Wynonna Earp Season 3, Episode 4
Wynonna Earp has always been pretty deft when it comes to genre. Sometimes, it’s a horror. Sometimes, it skews more supernatural. In tonight’s episode, “Colder Weather,” it leans heavy on the fairy tale formula. The trees literally have eyes, at least in new character Robin’s hallucinations, one of many hallucinatory experiences the characters on Wynonna Earp have throughout the episode, seemingly brought about by the impending arrival of a demon set to kill Waverly. Of course, not even the creepiness of the murder woods could diminish the delight of Jeremy and Robin’s flirtatious banter. Jeremy could use a win right about now, and seeing him find such a sweet, hilarious, local love interest in Robin is god damn cathartic after all of the death, cult massacres, and potential child murder elsewhere on the show. Don’t get me wrong: I love Wynonna Earp‘s drama, but, sometimes, you just want to see two souls fall in like, you know? And Jeremy deserves some sweet things in his life. Please don’t die, Robin. Poor Doc has so many things to be haunted by. There’s Alice, of course, but also Bulshar, hell, and, most disturbingly to Doc, a combination of the two. It’s unclear, at this point, if Doc hallucinated Bulshar or if he was really there, but, when it comes to Doc’s state of mind, it doesn’t really matter. Is he willing to sell out his family for a chance at avoiding hell? Maybe, and that scares the crap out of the man trying to live up to the example Dolls laid out for him in their last conversation. The incident leads Waverly to properly learn the truth about her mother’s history. It’s an emotional Nedley who tells her the story. Michelle was locked up after she burnt the Earp barn to the ground with Waverly inside. Ward, who was sheriff at the time, convinced Nedley to go along with sending Michelle away for good, an action that an ashamed Nedley has never truly forgiven himself for and one that set Wynonna, Waverly, and Michelle’s lives on a vastly different path. Inevitably, of course, it turns out that Michelle was not trying to kill Waverly, but rather the demon who is after her. Is it Bulshar? Is it Jolene, a creepily cheery creature who, by episode’s end, she holds some kind of sway over Waverly, Nicole, Doc, and Wynonna as they happily east baked goods and wait for the demon to get Waverly? It’s unclear, but pretty darn unsettling none the less. The only thing worse than seeing these characters in honest pain is seeing them in what feels like drug-induced denial.
Additional thoughts.
Peacemaker isn’t working. That’s…not good. “That’s a murder tree. That’s a murder tree.” Words I hope I never have to utter or hear. “How many six-year-olds think to jump in a canoe to escape a fire?” I love the ridiculousness of the backstory of Nicole’s survival of the massacre. I hope they just keep dropping increasingly outlandish details like this one. “You got bangs!” Robin’s response to seeing Waverly for the first time in a while is so realistic. Was that Doc’s ring that Nicole threw into the forest? Could it have something to do with the hallucinations or are they completely unrelated? Robin did see the murder trees before Nicole threw the ring. “When were you going to tell me that you were the child survivor of a Cult of Bulshar massacre?” — Wynonna, to Nicole “Can you both agree that you’re sneaky, sneaky squirrels and try to have each other’s backs for a change?” How could anyone resist Waverly Earp? Flip phones! “You’re strong, baby girl. You deserve answers.” Can every superhero show that regularly keeps secrets from its female characters and then tries to defend it watch this episode please? “So, it’s official. We’d watch each other do degrading things.” Guys, Wynonna and Doc are so in love. Doc made a crib for Alice. If you need me, I’ll be crying in the corner. “You do not share your mother’s failings … I know you better than anyone and I’m still here.” New city manager Claude is an obstacle, for sure, but you kind of understand where he’s coming from? Like, this town has limited resources, and it’s very unclear from the outside what Marshal Wynonna does exactly. Also, I kind of can’t believe Purgatory is a city? This feels like a town, through and through. “In town and employed? Better pick a wedding date.” — Jeremy, on Waverly’s suggestion for a set-up. “Sounds in-tree-ging.” “Yeah, good. Because I’m stumped.” I already ship them so hard. “You and Officer Haught are awesome… as far as stupid cops go.” — Wynonna “Are you?” “A murderer?” “Available?” “You’re a grown up now and you use proper grammar, so I guess you have a right to know.” I’m glad someone commented on Waverly’s correct usage of the pronoun “whom.” “Do you need a compass?” “I am a compass. Describe your surroundings.” “Do you not have Revenant Snapchat?” Please tell me there actually is Revenant Snapchat. Or, at the very least, that the Revenants use actual Snapchat. “You guys suck at treating mental illness.” “Or I can get you some tea.” Nicole’s trying, y’all. “This is not enough and we will not be enough.” Someone hug Doc. If he’ll let them…
