In case you’re new, my Wynonna Earp “Countdown to Season 2” watch-along recap spectacular begins here.
We open this time on a dream sequence. Wynonna walks around the homestead wearing a pretty dress. Waverly screams for Willa and appears on the stairwell, points at Wynonna and calls her Willa. Wynonna looks up, sees a hole in the ceiling, stares up at an angry sky. Waverly shouts, “Get them!” Wynonna looks down to see she’s standing among a pile of bones. She insists that she did “get them.” Then another voice, presumably Willa’s says, “not all of them.” Wynonna sees a young Willa wearing the same dress as her own, screams.
Waverly, ever the helpful sister.
Waverly rushes to a window, shuts it hastily, looks over at Wynonna asleep on the couch, waking from her dream. Her sister goes over to comfort her, offers her a glass of water. Wynonna wishes it were alcohol, and Waverly calls her “daddy,” presumably in reference to a drinking problem that he had and Wynonna now shares. Waverly also suggests that Wynonna’s bad dreams may be the result of all the killing she’s had to do. They discuss the appearance of Willa in the dream. Waverly misses her, feels like she’s forgetting details of their sister. Wynonna thinks killing the 77 will allow them to sleep well again and have good memories of their father and sister, something Ward had said about revenge bringing peace.
Levi from a couple episodes ago is still chained to a fence just outside the Ghost River Triangle where Doc left him, looking seriously worse for the wear. No really, ick. Parts of him are falling off, like feet and stuff? Or he chewed his foot off I to escape the chains? Good thing I’m not eating right now. Aaaaand nice segue to the opening credits…
Gratuitous shirtless Dolls works out at Black Badge HQ, and Wynonna brings them both some coffee. Conveniently, the thermostat broke, so he had to take his shirt off. Wynonna notices it a lot, as evidenced by a series of hilarious Freudian slips. They have to meet with the city manager and Wynonna has to “put on her grownup face.” Apparently Judge Kreiderman is the city manager, and let’s just assume he and Wynonna have had dealings before.
The Judge wants to know what Black Badge is up to and doesn’t accept Dolls’ normal explanation of “joint task force, special assignment,” etc. For a guy from an old Purgatory family who likes to “keep tabs on things,” he sure seems reluctant to know what Bobo del Rey is up to, criminality-wise. But Male Privilege to the rescue! Dolls offers to go duck hunting with him, and all the sudden he’s willing to issue them a warrant to investigate Bobo’s activities. The judge ignores or insults Wynonna throughout this entire scene. His assholish nature could not be more evident.
Wynonna sees the warrant as a chance to get in close to Bobo so they can shoot him. Dolls has to remind her of how that would go down – the inevitable internet sensation, hysteria, Black Badge and its whole enterprise getting exposed, her ending up in a psych ward. Once again, they have to do it the Dolls way: by the book. Tension between these two characters builds, and not necessarily the sexy kind, though that too – kinda? Maybe?
Oooh! And Waverly gets to participate by staking the place out and taking photos! And the cops will be assisting them. Doc will see if he “recognizes anyone from the old days.” A full team effort. Nice!
Our favorite Nancy Drew, on the job.
Waverly photographs the trailer park, sniper style. Meanwhile, Wynonna and Dolls ransack the bus, with Bobo sitting around making misogynist comments to Wynonna until an officer escorts him off the bus. Unfortunately, they find nothing useful.
Nasty Levi of the missing foot crawls on the ground grumbling and moaning about how much he hates Doc, which I fully understand and sympathize with. I would too.
Dolls questions Bobo about a crate they previously witnessed him and some other demons hauling around, protecting it with guns. Naturally, all Bobo’s comebacks are wisecracks and/or more sexist, degrading comments towards Wynonna. She’s had it, so she runs and hops on top of a car, shoots Peacemaker in the air. She demands “the scumbags who came for Ward Earp. Two of them are still alive.” Dolls demands she get down from the car, but she continues. Bobo’s lackeys come after her, and she subdues them. The police come in and apprehend Bobo to take him to the station. As they lead Bobo to the car, he spots Waverly. “Oh, shit!”
Come on, Wynonna. Maybe dial it down for just a sec?
Somebody from the trailer park – presumably a demon – stows away underneath Wynonna’s truck on the way back into town. At HQ Dolls chastises her for “going cowboy,” which negated their whole search project. Nothing they want to pin on Bobo will stick, and this probably blew the chance of them getting to pursue the case further through city-approved means. The tension continues.
As Dolls heads out of the office, Wynonna casually mentions that Waverly noticed how the trailer park looked abandoned, as though Bobo had been tipped off.
Is this chat with Bobo really such a great idea?
Waverly visits Bobo in the questioning room, asking him why he manipulated her when she was little.
Bobo: Weak is something you’ve never been. I chose you because you were angry.
Waverly: I wasn’t angry.
Bobo: You sure?
Waverly: I’m not! Okay?
Bobo: You’ve got depths that neither of us know the bottom of yet. Trust me.
Waverly: You don’t know anything about me. Except maybe what happened to Willa.
Bobo: Nothing good.
Wynonna walks in and dismisses her, shuts the barrier on the two-way mirror. He makes some typically rude comment about a lap dance, and she thanks him for “making this so damn easy.” She pulls Peacemaker on him. In a creepy voice he says “I can’t die” and somehow tractor beams Peacemaker over to him. What kinda messed up crap is this? That’s against the rules! I protest!
How’d he do that? I’m not sure even Bobo knows.
He waves Peacemaker around all crazy-like for a while and lobs a few more insults and threats and – jeez, finally! – it starts to burn his hands. He tells her everyone she’s ever loved will be in agony. It feels like he means it so it’s extra creepy and ominous.
Just then, a “Miss Stone” comes in, presumably his attorney, and tells him not to say another word. He gets unlocked and released. It’s unclear whether this release is authorized. I assume Judge Kreiderman is behind it in some way. Kreiderman shady as hell, y’all.
Could this day get any worse?
As if Wynonna’s day can’t get any worse, she gets accosted by Doc for a ride she’s not interested in giving him. And then she gets in her truck and some guy – presumably the stowaway from the trailer park? – holds her at knifepoint and demands her cellphone. She hands it over. He tells her he saw how she handled Bobo’s guys and wants to pay him another visit.
Wynonna: I was just thinking I needed another man to tell me what to do today. And here you are. Awesome.
Also, dude is a Revenant. So there’s that. Luckily, Waverly and Doc see Wynonna speed off in a hasty manner. They hop in Waverly’s jeep and follow.
We find Dolls back in Kreiderman’s office, which is chockful of dead, taxidermied animals, including some really cute, furry ones. Kreiderman claims Bobo, et al, may sue for unreasonable search and seizure. He requires Dolls to draft a formal apology and personally deliver it, “And bring your protégé.” Dolls lets Kreiderman know they were aware of the tipoff, and that he’ll move “up the chain of command” if he has to.
Waverly cuts off Wynonna’s truck on the outskirts of town. When slamming on the brakes to keep from crashing, Carjacker Dude gets slammed out of the way long enough for Wynonna to pull her gun on him. He cracks immediately and becomes willing to inform on the two Revenants who attacked the Earp family. But he doesn’t have their names. Buuuut he has a picture of all seven?
The carjacker turns out to be an old friend of Doc’s. Sure, okay.
Is this a violation of attorney-client something?
Bobo and his lawyer are hanging out in a barn somewhere, in a possibly compromising situation? This seems like some kind of breach of lawyer-client something. But okay, carry on you two. She tells him not to call her to deal with his petty nonsense anymore. She’s also a little wackadoodle, going on about how “I hear them. They won’t stop.” Some voices in her head or something.
Her name is Constance. Aka Ms. Stone. In other words, Constance Clootie from Waverly’s list of names. Aka the Stone Witch. She appears to have some power over Bobo, which includes making him her bitch and tromping on him with her stilettos and making him lick her heels. I’m here for that. Deal with it, Bobo!
So now Doc, Wynonna, and Carjacking Revenant are just hanging out at Shorty’s together? Okay, sure. Doc goes off to get drinks and Wynonna asks about the picture. Seems the Revenant has gotten caught up in a scheme, but not “some chick” turning him to a life of crime. Because he’s a GAY REVENANT. This is the Queer Revenant Representation we’ve all been waiting for, y’all! Finally! Okay so he’s a demon, but I guess I’ll like him for the moment.
Life is hard out there for all of us, Revenant and human. And then we get this super-gay romantic story of them back in the olden days looking into each other’s eyes because he had to sit there forever while he sat for a daguerreotype photo, because you had to stay still for those. They didn’t have flash back then. And that’s how they fell in love. Isn’t that the sweetest? They made a pact that they’d regenerate together if they ever got struck down by Peacemaker. He just wants to find out if his boyfriend is okay, and then Wynonna can shoot him if she wants. I’m not really sure how this story makes sense exactly. Like can’t he find out for himself? But okay. So if she helps him, she’ll get her picture of the Seven.
To get the information she has to go to some place and possibly torture a guy named Vinny the Vulture. Is a picture really worth that? Hmmm. I dunno.
Maybe this is a liiiiittle over the top, Wy?
Okay, so Vinny the Vulture is ridiculously skeezy. Also just hanging around in his tightie whities, kinda of a Evil 1970s Iggy Pop vibe. He has the unnerving ability to – I dunno – read minds? quote other people spontaneously? So he quotes Ward Earp talking about taking vengeance and soothing the soul and whatnot. She puts a fishhook through the guy’s finger and threatens his eye. Vinny spills it. The photographer was Levi, the guy Doc tied to “Hell’s Gate.” So he’s not okay, and Fish (the Carjacker) won’t be pleased when he finds out about his boyfriend.
Also they have to do a break-and-enter to get the photo.
Wynonna: That’s the police station. You want me to break into the place I work?
Fish: Yeah.
Wynonna: Yeah, okay. I’m surprised it took me this long.
Doc: Now if we can get our hands on some dynamite and scale the north wall…
Wynonna: I’ve got something better.
Doc: What is better than dynamite?
Wynonna: Boobs.
Once again, Wynonna uses her feminine charms to accomplish a goal. I like how, in the case of this dialogue, she equates her femininity to an actual destructive force or weapon. On the one hand, men have used this image on us for centuries, painting us as monsters (e.g. Medusa, the Borg Queen, the Mummy in the upcoming millionth Mummy movie) filled with destructive sexual forces that bring chaos. On the other hand, if we wield it ourselves, that gives us a little more agency. The nature of that agency and what that particular use of our power really does for us might still be up for debate, but I do like the potent imagery of “boobs > dynamite.”
As this show does at every turn, however, our expectations (and Wynonna’s) get flipped on their heads when the workmen in the basement of the police station, shown in coveralls from the back at first, turn out to be a pair of very no-nonsense older women. Wynonna still attempts to use her charm, but to no effect, so she sends in Doc. Turns out they like him just fine.
Dolls apologizes to Miss Stone in Kreiderman’s office, but she demands an apology from Wynonna. The conversation between the three of them turns into a debate about Wynonna as a “lowlife” (per Kreiderman) vs. “an unconventional asset to my team” (Dolls). He also implies that Kreiderman is a child abuser? Not sure where that came from, but if it’s true, Go Dolls! At that moment, a voice comes over the intercom requesting that everyone evacuate the building due to a carbon monoxide leak. Kreiderman threatens to make phone calls to Dolls’ bosses. Dolls seems unworried.
A police officer questions Wynonna about the validity of the carbon monoxide alarm. He’s right, of course, and Fish whacks him on the head from behind as if to prove it. Presumably, the officer won’t remember? They use the time the alarm grants them to hopefully find the photo.
Meanwhile, Doc makes his way up to Black Badge HQ to look at the progress of the investigation. He turns around, surprised to find the Stone Witch. She taunts him about his time in the well and freezes him with some kind of spell and hand gesture. They’re really into Latin on this show. Classics majors, rejoice! Miss Stone disappears, and he unfreezes, pulling his gun and stumbling around.
Back in the basement, Wynonna and Fish continue looking for the photo. Dolls busts them. They run.
At the Demon Trailer Park, Waverly photographs Bobo and his minions moving the same wooden crate again. Even though it’s supposedly hot today, and Wynonna is wearing a tank top throughout most of this episode, Bobo still has his fur coat on. Is it because he thinks it’s such a sexy look? Because – newsflash – it’s so not.
Wynonna, Doc, and Fish have the file boxes full of photos back at Shorty’s. Only they don’t find photos, just negatives. Fish demands they go to his boyfriend, but she says they have to find the photo first. He gets all sad and desperate, and they find the negative with the correct date, so Wy agrees to take him to Levi. Fish heads off somewhere, and upon hearing that it’s the boyfriend is actually Levi, Doc reminds Wynonna that Levi is the guy he chained to the gate.
Sure enough, they don’t find him chained there anymore, but they do find his gross, decomposing foot. Wynonna lays into Doc for having done such a mean thing. Doc defends himself saying he was coerced into it. That’s not really true. He agreed to do it so Bobo would help him get his revenge on the Stone Witch, remember? I do! They have to tell Fish that what was left of Levi crawled back across the boundary.
The three of them go look for Levi. They find him in terrible shape. Touchingly, Fish goes to him and says sweet things to him and holds poor Levi even though he looks horrible. He also goes off on Doc about how useless vengeance is. It’s about time someone told him. Doc, you’re kind of a selfish bastard, okay?
Fish accepts his fate, tells Wynonna that he believes she’ll be the one to break the curse for good. Unlike any of the other Revenants she has had to put down, these two have made their peace, and it’s almost a mercy when she shoots them. Wherever they’re going, at least they get to be together.
I have a bone to pick with you!
We find out what was in the wooden crate. Two almost-complete human skeletons. The Stone Witch sings to them and snuggles (?!?) with them. Apparently Bobo is in the process of completing the skeletons to put her “boys back together.” And she will provide him something that will help him escape from Purgatory. We also find out that she’s scared of Doc for some reason.
On the way back from putting down Levi and Fish, Wynonna and Doc argue about the nature of revenge. Wynonna claims that she needs more of a motivation than simple vengeance to be able to shoot the revenants. Doc, on the other hand, finds his main motivation in revenge, as we’ve already seen. Not only that, he doubles down on it in this scene.
Doc: I staked that man out there. I knew what would happen to him, and I staked him still. Even worse, I would stake every Revenant in this world and most of the humans too if that’s what it takes to destroy Constance Clootie.
Wynonna: Well I need rules, Doc. A code. Otherwise I’ll end up just like you.
Doc: Oh, stop kidding yourself Wynonna. You are exactly like me.
And then – instead of coming to any actual philosophical conculsions – they kiss and start making out and taking their clothes off. On the uncomfortable, dirty ground?!? Like – what the hell? P.S. I officially do not understand heterosexuality. Also, there is a perfectly good truck right over there, you guys. Hello!
Well, that escalated quickly.
So apparently Dolls has darkroom photography developing skills in addition to all his other training. Who knew? They haven’t found the revenant photo among any of the negatives so far.
Wynonna comes to a kind of conclusion regarding her dealings with the revenants. She decides she must offer them a moment to make their peace before she shoots them, as she was able to do with Fish and Levi. Not that most of them will, but maybe some are capable. Dolls doesn’t buy it, but Wynonna figures if it will make things easier for her, it’s worth a shot. She deserves to get to keep her sanity, after all.
One of the photos turns out to be of the three Earp girls, and Wynonna takes the photo with her. After she leaves, Dolls finds a photo that includes all of the Seven. The same (or a similar) photo sits in Judge Kreiderman’s office.
Is the Judge aka City Manager of Purgatory a Revenant? It’s more likely than you think!
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