Wynonna Earp
SyFy
Season 3 Episode 7 ‘I Fall To Pieces’ Review
SPOILERS AHEAD!!!
Its time again for another weekly adventure of Purgatorian magnitude! Just as last week left us with an ‘oh wow!’ moment, Doc allowing his vampiric blast from the past of a wife to sink her teeth into him, this week starts off with a whole different type of ‘oh wow’ moment. Week after week this incredible show gives a master class in what true Fandom Inducing Entertainment is all about. From the brilliantly written episodes full of humor, heart, intrigue, suspense, thoughtful boundary-pushing representation, and rich fascinating lore. To the phenomenal cast who has the best, most captivating chemistry of any ensemble I have ever had the privilege of watching. Wynonna Earp pushes the envelope every episode, truly giving fans a reason to rally behind this show, this beautifully woven tapestry of a universe that Beau Smith’s comics and Emily Andras’ adaptation have woven for us. If by some chance you are not a viewer of the show but have stumbled upon this review, I implore you, watch the episodes (and also for added fun live tweet with the Cast and Writers) giving it an honest watch and tell me you don’t come out the other side at the very least entertained, and if you’re lucky, a fellow Earper.
Our opening scene gives us the Heir herself, Wynonna ‘this ain’t your parents’ superhero’ Earp, relieving some tension inside of a fire engine with newcomer Charlie. The leading lady leaves audiences asking what kind of witchcraft was cast for her ‘what baby?’ bod, as she is left feverishly kissing the fire rescue officer in just her underwear within the first few seconds of the episode. Just as Earp has given up on the ‘this is the last time we’re doing this’ spiel, she is quickly shocked back into reality by a stingingly familiar voice from outside the fire station. Officer-Just-Make-Her-Sheriff-Already-Haught and Waverly have shown up at the fire station doing an endorsement seeking round with Purgatory’s finest, quite simply put, and a perfect new trending Twitter Hashtag, Wynonna was #HaughtBlocked . After an accidental slip of the siren and some firefighter film title references, Wynonna is met with all eyes for her Walk of No Shame and some playful chiding from her sister and may-as-well-be-sister-in-law, we learn Wynonna has not seen Doc in a week.
We all know where Doc has been of course, entangled in what appears to have been a Fifty Shades of Braum Stroker love marathon with his immortaly bethrothed Kate. Upon awakening to a white-hot burning pain on his finger where the Ring of Bulshar sits, audiences are introduced to a whole new, far cheekier side of Doc Holliday thanks to his attire of chaps and not much else. Two barely clad leads of opposing genders in under five minutes? This show truly is the leader of equality and representation in all aspects! After learning that the Ring is rejecting Count Docula due to his newly acquired Vampiric nature, the gunslinger is left wondering aloud ‘what have I done?’
Creating a task to force Wynonna and Nicole to work together in order to further their bond, Nedley reveals a secret safe he kept in his office filled with potentially supernatural evidence he’s collected over time since he became sheriff. As Nicole hyped herself up to request a meeting with Bunny Loblaw (Jann Arden) the tyrant of city council, we are treated to what Emily revealed was a perfect Melanie Scrofano Wynonna ad-lib of ‘Nedley are you looking at my ass?’ the line itself personifies the kind of Deadpool-esq smart ass, dirty minded, charm in Wynonna that is rarely, if ever, given to the female leads scoring one more incredible point for Team Earp. The fact that Nedley (Greg Lawson) was able to keep a deadpan reaction to the improvised line shows what national treasures every single cast member on this show are. More importantly, though, this supernatural storage wars clean out means another WynHaught team up episode!!!
After holding him at gunpoint when he sneaks into the Homestead Barn, Mama Earp coerces Doc to drive her out of town so she can go looking for Julian. As the Nedley locker cleanout involves far more tiffing than teamwork, a struggle over a mirror results in Nicole accidentally breaking a mirror and the Travelocity Gnome. As Wynonna gives Nicole a hard time saying breaking a mirror is seven years bad luck, a giant ogre-like figure emerges from a shed after it’s struck by lightning. If we know anything about Purgatory, this isn’t going to be a happy hugging ogre. On a side note, I need someone out there to make a supercut of all the clips where Wynonna refers to Nicole Haught by a nickname variant outside of her actual name; the Heir gives Robert Downey Jr’s Tony Stark a run for his money in the rename department.
As Nicole prepares for her meeting with Bunny, making a Hail Mary attempt by playing a Bible out on her coffee table right after hastily hiding a bra behind some books, Wynonna meets up with Nedley at Shorty’s. It’s a sweet moment between the two of them, the two former, not so much rivals, but mutual pains in each other’s asses, sitting down and having a respectful conversation. We’re treated to a fantastic Shining reference from Wynonna while complaining that Nicole is all work and no play and is going to chop people up like that dude from the hotel. Nedley still insists that a Wynonna give Haught some slack due to them being more similar than she thinks, as he motions to a picture of a young Nedley standing next to a six-year-old or so girl that Wynonna had found in the secret locker. The look Scrofano gives as Wynonna realizes the picture is of Nedley and Nicole when she escaped the Cult of Bulshar massacre is easily worth 3 pages of pure dialog! It’s moments like these that continue to catapult this show from great to exceptional and beyond!
Unfortunately, Nicole’s meeting with Bunny is nowhere near as touching as Wynonna and Nedley’s. From her outburst regarding Calamity Jane due to her cat allergy to her ‘disgusting’ comment in reference to the picture of Nicole and Waverly (to hell with you by the way Bunny) Jann Arden does a phenomenal job creating a character you can’t help but hate. As Wynonna bursts in to tell Nicole about her past with Nedley, Nicole is immediately set on edge against Wynonna as Bunny proclaims she’s considering backing Wynonna for Sherrif because Nicole is an outsider and too ‘different’. Prior to Nicole frustrating Wynonna (not that it’s hard to do) by telling her she isn’t qualified to run a Chipotle, it looked like Wynonna was going to defend Nicole, or at the very least was annoyed Bunny’s incessant talking. As WynHaught argue, the greatest from earlier appears in the window causing Bunny to faint after gasping ‘Isis’. So much laughter from so many hilarious moments delivered in such a rapid paced scene it took a few rewatches to catch every gut-busting oneliner, Pop culture reference, and what had to have been number twenty on the Wynonna failed attempt to get a high five from Nicole list.
The bad luck downward spiral continues as drunken frat guys steal Nicole’s cruiser with Bunny in it. Waverly and Jeremy team up to help track the car to a Revenant bar (highlighted by Bunny Nut Cheerios from Waves, which might be the best pun name of the night). As Wynonna and Nicole sneak into the bar to get the key to unlocking Bunny, we learn during Doc and Michelle’s trip that Ward Earp pushed Julian outside the Ghost River Triangle leaving him wandering lost, which she learned after freeing Bobo. Caught by the Revenants, WynHaught proposes a contest for their freedom. Nicole’s recommendation of Golden Girls trivia was turned down in favor of Wynonna’s drinking contest.
As Jeremy and Waverly find the broken mirror, thinking it is the source of the bad luck, we are treated to one of the best things ever from Wynonna Earp’s vast supply of awesomeness, drunken Nicole! As the drinking contest heats up, the Revenant feels strong, while Nicole feels college. It’s revealed that Wynonna has been cheating by spitting her shots into a beer bottle ala Coyote Ugly, a movie which Haught loves apparently, and our poor luck heroes make a drunk stumbling run for it through the snow handcuffed together. After the Revenants catch up, WynHaught fights them off, with some help with the final demonic jerk from the giant Ogre who proclaims that the girls owe him a wife. As they run back into their office, Jeremy & Waves complete fixing the mirror.
In efforts to stop the Mountain Man, Waverly and Jeremy both die their best ‘You Shall Not Pass’ attempts to no avail. Waverly realizes that the mirror was not the only broken item, working to fix the gnome they realize that the mountain man is not an ogre but a gnome and the statue is of Monique, his gnome wife. While Waves and Jeremy ‘Jagged Little Nerd’ Chetri work to repair Mrs. Gnome, WynHaught inadvertently complement one another trying to convince the Gnome to choose the other. The look Nicole gets on her face when Wynonna indicates she knows that Nicole is great in bed because their house has very thin walls is a whole new level of priceless. Ultimately, even without a much-wanted gnome bra, Monique is repaired and the giant Gnome is satisfied and retreats reunited with his love in the most awkward awww moment yet.
In some of the most touching moments of the show’s history (which as you all know is saying something) Wynonna rips Bunny a new one, defending Nicole and speaking very highly of her while also threatening Bunny into endorsing Haught for Sherrif. As Wynonna realizes Nicole overheard her kind words, the two share a beer and bond, admitting both their initial fears of the other and mutual admiration. After Wynonna tells Nicole about Nedley being the one that saved her, not Black Badge, Haught confronts Nedley about it. The soon to be former Sherrif reveals he had always kept tabs on Nicole, looking out for her, and doing everything he could to bring her to Purgatory when she enrolled in the police academy. Following Greg Lawson’s delivery of ‘you’re like a daughter to me’ and the beautiful embrace the two shared, I guarantee you there was not a dry eye in the audience.
Jumping from tears of joy to tears of sorrow, Waverly finds a letter from Michelle outlining that she left to find Julian. Wynonna, embracing her sister, spots her own letter from Mama. As Doc arrives offering Wynonna Bulshar’s Ring, she reveals the letter instructs Wynonna not to trust Holliday. Demanding Doc to tell her the truth, slapping him to raise his frustration until he inadvertently reveals his rage-filled Vampire eyes and growl accompanied fangs. His immediate regret is followed by powerful tears on both sides, Wynonna accusing him of being a coward and needing his immortality that badly, asking what their daughter would think of him. This heart-wrenching scene ends with Wynonna taking advantage of his newly acquired Vampirism by declaring that he is no longer welcome in her home.
The raw unfiltered emotion delivered by Melissa Scrofano and Tim Rozon throughout this scene is otherworldly. The impact of every word, every eye flicker, each tear, the beats of silence, are more powerful deliveries than half of the entire performances of those who win awards by the arm full. How they work off of one another, building off the relationship, the chemistry, and incredible talent they both possess is awe striking. If anyone working wants something to study on how to deliver a truly moving scene, they need look no further than this.
Wynonna Earp continues to be in a league all its own, marrying the soul moving with the laugh-inducing. Every week I think that the team has reached the ceiling, setting the bar as high as it can go, and every week they completely blow my expectations out of the water and redefine the bar. If anyone reading this knows how to start an Emmy Award campaign for a show, please message me, because Team Earp deserves them all. Since the closing moments the prior week I’ve been bemused, despite the dire circumstances, about Doc Holliday’s vampiric transformation, remember if you will, good ole John Henry Holliday was a dentist, so now Purgatory’s most famous dentist has grown some newfangled chompers as a Vampire. I’m working on a good meme level joke for this, but it’s not refined enough yet.
See you again next week, same Earp time, same Earp channel!