5 Reasons To Watch 'Wynonna Earp'

Wynonna Earp is what you would call a horror-western. A genre that I didn’t know existed until I watched the show and one that I can definitely get behind. Based on the comic books by Beau Smith, created for TV by Emily Andras (who worked on Lost Girl), it first aired in the USA in 2016 on Syfy and has finished its third season. You can find it on 5 Spike in the UK, and it is also on Netflix so is perfect for binge watching.

The show follows Wynonna Earp (played by Melanie Scrofano, Being Erica, The Listener) as a descendant of the renowned Wyatt Earp as she heads back to the town of Purgatory in the aptly named Ghost River Triangle. She finds herself faced with the “Earp curse” where every 27 years, all of Wyatt Earp’s kills rise as zombie-like “revenants” that can only be put down by the Earp heir Wynonna, and Wyatt’s legendary weapon, Peacemaker.

The witty banter in the show, dark comedy value, and the supernatural elements mean I would recommend this show to those that were fans of Buffy The Vampire Slayer and Supernatural.

Here are 5 reasons why you should add this kick ass show to your to watch list!

1. Doc Holiday

Wyatt Earp’s one time companion Doc Holliday is one of my favourite characters on the show. He has a lovely accent and an “old timely” way of speaking, and has a wonderful style, and look at that fine moustache! Canadian actor Tim Rozon (Instant Star, Schitts Creek) does a brilliant job portraying the gunslinger and putting his own spin on the role.

One of my favourite scenes is when Doc learns to drive his stolen pink 1979 Lincoln Continental car, as well as coming to terms with using a mobile phone. He provides humour to the show, but also tends to be involved in most of the drama, as he doesn’t always make the best decisions, and has a lot of history and a fair few enemies.

SPOILER ALERT ‼️‼️‼️‼️ tonight……. Wait………🙁 #WynonnaEarp #🇨🇦day pic.twitter.com/HSP2bM18Rk

— Tim Rozon (@realtimrozon) July 1, 2016

2. Diversity and Inclusivity

Wynonna Earp has a picked up a large LGBTQ following which is thanks to the popular, long-standing same-sex couple that is bisexual Waverly Earp (played by Dominique Provost-Chalkey) and Police Officer Nicole Haught (Kat Barrell). This fan favourite pairing is affectionately known by its ship name – Wayhaught.

Comic nerd and scientist Jeremy (played by Varun Saranga) also identifies as gay on the show. The show has been recognised and nominated for a GLAAD Award for the outstanding drama series.
Wynonna Earp also won a People’s Choice Award for the best Sci-fi/fantasy Show of 2018, beating competition including Shadowhunters and The Originals.

3. The Fandom

The fandom itself is another reason to watch the show. Proudly known as Earpers, some fans have taken to buying billboards in New York’s Times Square to share their appreciation for the show and to show the TV networks just how loved it is. The movement #fightforwynonna has come about after there are rumours that IDW Entertainment, the studio behind the show, may not be able to proceed with the season 4 as first promised. Not content with just tweeting a hashtag, the Earpers decided it was go big or go home.

via @nedleysoffice on Twitter

The actors on the show have been getting involved with the campaign, recently with Tim Rozon (Doc Holiday) and Michael Eklund (Bobo) taking a trip down to the action now known as Earp Square to hang out with the fans. The actors and the creator Emily have a lot of time for the fans, always hanging out on Twitter and responding to as many Earpers as possible.

Thank you!! This is truly amazing. You support is unmeasurable. @WynonnaEarp @IDWEntertain pic.twitter.com/SdcFDRKG6r
See also
The Gifted Recap: 2.02 ‘unMoored’

— Michael Eklund (@MichaelEklund) March 3, 2019

The Earpers are a very inclusive community, with many conventions taking place around the world. Examples include Earpapalooza in October in St Louis in the USA, Earpercon in September in London in the UK, Next Stop; Purgatory in November in Paris and The Earper Homestead Convention in August in Toronto.

4. Villains You’ll Love To Hate

I love a show with a grey character. Are they good or evil? Are they friend or foe? Bobo Del Rey (that has to be one of the best names ever right?) takes up this role in season one. He is played by the talented Michael Eklund (Bates Motel, Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency) and I love every scene that he is in, and I cannot imagine anyone else playing this unstable character. No spoilers here, but there is definitely more to his complex story than first meets the eye. Also – the fashion is ridiculous. Look at the coat, Lady Gaga would be proud.

5. It’s Funny!

I mentioned this briefly earlier, but the show is hilarious! Sometimes it verges on the ridiculous. Each character has their own sense of humour, and there is banter back and forth, silly one-liners and plenty of innuendos. Of course there are serious moments, and dark moments, but I’ve found that watching Wynonna Earp cheers me up when I’ve had a bad day, which gives it the feel good factor. Hopefully, it would do the same for others too. Seriously, give this show a go!