Wynonna Earp – She Wouldn’t Be Gone

By starrymag | June 9, 2016

By: Caitlin Walsh

 

As completely expected, the Earp sisters are none too pleased about Bobo (Michael Eklund) taking Shorty’s–”fair” as it may have been. The episode opens with the girls bursting through the doors, fury in Waverly’s eyes and a hard determination in Wynonna’s. Best not to piss off the Earp sisters, if anyone was still unclear about that.

 

They’re there, seemingly, to make themselves clear–they’re not happy and this won’t be lasting long. Wynonna has a score to settle with Bobo, but I had to admit–the two of them going toe to toe in every scene they share is too good for me to let go of, yet. Dolls, predictably, isn’t super thrilled that they went into Shorty’s without him–which he states after making a Drake joke, making Wynonna cringe and the rest of us gasp, because who knew that Agent Xavier Dolls (Shamier Anderson) had any clue about any pop culture…at all. The fact that he could even make the joke shocks me and I have about a million questions.

 

Turns out, the Earp sisters storming into Shorty’s wasn’t just to throw a fit–they dropped a bug into the joint and their now successfully tapped in. Major points for team Black Badge. Elsewhere, a girl walks up to an outpost upset and alone and before the creepy post manager can get his greasy hands on her, he notices the marks on her face and tells her to get moving. She begs him to tell her mom she loves her and that she’s sorry, knowing her time is up. Not moments later, a wolf chews through her, brutally killing her while all the attendant can do is watch on while she screams.

 

It wouldn’t be Purgatory without a casual, bloody murder bright and early.

 

Hungry like the wolf

 

Bobo being able to move things with his mind is news to Dolls. This is less so news to Wynonna (Melanie Scrofano), until it slips out that Bobo took Willa’s necklace off of Waverly (but cannot take Peacemaker, thankfully) and that’s got to be something, right?

 

Dolls and Wynonna brainstorm where exactly things are right now. They know Bobo was bargaining with Constance (Rayisa Kondracki) for something that she didn’t deliver on and as Wynonna says, he’s now “up shit creek.” He wants out of the Ghost River Triangle. He bought Shorty’s. It all adds up to something, they’re sure, but what that something is they’re still a little lost on.

 

Meanwhile, Cal (the attendant from earlier who watched the poor girl get torn to shreds by a rabid wolf) comes bursting into Shorty’s, frantic, warning Bobo that “Lou” is back. Apparently, the mark on the girl’s face and her getting eaten like a ribeye steak is proof of it and Bobo doesn’t take the news well. Lou is not his friend, whoever Lou is. It’s all interrupted by the fact that Cal has a tin tooth that picks up radio frequencies, tipping Bobo off to the bug–it was fun while it lasted. He finds it, picks it up and delivers his message to Dolls and Wynonna. Don’t get me wrong, Bobo is a great villain, and his growling voice and narrowed eyes usually give me some chills and all. But he went full high school girl on Wynonna and I still loved it. Why make nerve wracking death threats when you can just rat out Wynonna and tell Dolls that her and Doc have been sleeping together? Bobo Del Ray: Professional Pot Stirrer.

 

When Wynonna heads down the hall to rant out her guy problems, she runs into Nicole (Katherine Barrell) and Waverly (Dominique Provost-Chalkley) having the opposite kind of lady loving problem–almost. The cutest almost kiss I’ve ever seen in my life (seriously, these two could probably be vomiting with snot running down their faces and I’d still call them the cutest) and then Wynonna ruins it. (They’ll have more time later, I’m not too worried.) She breaks the news about her and Doc, and while Nicole smirks with a, “And that’s news? Really?” (best friendship, I think so) Waverly is a little less in the know. And a little less amused. Come on, Waverly. If you get a secret steamy sex life, so does your sister. Fair is fair.

 

Quick cut to Whiskey Jim (we haven’t forgotten you, fella) who is tied up and looking a little worse for wear. Bobo approaches him and Jim (Joris Jarsky) promises he hasn’t spilled anything to Black Badge. Bobo asserts, “I know, Jim. But you’re going to start.”

 

Wynonna pulls up to the homestead later that night, Doc (Tim Rozon) waiting by the porch confused and a little on high alert at seeing Constance’s pink Cadillac pulling in–until he sees who drove it. Wynonna tosses him the keys, bestowing a 130+ year old man with a vehicle he has no idea how to operate. It’s the thought that counts. She tells him take a bat to it, learn to drive it, hell, paint it a different color if he wants–it’s his call to make. He tells her the color is the only good part–a very manly shade of pink, which according to Doc, used to be a masculine color. Blue was for girls.

 

Wynonna, who is tracking Dolls’ cellphone, follows him to the warehouse where he’s holding Jim. (Come on, Dolls, were you really trying that hard? Wynonna found you the second she wanted to.) Wynonna isn’t entirely sure what Dolls has been doing with Jim, or why, but she doesn’t seem too concerned. She wants to know about Lou. And just like that, Dolls and Wynonna have some information, a little bit of a lead and they’re back on the same page. When they’re not keeping secrets and trying to go lone wolf behind each others’ backs, they make quite the team.

 

Turns out, Lou (Gord Rand) is Bobo’s old arch enemy and Bobo is scared of him according to Jim. They used to be friends, but they disagreed on a few points, and apparently, Lou had a bit of a sadistic streak. It seems the men went their separate ways and no one has seen Lou in years–all they know is Bobo is scared of him and when he left, he took something with him – something big. A weapon, Dolls theorizes.

 

Back at the station, they come up with a plan–after Wynonna calls Dolls out on not filling her in on the whole kidnapping and torturing Whiskey Jim thing and lying to her. The usual. He finally fills her in on it all and why–to make their superiors happy, more or less, and that they think there’s a mole in the division. Wynonna is just relieved he’s not sick, “like bad sick.” She’d been scared and he knows he screwed up, just a little. I don’t think Dolls is used to anyone caring about him and he’s still learning how to let her. (My heart is doing all sort of funny things.)

 

They head out to the woods, which apparently Dolls has an intense fear of–he’s human, after all. Not sure what the plan is, entirely–just hoping they’ll stumble across Lou, I suppose. Quick cut to Waverly confronting Doc briefly about his relationship with her sister, of which he insists there is none (just friends with benefits, get with the times, Wave) and before he smashes the car to bits in a fit, Waverly suggests maybe he learn to drive it. Point taken.

 

Wynonna and Dolls aren’t in the woods long before they start tripping out and Wynonna sees a light and is taken by a cult. Suddenly, Dolls’ woods phobia is seeming much more reasonable and I’m reminded why I’m not super crazy about the outdoors. I’ll take it in doses and close to civilization, thanks. When Wynonna wakes up, she’s in a house, surrounded by girls in white dresses (herself included) and her phone and Peacemaker missing. Welcome to the cult, Wynonna. Their leader, Ishka*, the lone male in the house, is unsettling for that fact alone. The whole thing is deeply unsettling and there’s no way out. Also, they hate guns and cellphones (the latter of which they burned).

 

After making Wynonna–or “Courtney” as she told them–take some sort of baptismal bath in front of all of them (still in her white nightgown!), they let her change back into her own clothes and aim to integrate her into the home–one girl in particular, Eve, takes it upon herself to welcome Wynonna, letting her know about the home, about herself, and how many of them are runaways. They live with Ishka. There’s a bedpan. It’s all quite creepy, but at least Eve (Natalie Krill) is nice!

 

Unfortunately, Dolls’ luck was no better–he ends up being captured by the cult as well, but seeing as he has no lady bits and he’s clearly an officer of some sort, they’re a little less receptive. Dolls is locked away, for a while until Wynonna can figure something out. Which, of course, she always does. Sadly, it means Eve getting knocked in the head, but what can you do? Wynonna feels badly, at least. She makes it to Dolls and releases him from where he’s locked up (way too easily) and they’re almost home free–until they make it outside to find Ishka and his girls waiting. Or, should I say Lou. (You saw it coming, come on.)

 

They get dragged back inside, significantly creepier now that Lou has revealed himself and most of the girls are in animal masks like every cult horror story your parents told you growing up. He marks both their faces with the marks the earlier wolf-bait girl wore and banishes them from the property. Wynonna reveals herself, moments before hoods are thrown over their heads. Wynonna gets dropped off near town, kicked out of the van, sans Peacemaker and sans Dolls. Tough luck.

 

Bleeding hearts
Dolls, it turns out, is fine–mostly. He was left in the woods and makes it back to his car, no jacket (but they left him the blanket he had!) and no clue where Wynonna is. He’s a little frantic, but some blue juice did him good–plus a backup gun in the car. He spots Wynonna’s belt and gun hanging. Also, the bloodthirsty direwolf jumps on his car. Nothing major.

 

Meanwhile, back in Purgatory, Doc apparently took Waverly’s advice and swerved his way at an alarming speed down the highway. Haught and Waverly go to him–Nicole still giving him a ticket. Waverly puts two and two together. He was planning on leaving. Without any goodbyes. Naturally, it comes back around to Wynonna. Waverly pushes him, calls him a coward, wants to know why can’t he just try–like she’s trying with Nicole.

 

“We need you, okay? She needs you.”

 

“She has Dolls.”

 

“Can’t you at least try? I’m trying with Nicole.”

 

“Difference is? She adores you back.”

 

Wynonna finds Dolls in the woods, rather he finds her, and he’s hoping to get out of there. Wynonna has other plans. She’s not leaving the girls behind.

 

“Where are you going?”

 

“To save the hippie chicks!”

 

Solidarity, sisters.

 

They make it to the house, Wynonna catching Dolls up along the way. The outcast girls have been killed by animals–the wolf, a raven, etc. Whatever magic Lou is up to is no good, but they’re in the house to break the girls out quickly enough–but not before Lou marks them all.

 

Eve, in a cute moment, is at least happy to see Wynonna. It seems Wynonna inspired some strength in the girl and she’s right. There is some connection between her and Wynonna. There’s something there. (More on this later.)

 

Dolls runs with the other girls upstairs, while Wynonna and Eve chase Lou outside, hopefully to find him before the animals get them or he does. In a scuffle, he’s trying to snowmobile away (convenient) and a bear comes up to attack the girls, knocking Peacemaker out of Wynonna’s hands. She screams for Eve to grab the gun, try to get Lou–And she does. She takes him down, sends him back to hell and cue everyone’s jaws dropping. That shouldn’t have worked for anyone, but the heir. For an Earp.

 

And I’m screaming, still, because I knew Willa Earp was still alive and I want, more than anything in this world, for this to be real and true and good, and for the three Earp sisters to live out their asskicking days on the homestead together, being the ladies in charge that we all need and deserve. I’m not asking much here, am I?

 

Dolls and Wynonna bring the girls back to the station, where some of them are picked up, taken to homes–all but Eve. She doesn’t remember anything from before. Wynonna stares on, tearfully, in the most beautiful scene Scrofano has had to date. The vulnerability she gives Wynonna here–we’ve seen sides, okay? We’ve seen badass and sarcastic Wynonna, drunk, doom and gloom Wynonna. We’ve seen broken Wynonna, and we’ve even seen a soft side of her with Doc. But this was pure, open hearted vulnerability and the tears that well in Wynonna’s eyes, the absolute rush of emotions on her face–it’s too much. Scrofano, you’ve killed it once again, and I’m crying with you.

 

The broken way she tells Dolls, “I thought she was dead. We gave up. We stopped looking for her.” My chest physically hurt. I was there, right there with Wynonna, and Scrofano’s ability to pull us in with her is unparalleled in that moment.

 

Wynonna brings Eve (Willa) back home with her, a little shell shocked looking, but no worse for the wear. She pulls up and before she has a chance to explain anything to Waverly (or Eve) and before Waverly can finish telling Wynonna that Doc is gone, Gus (Natascha Girgis) bursts onto the porch, catches sight of her and gasps: “Willa.”

 

PS. The bear was a shapeshifter. Go figure.