“Wynonna Earp” 1.03 Review: “Leavin’ On Your Mind”
In the third episode of Syfy’s new supernatural Western, Wynonna Earp, the show continues its trend of infusing action with quick-witted banter, adding an emotional punch that left me reeling. Titled “Leavin’ On Your Mind,” this episode finds Wynonna teaming up with Agent Dolls to stop a trio of Revenants, who are determined to perform a spell that would allow them to leave the cursed Ghost River Triangle, which keeps them trapped in Purgatory. Meanwhile, Waverly grows suspicious of Henry/Hank and uncovers his not-so-carefully kept secret: the fact that he is really the notorious gunslinger Doc Holliday.
The mystery surrounding Doc Holliday remains one of the most intriguing aspects of the show. Even now, it’s unclear where his allegiance lies. He doesn’t appear to want Wynonna or Waverly dead but he’s also willing to sidle up to Bobo and his motley crew of Revenants for his own interests. One thing that we do discover about him in this episode, however, is that he has a shady history with someone known as “The Stone Witch.” Could this Stone Witch be the person who gifted (or cursed) him with immortality in the first place? And is this Stone Witch connected to Holliday’s presumed betrayal of Wyatt? So many unanswered questions! Nevertheless, I feel confident that the show will provide answers given time.
We also learn a bit more about the mythology of the Revenants, namely that repeated trips down under eat away at their humanity. While two of the three rogue Revenants appear rational—apart from some brief lapses into psychotic violence—the third one is barely holding it together. As we gather later on, this particular Revenant was one of the Seven who besieged the Earp homestead in the past, resulting in the deaths of Wynonna and Waverly’s father and sister. Furthermore, this is his third trip top-side, which is why he behaves the way that he does.
Moreover, we find out that the Revenants are unable to leave Purgatory because of a barrier known as the Ghost River Triangle. If they attempt to cross the barrier, they suffer hell on earth. The question, though, is how this blockade got there in the first place. Is it a natural occurrence—something to do with electromagnetic forces—or is it supernatural, perhaps erected by a spell of some sort? My gut feeling is that the Stone Witch is responsible for it; for all we know, she could’ve been the one to curse the Earp line in the first place.
Of course, the crux of the episode was the death of Shorty, whose passing carried a lot of emotional weight even though he was only around for a short time. From the beginning, Shorty was like a pseudo-uncle to Wynonna and Waverly, and I always pictured him like a mentor to Wynonna. Although I wish the show had spent some more time building their relationship, I never doubted the authenticity of Wynonna or Waverly’s grief.
Aside from that, Shorty’s death served to create friction between Wynonna and Dolls. I was surprised by how nonchalant and dispassionate Dolls was in the face of Wynonna’s grief; telling someone that their loved one is nothing more than “collateral damage” is probably the worst thing that anyone could say. More so, it sheds a light on what kind of person Dolls is. Moving forward, I hope we have the opportunity to delve more into his past so that we can figure out what made him into the hardened individual that he is now.
Altogether, this was a strong episode that demonstrated just how much potential Wynonna Earp has. In addition to balancing the plot well between the ensemble cast—and allowing each character to shine in their own right—“Leavin’ On Your Mind” broadens the show’s mythology, thereby ensuring that it could go in a multitude of directions and endure for many seasons to come.
New episodes of Wynonna Earp air on Friday nights at 10:00 pm ET/PT on Syfy.