DISCLAIMER: This Wynonna Earp recap contains more spoilers than the number of times Waverly has been held hostage by creepy dudes. As a creepy dude, that’s kind of your MO. You’ve been warned. Make your peace, and enter at your own peril.
Welcome back, Earpers! Wynonna Earp delivered a wallop of an episode this week. There was about fifty shades of “no chill” jam-packed into one hour. I don’t know about you, but I ran the gamut of emotions on the emotional color wheel – happiness, sadness, anger. You name it, I felt it. Also, thanks to one Xavier Dolls, I experienced the five stages of grief in quick succession. If I didn’t say it before, it bears repeating: do not continue reading if you don’t want to be spoiled. Our Fandras crafted a series-altering installment, one rife with epic spoilers galore. Tread lightly, friends.
Alright, ready to delve into “When You Call My Name?” Just be sure to always leave a bottle of whiskey in your vehicle in case you get stranded. That’s Survival 101, Earpers.
We open with the scene of the accident from the premiere. Poor Waverly (Dominique Provost-Chalkley) is being dragged away from the overturned truck by a mysterious figure. She’s screaming for Wynonna, who’s presumably still trapped inside. We see a trail of Waves’ blood smeared across the snow, and it paints a haunting picture indeed. So, where is Wynonna?
Meanwhile, we find our hero Wynonna (Melanie Scrofano) is stranded on the side of a cliff. She’s obviously sporting her opulent gown from the previous night, she’s injured and now chilling in the elements – quite literally. Wynonna, being Wynonna, mumbles to herself about how she despises hangovers. Must have been a wicked party, dude!
Suddenly, Wynonna hears a familiar voice – her mother, Michelle (Megan Follows), looms above her. But how can this be, you ask? Mama Earp is still in prison. Is our protagonist hallucinating? Mama Earp coerces her daughter to “snap out of it,” to think critically and switch gears into survival mode. Michelle comes out guns blazing with wry jokes, and now I see where Wynonna gets her sarcastic demeanor from. Like mama, like daughter. Wynonna starts assessing her surroundings, and realizes with the help of her mother that she must climb the cliff. However, she cannot take Peacemaker with her. We see that Wynonna’s shoulder is dislocated, and our hero snaps it back into place before beginning her ascent. Ouch times a million.
Then, we find Waverly is trapped inside a cabin. Our mystery man is apparently a woodsman who’s irate that his woods are now free of animals. Thus, he’s resorted to eating people as his source of nutrition. Hey, that wasn’t covered in the food pyramid I know. He refuses to divulge in Wynonna’s whereabouts. Mountain man uses a surprise supernatural ability to steal Waverly’s voice. Next, he uses our Waves’ voice to return Nicole’s call. Waverly silently screams, and I can’t help but think of The Little Mermaid.
Meanwhile, Wynonna reaches the top of the cliff, where her overturned truck still remains. Michelle forces Wynonna to take stock of her supplies within the truck. Wynonna procures a bottle of whiskey and starts chugging. That’s my girl. Then, she pinpoints Waverly’s jacket, and her tracking senses kick in. They hear noises of unknown people approaching, and instantly Michelle thinks of Bulshar. After donning a thick coat herself, Wynonna and her maybe-not-hallucination mother set out in the direction they believe Waverly went.
Next, we’re with our remaining Black Badge gang – Jeremy (Varun Saranga), Dolls (Shamier Anderson) and Nicole (Katherine Barrell). Dolls and Nicole are still delving into the mystery behind the multiple mass murders, the ones perpetrated by the Cult of Bulshar. Of course, after learning in the previous episode that Nicole may be a survivor of the aforementioned cult, we can assume that the duo is exploring that bombshell revelation. Jeremy informs the pair that the massacre victims seemed to have died quickly which is a small consolation for, you know, getting murdered. Nicole mentions Waverly’s disappearance, and decides to make the trek to the Homestead in search of her. Dolls heads out to track down Doc, as it’s now “all hands on deck” in the BBD world.
Then, we see Wynonna and Michelle traipsing through the woods. Mama Earp and her daughter are painfully wandering down memory lane, and the former reminds the latter that being the heir has made her “soft.” Wynonna has been incessantly relying on her friends when, according to Michelle, she should be standing solo on her own two feet. Hey, don’t knock our Black Badge gang. Wynonna tearfully proclaims that she needed a mother when she was growing up, and vehemently chastises her for abandoning the family. Can someone please award Follows and Scrofano with all the Emmys? Their scenes in this episode are extraordinary. Not to mention they hit home for me, as I’m sure they do for many others. Suddenly, Michelle vanishes, and now it’s clear that she was a vision all along.
Later, Dolls finds Doc (Tim Rozon) at the bar, throwing knives as you do. Doc reveals that, when Dolls killed him during the Iron Witch’s curse, he actually went to Hell. You know, the place that Wynonna sends the Revenants. Doc came to the realization that despite his change of character and his numerous good deeds, he’s still destined for Hell. Thus, it doesn’t matter how you rectify your sins in this life – you could still potentially end up downstairs. Doc believes he shares more similarities with Dolls than he initially thought possible. However, Dolls reminds Doc that he does good deeds because he wants to, not because of the threat of eternal damnation. Mic drop for Xavier!
Meanwhile, Nicole arrives at a desolate Homestead. A lone man approaches her police car and informs her that his son is missing. He also reveals that he discovered an overturned truck not far from the Homestead. Nicole urges the man to take her to the crash site. The two depart for the scene of the accident.
Next, Doc finds Jeremy once again in his bar, running tests on Dolls’ Lizard Man drugs. He informs Doc that Dolls is not doing so hot (pun intended), and that our Lizard Man is experiencing nasty side effects. Then, the light bulb goes off in Doc’s head – he realizes that Wynonna and Waverly are in trouble. His Earp senses are tingling! Jeremy gives Doc an earpiece so the two can communicate. Doc leaves Jeremy behind to search for his girls.
Later, Wynonna finds the lone cabin where Waverly is being held hostage. She spots our Waves resting not-so comfortably inside a metal cage. Waverly soundlessly urges Wynonna to tread with caution as there’s an invisible booby trap awaiting her. Remember the hitch hiker’s missing son? Well, Mountain Man found him and used said invisible booby trap to slice his throat. Yes, it’s a wire…that you can’t see. That’s comforting. So, Waverly launches into an impromptu game of Charades, and finally Wynonna figures out what Waves is silently communicating. Waverly guides Wynonna around the booby trap.
Then, Wynonna tries desperately to break open the metal cage, but to no avail. Waverly takes this moment to discuss Wynonna’s prison visit with Mama Earp. Of course, Wynonna apologizes and reveals that she didn’t want to drag Waverly into this familial mess. Waverly is irritated, but before the pair can continue the one-sided argument Mountain Man returns. Wynonna finds a hiding place as Mountain Man leaves once again to check his human traps.
Meanwhile, Doc unites with Nicole at the scene of the accident. Doc reveals that the crash wasn’t an accident, but done purposefully. We know that Mountain Man is a hungry fella, and just wanted some Earp for dinner. Doc and Nicole decide to follow in Wynonna’s footsteps in the direction of the cabin.
Later, Wynonna realizes she must head back out into the wilderness to decimate Mountain Man. “I swear on my favorite boy band that I’m going to kill him, and then I’ll mm-bop right back,” she vows to Waverly. This may, hands down, be my favorite line ever. This is why Wynonna is my favorite. So, crow bar in hand, Wynonna sets out to slay a mountain man.
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Next, Dolls returns to the BBD headquarters to find a solitary Jeremy. Jeremy accidentally reveals that the gang is out searching for the Earp sisters, and of course Dolls is angry that he wasn’t kept abreast of the situation. Jeremy was only thinking of Dolls’ physical health, which is on the decline thanks to the years of Black Badge Lizard Man testing. Dolls storms off to lend a hand in the search.
Meanwhile, Wynonna comes face to face with Mountain Man, and we learn that he is a Revenant. Of course, Peacemaker would come in handy right about now if it wasn’t resting on the face of a cliff. A crow bar will have to do. Thankfully, Wynonna is able to lure Mountain Man into his own human trap -a crude pit in the earth. The fall seems to have slain the Revenant, as we see an iridescent golden ball of light meander its way back to Waverly. She has her voice again! The little mermaid can sing once again! However, another trap awaits Wynonna as she’s pulled upward by her feet. Damn those pesky invisible booby traps!
Next, Doc and Nicole find a hanging Wynonna and release her. We see two figures in the distance, observing the scene below them. Then, our trio heads to the cabin to free Waverly. Everyone returns to Wynonna’s truck, and Dolls unites with the rest of his BBD crew. Waverly approaches Wynonna and the two continue their discussion regarding Mama Earp. Wynonna reveals that she knew Michelle was in prison all along, but only visited her for the first time the other day, to glean information about Bulshar. Of course, Michelle ordered Wynonna to never disclose her whereabouts to Waverly, and our Waves is heartbroken over this newfound discovery. She asks Dolls to escort her to his vehicle.
Then, Nicole formulates a plan to retrieve Peacemaker. She uses her extensive rock climbing experience and a cable to lower herself down the side of the cliff. At Dolls’ car, we see Waverly watch in confusion as Dolls holds a vial of his drugs in his hand. Dolls urges Waverly to watch over Wynonna, as she’ll need support now more than ever. It sounds like a goodbye speech, and Waverly’s concern for our favorite agent grows. Dolls starts to really feel the effects of his Lizard Man drugs, and his eyes shine like gold.
Suddenly, one of Bulshar’s men appears and cuts the cable that’s attached to Wynonna’s truck. You know, the one holding Nicole steady. Wynonna immediately dives toward the cliff and is able to grab the cable, preventing Nicole from falling to a rocky death below. Doc launches for Lord Bondicus (Kevin Davey), but the demon vanishes in a haze of what appears to be bats. After Lord Bondicus knocks Doc unconscious, Dolls swoops in to save the day. He begins firing bullets at the demon, but of course they fail to make an impact. Meanwhile, Wynonna is struggling to prevent Nicole from slipping. Nicole urges Wynonna to let go of the cable, otherwise both of them will fall. However, Wynonna refuses.
Meanwhile, Jeremy calls Waverly, and he reveals to Waves that Dolls is dying, and his current mission to eradicate Lord Bondicus could kill him. We see Dolls grab Lord Bondicus and use his Lizard Man fire breath on the demon. He unleashes the full fury of said fire breath, and a dome of fire forms around the duo as both of them appear to vanish. Doc regains consciousness as Waverly and Wynonna successfully bring Nicole topside. Nicole has Peacemaker with her. Suddenly, Bulshar himself (Jean Marchand) appears. Wynonna taunts him, but Bulshar disappears before she can brandish Peacemaker.
Then, our gang finds Dolls, but he’s unconscious…and he’s not breathing. At all. He’s dead. Wynonna refuses to believe it, but Waverly reveals the information Jeremy gave her. We see the Michelle apparition reappear as she speaks in tandem with Waves. Both urge Wynonna to let Dolls go. Of course, Wynonna tearfully proclaims that she can’t continue her mission without Dolls, and that perhaps this is all a fluke and he’ll start breathing again. However, his death is a permanent one. Wynonna stays by Dolls’ side. His sacrifice saved the gang, and now Wynonna has more ammunition to use in her fight against Bulshar. I am broken, Earpers. Broken. No amount of whiskey and doughnuts can cure the sadness I feel.
Wynonna Earp can aptly be described as a punch to the gut this week. Thank you, Shamier Anderson, for your nuanced performance as Agent Xavier Dolls. I’ll miss his relationship with Wynonna, and the support he provided her. Of course, I was initially in denial when he passed, thinking perhaps it was possible to revive him. However, sacrifices must be made for the greater good. I wish Anderson all the success in his continuously blossoming career.
Now that we’ve seen Bulshar, how do you think Wynonna will retaliate after Dolls’ death? Will Waverly ever forgive her sister for keeping Mama Earp a secret? Could we potentially see Michelle freed from prison, fighting alongside her girls? How will we continue to explore Nicole’s connection to Bulshar? Join me next week as I continue to recap Wynonna Earp, here on Geek Girl Authority.
Wynonna Earp airs Fridays at 9pm on your SyFy affiliate.
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What I do: I'm GGA's Managing Editor, a Senior Contributor, and Press Coordinator. I manage, contribute, and coordinate. Sometimes all at once. Joking aside, I oversee day-to-day operations for GGA, write, edit, and assess interview opportunities/press events.
Who I am: Before moving to Los Angeles after studying theater in college, I was born and raised in Amish country, Ohio. No, I am not Amish, even if I sometimes sport a modest bonnet.
Bylines in: Tell-Tale TV, Culturess, Sideshow Collectibles, and inkMend on Medium.
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