Wynonna Earp – Leavin’ on Your Mind

By starrymag | April 18, 2016

By: Caitlin Walsh

 

Things are certainly moving along on “Wynonna Earp.” We’re seeing some gears turning and a few questions starting to be answered–only to leave us with a whole new slew of them, of course. Some pieces are starting to fall into place, but the puzzle may be bigger than we initially thought.

 

The episode opens at Shorty’s Saloon, with Wynonna (Melanie Scorfano) wrapping up and moving Waverly’s things out of Shorty’s Saloon for her, as they’ll be moving in together. Wynonna and “Henry” have a chat and Wynonna is more than upfront about her distrust for him and men like him – mysterious, usually running from something–and the fact that that’s just her type. “And what makes you think that you are mine?” Ouch, Doc. (Also, how could Wynonna not be everyone’s type? Come on, now.)

 

Wynonna reminds Waverly (Dominique Provost-Chalkley) that she needs to be ready to present her research to Dolls tomorrow. Actually, this reminds us all that Dolls and Wynonna are finally, in some capacity, letting Waverly contribute to the team – even if she’s not quite Black Badge. Yet.)

 

Revenants being revenants

 

“Just leave this place”

 

“Oh trust me, we’re trying.”

 

Some of the locals, meanwhile, are trying to celebrate the uncovering of a time capsule buried by the wife of one of their founding fathers, Shirley Dixon. Some of the revenants have shown up and they’re looking for her diary in that capsule–something one of them buried back in 1906. Also, a severed hand falls out of their bag during the whole shuffle. And one of them stabs the deputy mayor repeatedly. It’s gruesome, it’s gory–it’s revenant style, through and through.

 

Team Black Badge…and company

 

Waverly has clearly been doing her work, for a long time at that. Dolls, in classic straight edged, dry personality Dolls (Shamier Anderson) fashion, has little to no patience for being taken step by step through every background detail which he seems to already know. What he’s interested in is identification–names, possibly photos. Waverly, no longer having the ledger where she had the names, knows she can still pull some together, still has some photos and has some good hunches–not that Dolls is thrilled about that, of course. (Someone get this guy laid, a drink or anything happy. Maybe a puppy?) The plan becomes having the boundaries defined as they need to define the prisoners and keep them contained. Wynonna, of course, is a little more blood-thirsty.

 

Wynonna: “I want them to tremble with fear before me.”

 

Dolls: “…you have powdered sugar on your nose.”

 

The chat gets interrupted by Officer Haught (Katherine Barrell) and the eyes her and Waverly make at each other–everything. Waverly, in haste to pack up her research, drops a photo of Doc Holliday. Suddenly, finally she’s connected the dots. Henry is, of course, Doc Holliday (who is meanwhile preoccupied at Bobo Del Ray’s camp by, ahem, an admirer.)

 

Dolls and Wynonna are trying to connect some dots of their own. Why did the revenants want the diary of Shirley Dixon (the blind and deaf poet) and why did they sever off an old man’s hand at a bus stop before that? What was the need? Dolls hypothesizes that they’re collecting rarities for some sort of dark ritual. The victim who lost his hand was charged, 50 years before, with the murder of his girlfriend, which he walked free for. According to Dolls, legend says that the left hand of an innocent murderer can open gateways. He’s not wrong…

 

Waverly v. Doc

 

Henry (Tim Rozon) and Waverly chat about a woman he’s curious about that, thus far, we’ve heard only a few mentions about – vague as can be. Still no name and that’s what Henry is looking for. Waverly, in the meantime, is just looking for him to come clean.

 

When he mentions staying in Bobo Del Ray’s (Michael Eklund) park, she follows him there when he goes to split off. He’s itching to have nothing to do with Bobo, to owe nothing to Bobo, which makes me question just what side he’s on – like everyone else. Unfortunately, Bobo has some information about the “Stone Witch” (a/k/a/ the mystery lady) that Doc has been looking for and he’ll only hand it over in exchange for Doc getting Wynonna to trust him, which can mean nothing good.

 

As I’ve said before and I’ll say it again, not a soul on this show has mastered the art of subtly except for maybe Doc (though three episodes in and the jig is up). So, take that as you will. Waverly’s phone rings as she’s not so sneakily spying on Bobo and Doc and Doc ain’t happy. And Waverly isn’t thrilled with him either. No one can be sure where Doc’s allegiances lie, but it’s safe to say that out of everyone at least Waverly was expecting more from him. Seeing him with Bobo has her doubting that.

 

Doc: “Little girl, you do not know what I am.”

 

Waverly: “I know what you’re supposed to be. You’re supposed to be a hero. You’re supposed to Wyatt Earp’s best friend. You’re supposed to be here to help us!”

 

More less than subtle showdowns, coming at you

 

At the graveyard, Marty is digging up former banker Stanley Gatewood’s grave, looking for some combination which, apparently, is the last piece to their ritual attempt at getting past the boundaries. Wynonna just happens to be visiting Willa and her father at the right time–not quick enough to fire a bullet into his body, of course (too easy), but enough to catch on to the plan at least.

 

Turns out, the combination needed was for the vault to the old bank, now just a store, and the revenants, unfortunately, make it there before team Black Badge. They take hostages, knowing they’ll be going toe to toe with Wynonna and wanting no part of being sent back to hell thanks to Peacemaker. The hostages: Champ the boy-man and Shorty, who’s suffering from angina. Wynonna bargains for them rest of them to be let free, but the revenants need three and they’re taking Wynonna for their third.

 

Her plan of attack is…questionable. I have to wonder what Wynonna thought was going to happen inside the bank by helping the revenants figure out the combination and unlock the vault, only to find the third piece (a necklace of the Stone Witch’s) for their ritual before they take off with Wynonna, Shorty (Peter Skagen) and Champ (Dylan Koroll). On the other hand, I’m also appreciating what this storyline gave us–one of the first real moments of trust and synchronized teamwork between Dolls and Wynonna. He trusted her to go in, albeit a little begrudgingly, and she trusted him to follow them to the ritual location and provide back-up. They may bicker and roll their eyes at each other a whole lot, and hell, I’m not sure how much they even like each other. But they’re trusting each other and that may make all the difference.

 

Turns out, Shorty was hit in the scuffle leaving the bank and he’s bleeding badly so we suddenly have a ticking time bomb on our hands. Wynonna is fully aware that Shorty’s survival chances are decreasing and Champ might become nothing, but a warm body to be possessed by Sam. She is very much in danger, too, all if the ritual goes off and Dolls doesn’t step-in in time.

 

We’re starting to get the full glimpse of hero Wynonna. Jokes and sarcasm aside, she’s not about to let anyone else die on her watch and this situation isn’t just about researching revenants and putting bullets in their brains. Lives are constantly at stake and Wynonna is responsible for them. She’s carrying this town on her back. She literally yells, “Take me!” at Sam in an attempt to bargain her life for Shorty and Champ. Champ gets away in time, but Shorty’s not going to make it. So, when Sam’s spirit is exorcised from his body and looking for a new warm body, Wynonna is all that’s left standing.

 

“This is not the kind of penetration I’m used to.”

 

But Shorty, bless his heart, jumps up and won’t let her take the spirit as he knows that that means Dolls will have to shoot her. Dolls, at the last second, finally runs to Wynonna’s aid with Peacemaker, just in the knick of time. She takes out Marty, sending him back to Hell. And she shoots Sam’s body–to no avail.

 

The Real Hero

 

There was no way around it. Shorty was Sam’s vessel and the only way to kill Sam, to send him back, was to shoot Shorty and it was on Wynonna to do it. She begged Shorty to fight it, for there to be another way, but Shorty begged her to kill him in order to take out Sam – because it burned. Because he could hear his thoughts, knew everything Sam had done. Including not killing Willa, at first. He said she screamed.

 

And with that, Wynonna took the shot, killing Sam and Shorty. Her weeping over his body was one of the heaviest moments we’ve seen on this show, yet, and part of me knows it’s only the beginning. We got another moment with Haught and Waverly (at least) with Haught coming to offer her condolences at the saloon where they’re later having a memorial. And it was the first time we see Waverly reach back, literally–reaching out for Haught’s hand, which she’d pulled away when Champ came over. It was a real moment between them, one that wasn’t cheeky glances and coy smirks. Oh, my heart.

 

Waverly tells Wynonna that she should’ve been there to help to be part of the team and Wynonna’s guilt over what had just happened felt reminiscent of “The 100” and the discussion of morality and who are the good guys, if anyone?

 

Wynonna: “Some team. I’m not even sure we’re the good guys.”

 

Waverly: “Well, good guys seem to be in short supply these days. But believe me…you are definitely one of them.”

 

Dolls, on the other hand, comes in like a soldier, giving what may be the worst pep talk post-death of a friend I’ve ever heard, and has zero tact. I’m thinking there’s more of a backstory to his heartlessness here, but we have yet to see that. He tells her it will pass. He tells her that this is war and this is what victories might look like. And that’s not what Wynonna can live with.

 

“Wow. With all the shit I’ve done in my life, Dolls…working with you? I don’t think I can look in the mirror.”

 

Proper introductions

 

Wynonna heads back to the homestead to find Doc waiting for her, offering his condolences and his friendship, however sincere that may be. More importantly, he’s offering the truth.

 

“The fact is, I have not properly introduced myself–you can tell your sister she is right. I am–was– friends with your great-great-grandpappy. My name is John Henry, but most people just call me Doc.”

 

“Doc? Doc Holliday?”

 

“Wynonna, I am at your disposal.”

 

Ladies and gentlemen–we’re finally moving. Fasten your seatbelts.