Last week SYFY’s Wynonna Earp hit us with a hilarious episode, but this week they decided to hit us with what may be the scariest episode of the series. Written by Matt Doyle and directed by Ron Murphy, ‘Afraid’ introduces us to even more new characters and reveals some of the history between the Earp’s and a few other families. Oh yeah, there’s also a creepy monster that’s hunting Wynonna.
BBD | A hooded Wynonna (Melanie Scrofano) is brought to BBD and speaks with Deputy Assistant Director Naomi Hitcha (Reagan Pasternak). Naomi explains that they’re on the same side and that BBD needs all their agents back, but then she calls her Agent Arp. Before we can dive into what that means Jeremy (Varun Saranga) walks in and Wynonna is completely shocked and excited to see him again. Jeremy is quick to play off how well they know each other and tells Naomi not to worry, Wynonna hates demons like all of BBD does. Wynonna catches on quickly when Jeremy also says she’s never killed a demon, but Wynonna tells Naomi not to worry, she can handle the supernatural.
Elsewhere, someone is cutting themselves and bleeding on a picture of Wynonna. Then we see a monster on the end of a chain break free and run off.
At the Homestead, Nicole (Katherine Barrell) and Waverly (Dominique Provost-Chalkley) and going over a powerpoint presentation Waves made to help them all figure out what they know and don’t know, but Doc (Tim Rozon) and Wynonna are late. Rachel walks in wearing Wynonna’s leather jacket and says she’s taking heading out for a while.
Back at BBD, Naomi is filling Wynonna in a little more on what’s going on in Purgatory. It’s a bit of an experiment of humans and demons co-habitating. Wynonna doesn’t like that there’s a border surrounding the town and that BBD monitors who enters and leaves, but other than that BBD tries not to interfere with what’s going on inside the borders of Purgatory. Then Naomi makes a somewhat startling confession, before coming to Purgatory she worked in the Department of Fisheries, apparently all of BBD had been dissolved so they needed new Agents and took volunteers from other departments with no demon hunting experience. That seems like such a great idea. Jeremy convinces Naomi to let him take Wynonna on a quick tour of the facilities, and Wynonna finds a strange rock in her pocket with a C on it. She assumes it’s a surveillance rock from BBD and gives it to an officer, who looks confused.
Doc is back at the Glory Hole solidifying his partnership with Amon (Naom Jenkins), who questions his relationship with Wynonna. Amon gets Doc a shot of blood and explains that he is free to be a vampire here, they’re all demons after all. Then he threatens Doc’s life if he doesn’t bring in his shipments.
Outside at BBD, the guard is looking at the rock Wynonna forced on him on his cigarette break. He tosses it to the ground to head back inside, but he never makes it in. Some monster appears and decapitates him before he even had time to react.
In some abandoned diner, Rachel and her friend Billy (Billy Bryk). They’re trading things they’ve scavenged, and she gives him a knife he can use at home on his ranch. Billy gives her a vest, and if you’re a fan of Beau Smith’s comics that the show is based on then you’ll recognize this vest immediately as the vest Valdez wears in the comics. Billy leans in for a kiss, but Rachel quickly pulls away and gives him a hubcap she found.
Inside BBD, Jeremy has found a blind spot to cameras and is quickly explaining to Wynonna that this new version of BBD is not bad, just good people in way over their heads. Before she can tell him about Peacemaker Naomi interrupts to officially welcome her back to BBD.
Billy and Rachel are walking home and Rachel tries to invite herself over to his house for dinner sometime, but he has to explain to her that his mom is a hoarder so he doesn’t have people over. When she leaves the edge of his property, Rachel walks by a stack of stones eerily similar to the ones Wynonna’s picture had been on when the blood was dripped on it. Uh-oh.
Waverly and Nicole seem to be making the most of the empty house, under a sheet on the floor they discuss Peacemaker, but Nicole feels she failed at finding it for 18 months. To change the subject Waverly brings up her proposal, saying she meant it, and before she can even finish her sentence Nicole is kissing her. I’m taking that as a yes! Then Rachel, taking on Wynonna’s annoying old habit, interrupts the couple. She wants to know if a junkyard would be a good place to look for Peacemaker, they agreed it would be and are headed there after they get dressed.
Jeremy shows Wynonna the weapons vault, and she definitely wants to grab something new now that Peacemaker is MIA. Jeremy introduces her to his newest creation, a giant gun he named Antoni. But warns her not to point it an anyone she doesn’t want to destroy. Then Jeremy gives her her first mission; sit in the back of a delivery truck and ake sure it doesn’t get robbed. Wynonna is less than thrilled, but Jeremy argues that BBD can’t find out who they really are and they really need to get the people of Purgatory supplies.
Magpie Ranch | Rachel takes Nicole and Waves to Billy’s ranch. I guess after hearing that Billy’s mom is a hoarder Rachel thought this place might be promising. Plus, she gets to see where Billy actually lives. Rachel goes off to look on her own, leaving Waves and Nicole to find and speak to whoever runs the place. While looking, Waves comes face to face with the monster from the beginning of the episode. Only she can’t see him, neither can Nicole. Suddenly a woman turns up, offering to show them what’s for sale.
Wynonna gets into the passenger seat of the truck she’s supposed to be protecting and Jeremy warns her to never press the red button on her new toy unless it’s “Apocalypse. Now.” Wynonna also finds another strange rock in her pocket, and Jeremy tells her it’s not from BBD. So she decides to call Waverly for some help.
While Waves is talking to the ranch owner and telling her she’s looking for a sword, Wynonna calls so she steps out, leaving Nicole with the owner. It’s revealed they actually know each other when Nicole calls the owner by her name, Margo (Paula Boudraeu). Margo then tells Nicole, “it’s time for you to deliver.” Deliver what? Do what? Nicole, what did you do in the 18 months everyone was gone?
Outside on the phone with Wynonna, Waves gets the picture of the rock and doesn’t recognize the symbol. But we do, because we see it burned into a board right behind her. On the ranch Billy’s family owns.
Wynonna’s truck runs over a spike strip, popping all of the tires. The driver decides Purgatory isn’t worth dying for and gets out of the truck and runs, but Wynonna loves her town and even its people, so she’s going to fight whatever it is trying to rob her. At least until she realizes it’s Doc.
On the Ranch, Rachel finds Billy and he doesn’t seem thrilled that she’s there. Rachel confesses she has feelings for him, and he tells her not to say that there and that she needed to leave. He seemed very nervous about her presence on the property.
Nicole and Waves are trying to find sword Peacemaker, but aren’t having any luck. Rachel bursts in and asks if they can leave, so they do. Margo and Nicole exchange strange looks on the way out.
Doc and Wynonna argue about Jeremy and BBD, then Doc accidentally brings up her losing Peacemaker. That definitely strikes a chord in Wynonna. Then Wynonna handcuffs herself to the crate of whiskey to try to prevent Doc from stealing it, and to “prove a very adult point.” Wynonna tries to seduce Doc, but that’s going to have to wait, he’s going to get his tools and free her so he can take the whiskey.
Billy goes and speaks with his mother, she’s pissed he lead Earp’s to them. He argues that Rachel isn’t an Earp, but an “Earp lover” is all the same to Margo. His mom threatens to “reap” Rachel with a photo she found of the two of them. That must be what the monster does, reaps the people from the photos. Wynonna really needs to be careful.
The Reaper | Speaking of Wyn, she’s freezing in the back of the truck waiting for Doc when suddenly she finds another one of those weird rocks in her pocket and realizes it’s evil. She throws it out of the truck and there are immediately footsteps on top of the truck. Super creepy, dragging a chain behind them footsteps. The trucks radio turns on, and we can see the monster outside of the truck peeking in. It slowly climbs into the back of the truck towards Wynonna as she tries to move away, calling for Doc.
The Reaper breaks the handcuffs, freeing Wynonna and she grabs the big gun from Jeremy. She’s about to fire when the Reaper breaks it. So much for that plan. Wynonna manages to escape, but for how long?
Rachel is in the barn when Billy comes to tell her that they can’t hang out anymore. She’s angry, but then pulls a rock out of her pocket. Billy sees the rock and freaks out that she’s been marked, not knowing that that is Wynonna’s jacket.
Wynonna is running through the woods trying to escape the Reaper. She suddenly finds herself between several of those strange stacks of stones.
Waverly is at home doing research on the symbol on the rock, and realizes it’s a cattle brand. But not just any old cattle brand, it’s the mark of the Clanton family. The Clanton’s stood opposed to the Earp’s at the O. K. Corral shootout. Uh-oh. She suddenly hears a scream and runs outside.
Waves and Nicole check on Rachel in the barn, and see Billy there too. He tells them to stay back.
Those stones have created some sort of barrier that has Wynonna trapped inside with the Reaper slowly closing in. Doc suddenly appears and breaks through the barrier to get to Wyn, but he can’t see the monster. She takes one of Doc’s guns and helps him aim the other, together they shoot the monster. But it doesn’t stay down for long. The pair take off running away from the monster.
In the barn, Billy quickly explains how being a Clanton is a curse, then he pulls out a tooth with a ridiculously long root and recites a phrase, offering himself up in exchange for the Reaper’s current mark, who he thinks is Rachel.
In the woods we see the Reaper stop chasing Wynonna and turn to leave.
Billy explains that he used his one covenant to protect Rachel, then tells about the rest of his family. Cleo is his sister and Sheriff Holt is his brother. Finally, he warns that his family will never stop coming for them before kissing Rachel on the cheek and leaving.
Everyone is back together at the Homestead recapping everything that they’ve learned about the Clanton’s. Rachel wants to save Billy from his psychotic family, but they won’t let her go do that just yet. They need to get Jeremy back first.
The Heir | At Magpie Ranch, Margo gives Billy to the Reaper. Poor Billy! Inside, Holt (Ty Olsson) and Cleo (Savannah Basley) listen to their brother scream as their mother joins them. It’s clear Margo is the one in charge and enforcing these old traditions on her children. We also find out Cleo is the one who sent the Reaper after Wynonna, surprisingly not Margo. Margo reminds her children that she’s the Clanton heir while punishing Cleo.
Wynonna barges in on Naomi and Jeremy at BBD and spills the truth so she can get Jeremy back. It works, Jeremy gets to go home, they get to reclaim BBD in Purgatory, and kick some demon ass.
Later that night Nicole goes to see Margo Clanton. She gives back whatever Margo gave her to try to save her family from the Garden because she didn’t use it, but Margo won’t let that fly. She opens the jar Nicole gave her and blow its contents into Nicole’s mouth. WTF?!?
Be sure to catch Wynonna Earp Sunday night on SYFY at 10pm to see what happens next.