Wynonna Earp 2×12 Delivers A Mother of an Episode

Wynonna Earp 2×12 brought the whole show full circle. When we first met Wynonna (Melanie Scrofano) and Waverly (Dominique Provost-Chalkley), they were two sisters who had lost a third, as well as both of their parents. Wynonna Earp was (and is) very much a show about sisterhood and found families. However, with Wynonna finding herself pregnant with the next Earp heir, a new looming role came for her: that of a mother.

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Wynonna has, in many ways, always been a mother — whether it’s the way she’s always taken care of Waverly, the horrible and hard decisions she’s had to make as the Earp heir, or bringing together their misfit family. In “I Hope You Dance,” Wynonna finally gives birth to her baby — a daughter! — and makes the hardest decision of her life: giving her child up to keep her safe.

Oh, and Mama Earp is alive. And Waverly isn’t part Revenant. And Nicole (Katherine Barrel) is getting a divorce. And Jeremy (Varun Saranga) might have special powers like Dolls (Shamier Anderson) does. And Doc (Tim Rozon) really is the father of baby Earp. Whew! Let’s break this down.

Claire (@kaneandgriffin) - playwright, novelist, Ravenclaw, co-host of Meta Station (a The 100 podcast), creator of viral “Friends” memes
Dallas (@Dallirious) Newborn Binge Earper
Hillary (@ryesquina) – Earper. Writer. Fangirl.)
Jessie (@JessieP94) - Earper and Dedicated Fangirl
Samantha (@samcaseys) Senior Writer at Telltale TV, feminist, geek, food enthusiast, probably making a playlist right now.

1. So many tear-worthy moments happened in this episode (looking at you, Earp sisters). Did you cry? How MUCH did you cry? And what did you cry at?

Claire: I have an older sister, so sister stories are my ultimate weakness, and everything with Wynonna lying on the pool table made me feel all the feelings. Despite my Rosita confusion (why did she suddenly turn into a jerk? What happened with Peacemaker? What does the blue glow mean? Did it just like …. bounce off Rosita’s forehead? Does that mean Waverly is definitely not an Earp OR a revenant?), Wynonna screaming at the gun to do its damn job for Waverly so she could protect her sister and the baby, and Waverly’s panic that her un-Earp-ness would mean she couldn’t do what needed to be done, were gut-wrenching. I also cried a lot at Papa Doc (see more below).

Dallas: I was advised kleenex would be required and so I think that set me up to prepare for it mentally, so no I didn’t cry. I did get very worked up over Doc and Wynonna turning their guns on each other. Even though my head was saying ‘no, this is a trick’, we’d already had a twist with the Widows and ‘Mercedes’ going all Super Saiyan. There was a brief moment I considered that they were going to kill Wynonna and the baby was going to be named after her and it would follow them protecting her. But thank goodness it didn’t go there.

Hillary: There were so many heartbreaking and powerful moments, that crying was inevitable. Now that I’m a mom, the entire Baby Holliday-Earp story was extremely hard to get through. The goodbye scene in Shorty’s with Wynonna and the field with Doc had me teary-eyed the entire time.

Jessie: My goodness this episode made me cry so much. The scenes that made me cry most of all involved Baby Earp. Wynonna not wanting to let her go but knowing she has to let her go to have a better life than hers was just so damn heartbreaking. Then having to see Doc have his moment with his daughter really broke me because he barely got her and had to say goodbye so soon…just breaks your heart so badly. Separate from that the Earp sister scenes also got me teary eyed because you honestly realize just how much they love and care for each other in this episode and to add to that they think the world of each other…makes me want a sister so badly honestly.

Samantha: I literally cried through the entire second half of the episode. I stopped breathing when Doc and Wynonna shot at each other to take out the sisters, but I really lost it the minute Wynonna was holding Alice. Wynonna not wanting to let her go, and telling Waverly how she’s still her sister, making sure Doc got to say goodbye too, Wayhaught making sure she got away, Perry coming back to be an amazing friend, Wynonna telling Doc she’s named after their mothers; literally scene after scene for the last twenty minutes there were tears streaming down my face. I loved it.

2. Turns out Waverly isn’t an Earp, she isn’t a revenant, and she’s not Bobo’s either. She’s his “kin.” So, what is Waverly? Does it matter at this point?

Claire: Am I the only one who has been struggling to follow some of the details of the “Waverly’s mystery lineage” storyline? It felt weirdly rushed that she kind of just tossed it at Wynonna in a drive-by conversation in this episode - “oh btw I don’t think I’m your sister” - and then I was briefly horrified when Wynonna asked her if she thought her father was really Bobo (which has a pretty high squick factor given the creepy sexual overtones of his demeanor towards her in so much of last season. I’m obviously relieved she’s not Bobo’s daughter, and that evidently “kin” doesn’t mean “the daughter of a different revenant,” but I’m guessing that maybe what he meant isn’t that she’s the daughter of Revenant!Bobo but that she’s in some way a descendant of the original Robert. I have mixed feelings about Waverly not being an Earp; I think it’s a great message to reinforce that family doesn’t need to share DNA to be a family, and that she’s just as much Wynonna’s sister no matter who her parents were, but unless the question of Waverly’s parentage becomes hella plot-relevant in Season 3 (beyond just being a reason to inject some angst into this season’s Wayhaught arc), then I’m just not quite sure why the whole “I’m not your real sister” angle was necessary at all. But with the introduction of Mama Earp at the end, I’m hopeful we’ll get some answers on this next season!

Dallas: It feels like her lineage is definitely important to her character and the story. Otherwise we’ve just been strung along for nothing. I do remember saying to a friend early on in the first season when their mother was mentioned ‘ooh what if their mother is a revenant’. So maybe it’s that Waverly isn’t immediately related to Bobo but she could be more distantly linked perhaps to Robert - to make a distinction between the two. It seems a little too cut and dry that he’s only protecting her because Wynonna said Waverly’s name in her vision quest and made him focus on the wrong sister.

Hillary: Though I am sure Waverly will search for answer because it is a part of her self discovery, I think both Wynonna and Nicole hit the nail on the head. It doesn’t matter because they know that she is an Earp and she is extraordinary.

Jessie: As Nicole Haught said in Friday’s episode, Waverly is extraordinary. At this point I love Waverly for who she is now, because truly she is whoever the heck she wants to be. Who she is now is perfectly fine and who she could end up being is fine as well because Waverly Earp is truly the most unique person to me in the show.

Samantha: It really doesn’t matter at this point if you ask me. In Wynonna’s eyes she’s still her sister and that’s all that matters. I wouldn’t be mad if this story was further resolved in the next season, but I’m also happy if it ends here. Waverly is extraordinary, she’s the love of Nicole’s life, she’s an angel, and she’s Wynonna’s sister; anything else is inconsequential.

3. Doc and Wynonna shared some beautiful moments in this episode, including the birth of their daughter. Did you believe the baby was Doc’s? How do you feel about it? Is anyone still shipping Dolls/Wynonna?

Claire: WYNDOLLIDAY FOR LIFE, my OT3 was on fire this episode! I’m a ride-or-die Wyndolls shipper, but I’m beginning to wonder if the show is making a definitive choice to pull back on that and move Wynonna/Doc to the forefront. I’m honestly cool either way, I could ship those three in any combination (don’t stand there and tell me you can’t feel that Dolliday chemistry). Doc’s face when he looked down at his daughter for the first time, realizing that she was his, and the way he sort of crumpled when Wynonna told him she named the girl after his mother, shattered me into ten billion pieces and I have not yet recovered. Tim Rozon is such a gem.

Dallas: I would have put money on it being Doc’s. And I’m not the kind of fan/shipper that usually goes for a main character ship (or even one that will ever be canon) so I was trying to stay wary of getting my hopes up. It was so heartbreaking though. The obvious pain for Doc of having this choice made for him, but knowing it’s what has to be done. I’m so glad we had that moment of them sitting together talking about the baby. I will also admit to being a little torn because I also adore the intimacy between Dolls and Wynonna, though I’ve felt like it escalated a little too quickly. Doc is my guy. Not just because of his Adele obsession.

Hillary: I had faith that Doc was going to be the baby Daddy. I think it adds a new level of character development because now they are both focused on the same goal - breaking the curse so their little girl won’t have to be involved with this. Shipping between anyone in this love triangle is hard because they each have their own important relationship and it’s a key point to why Wynonna won’t give up.

Jessie: I always had the feeling that the baby would be Doc’s. I am truly happy that Doc was the father. He seemed to have accepted all responsibility as the father, even if there was the chance he wouldn’t be the father. As to if anyone ships WynDolls…I still do but I also love Wynonna and Doc. There is great chemistry with both of these couples, which is amazing to see on a show. I would love to see Wynonna happy with either of them whenever the time seems right.

Samantha: I think it confirms that she’s his when Waverly takes her over the line, right? Much like Waverly’s parentage, it doesn’t matter to me who’s blood is in her veins, that baby is Doc’s by all counts that matter. I loved the moments between these two and I love their relationship right now, whatever it is. I’m also definitely still shippinng Wynonna/Dolls. This show does such a good job of making me love every relationship dynamic and mixing them up enough that there’s compelling content between any two characters on the team. I’m excited to see where these relationships go in Season 3.

4. Wynonna Earp has given us one of the strongest sibling relationships ever seen on TV. Now, it’s exploring the role of mothers in their daughters’ lives. Are you excited to see two generations of Mama Earps?

Claire: I’M STILL SCREAMING OVER THIS MAMA EARP REVEAL OH MY GOD, shades of theAlias season 1 finale! The one thing this show was missing to make me perfectly content was a middle-aged actress (MILFs are my kryptonite) so I am over the damn moon that we’re going to get another kickass Earp woman. And hopefully she’ll flesh out some of the backstory of Waverly’s parentage, the kids’ childhood, and her relationship with their dad. I’m also really intrigued by the implication that Wynnona might have had some degree of contact with her offscreen all this time and the show was hiding it from us? WHAT A TWIST! Anyway moms are amazing and I’m already living for this new addition to the show. (Please let it be Lucy Lawless. Or Paige Turco, who just played Dominique’s mom in a Lifetime movie so she’s already halfway there.)

Dallas: As I stated earlier I’ve been speculating about Mama Earp since the first mention of her. It was quite a surprise to see her at the end and that Wynonna knew where to find her, but I am so eager to find out her story. Their relationship is one I am really looking forward to. In terms of Wynonna, I’m interested to see the aftermath of her decision for her. I can understand how it might have seemed easier when she made it, given how quickly it all progressed for her. She didn’t have the usual amount of time to adjust to everything. But I will be interested to see how she grows as a character and as a mother having given up that part of herself. It will be interesting to view that alongside their mother’s story and finding out why she abandoned her daughters. The writer in me wants a sort of ‘I gave up my child to save her and you just walked out!?’ but I’d also really love to find that her mother did they same and Wynonna has someone that can help her through this transition.

Hillary: This to me was the craziest reveal of the night… Mama Earp! It is a great set up for Season 3 and I am really excited to see what can happen with two generations of mothers.

Jessie: I am looking forward to it so much that I don’t think I can last a whole year waiting to see this. Seeing the interaction between the Earp girls and their mom is going to be an interesting dynamic to see. Both our girls are going to interact with their mother differently as we can see. Waverly with her identity on who she truly is and Wynonna with any unanswered questions she may have herself.

Samantha: I am SO INCREDIBLY EXCITED for Mama Earps. I’m deeply interested to see how much making sure Alice is safe will play into Wynonna’s story in the future, and I’m thrilled that Wynonna’s own mother is still alive. I cannot wait to delve into this relationship and see how she interacts with Wynonna. I’m also interested in how this will affect Waverly, and her relationship with Wynonna and her would-be-mother.

5. Jeremy says he doesn’t fit in, but it kinda looks like he was always meant to be in that band of misfit weirdos. However, now we know he has a secret — does he actually have powers? Can he read minds? What’s up with Jeremy, guys?

Claire: WHAT! IS UP! WITH JEREMY!!!!!! Listen, after the tenth person asked him “Hey, Jeremy, why did you stay in Purgatory?” and he swiftly deflected away from the question by changing the subject, I was instantly SUSPICIOUS AF of my cherished nerd son and suddenly began to wonder if I’d been reading the room wrong this whole time and started to panic that Jeremy was going to somehow be revealed as the Big Bad or as a spy for Black Badge or a secret demon or something and that he was the one who was there to steal the baby. So that was a very stressful few minutes. And then, thank God, he wasn’t, but I’m still left wondering: we’re clearly supposed to be asking ourselves, “Hey, yeah, why did Jeremy stay in Purgatory?”, but that question wasn’t answered. But given what we know about Dolls’ secret fire-breathing, I wouldn’t be surprised if we learn later he’s far from the only Black Badge employee who landed there because he had some kind of crazy powers the agency wanted to exploit or at least study. If my nerd son Jeremy is magic, I WANNA KNOW! But I’m excited if this means we’re getting substantive Jeremy backstory. He’s such a goddamn delight.

Dallas: I am so glad Jeremy has his own gift. Ridiculously glad. When he was introduced I remember talking to the screen and saying ‘come on, guys, take Jeremy with you’ and he has not let me or the team down. The subtle revelation casts a stronger light on his surprising earlier comment that Doc was alive because he would have felt it in his groin if Doc was dead. Which wasn’t that odd to me given I come from a family that say ‘I feel it in my waters’. But there’s definitely something in the fact that he just seems to know things. It explains further why he went along with the group immediately when they first met.

Hillary: I love Jeremy as a new addition to this misfit family. I can’t put my finger on what exactly his secret is, but I’m glad he’s on Team Wynonna. His actions definitely leave a lot for interpretation, so I’m excited to see what Season 3 brings for him.

Jessie: I need to know what is up with Jeremy. I need to know every detail of his life now after Friday’s season finale episode. I have grown to love and care for Jeremy, as I have with all the characters on the show. With that being said I need to know what his secret is because I am probably going to be wracking my brain about him for the next year. Let’s hope we get to find this out early on next season.

Samantha: Jeremy definitely belongs in this band of misfit weirdos, honestly I feel like he’s been here the whole time. It feels weird to think about a time when Jeremy wasn’t part of the group. I think him having powers only makes him cooler and more important to the team.

6. Bobo and his Magneto-esque powers are stuck at the bottom of a well. Is there anything of his old self left in him? Is he going to be a bigger problem than Cloodie next season?

Claire: CONFESSION SESSION: Resurrected Straitjacket Bobo del Rey is my least favorite of all the Bobos del Rey. I found O.G. human Robert in Wynonna’s vision quest so heartbreaking, and Season 1 Bobo will forever and always remain one of my most beloved asshole villains. The coat! The hair! The swagger! The quippy zingers! The occasional moments of unpredictability where he was on the good guys’ side for a hot second before reverting back to being The Worst! But Straitjacket Bobo is a whole lot less interesting and engaging to me, absent the humor and charisma that made him so compulsively watchable last season. There was little to distinguish this version of him from any other scary, super-powerful revenant who hates the Earps. I was interested in the notion of him selling Waverly to Cloodie to be his new bride, largely because that seems like such a departure from the Bobo we met, whose dubious moral code always had that one clear line he never crossed where he wouldn’t let any harm come to Waverly. Because we breezed past that fairly quickly, it’s hard to say whether that OOC feeling is just kinda rushed writing, or whether it’s actually meant to be there - i.e. a sign that this Bobo is definitively a different Bobo. Which would be an interesting little tidbit of revenant mythology, if we learn that maybe when revenants die and then come back, they don’t return as exactly the same version of themselves they were before. Any storyline that digs into the nerdy specifics of how the revenant curse works is cool with me. Anyway, I’m thrilled they’ve found a way to keep that actor around, but I miss the campy, strutting, fast-talking king of sass we first met in that trailer park.

Dallas: My baby Bobo. After the vision quest and the glimpse of him returning, I was expecting to delve deeper into that than we did. I was also expecting to see more of Robert come out. But understandably he’s been through Hell, literally, countless times now as well as his recent stint in a psych ward that he would have memory of. Stuck down a well I can’t imagine he’s going to be that much of a problem. However, there’s still the ‘angel’ aspect and who Waverly is to explore so he’s got to find a way out somehow.

Hillary: Bobo will definitely be causing some trouble, but I think there will be a much bigger enemy in Bulshar and the cult. Though he did promise his ‘angel’ Waverly to Cloodie, which will also ruffle a few feathers. I would say not the biggest problem, but don’t underestimate him.

Jessie: From the looks of it, Bobo is not himself at all anymore. He went from wanting to protect Waverly to not caring what happens to her anymore after Friday’s season finale episode. With him at the bottom of the well I don’t think we will be having much trouble from him for a while. I expect Clootie to be the biggest problem next season since Bobo seemed to have promised him Waverly as his next wife. We can probably expect lots of trouble coming from that itself and seeing how Clootie will try to make this happen.

Samantha: I don’t know if he’ll be a bigger problem than Cloodie, but at this point he’s a more interesting one. The different iterations we’ve seen of Bobo make him such a compelling villain, and this version of him seems worse than ever before, especially juxtaposed next to the original Bobo we saw in flashbacks earlier this season.

7. The big one! How is Wynonna going to get Alice back?! What are your theories for next season?

Claire: I have no idea and it’s killing me! But I swear to God if there’s a time jump I’m going to flip a table.

Dallas: She needs to secure the Triangle, but we also don’t want to wait 10 seasons - touch wood - for that to happen and her to be reunited with her daughter. I feel like the most likely scenario is somehow something outside the Triangle brings the baby back in. Or someone inside manages to get out and track down the child. Or worse, Black Badge get her for whatever reason and we have to get the Posse together to bust some heads. Mama Earp is going to be the big thing though, I think. Seeing where she fits, why she was gone, and what she has planned for Wynonna.

Hillary: There was a ton of information this finale which answered some questions, but then had us asking a whole bunch more. Emily Andras is exceptional in that way because her story arcs are not just one dimensional. We get to have this amazing and complex web that doesn’t stop or begin with one specific story… Stories like motherhood being a part of our hero’s story, that two souls who are meant to find each other will, and that a true family is what you make it. Wynonna becoming a Mom is something we all found strength in, so my only theory for next season is that this show will continue giving us reasons to believe in this show and ourselves.

Jessie: Wynonna fell in love with her child from just laying her eyes on her and I mean who wouldn’t. I only have one thought in mind in how Wynonna is going to get her daughter back. Wynonna is going to fight to get rid of all these revenants as fast as she can and be even more badass than she already is. Wynonna’s motivation now and forever is going to be her daughter and I am so ready to see this. I really hope it comes to this but if anything goes to show…anything Emily Andras gives us is amazing and I always end up loving it. Next season can’t get here any sooner.

Samantha: I don’t think she’ll risk going for Alice again until she’s broken the curse, though I desperately want her to check in on her and make sure she’s okay and still be there for her in some capacity. I think having this baby is going to make Wynonna more determined than ever to defeat the curse. I’m also interested to see how Wynonna’s own mother coming back (after seemingly abandoning them) after all these years will affect how Wynonna feels about sending Alice away.

Final Verdict: All of this has happened before, and all of it will happen again.

Overall, Emily Andras has spun a tale with a payoff that is more than worth it. Season 3 will surely feel like the next evolution of the show, growing bigger as Wynonna’s focus moves from killing all revenants to figuring out how to keep her daughter alive. Most of this season felt like a big long build up to the final boss battle, but the battle wasn’t with Cloodie — it was inside the lives of our favourite characters, and in many ways, they lost. However, the biggest win of all is that Alice is alive and safe, and Wynonna has a renewed sense of purpose.

The stumble this season was, naturally, the Cloodie plot. We spent all season waiting for that to come to fruition, only to be robbed of a final confrontation while the Widows, Rosita, and a baby got in the way. However, in this instance, it’s hard to feel frustrated — the potential plotlines for the future feel fresh and exciting, and sometimes the resolution to a story isn’t what you expected. Wynonna becoming a mother and the whole tone of the show shifting to take on the adventure of motherhood (which Wynonna will absolutely do in leather pants) is an unexpected but welcome conclusion to Season 2.

There’s so much to look forward to in Season 3 that it seems impossible to wait for 2018. However, we’re willing to wait for it — the best things are always worth the wait.

‘Wynonna Earp’ returns in 2018 on SYFY.