Synopsis 2×02: Lucado takes over Black Badge operations in Purgatory, Wynonna and Waverly take on giant spiders and other threats, and Doc starts looking to buy Shorty’s in this primarily character driven episode of Wynonna Earp.
Though, to be honest, the whole plot with the spiders isn’t nearly as interesting as all the little subplots going on throughout this episode.
The whole deal with the spiders involves mysterious disappearances going on at a condominium development. Eventually Wynonna discovers that one of the Revenants, Earl, is working there and he’s being drawn to something buried beneath the building in the remains of an old Catholic school. The spiders, it appears, are being drawn there as well. Eventually Wynonna and Waverly destroy the spider nest only to later find Earl dead and this mysterious chapel that he was trying to protect ransacked.
There’s ultimately not a whole lot of answers – though we do get a number of appearances by Jeremy dissecting the spiders as if they’re really important to what’s going on. Because you can’t have an episode with giant demonic spiders without your fair share of jump scares and icky moments. Otherwise you’re just not doing them justice.
Anyway, the most interesting part of the whole spider storyline is that Wynonna had a friend in high school.
The woman who owns the condominium development, Mercedes Gardner, is apparently a rich kid who went to school with Willa and Wynonna – and whose own sordid reputation rivals that of Wynonna. She ends up admitting that she always believed Wynonna about the supernatural and, after having a close call in her building, she totally supports #TeamWynonna. Plus she’s sticking around town for a while so their cool friendship dynamic may see return in later episodes. Or Mercedes could turn out to be evil – who knows.
Another interesting subplot loosely tied into the spider thing is the possibility of ghost Willa haunting Wynonna. In the end, I kinda doubt that’s what was happening and it will probably have something to do with the creepy basement stuff down the line. But still Wynonna kept smelling some strange, otherworldly substance and then suddenly a black, ghost-like figure would appear nearby. So, that’s all creepy and might have implications in further episodes.
It’s the unrelated subplots in this episode, though, that are kinda the best.
Doc is taking over Shorty’s, but in the process he’s getting himself into a little bit of trouble. He’s blackmailing Lucado for the upfront costs of running the business and getting in bed with some less than savory types to do some crazy drug production in the basement.
I have a feeling that it’s less illicit drugs he’s looking to make than more of Dolls’, serum but this is Doc and he’s not exactly the most straight-and-narrow character out there. Maybe he’s making both. Or maybe he’s just making demon meth. Also a possibility.
Meanwhile, Lucado and Wynonna butt heads this episode and it’s great. She is now in charge of the team (after being demoted by Black Badge for her actions last episode) and she’s determined to run things by the book. I do want to come out on the record and say that I really don’t like Lucado. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t mind the change in character dynamics and the way Black Badge is operating. I think that offers a nice, new conflict for Wynonna and the others to endure. I just really don’t like Lucado as a person. Even when she’s acting halfway decent she just rubs me the wrong way.
Which, realistically, is probably the point.
And I can almost guarantee you she’ll have her redeeming moment at some point this season because she does have her more human moments even in this episode.
That said, I really like Jeremy. I love that Waverly keeps trying to include him in their inner circle and that Wynonna keeps resisting it. He’s a cute character – and he seems to have a crush on Doc. Sadly, I suspect his time is limited and he’s going to be sacrificed somewhere down the line for some big emotional moment in a future episode. I’m calling it now.
Luckily Waverly and Haught start to work through their issues this episode. They are super cute and I love them – and I know the fandom does, too. Haught even says in this episode that it’s normal for girlfriends to fight. But let’s be real. None of us want them fighting. So it was nice to see them working through some of their issues. Haught may still be upset that she was left out of the creepy blood pact with Black Badge and Waverly may still be struggling with her identity as an Earp. It’s clear, however, that these are issues they can work through.
Now, the rest of what’s wrong with Waverly is another story.
While the mystery of what’s going on with her takes a backseat to her concerns about her birth and origins, we do get a little bit of black-eyed Waverly at the end (has it been decided fandom, ‘Dark Waverly’ or ‘Gooverly’?). And she ends up creepily eating one of the dead spider babies so I guess the whole episode ends up coming full circle in that way? It starts with someone getting eaten by spiders and ends with someone eating a spider.
Yeah, it’s gross.
We don’t learn anything more about what’s going on with Dolls this episode other than the fact that Lucado has mercenaries on his tail. Wynonna is wearing the necklace with the key on it that he left her at the end of the season premiere so, in that way, he’s still around. Everyone keeps talking about him – but the focus on those conversations tends to revolve around letting him go. That’s not at all what I want and not at all what I think any of us want so hopefully he’ll be back soon.
All in all, this episode really shines when it’s focusing on the characters, their relationships, and their motivations. Even the interactions between Wynonna and Lucado (as much as I hate her) are fantastic. We spend a lot of time with the characters just establishing relationships and at times breaking them apart before piecing them together again.
There’s a lot of changing dynamics and secrets – and that’s all Wynonna Earp at it’s best. That’s what we love about this show. Killing demons is cool. Complex, diverse characters with ever shifting relationship dynamics are even cooler.
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