohan explained. “So Wednesday felt like maybe the one person who — because she’s Wednesday Addams — wouldn’t be afraid of him and hate him for those parts of himself and might actually embrace it.”

As a result, seeing Wednesday again was “a really jarring moment” for Tyler.

“You can see it in episode 2, the shift from the taunting in a flirty way and the way he is talking to her,” he noted. “Then when he finds out she’s just there for information, then it switches and he gets really angry because he’s so hurt.”

Doohan isn’t shutting the door on Tyler and Wednesday’s romance though, adding, “Can anyone be too dark for Wednesday Addams?”

Wednesday, which premiered in November 2022, introduced Us to a new version of the iconic Wednesday Addams character. Before Ortega took over as the moody and spooky teenager, Christina Ricci famously brought the character to life in several Addams Family films, which took inspiration from Edward Gorey‘s illustrations.

The first season followed the titular character’s attempts to master her psychic powers at Nevermore Academy while dealing with a killing spree, which is where Tyler fit in after a meet cute at a coffee shop.

“Laurel and Tyler connected before season 1 started but it was not the plan for Wednesday to come into the coffee shop. Until she says her name in that scene, he doesn’t know who that is,” Doohan said ofwhen Tyler’s interest in Wednesday started. “I do think that they have that initial spark of connection.”

By the time season 1 came to an end, Wednesday was onto Tyler and that eventually led to him being taken to Willow Hall. He escaped when part 1 of season 2 came to an end — but not before killing Laurel (Ricci) for grooming then abandoning him.

It also seemed like Tyler (as the Hyde) was responsible for Wednesday being thrown out the window in part 1. Doohan, however, pointed out to Us that there was a significant difference between how the Hyde reacted to Laurel and Wednesday.

“I would say it was him [who threw Wednesday out]. But also we just saw him rip Laurel to shreds and he doesn’t do that to Wednesday,” the actor added before quipping, “Not that throwing someone out of a window is very nice.”

Now that Tyler is out, there’s no telling where the story will go.

“We didn’t want him to feel like just a villain. He has obviously done a lot of horrible things. But a lot of that was under someone else’s control. Now that his master bond is weakening and he’s locked away, there’s just so much rage in him,” Doohan teased. “But now in part 2, we’re going to see what happens when he doesn’t have a master. What I think is interesting is all the information Tyler knows about being a Hyde comes from Laurel. So she only told him what was beneficial to her — and so he doesn’t know what’s coming.”

According to Doohan, the “mystery gets so much bigger” the second half of the season, adding, “Tyler is so hurt and filled with rage and very unhinged. You’ll see it gets even more unhinged when part 2 begins. You get to see a lot more of what’s underneath.”

Doohan teased he was “very surprised” when he learned how those murders and their connection to Tyler came together on screen.

“Just as an actor, it was really satisfying. There’s a lot of layers that we get to see of him, which is really fun,” he noted. “It’s just a testament to the writing because [creators] Alfred Gough and Miles Millar really dig into all sides of him. Some of it, it’s just really fun to play it. A lot of it is the real Tyler fighting against something.”

Doohan continued: “Tyler — for the first time this season — is out, so a big part of the back half of the season is what is he going to do because he was locked away safely and now he is more dangerous. There’s still a bigger part to the mystery, obviously Wednesday still having her visions of Enid and the Slurp is becoming more powerful and out about. So there’s just so many factors that leave a good cliffhanger for part 2.”

Looking ahead, Doohan weighed in on the news that Wednesday is renewed for season 3 — and expanding the franchise — and if that could mean a chance for a Tyler spinoff.

“First of all, I just want to be in Wednesday,” he said. “But I would do anything that Alfred, Miles or Tim [Burton] are involved in any day.”

Doohan isn’t just working on Wednesday, though. While speaking to Us while filming in New Zealand, Doohan opened up about his future projects..

“I love horror but Evil Dead Burn is fun for me right now because even though it’s the most horror out of all of those, it’s a very different character for me. It is very different from Tyler. So it’s really fun to play,” he shared. “I love horror but the killer thing just happened. I don’t know what it is about me. Then I did this film called The Wilderness, which is coming out October 17th, and that’s just a drama and it is really grounded based on real life events and our writer and director Spencer King‘s experience at a troubled teen wilderness camp. That was something very different. It was the first time I was a producer on something and I’m really proud of that movie and I’m really excited for that to come out.”

Us couldn’t help but point out that we’ve been lacking when it comes to seeing Doohan as a rom-com lead, to which he replied, “I love a romcom. That would be a really fun turn to not be a murderer and just be in love. It sounds really nice.”

Wednesday season 2 part 1 is currently streaming on Netflix while part 2 premieres on September 3.