After watching “On the Road Again,” episode one of season four of Wynonna Earp, I thought back to last July.
Nearly a year ago today, I was sitting in the Wynonna Earp panel at Comic-Con explaining the show to a newbie seated next to me. At one point, the cast traded good-natured but profane jokes. But then someone asked a question about their favorite moment on the show, and star Melanie Scrofano nearly cried when remembering showrunner Emily Andras’ reaction to Scrofano’s pregnancy, which was to write it into the show.
I turned to my neighbor and said “Complete silliness, nearly x-rated profanity, followed by a heartfelt confession. That’s it. That’s the show.”
That’s still the show in Wynonna Earp, Season Four, Episode One, “On the Road Again.” But there also: Winter Gardens! An unusual use for hedge-clippers! Daddy Nicole! Murdered whiskey!
And the biggest reveal: ZOMBIES!
Let’s Dig Into This:
1. WTF? (I Say This a Great Deal Watching the Show)
What would take most shows half a season, episode one of season 4 of Wynonna Earp handles in head-spinning fashion. In short, Wynonna tries to get into the Garden of Eden via the stairs but no luck, Nedley gets sidelined by an injury, Mercedes learns to throw knives and, best of all, Nicole and Wynonna head off on a road trip that zips past flat tires and murderous adolescents–hi, Rachel!-to run into Mutant Zombie Scientists.
I’m going to take a guess here, since Wynonna shows up in Eden in the previews for episode 2, that the Garden plot will be quickly resolved and the season-long plot will shift to what caused the Zombies.
But since this is a WTF show, I’m placing no bets!
2. The Profane and the X-Rated!
Wynonna Earp season 4 takes full advantage fo the 10 p.m. timeslot on cable to drop some four-letter words. Nedley spoke the first f-word of the night when telling Wynonna to go get her family. Nicole gets a few as well.
But some people might find the references to the alternate uses of sanitary napkins more offensive, I suppose. Then there was the discussion about Wynonna-blocking, in reference to Wynonna interrupting her sister’s proposal to Nicole, which brought us the word ‘lesbianing.’ That’s up there with ‘assholery,” also coined by the show.
I will let everyone else ponder the implications of Nicole being the daddy. This is a silly show (in all the best ways) at times but it’s also an adult one.
3. The Feels–“Without a gun, without them, I’m nothing.”
The third component of the show’s success is Wynonna and her deep fear of being left alone. She’s never been more alone this episode as everyone she can count on has disappeared. The flat tire on her trip to the Black Badge facility to rescue her friends is simply the last straw. She begins talking to herself or, rather, giving herself advice in the voices of her missing family.
It’s heartbreaking. Moments like this are the reason the show creates such love in its fans. This show is more than a fast-moving, fast-talking, profane, off-kilter supernatural show. It’s also about protecting your family at all costs. Even if you’re no longer the Earp heir. Even if all seems lost.
Nicole then arrives (having jumped off a train) and punches Wynonna, a perfect ending to the scene. (In Nicole’s defense, Wynonna had drugged her to keep her safe during the final confrontation last season.)
4. On the Road Again
An underrated aspect of the show is that each episode is named after a great country song. This one happens to have been written and performed by the great Willie Nelson. Nelson’s career is covered in the Ken Burns documentary Country Music and my favorite quote from it is about him. “Willie’s not from around here. And by that, I mean, not from Earth.” Willie would make a perfect #Earper
The WynHaught road trip to the seemingly abandoned Black Badge Division Facility was a blast. (Except for the Zombies. Zombies give me nightmares. THANKS A LOT SHOW.) This road trip featured quips galore but my favorite might be “Focus on the bastard who murdered my whiskey.” No, wait, it was the exchange where Wynonna decided that Haught was the daddy in their new little nuclear family, now consisting of Rachel hoping to save/find her mom, the mysterious Valdez.
Continued below5. Best Pop Culture Reference
I know, I know, from the Fyre Festival to Jurassic Park to Notting Hill to Thelma & Louise, this show referenced so many other bits of entertainment that I’d have to watch the recording several times to find them all.
But my favorite, because I’m a New England girl, had to be Wynonna calling the little attackers in the beginning “fluffernutters.” As you do. Even if the attackers were not fluffy or sandwichy.
Five things does seem to sell this jam-packed premiere a little short, so I’ll leave you with the best image of the night: The Arrival of Doc to the Garden of Eden:
Or maybe it was Nicole wearing nothing but a smile showing up in the Garden? But that image is a little close to NSFW.
Until next week, Earpers!
