“Let’s Pretend We’re Strangers” is far away the most gruesome, action-packed, and high stakes episode since the season one finale. Best thing is, we’re only half way through season two and it looks like we’ll be seeing a new cast of characters on its way.
Losing Your Head
Something called the “Shadow of Eternal Life” that includes a bunch of grown men dressing up like burgundy birds behead a middle aged man in the manner of an ol’timey death cult. At first, it looks like this gaggle of human guillotines have a nefarious disposition. However, but they’re “nacho” regular run of the mill human sacrificers. Instead, they’re gig is to rid the world of the very same black shiny goo demon infection that’s been influencing Waverly all season and has finally taken control of the body of one Wynonna Earp.
Main Gag
If seeing the disembodied head of the last goo victim spurting blood and all wasn’t gross enough for you, Wynonna-a-la-demon is somewhat of a culinary freak. She’s got the recently devil sober Waverly tied up in the kitchen and proves to be a macabre mixologist with a gross-out smoothie with a salt rim and rat tail topping.
She gags Waverly when Doc shows up with his new car and makes her way into town. Now, Doc is onto the fact Wynonna is not quite herself, and his quizzical stares lead one to believe he’s trying to figure out what exactly is different. The two are sent on a road trip to the town Fire Hall after realizing the plate in the briefcase from last week holds a secret emblem. Jeremy licks the plate and the lack of lead leads him to reveal it’s true leverage.
Speaking of a kind of lift, the fire fighters down at the hall are buff AF and cute to boot, and they are the men we saw back in the intro taking off men’s heads and talking about Mexican food. The possessed Wynonna is unable to battle her/it’s impulse to stab the men with a steak knife due to the fact the fire hall is built on consecrated ground and all.
Doc promptly helps her into the trunk of his new ride (with a cassette player!) as 1) She is acting insane, 2) Wynonna takes her coffee black and not with tons of sugar, and 3) She never leaves the house without Peacemaker.
The gun, back at the Homestead, where Dolls is about to blow Waverly away for what she did to him in the barn when she was possessed. However, a series of questions including her real favourite food (sweet and sour soup with a spoon full of peanut butter), and her emphatic apologies convinces Dolls she is herself again. Then Lucado shows up, who is back to her old self with her whole wanting to murder Dolls thing and the two have a sick fight. A fight that’s broken up by Waverly who gets them back on target.
Mictian Conniption
The demon in question is finally named: Mictian, whom Dolls and Lucado have seen before. They know there’s never been a successful unbinding of host and passenger, but they have to get a sample of blood, tissue, and bone to get it done. Dolls harvests the finger in ANOTHER fucking gross out moment of this episode.
Don’t worry everyone she can grow it back!
That’s UNTIL Lucado decides the siren song of the sample is too much for her, and recently abandoned by Black Ops, she has no other real recourse. She’s infected by the goo and immediately regrets her decision, and her head fucking explodes all over the office.
She CANNOT grow that back.
“Like when I put a can of spaghetti in the microwave.” — Doc “Really Starting To Embrace Technology” Holliday
So now that we are fully aware of the real life consequences of this particular demon, Wavery decides to go visit it alone, and essentially, coax it back into her body so that she can go to the Homestead where the thing has created some sort of Frankenstein like machine where the freak thunder snowstorm can strike it with lightening and bind it with her body forever.
Now Haught’s not been feeling the coolest lately, especially when it comes to her relationship with Waverly, which has wavered slightly due to the whole her being possessed thing. Possessed Wynonna throws some gas on that fire when she taunts Haught about her sister not answering her calls. So it makes sense, when Waverly convinces her that Wynonna is the enemy she would stand guard. However, the demon is not as convincing at the pure intentioned Waverly when she orders her to shoot her sister. Although she’d “shoot anybody for her” Nicole figures she’s been duped and while she’s knocked out cold, Wynonna sets all straight.
A childhood memory of force feeding grape soda ultimately saves the day, with Waverly puking up the putrid beast and Wynonna successfully sending it back to whence it came (hell).
You Are Not Alone
“I wasn’t looking to be friends.” — Ewan “We All Know Whatchu Lookin’ Fo.” Firefighter
The emblem “PRAESIDIUM et CONSERVATIO” roughly translate into the sentiment of protecting and conserving. The men in red were satisfied with taking the plate in exchange for Waverly’s life, but it still remains to be seen what its true powers are. Head hottie firefighter Ewan made it perfectly clear this is the sole intention of his gang, and even though he almost murdered her sister, it’s clear Wynonna’d still hit it.
She takes another kind of hit when Waverly reveals the demon told her that her sister’s body has another roommate. A positive pregnancy test confirms Wynonna is carrying a child. It’s Doc’s baby right? Who would have thought the sperm of a hundred plus year old man who was preserved in a well would be a thing?
Wynonna may not be alone, but it looks like the crew is without Black Ops. Jeremy reveals HQ was completely abandoned — what are they going to do now?
Out On Ghost River
Mystery Man – So how does Juan Carlos do exactly? Is he some sort of broker between the town’s various anti-demon associations? Like, some kind of UN type deal? And how does he make his truck disappear with hum like that? Like do they just plunk down together in wherever they vanish to? Or does he send it truck somewhere else?