Wynonna Earp: The Magic of WayHaught at Clexacon 2019

That famous Earper no chill was on full display during ClexaCon 2019’s “The Magic Behind Wayhaught” panel as Kat Barrell, Dominique Provost-Chalkley, and Wynonna Earp showrunner Emily Andras took the stage in front of a standing room only crowd to chants of “Fight For Wynonna.”

In an hour filled with the humor and heart that helped build the passionate Earper fandom, Andras, Barrell, and Provost-Chalkley discussed the show, its future, their current projects, and of course their fans, the Earpers. 

Here are a few highlights from “The Magic Behind Wayhaught” Panel at Clexacon 2019.

#FightForWynonna

The elephant in the room was, of course, the Fight For Wynonna and the production delays that sparked it, so panel moderator, Dana Piccoli, addressed it right off the bat asking Andras what the situation was. Andras replied, “The situation is hopeful.”

“I just have never bet against you and would never bet against you, and more importantly you shouldn’t bet against you,” Andras emphasized.

Later in the panel, Piccoli asked what else fans can do to help keep up the fight for Wynonna, and Andras used the opportunity to address the idea of fans funding Season 4, saying she doesn’t want to take fans’ money that way.

Andras added, “I think that these are companies that are big companies that make a product that you do buy by consuming it, so let’s give them the chance to do what they said that they would do.”

“I would just say please don’t give up hope. Know there’s so much we can’t say but if things took a turn and things weren’t going well I would put up the bat signal, the WayHaught signal. So you’re doing what you’re doing. Just like, please keep yelling,” Andras urged.

The Magic of WayHaught

After talking about the fight for Wynonna and the status of Season 4, Piccoli brought things back to the topic at hand asking what they thought the “magic of WayHaught” was. Barrell was the first to answer gesturing to the audience saying, “This is the magic of WayHaught.”

She then elaborated, “WayHaught was one of the first, I think, examples in pop culture of how powerful a fandom can be when they finally see themselves onscreen.” 

Adding, “It’s when you take a community of people that don’t feel represented in a way that makes their hearts happy, and makes them feel seen, and makes them feel loved, and included, and accepted, and celebrated, but when you do that you can create things like this. You can move mountains. And I think that’s the power of WayHaught.” 

Andras was quick to point to Provost-Chalkley and Barrell for her answers saying, “I mean it goes without question that it’s the two amazing women sitting next to me, right? Nobody else could have made WayHaught truly magical except these two extraordinary actresses and their commitment.

Andras continued, “I’m so proud that both Nicole and Waverly are two completely different LGBTQ women. Do you know what I mean? It gives me so much joy to be able to write such different real three-dimensional women who have found each other.”

“They’re not exactly the same but they’re perfect together. And I just think it speaks so much to Dom and Kat, and just their trust, and their chemistry, and their hard work. I’m so immensely proud of them,” Andras said.

Finally, Provost-Chalkley said she was a bit speechless after watching the montage video shown before the panel. “I was like balling my little eyes out back there because we’ve come so far. Not just us but the whole show and everything,” Provost-Chalkley stated.

Provost-Chalkley continued, “From the first time, we came to ClexaCon to now, we’ve all been on such a journey. And seeing you guys back here, seeing some of the same faces, seeing how much you guys have come on and how much we’ve all solidified even further. I just think that that kind of magic doesn’t go unnoticed, and that’s the reason why we have to come back.”

Progress in LGBTQ Representation

As Piccoli pointed out, 2016, when Wynonna Earp premiered, was not a great year for LGBTQ representation with a large number of shows engaging in the Bury Your Gays trope that left many fans angry and frustrated.

Piccoli asked Andras what she’s seen change since then and what advice she has for showrunners who have queer or trans characters and don’t want to fall into harmful tropes.

Andras responded, “That was a crazy year, but look what happened (referring to the ClexaCon crowd). Look what positivity came out of it, if I may say that. I think that there’s so much more awareness now among writers, and decisions makers, and showrunners that the LGBTQ community has been so harmed by this ridiculous trope and more importantly that we’re not going to fucking put up with it anymore.”

She concluded with a reminder that “your eyeballs are your currency. If you don’t like it, don’t watch it. You can tell them you don’t like it before you don’t watch it.”

Speaking to the second part of the question, Andras’s advice was to ask for advice, saying “You gotta put your ego aside and not be afraid to speak to those communities who you want to represent.” She then added, “and also obviously hire more people from the community in writing rooms.”

Powerhouse Performances

When asked about their favorite moments from Season 3, Andras pointed to performances from both Barrell and Provost-Chalkley.

For Barrell, Andras specifically referenced her performance in Wynonna Earp Season 3 Episode 7, “I Fall To Pieces,” saying, “I really do love [the] gnome wife episode. I love the episode where Kat is with Melanie, Wynonna. I just think that Kat is the greatest drunk actor of our time (later playfully clarifying that she meant playing drunk).”

To which Barrell quipped, “guys, everyone needs a skill.”

For Provost-Chalkley Andras pointed to Wynonna Earp Season 3 Episode 5, “Jolene” (a performance which incidentally also made our list of best performances of 2018). 

Andras praised Provost-Chalkley’s performance saying, “Dominique has never been better than in an episode called Jolene.” A statement which was met with cheers from the audience that underscored just how much Wynonna Earp Season 3 Episode 5, “Jolene,” meant to fans.

Andras continued, “I feel a little guilty, but I can’t imagine what it took to get there. I think it would have been very personal and very grueling, particularly the scene in the greenhouse with Zoie Palmer, who’s wonderful. But god, it was a tour de force, Dom. It was incredible.”

Provost-Chalkley responded with her own reflections on “Jolene” saying, “It was without a doubt the most challenging scene I’ve ever filmed but without a doubt the most rewarding as well, I would say. I’m wearing the shirt (referencing her fan made “I’m Here and I Stay” shirt) because it means so much to me.”

She continued, “It’s a good reminder for me. Because I did have to dig pretty deep into all of that stuff that maybe we don’t show as much to the rest of the world.”

“I just feel so lucky that I got gifted that scene and that it helped me. It has helped me immensely on my own journey with myself,” Provost-Chalkley concluded

On-set Atmosphere and Big Guest Stars

Piccoli noted all the big guest stars Wynonna Earp was able to attract in Season 3, something Andras attributed it to the show’s reputation as a positive set to be on. 

She said, “I think the one thing we’ve always had on our set, I hope this is true, is we kind of have a no assholes policy, and we really do try to have a good time. So I feel like amongst actors we have a reputation now as being really fun and free.”

Andras added, “I called in a lot of favors, but I do think, that look, the show now has a little bit of cache, it’s well known for its fanbase but also truly, I think we’re known as a really kind and fun set.”

Barrell attributed the credit for that environment to Andras stating, “I think it’s a huge kudos to Emily and our producing team. Because being on the actors’ side of it, I have so many peers coming up to me like ‘I want to be on your show so bad. I would love to work on Wynonna’. And people who I know want to come back that have so many options open to them.”

Barrell went on to say, “The amazing thing about Emily [Andras] is that she is so unique in the fact that she hires people to work for her and then she actually empowers them to do what she hired them to do. That is an incredibly rare quality in a lot of producers but she trusts her people.”

“It’s just a beautiful example to me of how to lead a team,” Barrell concluded. 

Other Projects

Barrell and Provost-Chalkley both discussed projects they’re working on during the hiatus while they wait for the production of Season 4 to get back on track.

Provost-Chalkley discussed the new Tello Films project she just signed on to called Seasons of Love, which is an LGBTQ romantic Christmas comedy where will be playing Sue, a singer-songwriter with crippling anxiety about performing.

When discussing the role, Provost-Chalkley said she’d always wanted to do a rom-com, but added, “if you’re going to do a rom-com, why not do it about something that pushes the boundaries a little bit and gives this beautiful community what they so deserve.”

In addition to the fact that it was an LGBTQ rom-com, Provost-Chalkley was also attracted to it because of its musical elements after connecting to her love for music during a five-month trip to Brazil and said that she hopes it will push her to do some things that scare her. 

For her part, Barrell is working on a number of projects including a web series called Pooched, a half hour warm family comedy, and is in the very early stages of hopefully directing her first feature (which Barrell referred to as an embryo leading to one of the funniest moments of the panel when a fan misinterpreted that to mean she was pregnant). 

Barrell also talked about taking a directing program at UCLA and the great creative space she is in saying, “being back in school has been exhilarating. I go through like, I’m terrified I could never do this to like oh, maybe I could be ok at this. It’s this huge cycle but what an amazing learning curve, and I’m so energized. I feel my creative spirit is on fire, and I’m so excited.”

Andras noted that she is always developing other projects and looking for other properties but doesn’t want to get too far down the road saying, “this [Wynonna Earp] has my heart, and I’m going to fight for this forever.”

Big thanks to Kat, Dom, and Emily

In the end, the magic of WayHaught, really the magic of Wynonna Earp, comes down to the one of a kind connection Emily, Kat, Dom, and the rest of the cast and crew have with fans.

Cast, crew, and fans alike know how rare and special it is, and, as always, that’s what came through loud and clear not only during their panel but the entire weekend. Every fan interaction and heartfelt responses to a question showcased their commitment to the Earper fandom and their genuine affection for every fan they get the chance to meet. ClexaCon just wouldn’t be complete without them.

Check out the full panel below.

What are your thoughts on the Wayhaught panel? Leave your thoughts in the comments below!

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