‘Wynonna Earp’ for once kept an episode strictly silent as we trudged hesitantly towards the episode-and found ourselves rooted to the ground, stunned by the writing, performances and respect from the cast.

Touted as one big mystery-so mysterious that screeners weren’t even cleared to critics-‘Let’s Pretend We’re Strangers’ was something we were both scared and excited to approach.

And the episode was so nuttily good that we’re glad it was kept so hush-hush! Emily Andras’ writing team crafted a twisty, turning rollercoaster with a swerving curveball smacked into your gut right at the end. After the possession of Wynonna (Melanie Scrofano) at the end of the last episode, it’s now down to Waverly (Dominique Provost-Chalkley) and Dolls (Shamier Anderson) to stop any carnage she may cause. And it’s not exactly easy on Waverly. During her time fighting off the demon within, she’d endeavoured to carry on as normal. That meant carrying on with Nicole (Katherine Barrell). Yet what was so beautiful was the fact that Nicole didn’t take any of Waverly’s second-thoughts on certain matters lightly. She embraced Waverly, and let her feel loved.

RELATED l Wynonna Earp 2×04 Roundtable

Meanwhile, “Goonanna” is under a suspicious Doc’s (Tim Rozon) eye. And it’s a symbol of how well he knows Wynonna when he immediately clocks onto her strangeness. Admittedly, we thought we’d have the Goonanna debacle to go on for much longer, but we’re glad it didn’t. ‘Wynonna Earp’ cleverly knocked down one arc and introduced another, Juan Carlo’s ‘order’, for the second half.

But if it’s one thing we all took away from that episode, let’s not deny it, it was that shocker at the end: Wynonna’s pregnant.

We must, however, say hello to some new guests. Thanks to this week’s contributors!

• Sonia (@l3rd4s0y): Enviado con Writer
• Alex Shillington (@Alex_Shillo): YouTuber and Full-time Fangirl!
• Jill (aka @NedleysOffice), publisher of the #PurgatoryPoliceBlotter and general fan of all things #WynonnaEarp and #WayHaught
• Marissa (@marissapy16) aka Goorissa: earper, live tweeter, and attentive nerd
• Shelby (@nedleyscouch): Content System Specialist/Atlassian Administrator
• Kate (@kate2900): Earper, live tweeter and Wynonna Earp fanvideo maker.

Let’s see what our excellent new Earpers thought of episode five!

I’m gonna bring the sledgehammer in first, I’m afraid! Wynonna. Is. Pregnant?! When? How? Oh, gosh, what on earth will this mean for all her existing dynamics, and for Wynonna herself? What did you think of that twist? Do you think…it’ll last?

Alex Shillington (@Alex_Shillo)

I do think it will last as we know Melanie was pregnant throughout the filming of Season 2, but I don’t think your typical pregnancy. I have no doubt in my mind that Emily Andras has more twists up her sleeve. I’m really excited to see the dynamic of Wynonna & Waverly grow through this. We’ve seen Waverly question her role in the family since Bobo told her she wasn’t an Earp. Family is clearly going to be a big theme this season which is exciting to me.

Sonia (@l3rd4s0y)

I love that twist,i was pretty pumped all the week for the hype in social media, and that one I never saw it coming. I think that in retrospective is a great thing to happen to Wynonna, this season she was feeling the weight of the gild of the dead of her sister, the loneliness of all people pulling away to their own shenanigans, so this could be a positive thing, something for her to stop and put a bit of time in herself, is gonna be a struggle but can add a lot good points to the narrative.

Jill (@NedleysOffice)

Okay, let me be honest. I wasn’t super excited the moment it aired. But then I read the various articles and had some time to think and ruminate (because I’m a type-A personality and I like to ruminate). And after reading those, I again needed to be honest and forthcoming-but this time with myself; I needed to recognized/admit my own assumptions and stereotypes. So, yeah, I originally thought “oh, crap”. But now, honestly, I think “oh hell yeah!!!”

I don’t think anyone would disagree that a baby changes things — it IS a game changer, just as the cast/crew indicated. But as Emily said, “women have babies.” And, being one (a woman, that is), I truly believe women are amazing. So you go, Wynonna! Now… that’s all my own person baggage as a fan. In terms of the show, it presents so many spectacular possibilities. We’ve seen Wynonna with Doc, yes, but in addition she’s a pretty sexually free person (which I love), so I’m not convinced Doc was her only partner in the timeline we’ve seen. Also, clearly, there’s the supernatural element to the show. At this point, only Wynonna knows who the potential BabyDaddys are… and due do the goo, Waverly might also know. I can’t wait to find out!

Marissa (@marissapy16)

Shelby (@nedleyscouch)

Kate (@kate2900)

I think it will have a very interesting effect on everyone’s dynamics for sure. Waverly’s probably going to get even more protective of Wynonna than she already is. I think it’ll have a very interesting effect on Doc and Dolls since there’s a possibility Doc could be the father (Though I doubt it because honestly that seems too obvious) Nicole and her dynamic might not change that much just yet I don’t think (I think that they need to talk out their issues with each other before anything is going to change between them) though Nicole will definitely congratulate her.

And I don’t think Jeremy and Rosita have built up enough of a dynamic with Wynonna yet for this to have a large effect. (Though Jeremy will most likely say something adorable and awkward and dorky when he finds out). And as for Wynonna I think pregnant Wynonna will be ten times as badass and protective as she already is.

That twist was crazy and I’m honestly very excited to see what it means. I’m interested to see if the baby’s human and see if the goo affected the baby at all or see if someone is using Wynonna as some sort of host.

I hope it will last and the baby will stick around no matter what species it is because it would be so interesting to see how that changes the chemistry of the show and see how it affects everyone’s dynamics. (Also Mother Wynonna and Aunt Waverly how cute is that to think of?) But honestly I’m not sure. I have a theory in my head that there’s the possibility that someone is using Wynonna as some sort of host. So in that case it would most likely not last.

I loved the Waverly/Dolls scenes. Again, another example of two actors you don’t commonly see together, but they’re so well characterised that you can literally throw anyone together. Any thoughts on Waverly and Dolls together?

Alex Shillington (@Alex_Shillo)

I LOVE Waverly and Dolls together! They had a scene in 1×11 that introduced my love for them together when Dolls reminded Waverly how important she is. Their dynamic reminds me of a big brother/little sister relationship and I just adore it so much! When Waverly was remembering leaving Dolls in the barn injured it absolutely broke my heart!

Sonia (@l3rd4s0y)

It was a rocky meeting after having a bad fallout in the barn, could be say, couldn’t we. This two character for me are very similar, they live their life’s based in the rules they need to navigate the world, so they understand each other in a very elemental way, making their dynamics organic in a way. At this point we made a great develop in their relation, that I think can only add to the group dynamic.

Jill (@NedleysOffice)

The single tear rolling down Waverly’s cheek… let us pause a moment and appreciate that…. Okay now that we’ve done that, let me give my opinion that we don’t appreciate (me included!) Dolls as much as we should, we really don’t. And this scene was an example of that. Shamier Anderson’s comedic side-eye as he asks threateningly “REAL favorite food!?!” paired with this wonderful smile when he knows he’s speaking to the real Waverly. … This entire cast is a blessing. To address your actual question, though, I love love love that Waverly, who grew up with a big sister who outwardly hated her (Willa) is now surrounded by two big brothers (in Doc and Dolls) and a big sister (Wynonna) who would do anything for her.

Marissa (@marissapy16)

Shelby (@nedleyscouch)

Kate (@kate2900)

I absolutely love Waverly and Dolls scenes together. Whenever they have scenes where it’s just the two of them it’s usually them having casual conversations before a huge action scene happens. They so rarely have scenes where it’s just the two of them and it’s so great to see them have these nice casual conversations in otherwise action packed episodes. It’s a great time to catch your breath and prepare yourself for the drama and action that you know is coming up next.. It reminded me of the scene from season one where Dolls and Waverly are sitting at the kitchen table talking before people come and try to kill Dolls and Waverly is all excited that Dolls called her “Earp”

Comparing to how Waverly acted when possessed, what did you think of Wynonna’s way about it? What were the differences, and why? We know the demon already thinks of Wynonna as the weaker one…

Alex Shillington (@Alex_Shillo)

Waverly clearly had a lot more control over the demon but I don’t think it was because Wynonna is weaker. After killing her sister I don’t think Wynonna really cared about taking control of her life. The couple times we did see Wynonna break through was when the demon was trying to hurt her friends and family, and they are something that Wynonna will fight to keep safe.

Sonia (@l3rd4s0y)

First thing, Melanie was marvelous and owned really good that part, and put it in another category, it was a treat to see. The differences in the interactions of the demon, for me are in the why that each character manage their emotions. While Waverly really know herself and own her emotions, Wynonna is incapable to take a moment to decipher what life made her feel, and she always deflect. So,I think it was more easy for her to manipulate a chaos personality that couldn’t present a good fight to maintain control. At this point Wynonna is all in not to feel the base emotions that killing Willa give them,so she really is the weak Earp.

Jill (@NedleysOffice)

This is just too much to process. They (and by ‘they’ I mean you, Evelyn Andrews, you know who you are!!) tease us with how ‘dark’ Waverly is but also how much ‘goodness’ is in her. And you tease us with Nicole saying that sometimes the thing she loves most is missing and she (Waverly) has recently been acting more like….Wynonna. Ultimately I think Waverly and Wynonna ARE different; very different. Wynonna is less inhibited, as such, so is the goo. Waverly is 100 pounds with BOTH goodie two shoes, so the goo has to fight against that.

Marissa (@marissapy16)

Shelby (@nedleyscouch)

Kate (@kate2900)

Whereas a lot of people seem to be telling Waverly about the darkness inside of her and how angry she is so it makes sense that her possessed self was much more broody and dark. Gooverly seemed to mainly come out in Waverly when she was about to do something aggressive or was being threatened in some way. The demon said Waverly was too difficult to control because she had too much goodness. So maybe it only came out when Waverly was angry because that’s when she let the darkness come out and take over her goodness.

I think Wynonna was much easier to take over not necessarily because she was weaker but because Wynonna is full of darkness and even without a demon inside of her she lets that darkness take her over, whereas Waverly fights her darkness and usually doesn’t let it take her over. It wasn’t necessarily weakness it was just how each girl chooses to deal with their darkness.

I loved that Doc spotted Wynonna’s oddity from the first moment (that’s how I felt anyway-did you feel that way too?) Do you think it would’ve been difficult for Doc as well, considering how Wynonna flirted with him and he’s so painfully in love with her?

Alex Shillington (@Alex_Shillo)

I personally don’t think so. I don’t think Doc saw it as Wynonna flirting with him, he knew it was the demon. I think the only thing he was thinking is how to save her.

Sonia (@l3rd4s0y)

Yeah, totally, Doc was on Wygoona the first round around, he really understand and get her, and he did see that her interactions were out of character.

Jill (@NedleysOffice)

I completely agree: Doc knew from the very very start! Doc has a complicated relationship with Wynonna but he understands both Wynonna’s quirks as well as Wynonna’s appreciation of her sister. When Wynonna slapped his ass in order keep him from seeing Waverly, his 140 year old antenna went up. I don’t think it would have been ‘difficult’ for Doc, though: he knew Wynonna was not Wynonna; and he’s already turned Wynonna’s advances down twice this season when she was herself. Don’t get me wrong, I lean towards WynDoc… but when he knew she wasn’t Wyn… it wasn’t a hard call.

Marissa (@marissapy16))

Shelby (@nedleyscouch)

Kate (@kate2900)

I think he was definitely suspicious that Wynonna left the house without Waverly and that Waverly would choose to miss a day of work for hangover. He also probably found it strange that Wynonna wouldn’t let him in the house to check on Waverly. But he probably brushed that all off when Wynonna started flirting with him because he enjoyed that and because that’s still in character for her. Maybe he thought she was just having a weird day.

But then more weird things kept happening like when she added cream to her coffee, she said Waverly was sick when earlier she said she was hungover. Then her threatening the fireman with a knife and not Peacemaker was the final straw for him to realize that this was not the Wynonna he knew. It was probably difficult for him to stuff her in that trunk because even though that wasn’t Wynonna, Doc was still pushing what looked like Wynonna into the trunk, and he knew that Wynonna was still in there somewhere witnessing all this.

Juan Carlo’s comeback! Let’s talk about this “order”. Firstly, what are your theories on who Juan Carlo is, and what is this order (of, um, firemen?) that he’s the leader of?

Alex Shillington (@Alex_Shillo)

I have no clue who Juan Carlo is. I don’t think he is the leader of The Order, I got the sense that they are both working towards or for the same thing. They both have a common goal. I might have interpreted that wrong though haha. Juan Carlo makes me nervous because of how little we know of him.

Sonia (@l3rd4s0y)

Juan Carlos is an angel Or Satan himself. That’s my theory, someone that organize the force of good to maintain the equilibrium in a damn place.The firemen’s cult are in probation, because I never gonna trust men in capiruchos.

Jill (@NedleysOffice)

I have no flippin’ clue who Juan Carlo is. But it does appear he has a higher view than the Earps, or The Order, or of Black Badge. Like…he’s part of some force out there that is desperately trying to keep all the forces of ‘good’ from shooting each other in the foot. (and, gee, I can’t help but wonder if this is an allegory from some actual real life thing we’re facing)

Marissa (@marissapy16)

Shelby (@nedleyscouch)

I still say he’s an angel of some kind. As for the order I don’t really know there have been so many in history it could really be any of them (Illuminati, Knights Templar, Ect.). I think we are going to find out more before the end of the season and I can’t wait.

Kate (@kate2900)

His name spells out interesting initials. J.C. At first I thought that maybe that might stand for Jesus Christ or something. But now I think that maybe he’s an angel of some sort. Possibly the head of the angels. Or possibly even a fallen angel. If there’s demons and there’s Hell then that means that there has to be Heaven and angels right?

Maybe there’s even an actual Purgatory (As in the place between Heaven and Hell not the town) and maybe Juan Carlo is from there and maybe all those firemen are angels or fallen angels too. It seems they’ve been around a long time and it’s interesting that they were wearing the types of bird masks that people wore during the Plague. Maybe they think of this demon (Mikshun?) who possesses people as a plague? Or maybe they think of all the supernatural creatures in Purgatory as a plague?

Kate Drummond, holy mother of earth. Agent Lucado certainly went out with a bang. What did you think of Kate’s performance this season? And was it tragic in a way, why she wanted to be possessed, knowing fully what it was?

Alex Shillington (@Alex_Shillo)

I loved to hate Lucado. I’m so bummed that we won’t be seeing more of her. She was a very entertaining character. I don’t think she truely wanted to touch the goo but I believe it has an effort like a Siren. She mentioned it was singing to her before she touched it, Waverly mentioned she also felt compelled to touch it.

Sonia (@l3rd4s0y)

It was a sad death, and to tell you the truth for me bad, because I feel that the character could have been really add a lot, the death was very “wtf”. The power of the goo, was that it take control of your emotions, the fear that don’t let you be yourself, and in someway it was reasonable that having all her life collapsing, it sound really attractive., for Lucado to make that choice.

Kate did a really good portraying Lucado, a really bummer that she is out.

Jill (@NedleysOffice)

Okay, first: Kate Drummond is clearly an inspiration. I have been inspired by her. Others have been inspired by her. She deserves every single last accolade that is bestowed upon her by this fandom. She really does. Thank you, Kate! But now let me switch over to talk about Lucado. Holy head explosions, right?!??! Here is my concern: Lucado talked about how the goo ‘sang’ to her. Waverly talked about how the goo ‘called out to her’. I DO NOT KNOW WHAT TO THINK!!! It makes me wonder if Waverly touched the goo because it offered something that her current situation didn’t. And if that’s the case… WHAT did it offer her?!!? And what does that mean for Waverly’s future (and our future as fans)??!?!?

Marissa (@marissapy16)

Shelby (@nedleyscouch)

Kate (@kate2900)

I think Kate’s performance was phenomenal this season. She really brought Lucado to life. I was actually pretty sad when she died. (I was hoping maybe she would have some sort of reluctant villain joins the heroes storyline) It was extremely tragic that she wanted to be possessed by the demon because Black Badge didn’t want her anymore so maybe the demon would want her. It makes me wonder why Lucado was so attached to Black Badge that she would rather be possessed than actively be shunned by Black Badge. (I have a theory that perhaps some agents that work for Black Badge are raised in Black Badge from childhood so this may have added some weight to that theory perhaps.)

All of the Black Badge Division is gone?! Even Moody? How?! When?! Who took ’em down? Any theories? Wild guesses?

Alex Shillington (@Alex_Shillo)

My first thoughts was it might have something to do with the explosion that happened when the demon lady escaped. But I don’t believe this is the last we hear of BBD.

Sonia (@l3rd4s0y)

Yas, where are they, what is coming for them to run out or did they. At this point I really think that Juan Carlos is the one setting the playboard, don’t know why or how, but it seemed that he got the power of the characters we know to pull one that big.

Jill (@NedleysOffice)

I wrote a little bit about this before. There was a brief scene where Dolls indicated that Mikshun (aka Mictian aka however it is speeled) had been stalking him for years (specifically HIM). And that after they thought it had been eradicated from Kabul, Black Badge pulled up stakes and left, just as they have from Purgatory. And if you go back to the The Blade (S1 Ep4), you find that DOLLS CALLS OUT Mikshun by name! Emma Andreas, you have been playing the long game, OMG!! Basically, no idea… but I am not at all convinced we’ve seen the last of this Earp-inhabiting-demon.

Marissa (@marissapy16)

Shelby (@nedleyscouch)

Kate (@kate2900)

I feel like there’s a possibility Juan Carlo and his gang took them down. I feel like their disappearance might somehow be linked to that blood contract everyone had to sign back in 2×01. Also I don’t think that’s the end we’ve seen of that plate. There’s definitely a reason Black Badge wanted it. So maybe Juan Carlo and his crew of firefighters are enemies of Black Badge and that plate possibly could have helped Black Badge hold some power over them?

The plate has to be pretty important if they were willing to hold off on killing Waverly and let Wynonna try getting the demon out of Waverly first. I definitely think Juan Carlo is connected in some way to their disappearance. Even if he and his gang weren’t the ones to actually remove them. It’s possible that Black Badge just fled from something but I’m not sure about that. Even if they did flee I still think their fleeing had something to do with that plate or something to do with Juan Carlo.

After the fast-paced belter of episode four, episode five hit some speed bumps along the hour-but kept us slack-jawed with the shocking ending.

Who saw that coming? No-one? Yeah, we thought so.

This wasn’t the best episode of the first five. We’d probably still give it to the premiere or episode four. But in terms of big surprises-the word ‘surprise’ seems inadequate for the bombshell ‘Wynonna Earp’ just dropped on us.

It’ll be interesting to see how Wynonna navigates the world of pregnancy (expect a load of snark coming up about back pain and such…) and it’s a very interesting theme too, that you wouldn’t necessarily expect. Wynonna has never been portrayed as the monogamous type, despite her connection with Dolls. So there’s the basic question of: who the hell is the daddy? But furthermore, we’ve seen Wynonna play the sister type so lovingly-to a point where here at TV After Dark, we can’t imagine that relationship fading away. Ever.

But throw in a mother-daughter relationship and everything goes to fuzz. Think about it: are we going to see Wynonna as reckless as she is when she has a child to care for; to live for? What about the closeness between her and Waverly? Will she have time, or will Waverly withdraw further into Nicole? And as for Doc and Dolls-what exactly are they going to think about Wynonna’s pregnancy, and their involvement, or lack of, in it?

The biggest, juiciest stuff we’re looking forward to though, beyond Wynonna’s relationships, is how this’ll affect herself. Does she see herself as the motherly type? Will she keep the child? Can the woman who’s earned everyone’s forgiveness except herself’s give herself the chance to be a mother?

WYNONNA EARP returns Friday 14th July 10/9c on Syfy.