If you’re a fan of True Blood, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, or Supernatural, you will absolutely enjoy Wynonna Earp. The story starts when Wynonna Earp returns to her hometown, Purgatory, for her uncle’s funeral. And yes, she’s related to the infamous gunslinger Wyatt Earp. Both she and her younger sister, Waverly, are the great-great-grandaughters of the legendary lawman. As the oldest descendant of Wyatt, Wynonna is the only one who can wield the power of Wyatt’s revolver, the Peacemaker, to send “revenants,” or the souls of those Wyatt killed, back to hell.
Wynonna Earp is based on the comic book series of the same name. I haven’t read them, but I recently binged-watched the first season (13 episodes) on Netflix. Season 2 debuted on June 9 on SyFy and new episodes currently air Fridays at 10 pm.
In my opinion, this show is one of TV’s best kept secrets. Well, not anymore! Keep reading to see why, but I promise, I won’t reveal any major spoilers.
The setting and its characters. Okay, having a town called Purgatory in a supernatural show might not sound creative, but much like True Blood‘s Bon Temps and Buffy’s Sunnydale, Purgatory is filled with unique characters. Since it’s a small town, you get the know the secondary characters like Sheriff Nedley and his police department, and Shorty, owner of the local saloon. You see the characters throughout the season and get to care for them. Most the episodes follow the revenant-of-the-week format, so it was cool to see the different demons and spirits. We also meet Agent Xavier Dolls, who is part of the Black Badge government division that investigates supernatural crime scenes. The show never tells us what state Purgatory is located in, but the show is filmed in Canada and takes advantage of the snowy landscape and chilly temperatures (lots of cool outerwear, for example). Some of the cinematography is also breathtaking.
The relationship between Wynonna and Waverly. As a “big sister,” I totally related to many of the scenes between the Earp girls. A little backstory: Wynonna and Waverly both lost their father and their older sister, Willa, after revenants attacked them. Growing up, the girls were raised and trained knowing they would one day be the one to wield the Peacemaker. But since Willa was the oldest, the duty was supposed to fall on her. Instead, it’s Wynonna who has to take up the mantel now (you find out she was lured back to Purgatory for her uncle’s funeral so the revenants could find out where she hid the Peacemaker). The show does a great job also showing us that even though the show is called Wynonna Earp, Waverly is definitely not a background character. She’s an important part of the team and contributes as an expert of Earp history. The two sisters are shown as loving and caring to one another, but they also fight and quarrel like real sisters. The chemistry between the two actresses also comes through in their acting as though they are truly family. And as much as I used to love the Winchester brothers on Supernatural, I think the Earp sisters kick more demon ass!
Bobo Del Rey. If your show’s Big Bad sounds like something you would name your favorite stuffed animal, then you better make him scary as hell! Bobo Del Rey is the leader of the revenants and his goal, along with the other revenants, is to get out of Purgatory (pun intended, I suppose). Actor Michael Eklund has such an enigmatic presence. He really makes the larger-than-life character the kind of villain you love to hate.
Doc Holliday’s mustache. That’s it. But no, seriously, Tim Rozon’s Doc Holliday (yes, the one and only) is pretty epic. You never know what side he’s on or what game he’s playing, but he has become one of my favorite TV characters. His relationship with the Earp sisters (after his long and complicated one with Wyatt) really carries the show, and you know their stories will always be entwined.
Girl power. Showrunner Emily Andras also ran another terrific show called Lost Girl about a bisexual succubus living in the world of fae. Like Lost Girl, the show doesn’t shy away from sexuality as Waverly discovers she’s attracted to women and finds herself falling for local cop Nicole Haught (their ship name is WayHaught, which is really cute). Wynonna is a real character with flaws and she makes mistakes. Even before she left Purgatory, she was an outcast in town. She drinks too much. She’s attracted to both Doc and Dolls, but the show does a good job showing that it’s not a love triangle. All three get along and work well with each other. She doesn’t want to be the Chosen One, but she knows she has a responsibility to keep the people of Purgatory safe and to send the revenants back to hell. The women are strong and tough, but they’re also allowed to be open and vulnerable.
Overall, Wynonna Earp is a lot of fun to watch (and it also blends some of my favorite genres: western, horror, urban fantasy, romance), but you will also cheer, mourn, and hold your breath with anticipation with all the twists and turns. From what I saw in the season 2 premiere, I’m positive we are in for one hell of a ride!
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZtS85QMw7N0&w=560&h=315]Photos from Screencapped.net.
I will have to give it another try. I watched the first episode and I liked the sisters and I liked Doc Holliday, even as I rolled my eyes that of COURSE it was that Doc Holliday. I can’t remember now what it was about the premise that made my brain sputter and say, but wait, that won’t work…. this is a task that can never end…. It also obviously has a budget that makes Supernatural’s budget seem positively extravagant.
I’m also pretty sure I had at least the first three issues of the comic, back when I was collecting them.
I’m going to have to track this down and give it a watch. Fond of ALL of the elements in their various permutations and the chance to see them all in one place? Too tempting too pass up!