Wynonna Earp – The Blade

By starrymag | April 25, 2016

By: Caitlin Walsh

 

Let me very clear: I was a fan of this show from the beginning. I thought it was a little on the sillier, cornier, comic book side that first episode, but I didn’t mind it. I got a kick out of it. I was intrigued to see where it went and so I stuck with it. Every week, it’s gotten consistently better and I thought last week was its strongest episode to date, where it finally found its groove and we dove into the story.

 

 

Doc Holliday, Nice To Finally Meet You

 

The episode opened not far from where we left off with Doc (Tim Rozon) and Wynonna (Melanie Scorfano). The two are quickly becoming one of my favorite duos on the show, sharing more truths now that Wynonna knows who he really is. He gives a little back story on himself and Wyatt and we see a flashback of the two when Doc looked like hell and Wyatt (Ryan Northcott) was suggesting a trip to Purgatory to take on a corrupted law man – one Doc warns against, calling him half devil. “Ain’t no such thing as devils,” Wyatt said. “Only men and the good and evil they do in this world.” Doc didn’t look long for this world and when Wyatt asks him if he has energy for one last round, Doc tells him this is farewell. (Felt that right in the heart, thanks, Doc.)

 

Wynonna, of course, still wants further proof that he is who he says he is. After all, Doc Holliday was known for his shot and the sharpness of his eye, as he said. Doc proves, quite effortlessly might I add, that he’s still got that sharp eye and straight shot. She now believes him, but she doesn’t quite understand how. He’s not a revenant, that much she believes. But is he what–a ghost?

 

“Now if I was a ghost, would my heart be pounding like it is?” asks Holliday. He explains that he made a barter for, more or less, immortality despite being reported dead 130 years ago. He was cured of tuberculosis and freed from the chains of time and aging, though fatality is still entirely possible. Unfortunately enough for Wynonna, he claims not to know why Purgatory, or anything that Wyatt may have known. He’s here for unfinished business–just like Wynonna herself.

 

Tick tock, tick tock

 

We cut to two women, one crying and begging for forgiveness and one dismissing her. The crying woman, Meghan, hears a voice. “Tick tock, tick tock. Forgiven or not?” She covers the mirror in the room with a shawl and begs for more time before something reaches out and slits her throat. Creepy as hell? Yes. Also, reminiscent of the early days of “Supernatural” in the best way possible. We’ve got our supernatural bad guy for the episode, so let’s get to it, team.

 

“Repent Sinners written in blood. Good times.” Wynonna and Dolls are on the scene, finding Meghan’s body and the blood written message left on the mirror. Turns out, Wynonna knows Meghan and they weren’t exactly best friends.

 

Team Black Badge: you can’t sit with us

 

Back to team Black Badge, plus Waverly (Dominique Provost-Chalkley) debriefing, where Waverly once again proves to be their most useful asset. Seriously, guys? You’re still making her jump through hoops to prove herself? She did all the research! She answers almost all of your questions, connects your dots–COME ON.

 

Of course, this time is no different. She knows exactly which revenant leaves messages like that and it is Father Robert Malick who is “a hellfire revivalist minister known to rail against women, demanding their repent.” According to Waverly, Wyatt hung Malick for murdering his wife, his girlfriend “and some hookers, too.” “Any idea where this guy is so I can shoot him in the dong?” Wynonna, a feminist icon of our generation.

 

Waverly asks if she can tag along this time, even having gone as far as to clear a day off with Gus, but Dolls says no. I’m losing my patience, here, I have to be honest. #TeamWaverly.

 

In yet another display of how damn smart Waverly is, Wynonna thinks she’s breaking some major news to Waverly about Doc, something Waverly reveals she already knew. Wynonna and Doc may be on the fast track to best friend station, but Waverly and Doc sure as hell won’t be making each other friendship bracelets or passing notes any time soon after last week and Waverly makes it clear for Wynonna–he shot at her head at Bobo’s camp, after all. Wynonna ain’t happy. Protective big sister Wynonna may or may not be my favorite Wynonna.

 

Wynonna and Dolls take a swing by the trailer park to visit Bobo (Michael Eklund) and the revenants. Wynonna, naturally, wants to go guns blazing, but Dolls (Shamier Anderson) makes it clear that they need to be smart. They’re outgunned and outmanned–no shots fired unless they’re fired upon because war takes time.

 

Bobo’s got the upperhand right now and it shows. He’s sizing up Dolls and Wynonna and he’s not easily scared. Luckily, neither are they. He allows them to speak with Father Malick though warns them that no harm comes to him. The conversation isn’t much besides a filthy, angry old man with a penchant for the word whore and two less legs than expected. That and he’s not the killer.

 

Wynonna sees him in the car mirror later and realizes that the “psycho with the razor” was also there the night of the attack that took her father and Willa, adding another puzzle piece. They’re not entirely sure who or what they’re dealing with, but thanks to some help from Officer Haught (who there was most definitely not enough of in this episode), they’ve got another stop to make with another old “buddy” of Wynonna’s, the blonde woman who dismissed Meghan at the beginning of the episode.

 

She fills them in on why Meghan was looking for forgiveness in the first place. Samantha’s father was killed in a hit and run, which turns out was on Meghan’s hands. It turns out Wynonna was at the party that night where she was sleeping with Meghan’s boyfriend, more out of anger than anything for the girl who was making her life miserable simply because Wynonna didn’t fit in. Meghan was so upset that she grabbed her boyfriend’s car keys, drunkenly driving off, and Wynonna now is carrying that guilt.

 

Dolls reminds her of something. “I was going to say, you were only sixteen. We all make mistakes.” Cue the aww’s because this is the Dolls that’s growing on me.

 

Doc and Dolls, the next Hall and Oates?

 

Back at the saloon, a man is killed in the bathroom by the mirror man with the razor, calling for repentance. Waverly walks in moments after Doc finds him, thinking Doc did it. Not exactly good news for their damaged friendship, wouldn’t you say?

 

Wynonna reminds her sister after she gets there that it couldn’t have been Doc as it was a revenant, which he is not. Waverly is still holding grudges though, saying “I still don’t trust him.” (Side note: neither girl is keen on telling Dolls who “Henry” really is and he’s a little bitter at being left out of the secret.)

Cue the Doc and Dolls showdown. Dolls lets him know that he’s extensively researched databases and there are no traces of him to be found. Docs is playing tough, bad cop sans any good cop, but Doc doesn’t scare easy. In fact, he doesn’t like Dolls much and he’s quick to let him know.

 

Mirror, mirror on the wall

 

The dead man from the bathroom is coincidentally Wynonna’s former probation officer. His wife calls looking to speak with Wynonna and reveals that her husband had just admitted to being a big time drug dealer before he died. Wynonna knew this as she’d gone to juvie for the third time when she’d gotten busted dealing for him and refused to snitch (and she’s only a little bitter, I swear).

 

It seems that his wife had been the one to call in the tip to get Wynonna arrested and she needs her forgiveness. She knows the man in the mirror is coming for her next–finally connecting the mirror dots for Dolls and Wynonna. Wynonna says she forgives her, but she can’t move quickly enough to forgive her in her heart and he knows that. Another victim down and Wynonna’s next. She has two hours to get the forgiveness she needs or figure out another plan. It’s not looking good.

 

It seems they are going to need the probation officer’s body and the solution isn’t shooting his mirror reflection. Dolls, at least, has an idea of a summoning ritual they can try, but until they have a name for the killer and a few more pieces, they need to simultaneously work on a Plan B–the Wynonna Earp apology tour. Two hours sure as hell isn’t looking like enough time, but she’s giving it the old college try, bless her heart.

 

Waverly; however, is now in. Personal feelings aside, she goes to Doc for help identifying the killer.  And Doc, thankfully, could help. He says the man he recognized is none other than August Hamilton (Peter Strand Rumpel) who, according to Doc, was a barber that you went to for a shave and to confess your sins. Turns out, Wyatt and August had history and it’s because of Wyatt that August ended up dead. As thanks, Waverly ends up springing him from his cell. (Dolls did say they’d need extra hands…)

 

In a final showdown by the lake with Doc, Waverly and Wynonna vs. Auggie Hamilton, Wynonna is being called on to ask forgiveness of who she has hurt most: Waverly. Waverly, sweet cinnamon roll Waverly, insists it’s all fine – it’s forgiven saying, “You’re my sister, I’ll always forgive you.” But as Wynonna is running through reasons to be sorry to Waverly, they finally come to the root of it.

 

Waverly resents her sister for being the chosen one, the heir. Wynonna, who couldn’t give a crap about anything or try for anything, is the chosen one. She is chosen over Waverly, who has spent her life researching, studying and trying. It’s the classic sister relationship with a ramped up sci-fi addition, but still a story those of us with siblings recognize. Sometimes, it’s hard. But Wynonna agrees with her. Waverly should be the chosen one and Wynonna admires the shit out of her sister–that much is damn clear.

 

The Earp sisters make this show and they complete each other. Dolls, Doc, everyone else–I love them, they’re great, too. But Waverly and Wynonna? They’re it. They love each other through thick and thin. Wynonna may have majorly screwed up here and there, but Waverly doesn’t hold it against her. Because they’re bigger than that. At the end of the day, the most important person in their lives are each other.

 

A few extras

• In a last second move, Wynonna gets the upper hand, and with her gun pointed at Auggie Hamilton she delivers one of her best lines thus far: “Just another dude telling me what I’ve done wrong. But now? I’m about to do some right.” QUEEN.
• Can we not have episodes lacking Officer Haught anymore? Please?
• I’m all for the bromance of Dolls and Doc. Like, really. More, please!
• Doc’s biggest regret is that he didn’t make amends with Wyatt and I just have something in my eye, okay?!
• Wyatt did find out about Doc’s deal with the devil and that was a hard break up. OW, HEART. “Doc Holliday is dead and that makes you nothing but a memory that I surely hope to forget.” Ow!