What the heck is going on in Purgatory?
How did a ghost town become something out of The Handmaid's Tale in just 18 months?
Whatever's happened, things aren't looking great for our heroes after Wynonna Earp Season 4 Episode 2.
One possible answer to this question is Eve, who seems to be shaping up as this season's Big Bad.
Like the Garden, she's pretty different than the description offered in the Bible.
From the brief time the audience spent with the character, this Eve is an angry shapeshifter who was hellbent on getting out of the Garden, which makes sense if she had been trapped in that prison for eons.
Waverly: Whatever you are, Doc’s gonna kill you.
Eve (as Nicole): Save your heteronormative hero hogwash for humanity, sweetie, which incidentally I preclude by eons.
Waverly: Just say you’re old, you pretentious bitch.
Eve (as Nicole): I am a nightmare unto the world, and your cherubic little daddy died before he could teach you how to save it, from me.
Waverly: For once, I just wish we could take a demon that isn’t such a talker, you know?
What viewers still don't know is why Eve was imprisoned there in the first place and what her plan is now that she's free.
Is it as simple as her being punished for eating the apple, and instead of simply being kicked out of paradise, she was imprisoned in the not-so Garden of Eden, or is something else going on?
Spending eons in solitary, especially if Bulshar tricked her, would be enough to explain her anger and desire to escape.
However, the reason for her bloodthirsty nature is less apparent.
Does she just want to revenge because she was abandoned, or has she always been like this?
If it's the latter, then there's probably a good reason why she was imprisoned in the Garden, like say wanting to destroy all of humanity.
Whatever the reasons, Eve is now on the loose and looking to cause untold chaos, something she might be in the process of right now.
Eve left the Garden before Wynonna, Waverly, and Doc, so who knows how long she was in Purgatory before they got back.
Wynonna: Red, don’t let all my triceps drips go to waste.
Nicole: Ah, my leg’s broken.
Wynonna: Well, suck it up, sheriff. She needs you.
Nicole: No, Doc and Waverly need you. They need the Earp Heir. I need medical attention.
Wynonna: Don’t you dare do this to me. Not after all your guilt trips and your… your punching.
Nicole: Yeah, we do have fun, don’t we?
Wynonna: They’re almost inside. They’ll kill you.
Nicole: Not a chance. I am going to be waiting for your back in Purgatory.
Wynonna: Nicole, Nicole, I can’t… I can’t do this without you.
Nicole: Actually, only you can. It has to be you, Wynonna. It was always going to be you.
It could have been days or months or even a full year, which would be more than enough time to make a mess of things.
Because while Purgatory has never been the safest of towns, the threat alert has just been bumped up DEFCON 1.
Another possibility for the sorry state of Purgatory could be due to the shadowy government figures viewers met on Wynonna Earp Season 4 Episode 1 when they herded the rest of the citizens out of town and onto an electrified train heading for who knows where.
The presumption was Purgatory was going to go the way of Maldito, but those government or military agents could have had other plans for the Ghost River Triangle.
If those plans included marshal law, then the gang has a difficult uphill battle in front of them.
They know how to deal with and kill demons.
What they don't know how to do is navigate the inner workings of politics and engage in diplomacy.
Going in their half-cocked would do more harm than good, and could end up having to sign another blood contract to some shadow government agency.
However, tact has never been Wynonna's strong suit, so if the gang is facing a non-supernatural threat, then there's no telling how bad things will go before it even gets a little bit better.
Wynonna: Waverly Earp, you need to stand your hinny up off that stone seat before it is too late.
Waverly: I am the guardian. You are the champion.
Wynonna: What we are is sisters.
Waverly: We must all submit to our destinies.
Wynonna: I’m done submitting to shit. Fine, we’ll do it the hard way. Waves, what the hell?
Waverly: You cannot undo what has been promised.
Wynonna: Right, right because promises are important. I have the ring you gave Nicole. Stand up and come with me. Give it back to her.
Waverly: Guardians of the Garden do not get to love.
Wynonna: You are not just a guardian. You are an Earp.
Waverly: She didn’t even say ‘yes.’
Wynonna: She will, baby girl. The curse is over, Waves. It’s time to start living for ourselves.
Waverly: Wynonna, help.
Wynonna: All this destiny, curse, fate, heirs of anything bullshit, it’s canceled.
Waverly: Take me home.
If the show chooses to take this route, it'd be an exciting exploration, as the series has always sided toward the fantastical.
While the argument could be made that the show has incorporated some non-supernatural threats, like Black Badge, that division was still involved in the fight against demons and supernatural creatures.
It could be a risk to veer away from what has worked in the past, but if any show can find a way to balance the non-supernatural and supernatural elements alike, it's this one.
With everything hitting the fan, the one bright side is the 'ships, as things seem to be moving mostly full steam ahead for both WayHaught and WyDoc.
After WayHaught's faux reunion earlier this episode, their actual reconciliation more than made up for it.
That was one -- excuse the awful pun -- way "haught" sex scene, and best of all, it ended with Nicole formally accepting Waverly's proposal.
Things would be perfect if not for the 18-month time jump.
To be honest, that came as a complete surprise.
WayHaught's reunion was so thrilling that I completely missed Nicole's not-broken leg and longer hair.
It wasn't until Waverly starting asking questions and the show then cut to the shot of the hanged residents that is was obvious something was very wrong in Purgatory.
Waverly: I don’t think I’ve ever been this happy, so why do I feel like balling?
Nicole: Well, after what we just did, you’re pretty dehydrated. [Waverly laughs]. Your laugh, it’s like Christmas. Your lips are so soft.
Waverly: Are you going to spend all day listing all the things you like about me?
Nicole: More like the rest of my life.
Waverly: I love you.
Even though it seemed like Wynonna was only in the Garden for an hour at the most before she, Waverly, and Doc left, it turns out they were gone for over a year and a half.
That missing chunk of time is bound to put a damper on WayHaught's reunion.
Waverly will feel immense guilt for being gone that long, and it may not be something she can shake so quickly.
Nicole could also harbor some resentment for Waverly's absence, which could create problems done the line.
They have a lot of things they need to discuss now that Waverly's back, so hopefully, they hash things out quickly.
After all, they have a wedding to plan.
Wynonna and Doc, on the other hand, are nowhere near walking down the aisle, but they may try to have a real semi-adult relationship this season, which would be a new experience for viewers.
The audience has seen the pair as every shade out there, except in a monogamous, committed relationship.
Wynonna: Mr. ‘I Am A Weapon.’ It’s me, Mr. ‘I Am Happy To See You.’
Doc: I see the shears did not fail you. Well, maybe this will.
Wynonna: What the hell, Doc? As far as reunions, go this is better than my high school, but not as good as 90210.
Doc: I demand you stop using the voice of the woman I care deeply for.
Wynonna: You care deeply for? At least I know you’re the real, emotionally constipated Doc.
Doc: And you are a fraud, a harlot.
Wynonna: That’s like your favorite thing about me.
Doc: The real Wynonna is back in Purgatory.
Wynonna: Listen, I found Nicole. She decked me. We did a road trip. We got sniped by a mouthy teen. We found and broke into an abandoned BBD facility. And then we killed a bunch of scientist mutants. But now I am here, and we have to get back there.
Doc: That is exactly what the false Wynonna would say. Your tricks are useless.
Wynonna: Tricks are for kids. We have one. Alice, remember?
Doc: Alice.
Wynonna: It’s me, Doc. It’s me. I’m no deep fake; I’m real.
Doc: I cannot risk it. I swore to protect Waverly.
Wynonna: Bollywood. Our safe word.
Doc: For when private time gets too…
Wynonna: Honky tonk.
Both characters are at a point in their lives where they may be ready to take that plunge, having grown up a lot over the past three seasons.
Wynonna is no longer the town screw up who cries 'demon'; she has evolved into a capable, badass of a leader who would do anything to protect her family.
Doc, meanwhile, is no longer than self-centered gunslinger who's only looking out for his own interests. He's proven time and time again he's willing to put his life on the line to save his friends.
That's not to say a relationship would be easy.
There would still be plenty of drama and things to figure out, but it's about time the writers gave WyDoc a real shot.
Heck, even Kate seems to be on board with this possible development, having realized that she deserves better than her immortal ex-husband, who's still hung up on Wynonna.
All the signs are pointing toward 'yes,' so Powers That Be, make this happen.
If it doesn't work out, that's fine, but at least let them try.
Some stray thoughts:
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Having Eve as this season's Big Bad is a refreshing change of pace after three seasons of battling the same old demons. Sure, there were different monsters that the gang had to fight, but it always came back to the Earp Curse, whether it was revenants, Bulshar's wives, or the snake himself.
It's time for some fresh blood, both figuratively and literally.
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Can we please see Jeremy in "real" life? I've missed him and his one-liners. They don't compare to Wynonna's sass, but they're still pretty great.
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Did any fans of the comics catch the nod to the original Valdez character when Rachel explained her family history? That was a great Easter egg, and I'm curious to see if that lore will play into the story going forward.
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How did that WayHaught sex scene get past Standards and Practices? That was definitely an NSFW scene, something more akin to what you would expect to see on HBO or whatnot. I'm not complaining at all; I'm just more curious about the whole thing.
So what did you think Earpers?
Who or what is responsible for the new normal in Purgatory?
What's the deal with Eve?
Which couple ended in a better place: WayHaught or WyDoc?
Hit the comments below to let me know your thoughts. If you happened to miss the latest episode, remember you can watch Wynonna Earp online at TV Fanatic.
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