Wynonna Earp
SyFy
Season 3 Episode 3 ‘Colder Weather’ Review
Spoilers Ahead!!
Still feeling the rippling emotional gut punch of last week’s episode and Team Earp’s tragic loss Xavier Dolls, this week’s episode picks right back up with the emotions. In fact, if you make it through the first three minutes, including this week’s modified intro theme song, without getting at least a little misty-eyed, well hell, you might just be a Revenant. We begin as expected, with Wynonna throwing back swigs of whiskey, screaming sobs into the wilderness challenging Bulshar to come and face her. If that wasn’t gut-wrenching enough, we see Waverly, standing with Nicole, tears streaming down her face worried about her sister. After Wynonna’s run-in with a Revenant is thwarted by a crotch placed shotgun blast by Waverly, we are stabbed right in the feels by a slowed down, heartfelt rendition of the intro theme song that pulls all of the emotions of last week’s episode right up to the surface.
This episode shows the utterly tremendous emotional range of our cast. Each character, each with a special, unique relationship to Dolls, experiences a very different reaction to his passing. The different stages of grief, lead to some momentary periods of contention among the team. Wynonna’s grief causes her to snap on Chetri, initially firing him from the team for keeping Dolls’ genetic instability from her. Nicole also snaps on Wynonna, insisting she wasn’t the only one who lost Dolls, not owning the monopoly on grief. We also see a very brief spat between Waverly, who is overcome with nervous giggling and an obsession with making 18 zillion sandwiches for their wake, and Doc who is stoic and solemn until provoked by Waves leading to him chucking a whiskey glass at the wall asking if that’s enough feeling for her. Thankfully for the team, all of the conflicts smooth themselves over by the closing cheers to Dolls’ memory, the performances delivered in this episode are nothing short of award-worthy.
We are introduced to two new developments this episode. The introduction of Quinn, a former BBD partner of Dolls who has arrived in Purgatory to pay his respects. He provides a lot of backstory for Dolls and BBD and ultimately tries to torture Chetri into stealing the synthesized Dolls drugs in an attempt to kamikaze the remainder of Black Badge, thankfully Wynonna is able to talk him down. One of the biggest parts of the episode is a revelation we’ve been looking for since the close of Season 2, more of Haught’s backstory. Twenty years ago Nicole survived a Cult of Bulshar massacre, there was a cover-up of a forest fire, but two decades of vivid nightmares and the name Bulshar uttered by Widow Mercedes caused snippets to rush back to her, pieces being put together with the help of Dolls.
I am greatly looking forward to how Nicole’s story is going to play into the larger picture later on through the season. There are some beautiful moments between WayHaught as Nicole explains the backstory, both emotional and humorous. With Bulshar’s Widows out of the picture and Haught being the last remaining known female affiliated with him in any capacity, I ant help but anticipate his attention to shift to her for one reason or another. Speaking of hidden backstories, it certainly appears that Waverly’s origin is going to have some significant reveals coming soon. Especially based upon Doc’s former wife’s reaction to the tarot card she sees after their encounter.
Unquestionably one of the most touching moments of the episode, though there is a huge fight throughout this episode for the biggest emotionally gripping one, is the funeral procession for Dolls. Wynonna makes the difficult decision to cremate Dolls so that Black Badge can’t attempt to recoup his body and use it for their benefit. The team each takes turns leaving something representing their unique relationship with him in the grave. Again, the perfect chemistry and tremendously talented cast is at the forefront of the scene and just allowed to draw the viewer in with an eye-watering, heartwarming, true to life performance. I’ve said it before, and I’ll probably be inclined to say it again, I believe the cast of Wynonna Earp possess the best chemistry and delivers some of the most phenomenal performances I have ever seen. I honestly feel that the touching testament to their fallen comrade and the memories and grief shared throughout are delivered so raw and powerfully that they could help provide catharsis for fans watching, not just in regards to the loss of a beloved character, but extending beyond the Fourth Wall and helping work through loss in their personal lives.
As we stand and salute our fallen comrade Xavier Dolls and experience the loss, grief, and feeling of having to move on alongside Team Earp, we must pay respect to his memory by continuing to march forward. Now that he has been laid to rest Wynonna and her merry band of misfits must refocus on the task at hand, hunting down Bulshar. I have it on good authority that next week’s adventure is mind-twistingly insane and jumps head first into the supernatural fray that keeps the Earp Heir on her more than slightly inebriated toes. So take a long sip of that good bottle of whiskey you swiped from Shorty’s during the wake (yes I saw you) and say farewell to Shamier Anderson’s incredible performance as Dolls. Tune back in next Friday for your next adventure with Team Earp and then head over to Geeks WorldWide for your weekly Purgatory E.T. – Earper Therapy.