Wynonna Earp - S1E4 - The Blade

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Previously on Wynonna Earp, “Leavin’ on Your Mind”

Wynonna Earp s1e4 - The Blade | Melanie Scrofano, Tim Rozon, Shamier Anderson, Dominique Provost-Chalkley, Michael Eklund, Ryan Northcott | Writer: James Hurst | Director: Paolo Barzman

After the stunning admission by “John Henry” that he is THE Doc Holliday himself, the crafty ol’ card shark put on a display that’d even leave Dolls dazzled (but he’d never show it). Xavier opened an investigation on a former associate of Wynonna’s who was killed under mysterious circumstances. Signs quickly point to a revenant formerly known as Father Robert Malick, an old fire-and-brimstone type that never took a shining to women, to put it mildly. Thanks to a quick scoop from Doc on where to begin their search, Wynonna and Xavier make their way to Bobo’s trailer park and finally make formal introductions.

“Some people you just can’t forgive. No matter how hard they try.”

In their initial conversations, it’s clear there’s no love between the Black Badge Division and Del Ray (Michael Eklund). Yes, he may be the Head Demon in Charge and all-around scum, but even bad guys make some good points. For example, the scorched earth protocols the Division has in place to eliminate potential incursions isn’t the best of options. Yet it appears to be the agency’s one and only tactic in dealing with demons and other supernatural fiends across America. How else would a two-bit hood with a bit of power, trapped in a hundred-year old enchantment no less, know about Maldito, New Mexico? The Black Badge’s reputation mustn’t be as sterling as viewers initially believe. Then again, it could all be a load of hooey. It is Bobo Del Ray who’s talking smack after all. Then again, even a hint of truth could be spoken from a silver tongue every now and then.

After a very terse conversation with the nauseating Father Malick (whose eyes almost vomited from the look of that rev?), Dolls and Earp put the pieces together on why ex-acquaintances of Wynonna’s are being targeted by August ‘The Blade’ Hamilton, which forces our eponymous heroine to not exactly stroll through memory lane, but tumble down the jagged hill of her youthful misdeeds. In the meantime, Holliday has to do his best to mend the bridges he burned down between him and the Earps on account of shooting at Waverly in “Leavin’ on Your Mind”. The prevailing themes of forgiveness and acceptance ran steady in “The Blade” as the secrets and forgotten moments of yesteryear bubbled up to the surface whether the leads were ready to confront them or not.

“We’re all guilty of something, right Earp?”

In the meantime, another body dropped around Doc’s immediate vicinity, so he instantly became suspect numero uno. The introductions continued with Dolls finally meeting Purgatory’s man of mystery, yet neither gentleman was left impressed. Holliday remained nonchalant during his brief visit in the interview room but Dolls? Well, Doc tried his whole the-eyes-are-the-windows-to-the-soul deal on Xavier and yeah… it didn’t elicit the kind of reaction anyone was expecting.

Now that everyone knows everyone in Earp, it’s immediately apparent from their burgeoning acquaintances that heaps upon heaps of chemistry will eventually break out in future episodes. As entertaining as the witty rapport was among the leads, nothing brings a squad together like sharing near-death experiences. Each character had their moment in the sun and provided an abundance of humor, emotion and tragedy along their singular paths to redemption. In short time, Wynonna was being dragged through the mud, Waverly revealed and accepted the envy she has for big sis, Dolls was more than eager to sacrifice himself to atone for past mistakes and Holliday admitted he’s responsible for the August Hamilton’s watery demise over a century ago. “The Blade” set the jump-off for the remainder of the season, expanding upon motivations while prepping the gang for the inevitable battle for Purgatory. At the same time, Wynonna and the others present their faults in an episode that was not unlike a group therapy session supervised by Jigsaw of the Saw series.

There’s no denying this is Wynonna’s show, yet it’s been refreshing to view each lead become more confident and comfortable in shaping their roles to their winsome peculiarities. Although “The Blade” was focused chiefly on the questionable choices people make in the heat of the moment and the eventual consequences one will suffer, this has been a through line for Wynonna ever since she stepped foot back in her hometown. Perhaps it was a good thing Hamilton inadvertently brought the gang together through such a painful, revealing manner. It could only bolster the relationships between the sisters and Dolls after such rocky beginnings. Holliday, however, is a whole other story.

If anything, Wynonna and Waverly’s bond has grown enormously since Earp’s unexpected return. While no family is ever perfect, the Earps will always have one another’s back. Besides, it’ll be a cold day in hell before anyone else in Purgatory gives our scrappy gunfighter a second chance.