Someone sent me an article about what a social media and fandom wonder this show has been. A lot of other shows are kind of ambling along as we all try to coordinate schedules. This will be a good thing to have in between..
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Purgatory
Marines: Greyhound bus. A woman who probably grew up idolizing Faith’s Bad Girl Styling (Melanie Scorfano) makes her way out of the tiny bus bathroom and takes her seat again. Another passenger asks how it went and they discuss the crimes dirty, tiny bathrooms commit against humanity. They keep chatting about their respective destinations. Wynonna is getting off on the next stop, back to a place where she doesn’t live anymore, for her uncle’s funeral. The other passenger introduces herself as Kiersten and asks for Melanie Scorano’s name.
We don’t hear her answer but instead we drive past a sign that reads “Now Entering Wyatt Earp Country.”
Hey, Wynonna, hey.
The bus has a flat tire. No one on this bus is as upset as I would be? Kiersten really has to use the nasty bathroom, but another woman gets in there first. Apparently, she needs to go bad enough, and hasn’t watched enough TV, that she goes OUTSIDE in the DARK in this creepy-ass landscape. Wynonna warns her not to go out there, but Kiersten is prepared to die, I guess. She doesn’t even go like behind the first tree she sees? She’s like… exploring at this point. RIP Kiersten.
The bus driver pulls a baby-stake looking thing out of the tire. Everyone starts freaking out when they hear roaring noises come from the tress. Dead Kiersten is peeing, and there is so much fog out here, how is she even ignoring all of these signs? I feel like my bladder would’ve withered. Who needs to pee ever again not me. Meanwhile, Dead Kiersten is out here, not buttoning up her pants or running fast enough.
Meanwhile, the bus driver has heard one too many unidentfied roars and decides they are out of here, busted tire and all. Wynonna reminds the driver that there is a passenger out there still. Everyone is on team She Made Her Own Choices. Cut to Kiersten being grabbed by something we can’t see. Wynonna gets off the bus, taking the tire iron with her, and she watches as the bus drives away without her.
In the woods, Wynonna looks for Kiersten, and finds her SURPRISE! super dead. Near her head (she’s been decapitated), we get fuzzy looks at the thing that did this. He’s got glowing eyes. It grabs Wynonna and drags her around. It seems like Wynonna can’t see the thing sometimes? It’s all very zoomy and shaky. All I know is that Wynonna falls and suddenly “Happy Birthday” starts playing on her phone? And then her eyes flash and she doesn’t look scared anymore? And then she jumps up and can apparently see the zoomy shadow creature? And she fights him in a (I’m sorry) really terrible fight sequence that we watch from the point-of-view of the Zoomy Creature. Wynonna manages to stab the Zoomy Creature in the eye with the tire iron, but it only slows it down a little. It runs away from Wynonna, pulls the tire iron out of its eye, and continues to run away. Wynonna checks her phone and sees a text from Waverly Earp: Happy birthday!
Wynonna walks alone along the road into town as a woman sings, “something’s happening to me! I feel myself changing!”
So, I think something’s happening to Wynonna. I think she feels herself changing.
She walks past a sign that welcomes her to Purgatory.
Credits, which I will henceforth indicate with I TOLD THAT DEVIL TO TAKE YOU BACK. It’s catchy.
I thought it was nighttime, but it was actually dawn. The sun is fully up now as Wynonna reports the dead body to the police, presumably. She blames it on an animal attack. The operator asks for her name, and Wynonna just hangs up. She promptly takes the sim card out of her phone and breaks it.
Wynonna walks up to the funeral already in progress. The woman speaking, presumably Wynonna’s aunt, is insulting the dead man’s looks so like, keep that bitch away from my funeral, thank you. We cut to the wake. Wynonna finds her aunt, Gus, and things are strained. Wynonna tries to lightly joke about her uncle being buried in the back yard, but Gus very seriously says that Curtis loved those tomatoes almost as much as he loved her. Who is she to separate soul mates? Gus goes on to say that Curtis died of a stroke. Wynonna calls bullshit. Gus shares that someone named Champ was there when Curtis died but didn’t see anything. Wynonna asks if the body was intact when they found it. Gus snaps at her and tells her to let it go. For once.
Woods. The Sheriff says maybe Kiersten was a runaway, a whore, or otherwise a troublemaker. Wow, thank you for establishing yourself as LOLPD right off the bat. A man in a suit is also examining the body and tells Sheriff LOL that this is the third dead woman on his hands in the past six months. He asks if they’ve found Kiersten’s head yet, as this is not the kill site. Sheriff LOL gets kind of testy, but the main in the suit whips out his ID (Deputy Marshall Dolls) and assures Sheriff LOL that he’ll be around for as long as it takes. As Sheriff LOL continues to snit, Dolls finds a necklace. One, we can assume, Wynonna dropped.
Town. Wynonna walks int a bar. The bartender greets he warmly and they soon slip into talking about the “dead runaway” that of course everyone already knows about. Wynonna confides that she was there. She was the one who called it into the cops… anonymously. Bartender gives her a look and offers her a drink, which she says she’ll just take one of, since she needs to focus. She’s here for Gus and Curtis and detecting the shit out of things.
They are interrupted by someone we’ll temporarily call, um, Backwoods. He recognizes Wynonna and asks her why her great-great-grandpappy Wyatt Earp would ever want to settle in this shithole.
We cut to Champ’s place, which Wynonna pretends to be impressed by. She mixes her flirting with questions about the dead man, which honestly, doesn’t seem to bother Champ at all. He only cottons on to the fact that he will not be getting lucky when Wynonna pushes him down on the bed and pulls out a knife. She threatens several of his body parts until Champ shares what he knows: he heard screaming, came running, and Curtis was missing a head. Cattle were mutilated and there were lights in the hills and strange marks in the dirt. Wynonna tweaks his nipple and Champ shares the final thing: Curtis died at Wynonna’s place, the homestead. She wants Champ to show her where, but he definitely doesn’t want to go back there. She tells him he doesn’t have a choice. No one will save him now.
A girl breaks down the door and yells, “except his girlfriend!” She puns a bit as she shoots up the place, right up until she recognizes that the person hiding behind the bed is her sister. Wynonna stands and awkwardly greets her little sister. “You grew out your… hair.”
Wynonna and Waverly walk together and quickly catch each other up. Wynonna is in town to investigate Carl’s death. Waverly is dating Champ because it’s a small town and there are limited dating options. Waverly stops the walk and talk to give her sister a hug. It’s been three years since they last saw each other. Wynonna didn’t say she was coming. Wynnona wasn’t going to come, but Uncle Curtis sent her an email. It said, “they’ve caught up with me.” Waverly almost brightens. She knew it wasn’t a stroke that killed Curtis. “It’s starting again, isn’t it? We need that gun.” Wynonna doesn’t want to talk about this and told Waverly to never talk about it either. Waverly says she doesn’t. It was the best advice Wy ever gave her. The only advice, really. Wynonna says that she was a kid herself and couldn’t look after anyone. Wy thinks that leaving Waverly was the best thing she could’ve done. Waverly says she isn’t 6 anymore, though, and they could fight this thing, this curse, whatever it is, together. Wynonna is yelling that there is no curse when she suddenly spins, draws her knife and holds it up against the throat of the man who snuck up on her: Dolls.
Dolls asks if they can talk somewhere not on the street and with knives, I guess. The police got her call and also found her necklace at the crime scene.
Gus’s kitchen. Wynonna asks if she’s being charged. He knows Wynonna didn’t kill the girl, but keeps asking his questions. Wynonna has some questions of her own, namely who the f Dolls works for. He isn’t FBI. Dolls hands over a file and after a peak in, Wynonna recognizes him as US Marshall, but not the black star of his division. It’s a covert one that monitors specific, unexplainable activity that has recently flared up in this area. Wynonna gives a big exhale, but sticks to her story that a big coyote is what killed Dead Kiersten. Also, Dolls is so intense and weird. I laughed out loud in this scene when he stands behind Wynonna like this:
Finally, he asks for Waverly. Wynonna spins and tells him to leave her sister out of this. Dolls says he only wanted to thank her for the coffee. He makes sure Wy has his card and then asks if it’s Earp as in Wyatt, the greatest gunslinger who ever lived. Dolls gets real close to Wy again and asks if she’s a good shot too. She says that, thankfully for him, she couldn’t hit a lawman at zero paces.
After Dolls is gone, Waverly comes back into the kitchen, and brings up the fact that it’s Wynonna’s 27th birthday. Wy insists that it doesn’t matter. Waverly asks why she looks so spooked. Wy doesn’t answer. Instead she says she’s taking Gus’s truck. She’s going home.
Earp Homestead. The yard is a mess and there is a police line out there. Inside the house, Wynonna has a flashback. Her dad explains that Wyatt killed 77 outlaws with his special gun. The eldest Earp recites that now all those outlaws are resurrecting as revenants coming for the Earps. Waverly tells their daddy that he’ll stop them. Wynonna echoes this. Papa Earp says that as the oldest, Willa is the next Earp heir, destined to inherit Wyatt’s abilities. We see a badge as Papa Earp says this. She’s the only thing that can put the revenants down again.
Another flashback shows the house under attack. 7 demons are trying to get into the house. One of the demons breaks through the window and grabs Willa. Papa Earp presumably goes after her, but he leaves the gun. Wynonna grabs it.
Back in the present, Wynonna finds that badge we saw. And she also finds a note that says “Welcome hone, Wynonna.” This makes Wynonna v upset.
Stomping back to her truck, she says out loud that Waverly was right. They need that gun. She takes a moment to realize she’s talking to her truck. Don’t worry, Wy! It was handy exposition for the audience. But uh-oh, Wy! Zoomy was in listening distance. He calls someone (demons with cell phones!) and tells them that Wynonna took the bait. She’ll fetch it for them.
Wynonna is loading up the back of the truck with supplies. Gus finds her and asks if she was planning on asking to borrow all that stuff, especially after she already borrowed all the whiskey. Wynonna tells Gus that something took Curtis’s head. Gus tells Wy that she looks manic and paranoid. She’s probably off her meds. Wynonna says that she may be certifiable, but that doesn’t change the fact that something bad is happening in Purgatory and it has everything to do with her last name. Gus reminds her that she’s not the only Earp in town. Waverly has been working so hard to get out from under Wy’s shadow. Gus hands over an envelope full of cash as a birthday gift– enough for a one way back to Athens. Gus says that she loves Wynonna, but she’s as broken as them come. Gus, take your rude ass love and go.
Well. Wynonna climbs out of it with a bundle in her hand. Dolls is there to greet her and she pulls herself up. They trade more verbal jabs, Wy calling him a stalker, Dolls insisting he can help. She asks what the heck he actually wants, and Dolls asks her to join his squad. He needs someone who knows Purgatory. Wynonna laughs and says she doesn’t do authority. She barely does sober these days. Dolls sighs and says he’ll just have to recruit Waverly, then. He’s talking to the wrong sister. Wy snaps and says they are all talking to the wrong sister. The right sister got dragged into the woods and slaughtered. This looks like it’s news to Dolls who asks what her name was. Wynonna shares, Willa, and then tells Dolls to stop following her.
Before she leaves, Wynonna has another traumaback, picking up where we left off when Willa was taken: Wynonna picks up Wyatt’s gun and tries to help her father who is being taken away by demons, AND LITTLE WYNONNA SHOOTS HER FATHER INSTEAD.
Damn. ROUGH.
Of course, it was the gun that Wy pulled out of the well. She drives out to the Welcome to Purgatory sign and has some target practice. She’s very bad.
A revenant climbs up out of the well.
After a not!break, Wynonna is watching someone, but I can’t tell who. She’s bothered by Sheriff LOL (Nedley) and he basically tells her that she should’ve stayed away because her family has suffered enough. Wynonna flicks him off.
Waverly has been doing all this research and she’s ready. She spots Wyatt’s gun and gets super excited, but Wynonna won’t let her touch it. It’s old, it doesn’t shoot straight, and the only person it ever killed was their father.
Downstairs at the bar, Wy is pouring shots and pounding them back, Wyatt’s gun on the bar next to her. A man in all black spots it and strikes up a conversation. He wants to see the gun, but Wynonna says no. She also just leaves it there, so of course this guy just grabs it anyway. The gun is called Peacemaker, which Wy thinks is pretty hilarious considering all the people that gun killed. Mystery Man asks if she’s calling Wyatt a hypocrite. Wynonna says she’s actually saying that crazy runs in the family. She puts her hand out. Mystery Man apologizes and hands the gun back. He didn’t know he was talking to an Earp. He thought she was a prostitute. Wynonna pours herself another and says prostitutes get paid for it. She wonders out loud what kind of man wants to be a gunslinger. Mystery Man says Wyatt Earp wanted to be a farmer. “3o seconds in the OK Corral and a gunslinger he was made. Sometimes life choose for us.” Mystery Man takes his leave.
Later that night, Wynonna heads over to Gus’s place to say goodbye. She finds Gus bleeding on the floor. Gus chokes out that they took Waverly. “He said tomorrow, high noon.” Gus either passes out or die, and I hope she isn’t dead. I know she’s just been kind of salty since we’ve seen her but damn. Wynonna looks up and sees “bring the gun” written in blood on the window.
The next morning, Wynonna finds Dolls who has apparently ignored all her calls. He has heard about Gus, who is in ICU (phew), and about Waverly who was taken by coyotes (officially) or demons (unofficially). Wynonna can’t believe he actually said demons, considering that she was committed because of this. Dolls tells Wy that she doesn’t know where to find them or what to do next. Waverly is already dead. Wynonna decks him and stomps away, saying she knows where they are. Where this all started.
Wynonna busts into Shorty’s bar and asks for the best ride in his stable, tossing him the envelop full of cash. He offers her a black beauty and we next see her riding a motorcycle out of town while “Black Sheep” by Gin Wigmore plays.
Homestead. Waverly is on a rickety stool and she’s got a noose around her neck. She jokes that Wynonna must’ve missed her bus. Wy asks if she’s hanging in there. Waverly tells her that’s horrible, but then turns around and yells that the bad guys are worm food now. Zoomy comes out and tells Wy not to take another step. Wy asks for his name (Zoomy, duh) and he tells her all about how he was an entrepreneur who murdered his business partner, so Wyatt killed him. Now he’s back and not alone. He explains that when the Earp heir turns 27, all the people killed by the last one resurrect.
Wynonna asks why Zoomy killed Curtis. To lure her back and get her to fetch what they needed: Peacemaker. She says she’ll hand it over and walks back to the bike, putting the gun on it. She tells them they can take the bike, too. Misc Revenant is sent to retrieve both as Zoomy laughs about what a sucky heir she is. Carl is sent to grab her as Misc Revenant asks how to start the bike. Wynonna pushes Carl toward the bike, whips out a detonator, and makes the bike explode. Of course, the magic gun is fine and just gets blown toward Wynonna.
In the blast, the stool gets pushed out from under Waverly. Wy runs to grab her legs and keep her from chocking. Zoomy gets up though, so Wy tells Waverly to take a deep breath. She lets go of Waverly’s legs and spin kicks Zoomy. It’s a very exaggerated spin kick so I laugh a little. Once Zoomy is down, Wynonna runs back over to Waverly, gets the stool back under her feet, and then runs to grab Peacemaker.
Zoomy is real angry now and asks if Wynonna really thinks she can best him. “I’m gonna put you in the ground like it’s my job,” she says with the gun trained on him.
Wy runs over to check on Waverly, but Carl is still alive. Wynonna struggles with reloading the gun, but it clicks when she shoots. Empty? Someone shoots Carl down though. Waverly asks if she brought back-up, and Wy confusedly says yeah, totally. Dolls comes driving in now and covers them as they both hop into his SUV.
Later, Waverly tells Wynonna that Gus will be discharged tomorrow. She wonders what happened to Wyatt Earp to make them deserve this. Wy just shakes her head. Waverly asks if she’s really staying this time. “That’s why they call it a curse,” Wynonna tells her. But she’s not the only sticking around. Dolls is back.
We cut to Dolls blackmailing Wy with some murder charges. So basically be a cop or go to jail. Dolls says her first job will be tracking down and killing Wyatt’s revenants before they kill everyone in the country. Wynonna says they can’t leave Purgatory, which Dolls didn’t know. In between the snark, Wynonna thanks Dolls for coming for them and covering them from the trees. He gets real close to her face again and says it’s Deputy Marshall Dolls. Things will run a lot smoother if she follows his lead. Wynonna doubts that. He starts to leave, but Wynonna says she wants to pick her own team. Dolls says he already has a team. He tosses her a badge and welcomes her to the Black Badge Division.
Elsewhere. Mystery Man lights a cigarette. Someone asks if he’s really gonna stay here. Wouldn’t he be more comfortable in town with his own kind? Mystery Man says he reckons he’s the only one of his kind left. The guy talking to him, who we now see has pointed teeth and looks real demon-y, says that some of the others think it was him who shot Carl and provided cover for the heir. “The heir to what?” Mystery Man says. “Wynonna is one thing. And that’s a disgrace to the Earp name.” The other dude tells Mystery Man to just keep to the outskirts. Mystery Man doesn’t want to miss the reunion, but the other dude says that isn’t a reunion. It’s a war party.
Obviously I had buy in to keep watching this before I started recapping. That is to say, I knew before I finished the pilot that I would watch episode two. And that said, this wasn’t the strongest pilot I’ve ever seen. There are things that click a little more in retrospect (the happy birthday song marking Wy’s 27th, when she became the heir), but it was still a tad bit clunky in places. There is a lot here that I’m in for, though: sibling feels, chosen one, a named gun, Wynonna gunning and punning. There are things I hope calm down: Dolls, mostly.
Next time on Wynonna Earp: The Revenants make more plans to get Peacemaker in S01 E02 – Keep the Home Fires Burning.
I'm a 30-something south Floridan who loves the beach but cannot swim. Such is my life, full of small contradictions and little trivialities. My main life goals are never to take life too seriously, but to do everything I attempt seriously well. After that, my life goals devolve into things like not wearing pants and eating all of the Zebra Cakes in the world. THE WORLD.
