Welcome back to Wynonna Wednesday, Earpers! If you’re like me you eat, sleep and breathe all things Wynonna Earp. Each week we’ll delve deeper into our favorite s**tshow. I suggest you stockpile on whiskey and doughnuts. Perhaps some tasty tacos?
Now, for this column I’m going to explore the comparisons between Earp heir Wynonna and the Chosen One – Buffy Summers. Wynonna Earp was most certainly inspired by Joss Whedon cult classic Buffy the Vampire Slayer. So, besides wielding a stick and a gun for weaponry, what else do these fierce leading ladies have in common? Join me for some Grade A analyzing below. Let us Earp!
The Curse
Alright, let’s commence with the basics. Wynonna (Melanie Scrofano) is the Earp Curse’s latest victim. When she turned 27, she inherited the ability to condemn Revenants to hell like her great-grandfather Wyatt. She totes around an enchanted gun called Peacemaker, one that will only send the aforementioned Revenants to hell if they’re shot between the eyes. Oh, and said demons are trapped within the confines of the Ghost River Triangle. Each Revenant that was annihilated by the previous Earp heir returns to Earth when the newest cursed one takes up the mantle.
Now, here we have Buffy Summers (Sarah Michelle Gellar). At the tender age of 15 she reluctantly embraced her destiny as the Chosen One, or the Slayer. Buffy comes from a long line of strong Slayers burdened with the task of defending the world from supernatural entities. She refused to sacrifice her normal life, so she attempted to juggle both. Buffy resided in Sunnydale where she was also the guardian of the infamous Hellmouth. Demons aplenty would claw their collective way to the surface from the fiery depths below, wrecking havoc on the world above. Buffy would patrol the cemeteries with her trusty stake, vanquishing any vampires that lurked there.
By series’ end, a plan was enacted to activate every Potential Slayer in the world, effectively decimating the “Chosen One” schtick.
Of course, there are stark differences between these two. Wynonna didn’t take up the Earp heir mantle until her late twenties, whereas Buffy was saddled with being the Chosen One at the very young age of 15. Both women possess supernatural fighting abilities including strength and agility. Not to mention, both of our heroines carry enchanted weaponry – Peacemaker for Wynonna, of course. In the seventh season of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Buffy traded her wooden stake for a magical scythe. Both Wynonna and Buffy must protect their respective towns from the evil that lurks in the shadows. Oh, and they’re bad***, but that goes without saying.
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The Friends
Now, a supernatural assassin is only as strong as the friends surrounding her. Wynonna fights the good fight alongside her angelic sister Waverly (Dominique Provost-Chalkley) and the Black Badge Division of Purgatory. Agent Xavier Dolls (Shamier Anderson) acts as her mentor, training Wynonna to physically fight while briefing her on the history of BBD and the Earp curse. Together, our gang protects Purgatory from Revenants, vampires and so much more. If you’ll recall, Wynonna’s older sister Willa opened a magical door of sorts that ushered in a variety of monsters. Our Earper gang works to defend the residents of Purgatory from such creatures.
Of course, Buffy also has her own merry band of friends. The Scooby Gang worked together to protect Sunnydale from their own slew of demonic monsters. You know, because the mouth to hell resided inside the Californian town. Buffy enlisted the help of her best friends Willow (Alyson Hannigan) and Xander (Nicholas Brendon). She was also mentored by Watcher Rupert Giles (Anthony Head), who was sent by the Watcher Council to supervise her growth as a Slayer. He trained her to fight and imbued her with an immense knowledge of demons aplenty.
Alright, the similarities are glaringly obvious – both heroines were surrounded by her respective friend circles. Said circles aided her in the fight against the forces of darkness. Both Wynonna and Buffy also had their own mentors in Dolls and Giles. I think it goes without saying that having their friends at their sides helped these heroines feel less lonely.
The Attitude
Now, Wynonna is a bit of a wild card. She possesses a quick-draw wit with Peacemaker to match. Wynonna is never short on snarky one-liners or whiskey. Of course, she was sent to a mental institution after killing her father Ward and the presumed death of Willa. Nobody believed her story of the Revenants that set out to destroy Earp gunslinger Ward. That would royally scramble anyone’s circuits. Thus, Wynonna rebelled in school and has the reputation in Purgatory of being a wild child.
However, despite her seemingly hardened exterior, Wynonna is a big ol’ teddy bear underneath. Strip away her protective gear and Wynonna can be vulnerable with the best of them. She is fiercly loyal toward her friends and very protective of her sister. Wynonna isn’t exactly thrilled to be saddled with the Earp curse, but she works her arse off to send all 77 Revenants to hell so said curse will be broken.
Next, we have Buffy. Buffy has the teenage snark of a ’90s kid that evolves into an early 2000s young adulthood snark. Like Wynonna, she’s quick with the one-liners. Buffy was presumed a bit of a rebellious child herself when she initially transferred to Sunnydale High. Thus, she solidified her reputation as the resident “weirdo.” Of course, anyone would act out if they were burdened with the enormous task of defending the world from demons and enduring adolescence. However, as Buffy matures we see her true heart shine through, like Wynonna. She is also resilient and hellbent on eradicating monsters for good. Buffy is loyal to her friends, protective of her sister Dawn and a fighter in every sense of the word.
These two heroines possess quite a few similar traits – the snarky sense of humor, for one. Their vulnerability beneath a somewhat hardened shell. However, Buffy is a bit more of an open book. Not to mention, and this isn’t an attitude thing, but both ladies have died at least once. Wynonna died once, and Buffy died twice. Of course, their deaths set off a chain of events – Wynonna’s previous Revenant kills returned to the surface while a new Slayer was christened after Buffy’s first death. Both women are a bit weird, saddled with a curse that can make one incredibly lonely.
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Now, I believe Wynonna and Buffy would get along swimmingly – they would vanquish demons side by side while uttering snarky one-liners. Afterwards they would head over to Shorty’s or The Bronze for some much needed boozing. Wynonna would drink whiskey, of course. But no beer for Buffy. Beer is bad. They would lament of being engrossed in love triangles – Wynonna about Dolls and Doc (Tim Rozon), Buffy over Spike (James Marsters) and Angel (David Boreanaz). Both women are inspirational beyond compare – multifaceted characters with their fair share of flaws. Despite those flaws, however, they press on, fighting to maintain peace and protecting those who need it. That’s admirable in and of itself.
Well, that’s all I wrote, Earpers. Be sure to keep your eyes peeled, your whiskey bottles full and doughnuts at the ready for next week’s Wynonna Wednesday! Wherein I may or may not be comparing Waverly Earp vs. Willow Rosenberg. You’ll have to tune in next Wednesday to find out. I promise that every Wednesday will be no chill, Earpers. So much no chill.
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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.
Critic: Rotten Tomatoes, CherryPicks, and the Hollywood Creative Alliance.
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