Keeping Up With the Earps: 4×01

We’re back and I’m so damn happy. If you’ve never seen one of my deep dives before…well it’s a lot. I watch the episode several time to try to make sure I get as much out of it as possible. This post is split up into several sections, some highlighting the episode itself and some keeping track of the bigger picture. I hope you gain something from it.

Disclaimer: Nothing included in this post should be taken as absolute fact. Even information that I took directly from the show is stated as I see it and is in no way endorsed by anyone officially linked to the show.

Brief recap of  4×01: Gays only.

I’m going to try to keep this brief, because nothing else in this post is.

The curse is broken, the serpent is dead, Peacemaker is a sword, half our team is missing, Waverly and Doc are in The Garden, and it’s up to Wynonna and Nedley to get everyone back. Let’s fucking go.

Of course things aren’t as easy as Wynonna climbing some stairs straight to Waverly and Doc. The stairs vanish, Nedley is injured fighting off evil garden crabs, and they head back to the homestead to regroup.
Thanks to a hidden box of Dolls’ BBD files they figure out that VALDEZ is actually Dr. Gloria Valdez, who according to her file was KIA at a facility in Monument a few hours from Purgatory. Nedley is too weak to go with Wynonna so he stays behind under the care of Mercedes, who was a slutty nurse “once” for Halloween.
Wynonna gets a flat tire before she makes it to her destination and starts to wonder if she is still special without her team or her gun. Thankfully our glorious ginger bitch was able to track her down after Perfect Nose Kate pulled an MVP move and helped Haught escape the electric train of pain.
Team BFF make it to the facility, where they meet Rachel Valdez, the daughter of Dr. Gloria Valdez. Rachel has been squatting at the facility for who knows how long trying to learn the fate of her mother. Was she spared from the gas that turned the rest of the science types into zombies?

“If this is Eden, it ain’t the way they wrote it up”, you can say that again. Wherever those doors took Waverly and Doc, there is no green in sight. There are doors, stone figures, a throne, confusing underground rooms, and a few other things, but no trees.
Waverly and Doc come across a man wearing a BBD lab coat, which seems to imply that Dr. Valdez did find a way to open a portal between the two realms. All they are able to learn from him is that “she” needs fresh blood before he self-decapitates.

Back at Facility DX-16, Wynonna, Daddy, and Rachel are trying to get to Gloria’s lab through dozens of zombies when Wynonna steps on a grate. Not good. Wynonna knows she’s in trouble, but Nicole being Nicole, pushes Wynonna to safety before immediately falling into who knows what.

Back in “Paradise” the blood thirsty stone thingy is getting angry, with no one around that is purely human, Waverly offers up some of her half-angel blood. Almost immediately the Garden starts changing. Lilly’s appear in a pool of water and outside a full grown tree has appeared. Waverly hears her name being called from a different room. When she enters she is faced with a choice between four books, she makes her choice with no idea what it means.

The episode ends with Doc following a voice into another chamber in the Garden where he finds a very naked Nicole…or something who looks like Nicole, or a version of Nicole, or…hm. Is it Sunday yet?

A closer look:

• Do the cards that Kate reads apply to Nicole or Waverly? She specifically says that she needs something of Waverly’s.

• Valdez…Ravens? So it’s impossible to notice EVERYTHING in this show, but I sure try. So of course after I saw the Google search results that Wynonna got for Valdez, I was curious if they had just used the actual results anyone would get if they did a Google image search for Valdez, so I did. And holy shit guys, it’s ALMOST the same. Wynonna’s results showed ONE thing that mine didn’t. Along the top where it shows things related to Valdez Wynonna’s results show “ravens”. If you’ve ever heard me rant about how the whole show is about birds you understand why I refuse to believe it’s an accident that “ravens” is the only difference.

• The blob. There are so many possibilities. I mean, the first thing that comes to my mind are the biblical Tree of Knowledge and Tree of Life, but there are so many possibilities.

• Are we really IN the garden? Between Biblical canon and things from the show that seem conflicting it’s hard to figure out. Julian says in 3×12 that he’s never seen the Garden, implying that his post was outside, but we see his throne. The team also seems all about keeping Bulshar out in S3, which tracks with the reason the angels were there according to Genesis, which was to keep anyone from getting to the Tree of Life.
  The thing that doesn’t track is that according to Juan Carlo’s journal they “ guarded the entrance to keep him in, to keep everything in, but we failed, Julian and I”.
• Pentagons. I’m not going to go down the rabbit hole of symbolism of the five sided shape, just point out that is featured heavily in our garden. It might be worth mentioning that the show has pointed out that the U.S. Marshal’s badge features a five pointed star and that a few five sided stars are visible in the decorations of the Homestead.

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• File under, “things I could spend forever obsessing over so it’s best not to start down that path” : The writing and symbols on the stones in the “hub” (that’s what I’m calling the room with the blood monster and lights). Some the the writing is familiar from things I’ve looked at in the past, but it’s just too much to look into right now.

• This might be obvious, but they make it a point to have Doc, who we’ve established is a human compass explain that directions don’t make sense where they are. There’s no North or East.

• Now I’m not much into theorizing about what is going to happen next, but given how much of the plot is using Biblical stories and imagery, it’s worth thinking about the fact that the Nicole that we see at the end is not only naked, but doesn’t seem to care that she’s naked. I think it’s pretty obvious that this isn’t OUR Nicole, for one she has her classic S1 French Braid, also OUR Nicole is probably in the basement of the BBD zombie factory. So why do I care about how Other-Nicole reacts to be naked? Because it’s too damn similar to parts of Adam and Eve’s story (not even going to mention Lilith atm). At first Adam and Eve didn’t care that they were naked, shame wasn’t a thing. It was only after they ate from the Tree of Knowledge that they realized they were naked and covered themselves. Thus began The Fall of Man.

Tarot Cards:
This is a carry over from last season, but since we got another reading from Kate right off the bat, I’m going to keep it around. First I want to point out that the cards for Bulshar and Wynonna weren’t identical, the last two were switched. Considering Bulshar’s reading was done over 100 years ago, it makes sense that his “future” was Wynonna present.

Bulshar’s cards:
– Past : devil
– Present : lovers
– Future : Tower (Darkness and Destruction)

Wynonna Cards:
– Past : devil
– Present : Tower (Darkness and Destruction)
– Future : Lovers (the take this to refer to Adam and Eve…and now Waverly and a Nicole are in the Garden…)

Nicole’s or Waverly’s Cards:
– Past : The Empress (Feminine power, strength from the mind)
– Present : Death (Transition, a doorway)
– Future : The fool (a journey, “not for you”)
* Nicole interprets this as “two powerful women at death’s door”, meaning her and Wynonna at the door to the Garden.

Gems You May Have Missed:

• Before the commandos bust in and tase Jeremy, he says “oh no, the garden” while subtly reaching for his magic crotch.
• When we find Mercedes in the kitchen she is wearing Wynonna’s robe (see 2×02), when we see her in the Sheriff’s office she is wearing Waverly’s jacket.
• When Mercedes is recapping how her and Kate parted ways Wynonna quips “so you totally boinked.” and Mercedes does NOT deny it. Just saying.
• When Doc wakes up and sees a tree has that wasn’t there before he says “Waverly, you dang fool.” and I can’t help but wonder if that is meant to call back to the tarot card Kate pulled earlier.

Answers to questions you may have:

• No, people aren’t wearing the exact same clothes as they were at the end of Season 3, and I’ve seen some extensive theories as to why, but guys I don’t think it’s that deep. It’s been two years, they just gave them new clothes.
• Yes, they are crabs. Demonic, shiny crabs.
• Wasn’t the Homestead totally shot-up and falling apart last time we saw it? Shhhhhh, tv magic.
• Jeremy is probably awake first due to the fact that he is not entirely human.
• Why does Nicole have American money in jacket? Because why not? Yes, it’s her jacket, not one she took off of a body. The show is not set in Canada. Officially the show is not in Canada or the U.S. And has actually shown little things that point to each country when they can’t avoid it. They have used Km/h and Miles, they have shown Canadian money and American. Earning the the name Purgatory, it’s in neither place and also both, just one of those things you should let slide…like the impossible layout of the Homestead.
• Before Nicole takes Wynonna’s place on the grate, she says “fuck that, like you said, I’m it”. That was a call back to Wynonna saying this a little earlier: “The next time someone has to risk their lives, you’re it.”

Questions that I don’t know the answer to:

• Where the f is Peacemaker? Remember, the flaming sword that used to be a Bluntline special that used to be a flaming sword. Uh, where did it go and why did no one mention it.
• Why did the first “Beaver Blaster” have a light fuse, and the rest have pull-pins. I mean, I guess I know the answer is “it looked better to film”.

Favorite Lines:

• Fork yeah? – eh, fork maybe.
• Warrior Princess.
• Still not looking at your ass.
• One small step for MILF, one giant leap for MILF kind.
• YOU ARE ACHITECTURE!
• Sorry? Gays only.
• Wynonna Earp, you little motherfuc…
• Do you have anything of hers? – Yeah, me.
• Nobody ever uses this couch.
• Represent * fist raise *
• Nodody fucks with our family.
• Thank you for sucking… – I do try, Waverly.
• No, weird guy, no!
• Technically it’s a 61
• I believe the Romans call it Wynonnus Interruptus … that’s not how lesbian-ing works, Wynonna

Under-appreciated (according to me) Lines:

• Well, that’s a felony.
• But if you’re there and the stairs are here, what happens if they reappear? – We’re just coming up with cheers, now?
• A pile of random novelty cards would never lie to us.
• Killie Bobbie Brown
• Wynonna Scissor-hands.

The Big Picture

My attempt at the timeline:

• Genesis 3 – A deceptive serpent in the Garden of Eden leads to The Fall of Man and two angels are placed at the entrance with a flaming sword to guard the Garden. (Biblical canon, not Wynonna Earp canon)
• Bulshar entombed: 1887
• Willa Born: 1987
• Wynonna Born: 1988*
• Waverly Born / Julian is “pushed outside of the GRT: Sept 8 1994*
• Mama left: 1999**
• Attack on the homestead: May 2000
• Wynonna comes of age: 2015*

*What we know for sure is that the attack was in 2000 and that Wynonna was 12 and Waverly was 6 when it happened. Keep in mind when doing the math, that Emily wrote the pilot in 2015. It all falls apart if you try to use the air date for the math. Also, because the month someone is born can mess up the math, this is all kind of give or take a year.
**The original line was that Waverly was 4 when Mama Earp left, making me think it was two-ish years before the attack, but in 3×01 Wynonna says that Mama had only been gone six months when the Homestead was attacked.

Season Four Credits Breakdown:

• The first of the new images is an old photo of two figures. What appears to be a man in a hat and a smaller, likely female figure. As lightning flashes we see them in more, terrifying detail. Their eyes glow and they have marks on their faces. Scars? Lighting?

• The next image is of a female angel walking toward a threshold of light. Again, there is a flash and the image changes. The angel is gone.

• The next change is a little harder to catch. The card for Dom/Waverly has changed. Now on top of a map of the Ghost River Triangle, is an image of the “garden”/ icy Stonehenge.

• The last and most subtle addition is on Kat/Nicole’s card. On the right there is a tree that wasn’t there last season. And you may not have noticed (other than the obvious murder trees), but there is A LOT of tree imaginary throughout this show since the start.

• The most important image of the credits isn’t new, it’s been there since day one, it’s what this show is really all about, the damn birds.

Main players: What we know about what we don’t know

Most of this will be things that were shown or stated in the show, however I am including theories that I feel strongly about, those theories with be in italics. Anything that was added since the last post will be in bold.

The Garden:

• (Bible) Home to two very important trees, The Tree of Life and The Tree of Knowledge [of Good and Evil].*
• From Juan Carlo’s journal “We guarded the entrance to keep him in, to keep everything in, but we failed, Julian and I”. Which begs the question, were the angels supposed to keep the serpent IN the garden or OUT of it? J.C. talks about keeping “him” in, but the whole season is about keeping him out, including Julian saying that Bulshar can’t be allowed to enter. In the bible their job is to keep everyone out of the Garden of Eden and away from the Tree of Life after Adam and Eve are kicked out for eating from The Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil lest they end up with knowledge and immortality. 
• There is some sort of living machine that requires blood.
• Waverly’s angel blood caused flowers and trees to pop up.

Wynonna Earp:
– Most of the mystery surrounding Wynonna has to do with the years she was away from Purgatory and doesn’t seem like it’s going to have much of an implication on the show (I’ve heard it’s explored more in the comics).

• Heir of a broken curse.
• Great hair. Yes, End-of-the-World Great. 
• Refers to herself as “Dubs”.
• Chosen by the Angel Waverly to wield the flaming sword.

Waverly:

• Was born in the greenhouse on the Gibson farm.
• Her real father is an angel named Julian, making her half-angel.
• The Arabic words that translate to “Garden of Paradise” appeared on the ring after she put it on.
• Happily taken Virgo with hair for days. 
• “Destined” to take her place on Julian’s throne.

John Henry “Doc” Holliday:
There are plenty of questions, but I’m not going to dig TOO deep unless I think it’s going to have an impact on the show in the near (this season) future.

• Has a wife named Kate dating back to his pre-well days. Regardless he still talks about Wyatt as if they were soulmates
• Totes doesn’t deny being Wyatt’s boyfriend.
• Went to hell when he died in the AU. Is super emo about it.
• Is a vampire. 
• Was able to climb the stairs to “The Garden”. 

Jeremy Chetri:

• Has a sort of empathetic connection to people (“now I can sense when my friends are super scared”) every since he was in a car crash with his mother and stuck with her body for three days. My poor child.
• Black Badge “did stuff” to him as well.
• Not “purely human”. I don’t really take this to mean anything more than what we already know as stated in the bullets above, but who knows, maybe he’s the werewolf. 

Nicole Rayleigh Haught:

• Only survivor of an attack linked to the Cult of Bulshar. After getting herself down to the river and in a canoe to get away from the massacre, she was found by Nedley! He “kept an eye” on her after that and offered her the job after finding out she was in the academy.
• Is a Capricorn….This fucking show. They think of everything.
  

Peacemaker: This section is a bit complicated after the developments of 3×12.

• Is missing.
• Is a flaming sword that used to be a Bluntline Special that used to be a flaming sword
• Was originally The Flaming Sword meant to protect The Garden. Referred to as “the garden’s security system” by Julian.
• the sword can only be wielded by a Champion chosen by an Angel. As of now that is Wynonna who was chosen by Waverly.
• Disconcertingly referred to by Bulshar as “my sword?”, but that’s one of those things that makes me question if anyone or anything on this show is what we’ve been led to believe they are so I’m not going to think about it.
• As a gun glowed orange when aimed at a demon.
• As a gun glowed blue for the first time when Wynonna used it to kill Willa.
• Glowed blue for the second time when Waverly pointed it at Rosita and Wynonna ordered it to fire, grazing Rosita. As Wynonna prepared to shoot the Stone Witch, which was presented more as putting her out of her misery, the barrel started to glow orange, but quickly switched to blue.
• When Wynonna pointed the gun at Bulshar it glowed white, both IRL and in her hallucination.

The ring:

• Belonged to Waverly’s father, Julian. Bulshar stole it.
• Kate tells Waverly not to “underestimate the power of this relic. It’s older than most things on earth.”
• When Waverly finally puts it on, not only can she not take it off, Arabic writing appears on the ring. The writing translates to Garden of Paradise.
• So far we’ve seen the ring: give Widow Mercedes a serious Glow-Up and enable Waverly to punch a zombie witch across the barn, melt a demon’s face, control Bulshar’s former arm (connected to a radioactive revenant), heal her friend’s face, raise Julian, it’s rightful owner, from the dead, and put an end to Bobo.
• Waverly is now able to remove it, which she does and she places it on Nicole’s finger.* 
• Can’t say if this is on purpose or not, but Waverly yelling at the ring to get it to suddenly be useful is too similar to Wynonna yelling at Peacemaker in 2×12.

My original theory was that the flaming sword, the gun, the ring, and the plate from S2 were all made by the same source of metal. Now we know that the gun was the flaming sword, but I still think there is a connection. I also came across some stuff about a very old black stone that is related to biblical story of the Garden of Eden. 

Mel and Kat Tweets of the Week:

I feel like Mel and Kat are pretty consistently hilarious when it comes to live-tweeting, so let’s recap some of the best of the best.

Thanks so much for reading. Feel free to leave theories and feedback in the comments or hit me up on twitter. If you really liked it feel free to head over to my Ko-Fi page and contribute to my Chipotle fund https://ko-fi.com/earpermarine.