“Wynonna Earp” Exclusive: Emily Andras Unpacks Episode 2, ‘Shed Your Skin’
“All I want is people watching it multiple times to get their favorite line.”
Wynonna Earp‘s second episode was just as crazy, if not crazier, than the Syfy series’ second season opener! OMFGTV jumped on the phone with showrunner Emily Andras about the goo-filled episode — and she had a lot to say in regards to Wynonna’s childhood friend, WayHaught, and Nicole’s ambition.
In this episode, titled “Shed Your Skin,” we meet Mercedes (Dani Kind), who is sort of an old friend of Wynonna’s. Emily says she wanted Wynonna to have a buddy removed from everything that she could just grab a drink with. “I really liked the idea of giving Wynonna a friend who could handle her!” Andras tell us. “So it looks like Mercedes could be that type of person.”
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But why is Mercedes really back in Purgatory? “We are getting hints that Mercedes is back in town to deal with her family, and they are going to become a presence this year.” Get ready to meet the rest of the Gardner family, Earpers, because it looks like they’re sticking around for a while!
Friday night will be remembered as the night that WayHaught broke the internet, thanks to the beautifully written and filmed scene where they consummate their relationship. So why now? Why have Waverly (Dominique Provost-Chalkley) and Nicole (Katherine Barrell) sleep together now, after all the craziness that’s been going on? “I think because even in the face of tragedy, it’s so important to have moments of joy.” That scene was definitely joyful for many viewers!
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“Obviously, so much craziness is happening on the show,” she continues, “but we like that WayHaught is kind of this refuge from the storm, so to speak. They love each other.” Andras is correct in saying that WayHaught is a refuge, because that is exactly how the fans of the relationship feel. They feel as if they are finally being represented and heard in an industry that continually baits and belittles those same fans, so this is the refuge from their storm.
All of the characters in Wynonna Earp are incredibly well developed and written, including Nicole Haught. Nicole is a badass cop who is incredibly good at her job, but she is also an incredible girlfriend to Waverly Earp. There are many reasons for viewers to love Nicole, but what’s Emily’s favorite thing about the cheerful cop?
“She’s unapologetically interested in Waverly,” explains Andras. “She never apologizes for what she wants, but she is a huge one for letting Waverly kind of drive things, just because she’s so respectful and cares about her so much.” That is why Emily made sure there was a talk where they both give consent before going for it.
Before Waverly and Nicole get it on, they had previously been fighting. Nicole was upset she was being kept out of Black Badge, but Waverly just wants to protect her girlfriend. “I often say my favorite fights on television are ones where both characters are right,” Andras says. “I think Waverly was right to try to protect Nicole, but Nicole was right to be slighted. She really wanted this.”
Andras also loves how ambitious Nicole Haught is. “She doesn’t apologize for wanting good things for her career, and I think that’s a good character trait you don’t see on TV that much.”
Stay tuned for more of our chat with Showrunner/Executive Producer Emily Andras — and don’t forget to tune in to Wynonna Earp Fridays at at 10pm on Syfy!