“Although this feels less like a reunion and more like a reboot.”
I can echo that sentiment, as this continuation movie for the popular SyFy series, which concluded in 2021, has the distinct feeling of a long episode. I’m not complaining, because it means that all the elements that made it work as a television series are now still on display in a longer format. Besides, there was a need for this movie, as the series finale really left things up in the air as to where the characters would go from here. Last we saw the gang, after saving Waverly (Dominique Provost-Chalkey) from reentering the garden and leading a rebellion against the Black Badge Division, Waverly and Nicole (Katherine Barrell) tied the knot while Wynonna (Melanie Scrofano) had to make a decision about her future vis-a-vis whether to remain in Purgatory or leave town with Doc Holliday (Tim Rozon), ultimately choosing the latter. While this provided are our foul-mouthed yet endearing heroine with the prospect of a bright future, it left things rather ambiguous as to what that future ultimately looked like.
Picking up years later, we see that Wynonna and Doc have been plying Doc’s former trade as a gambling man to save up money to buy their own homestead someplace. And while things appear to be going well on the surface, there are some unsaid things that threaten to tear the pair apart. Meanwhile, back in Purgatory, things have settled into a calming peace, with the townsfolk continuing their ignorance regarding the dangers that used to plague their town (demons) with Sheriff Nicole and Waverly enjoying their matrimony, although there are also some unsaid things between them and a restlessness that threatens to unravel their marital bliss. Things come to a head when Wynonna is forced to come home to battle her greatest foe yet: a psychotic seductress hell-bent on revenge against her and planning to get it through those she loves.
The thing I always loved about the series is its creative dialog. For me that is what makes a series or movie unique. Themes and character arcs are usually like other projects, but creative dialog is what makes a show stand apart, and Wynonna Earp has always been the among the most creative that I’ve ever seen, particularly Melanie, whose delivery is always spot on. This movie is no different; Melanie is the quip queen from beginning to end. She even starts with a good one, when a bad guy steals her punch card for a popular Mexican restaurant and she curses him and tells him that, “that’s na-chos to take.” Get it? They get better as the film goes on, but that one was among my favorites. In addition to her status as the quip queen, Scrofano showcases several moments of genuine vulnerability as the character is forced to confront her past and the decisions that still struggles with.
While the movie provides diehards with everything they could possibly hope for, there are a few things that could have been improved on, such as the movie’s villain. While I endorse the idea of introducing a villain with an axe to grind against Wynonna as the best fulcrum to force Wynonna’s return to Purgatory, the execution leaves some things to be desired when it comes to character development. In my opinion, the villain’s vendetta against Wynonna needed to have been established earlier. The idea of Wynonna being ultimately responsible for what happened to this person idea was a good one in theory; it just needed a couple of tweaks for it to work better. For one, while it explained to the audience via a flashback how the antagonist was a victim of Wynonna’s unintentional actions, it is never made clear to Wynonna her responsibility in what character became. Personally, if the flashback was moved up to Wynonna and the seductress’s confrontation to show Wynonna how it happens, it would have worked better as well as added to Wynonna’s internal struggle.
The film is left open-ended, leaving the prospect for sequel film or a continuation series, and I get the sense that this film serves as a temperature check to gain interest resuming the series. I for one wouldn’t oppose the idea of the series continuing. I think there are still plenty of places to take the series, with a clear path forward established by the loss of a prominent character at the film’s conclusion. The team’s motivation to bring back this character and whatever ensuing chaos comes with it could serve as a proper vehicle for continuing the franchise. I’d be curious to watch something like that unravel. However, should that idea not come to fruition, I could be satisfied with this serving as the series conclusion. It’s not a perfect ending, but it is a fitting one.
