Wynonna Earp - S1E5 - Diggin’ Up Bones

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Wynonna Earp s1e5 - Diggin’ Up Bones | Melanie Scrofano, Tim Rozon, Shamier Anderson, Dominique Provost-Chalkley, Michael Eklund | Writer: Shelley Scarrow | Director: Paolo Barzman

After four rowdy episodes of demon hunting and saucy hijinx, like our eponymous heroine’s donut addiction, nothing will ever be cut and dry on Wynonna Earp. “Diggin’ Up Bones”, a superbly directed episode by Paolo Barzman, crept deep into the darker recesses of the Earp sisters’ psyches with a touch of surrealism and a splash of disturbing imagery. The overall arc for the revenants opened up immensely as well, revealing their place on the totem pole of evil may not be so high after all. Also, still no Officer Haught in sight. Boo.

If the prairie winds do indeed bring bad dreams like Waverly claimed, then blame that low pressure system for Wynonna’s whopper of a nightmare. Earp was successful in dispatching five of the seven who took Willa and strung up her daddy, but the task she’s cursed to fulfill has already become a great strain on her. As Wav remarked, The Seven aren’t the only goal: there are seventy seven more revenants to go.

While Wynnie (can we call her that? Yeah? No? Donut?) is dealing with her inner demons, her and Dolls’ presence has been requested by Purgatory’s City Manager, Judge Cryderman (David LeReaney). Considering how Wynonna kept making a plethora of lemonfaces during their appointment with the judge, the Earps and Crydermans probably give the Hatfields and McCoys a run for the money. The Judge exuded the air of a man who’s more concerned about duck season than fulfilling his civic duties, but no one can sleep on his influence. If he’s forcing Xavier to kiss ass to keep Black Badge operations active in Purgatory, it’s clear Cryderman has his fingers plucking plenty of the right strings. Thankfully, Dolls’ mega-watt smile and innate knowledge of hunting did him good and he was granted a search warrant for Bobo’s trailer park. His and Wynonna’s presence however didn’t surprise the revenants as the deputies expected.

“Once it’s done, it’s done. There will be no mercy for you.”

It’s clear a number of dubious characters are swarming in town, but none of them are as sordid and nefarious as the enigmatic ‘Stone Witch’ aka Constance Clootie, attorney at law (Rayisa Kondracki). Her agenda remains unknown but this enchanter’s motivations are clear as crystal: she desires to revive her sons, and Del Ray has a crucial part to play in their resurrection. It definitely is a tenuous pact full of slaps to the face, unwanted kisses and sucking on metal heels?! Say whaaaaaaaat??? In case you forgot, Constance is also responsible for putting Doc Holliday down a well for a little over a century. The gents’ respective history with the witch is complex to say the least. And their relations are only going to get way, way worse. In other words, damn good television for us!

“Bones” couldn’t have been any more ominous without a reunion of sorts between Waverly and Bobo at the police department. Everyone’s favorite fur-lined outlaw certainly has something set up for poor Wav. Perhaps burying a talisman on the Homestead property wasn’t her sole purpose, as Del Ray alludes. Our resident psycho claims he chose Waverly for that devious scheme because the hate flowed  strongly through her. Like a Sith Master, Bobo hastily acquired his apprentice. Perhaps that’s laying it on thick, but the littlest Earp has been nothing short of fiery from the beginning. Blowing holes in bedroom walls with her sawed off, her passive jabs at Wynonna, admitting her desire to be the Chosen One… it’s evident something dark resides in the depths of Wav’s soul. When the gang claimed last month that everyone - even seemingly innocent Waverly - will be facing demons of some sort, they weren’t lying.

As for the actual felon-turned-hellspawn, “Bones” brushed a very layered painting of Robert Del Ray, with an absolutely stellar performance by Michael Eklund. It always felt like Del Ray was waiting on the sidelines for his big moment to shine and boy, did he ever. One of the best signs of a show with true lasting quality is how much effort is given in developing its villains. Writing a crass, uncouth and genuinely loathsome character would be acceptable yet too easy. Fleshing out a persona with these qualities then adding heaps of charm, wit and savvy creates a rogue who viewers know is up to no good, yet emanates an illusory set of redeeming qualities. Bobo is a bad man, no doubt about it. Colluding with a number of questionable folks, engaging in illegal activities and in desperate need of sexual harassment courses, Del Ray - thanks to Eklund’s smarmy portrayal - is an antagonist we all love to hate. Not to mention he’s telekinetic and can hold Peacemaker?! Just when you think you know a guy…

“Now that girl needs a cigarillo.”

Here we thought Wynonna couldn’t out-Wynonna herself and she tears through town like a Tasmanian devil, leaving doughnut powder and gunshot residue in her wake. “Bones” provides the perfect storm of doom and gloom for our reluctant heroine, who has basically given up doing things Dolls’ way. In her frustrations, Wynonna managed to learn a whole lot of nothing while placing herself and Xavier in a precarious position. While Dolls tries to pick up the pieces of their reputation as peace officers, Earp goes on the warpath to find the remaining two responsible for Ward’s death. Thanks to a hopeless romantic named Fish (Tyrell Crews), the revenant and Wynonna come to an accord: she’ll help him find his love and he’ll give her the photo to identify all the Seven. In her quest to find Levi - y’know, the guy Holliday strung up in “Keep the Home Fires Burning” - Earp’s disdain for the hellions began to manifest in an extremely unWynonna fashion.

“Vengeance is hollow, Doc. It isn’t worth a thing.”

Waverly isn’t the only one getting in touch with her dark side; Wynonna quickly developed a penchant for using fishhooks to get the information she wants out of people. Her to buck authority is one thing - and a very alluring quality at that - but Earp’s precipitous decline whilst seeking revenge for her family is damaging any future she wishes to make for herself. Though her casual, snarky attitude remains alive and well, the Wynonna many of the townsfolk know and hate is seemingly making a comeback. The curse she acquired may be chipping away at her better nature though it softened momentarily when Fish and Levi were finally reunited and ready to depart this world yet again. In their last moments, it looked as though Wynonna realized not all is what she assumed among the revenants. Sure, 99.9% of them may want to wreak havoc across the world but a scant few are actually at peace and await Earp’s final justice.

Bonus: It seems that the lovers’ sentimental sendoff was enough of an emotional ordeal to compel Wynonna and Doc to “share their feelings” in the middle of the woods. WoOoOoOo! Also, gross. What about chiggers and ticks? Damn, people…

More shocks and secrets are bound to leap out of nowhere in next Friday’s episode “Constant Cravings”, at 10/9c on Syfy!