Earlier this month a very special convention took place in Las Vegas supporting the LGBTQ community in television and media. At that convention Wynonna Earp‘s Emily Andras (writer/showrunner), Dominique Provost-Chalkley (Waverly Earp), and Kat Barrell (Officer Nicole Haught) took to the stage for “the WayHaught Women of Wynonna Earp” panel where they spilled some season 2 secrets! (‘WayHaught’ is the ‘ship’ name for the relationship between characters Waverly Earp and Nicole Haught.) Here is what we know we can expect from Wynonna Earp’s second chapter:
Season 1 Coming To Netflix | Emily announced that Wynonna Earp’s first season will be coming to Netflix in May! Now your friends have no excuse for not watching.
It’s Going To Get Even Gayer | Emily teases, “It can only get gayer!” But according to Waverly’s actress Dominique, Emily has already fulfilled that promise, “On a scale of 1 to gay, it’s pretty gay.”
But Emily doesn’t want the WayHaught arc to become something that’s fake or unattainable in the real world, so things between Nicole and Waverly aren’t going to always be easy. “It’s a drama, right? Stuff has to happen.” The writer continues “I also think it’s not a real relationship if there aren’t challenges, and them really getting to know each other as people. It’s hard, I think the thing is you have to be respectful to character. I think when people make choices, whether they’re good or bad choices or have arguments, they have to be in the characters that Nicole and Waverly are. And I like to think those characters are three dimensional women.” Emily stresses the importance of balancing the Wayhaught arc and what the fans want to see there with what the story needs in order to drive it forward but still have accurate representation.
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Season 2 Gets “Deeper” and Nicole Gets a Haircut | “I feel like this season feels deeper. It’s like we got through a lot of layers and now everyone’s just a bit rawer.” Kat Barrell describes the season on an emotional level. “Everyone kinda got scraped along the floor and now we’re seeing true colors come out, and secrets. Like, darker uglier sides of characters that just make them so much more complex and human and lovable, because we can identify with that.” But don’t worry, despite Kat’s dark description of the characters journeys, she promises this season is “still fun!”
Officer Haught also gets a haircut this season, no more braid for our favorite cop! Why the new look for the newest member of the Black Badge Division? “Basically” says Barrell “I don’t want to wear a braid anymore.” The actress says the braid is uncomfortable and she “really wanted Nicole to be a bit sexier,” so she cleared it with Emily before chopping her hair into a cute but unbraidable chin length.
Bobo and Willa Are Returning | Andras revealed that fan favorite villain Bobo Del Ray and Willa Earp will be returning to season 2 “in some capacity.”
Emily took this time to introduce a new member of the cast, Tamara Duarte! The showrunner wouldn’t give up any details on who Duarte will be portraying, but she did say that they really like her, so “you probably will too.”
The “Road to Purgatory” Tumblr Will Be Back! | Emily Andras confirmed that the online blog-style diary of Nicole Haught will continue in season 2! “We have something super fun planned this year, and it involves these two characters (Waverly and Nicole). So make sure you figure out the password so you can gain access to this awesome blog!
There Will Be Tension Between Wynonna and Nicole | Even though Wynonna and Nicole seem to be off to a good start in the friendship department, that was before Wynonna knew about Waverly and Nicole. Wynonna may not be so keen on anyone dating her baby sister, and that will show this season. “She definitely has some thoughts [on the Wayhaught relationship]” says Andras, “I think that the thing that’s really fun is that Wynonna is very protective of Waverly, so regardless of the fact that she is very friendly with Nicole Haught, she’s protective of Waverly.” Sounds like there will be some tension between the two people that care for Waverly the most.
Dominique elaborated to Emily’s statement, saying it’s not about the fact that it’s Nicole, or that it’s a woman that Waverly is dating, just that it’s someone. “I think it’s more to the fact that we’ve [Waverly and Wynonna] just got to the point where we’ve really solidified our relationship, and then finally got to a place where we’re really good.” Wynonna finally feels like she has a good, solid relationship with her sister and now someone is coming in and taking some of that time and attention away.
But Wynonna isn’t the only one who’s got a problem, seems like Nicole might not be too keen on Wynonna either. Emily lets on that there is not always good camaraderie between them. “I think Nicole may have some opinions about Wynonna too. They’re different people. It’s complicated, they’re three strong women!” So I think it is safe to say there will be friction between several of the main characters this season.
Doc Makes New Friends | Doc Holliday has the ability to form friendships with just about anyone, and that isn’t changing in season 2. “He has some really fun relationships this year with people who are unexpected” teases Andras. According to Emily, Doc is “not easily shocked or offended”, he’s really “a love is love kind of guy”, and that makes it easy to form relationships with just about anyone.
Nicole Haught Will Get A Backstory | Though no one would elaborate, both Emily and Kat confirmed we will be getting more of Nicole’s backstory. “It’s crazy” promises Emily.
Emily’s Message To Aspiring Writers and Creators | Before the panel ended, Emily made sure to pass along a message to anyone interested in writing or creating queer content. “Now is the time.” She begins telling the room that there is an audience for this type of content, so go out and find it. There is no better time to pitch these types of ideas than now. “This room is proof that there’s an audience for the stories we want to tell. So don’t let anybody tell you that there’s not an audience for the stories we want to tell, because here we are. And we’re going to all go out and we’re going to keep telling our stories, and we’re going to keep watching our stories, and that’s how we’re going to win.”
Keep your eyes peeled for Wynonna Earp‘s second season this summer on Syfy, but don’t forget it’s going to be released on Netflix in May for your bingeing pleasure.