“Wynonna Earp” Episode 8 & 9 Review: Syfy’s Supernatural Western Continues to Push the Envelope
The eighth and ninth episodes of Wynonna Earp featured the show doing something for which I had been hoping since its inception: branching out from its original formula to explore new and exciting storytelling possibilities. In “Two-Faced Jack,” we not only see the end of one saga—the death of the final member of the Seven, the band of Revenants who murdered Wynonna’s father and sister—but we also learn that there is more to those past events than initially met the eye. Why did Wade Earp make a deal with BoBo Del Rey in the first place? And why did BoBo send an assassination squad to the Earp homestead if such a deal existed? These are all questions that add new depth to an already intriguing series.
Of course, the writers also used this episode as an opportunity to incorporate one of the most notorious serial killers in history into the landscape of Purgatory—Jack the Ripper—and explore the unresolved tension between Dolls and Doc. I’ll be the first to admit that the latter was largely left undeveloped: while I can believe that Dolls would be motivated by jealousy to betray Doc, I felt like it was a rather juvenile plot choice. Furthermore, I was left perplexed by Dolls’s sudden change of heart. It all felt too rushed for my taste. With any luck, this will be something that the writers fix in the future.
As a whole, though, the episode was the great mix of horror, suspense and quirkiness. The pseudo-surgeon Jack was as terrifying as the creepy barber from a few weeks ago, and although they never said outright that he was Jack the Ripper, it was heavily implied that he was. Once again, this was a plot detail that could’ve benefited from further exploration.
By the episode’s end, Wynonna had dispatched the final member of the Seven, which left her surprisingly despondent. Was it the revelation that her father had been “friends” with BoBo that was weighing her down? Or was it the sudden realization that her quest for revenge was over that caused the look of despair on her face? Most likely, it was a combination of both. It was almost as if Wynonna was a walking, talking embodiment of what the audience was feeling as the final credits rolled by. What now? Where do we go from here?
Episode nine, “Bury Me With My Guns On,” sought to answer these questions, sending its characters off into this uncharted story landscape on shaky legs. There was a lot going on in this episode—so much going on, in fact, that it felt a bit too busy. Wynonna was presumably dealing with a serious case of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder; Waverly was trying to come to terms with her attraction to Detective Haught; BoBo launched a brand new business venture that could spell bad things for the Earps; Doc seized an opportunity to get revenge; and, the Stone Witch spilled quite a few beans about the Earp curse and Doc’s immortality. That’s a lot of plot development to shove into a 45-minute episode!
Nevertheless, this episode served to demonstrate that this show has a ton of potential and could very well be around for a while. I particularly am enjoying Waverly’s character development; she’s slowly but surely becoming a character that is intriguing in her own right and isn’t just around to support Wynonna’s story. In fact, I would even be brazen enough to say that I’m more invested at this point in Waverly than I am in Wynonna, if only because I feel like the writers are doing more interesting things with Waverly. More so, I love the approach that they’re taking to her fledgling relationship with Detective Haught; the attraction is definitely there, but rather than tossing them together from the get-go, they’ve allowed them to progress organically and realistically. It sharply contrasts with the hot-and-cold running sexual tension between Wynonna and Doc, which seems to be leading nowhere.
Aside from the episode’s romantic developments, we also saw yet another crucial villain allegedly neutralized. While I’m glad that Doc finally got his revenge on the Stone Witch, I can’t help but be disappointed that her role in the story is over. She is such a compelling character and Rayisa Kondracki does such a wonderful job in the role that I don’t want her to be gone.
All in all, “Bury Me With My Guns On” witnessed the show taking crucial steps to assert itself in the sci-fi genre. I’m very excited to see what happens next. What will BoBo’s new ownership of Shorty’s bar mean for the Earps? Are the Stone Witch and her son gone for good? Will Wynonna and Doc continue to tip-toe around their feelings for each other? We’ll have to wait and see!
New episodes of Wynonna Earp air on Friday at 10:00 pm ET/PT on Syfy.