Wynonna Earp Review: On the Road Again (Season 4 Episode 1)
Wynonna Earp Season 4 Episode 1, “On the Road Again,” is making up for lost time but not in the best way. While it is great to see everyone again (oh how I’ve missed them), the series seems determined to give us a hilarious, jam-packed premiere after the two-year hiatus.
It’s trying a bit too hard and needs to dial it back a ton.
It would have been better if we eased into things a bit more slowly. Seeing as how there are still so many questions left unanswered from Wynonna Earp Season 3 Episode 12, “War Paint,” it would have been nice to address those instead of delivering a whole new slew of questions.
Not to mention, there’s still a lot to process from the events of “War Paint,” and “On the Road Again,” never gives us a chance to do so. We’re kicking down doors and going in guns blazing instead, which is, admittedly, very Wynonna.
The pacing of the hour is hectic, jumping from one storyline to the other. We’re rapidly learning what happened to everyone in all the various locations that they are in, instead of spending time with each group and slowly seeing the pieces come together.
We could have followed Jeremy, Robin, and Nicole as they woke up from Wynonna’s roofies and saw them being taken by Black Badge, instead of their weird almost-flashback featuring Jeremy at the house getting taken and then Nicole waking up on the train.
Mercedes: He couldn’t have used a pen?
Wynonna: Pen drawer is full of knives. I’m a demon hunter, not a Shakespeare.
This would have allowed us to refresh our memories a bit better as to where “War Paint” left off and process where everyone is now, which is honestly what we need after the two-year break. It would have also prevented us from scrambling, trying to keep up with everything.
There’s no real benefit in rushing these storylines other than speeding up the Nicole and Wynonna reunion. While it is amazing to see them working together, we could have seen more of Wynonna trying to do this on her own and having Nicole catch up a bit later during the hour.
The separation that happens at the end of “War Paint” is a hindrance that the premiere quickly tries to get over instead of letting that separation create some richer storytelling.
Nicole’s capture by Black Badge seems pointless because of how rushed it all is. Why not just have her still be at the Homestead when Wynonna and Nedley swing by? It would have spared us some time, and it’s not as if we gain much by having her captured aside from a tarot reading. Side note: where are Jeremy and Robin?
Right now, it’s hard to gauge what the focus or big bad of this new season will be. Hopefully, a big focus will be the Garden because there’s certainly thirty million questions about it.
Somehow, it is messing with Doc and Waverly’s memories because they struggle to remember Wynonna and Nicole when by the fire, but when Nicole drops in (buck naked), Doc immediately knows who she is. It makes you wonder if the memory loss is environmental or somehow lifted when Waverly drops her blood into the angry pit.
Nedley: You almost done? I feel like I’ve been standing here for two years.
Nicole showing up also shows that there’s a connection between the grates at the Monument Black Badge facility and the garden, and it is potentially connected to Valdez, which Dolls may have stumbled onto if he was the one who made that note on her file.
The garden is interesting, but right now there are too many other questions to process to fully be intrigued by it.
Stray Thoughts
- Is anyone else concerned that the guy only shared the first rule before self-decapitating?
- Wynonna and Nicole being confirmed BFFS is adorable, as is Wynonna’s reaction to Nicole saying it.
- What’s with the crab-like things that attacked Wynonna and Nedley?
- Any theories on which book Waverly picks up (options: Nicole, Waverly, Doc, Wynonna)?
- Nedley needs to see a doctor ASAP.
- Those chains that were restricting Waverly do not seem all that secure; they just fall to the ground as soon as Doc steps in.
What did you think of the long-awaited Wynonna Earp Season 4 premiere? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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Wynonna Earp airs Sunday at 10/9c on Syfy.
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Allison Nichols
Allison is in a love affair with television that doesn't seem to be letting up anytime soon. Slightly damaged fictional characters are her weakness. She loves to spend her free time curled up with a cat and a show to binge-watch. Allison is a Tomatometer-approved critic (Rotten Tomatoes).
3 comments
The show assumes a more intelligent audience so it doesn’t need to ease us into things. It wasn’t hard to follow at all like you describe in your article. They evacuated everyone in Purgatory, how would it make sense for them to leave Nicole at the homestead? That would be a major plot hole! Emily has 12 episodes to tell this story, she can’t really slow it down and spoon feed you the story. It’s a fast paced show, it always has been and I think it makes sense to be fast paced when Waverly and Doc are in serious peril. It was a fantastic episode, one of the best ones yet. Loved it!
My thoughts were that since Mercedes managed to not get taken, it could have been a possibility that Nicole managed to avoid capture as well. Then instead of spending time on the train, Nicole could have joined up with Wynonna and Nedley and we could have spent more time with them. Or in the Garden because I think that storyline is very interesting and sets up an interesting season 4.
I’m glad you enjoyed the premiere! I think we are in for an exciting Season 4. It’ll be interesting to see what new trouble Purgatory and everyone gets into now that the curse is broken.
THANK YOU!! I’m like, scouring the internet right now trying to find people talking about how much of a hot mess season 4 is so far. (It’s been surprisingly hard to find…) You hit the nail on the head. Keep telling it like it is!! 🙂
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