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 connections between our favorite Lizard Man Xavier Dolls and the immortal Angel. Wynonna Earp was most certainly inspired by Joss Whedon cult classic Buffy the Vampire Slayer. So, besides being brooding good guys, what else do these physically enhanced fighters have in common? Join me for some Grade A analyzing below. Let us Earp!
RELATED: Read All Wynonna Wednesdays Here
The Enhanced Abilities
Alright, let’s start with Xavier Dolls (Shamier Anderson). Dolls is an agent in the Black Badge Division. Think of BBD as the FBI of supernatural phenomena. We learned in Season 1 of Wynonna Earp that something peculiar was going on with Dolls. As it turned out, BBD had been injecting him with substances to morph him into a “super soldier.” These experiments drastically affected Dolls’ physical constitution. His abilities, as a result, consisted of super strength and fire breath. Literally, flames would emanate from his mouth, scorching Purgatory’s baddest baddies. Wynonna did call him “Lizard Man” for a reason.
Now, we have Angel (David Boreanaz). Angel was born several centuries ago in Ireland. He was turned vampire by Darla. After wreaking havoc as Angelus, a group of gypsies cursed him with a soul. Thus, Angel would be doomed to fully feel the scope of his atrocities for eternity. Should he experience true happiness, his soul would dissipate and Angelus would rear his ugly head. Of course, being a vampire comes with its perks – super strength, agility, speed, heightened senses. It’s just the blood part that, for lack of a better word, sucks.
Dolls and Angel certainly share similarities regarding their enhanced abilities. Both were administered by unnatural origins. Both fighters experience a “Jekyll and Hyde” effect when tapping into their abilities. Angel, always living in fear of unwittingly unleashing Angelus. Dolls not fully knowing how uninhibited Lizard Man can be. Note to self: don’t acquire personality-altering powers.
The Love Interests
Of course, every supernaturally gifted antihero needs a star-crossed lover. Dolls developed quite the crush on Wynonna (Melanie Scrofano) over the course of his tenure on Wynonna Earp. The feelings were mutual. However, Wynonna wound up entangled with one Doc Holliday (Tim Rozon). While Dolls and Wynonna never moved past the occasional innocent kiss, he loved her till his dying breath. She loved him too, although not in the same way as Doc.
Angel, on the other hand, did consummate his relationship with Buffy Summers (Sarah Michelle Gellar). As a result, he lost his soul for a brief spell. Unfortunately, Angelus came out to play for a bit, which landed Angel in hell. Not to worry, though, he returned topside after a while. His requited love with Buffy is, in my opinion, much more tragic than Romeo and Juliet. For one, Buffy is human and Angel is a vampire saddled with a soul. Buffy condemns Angel’s kind to the fathoms below. While both eventually move on to other lovers, it’s evident that these two will love each other until their dying days. In fact, Buffy ends up with Angel’s “frenemy” Spike (James Marsters), who’s also a vampire.
Now, both Dolls and Angel are burdened with their fair share of turmoil in the love department. Dolls is a former human-turned-super-human, wary of allowing the Lizard Man to gain a foothold. That, and Wynonna was torn between Dolls and Doc. Angel made the mistake of consummating his love with Buffy, which did allow Angelus to take the wheel. He too “plays it safe” in that regard, attempting to control his literal inner demon. In short, if you’re a brooding protagonist, you gotta have a superheroine love interest. Class dismissed!
The Attitude
What’s the word that comes to mind when one thinks of Agent Xavier Dolls? Brooding. He broods with the best of them. On its heels: serious, uptight, intelligent and highly motivated. Dolls possesses a sharp focus, one that’s directed at his job. He has a rigid moral compass and a genuine desire to help others. Dolls gives his heart and soul to Wynonna’s mission to send all 77 Revenants back to hell where they belong.
Now, Angel is the King of Brooding. Look up brooding in the dictionary and Angel’s face will appear next to it. He’s a vampire – it goes with the territory. Angel also possesses a strict moral compass courtesy of his soul. He decides to use his immortality for good by righting his many wrongs. Angel becomes the brooding hero Los Angeles needs, saving the helpless from the monsters lurking in the dark. He’s also intelligent, somewhat uptight and highly motivated. Angel does has the capacity to loosen up every now and then. Just ask Lorne…and Barry Manilow.
Dolls and Angel possess a lot in common when it comes to their personalities. Now, I believe Angel was a bit more lax in some aspects, especially with his snarky one-liners and karaoke singing. Not to mention, both have “frenemies.” Dolls had Doc, and Angel had Spike. Both duked it out over their respective loves with said frenemies. However, they also wound up befriending those frenemies in the end.
RELATED: Wynonna Wednesday ‘Holliday’ Edition: 10 Gifts for the Earper in Your Life
Of course, Dolls and Angel would get along swimmingly. They’d battle a horde of vampires or Revenants. Afterwards, the pair would retire to Shorty’s for a drink. Doc would hook Angel up with some blood bags. On the sly, naturally. Dolls and Angel would lament over their loves Wynonna and Buffy. They’d discuss the merits and downsides to being supernaturally enhanced beings. Oh, and how Doc and Spike are so adept at pushing their buttons. Match made in heaven!
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 Nicole Haught vs. Tara Maclay. You’ll have to tune in Wednesday to find out. I promise that every Wednesday will be no chill, Earpers. All the no chill.
[email protected]
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.
- TV Review: MYTHIC QUEST Season 4 - January 24, 2025
- GGA’s Favorite Quotes From ANIMAL CONTROL’s ‘Baby Kangaroos and Chickens’ - January 24, 2025
- HARLEY QUINN Recap: (S05E02) Back to School - January 23, 2025
