‘Wynnona,’ ‘Killjoys’ are a one-two punch
Summer is not my favorite season. It’s hot, it’s sticky and public transit smells terrible. But, over the past few years, one summer tradition has turned late July into the most wonderful time of the year: Syfy’s “Wynonna Earp” and “Killjoys” double feature.
The pairing of “Wynonna,” a supernatural Western, which returns for a third season Friday (9 EDT/PDT) and sci-fi space thriller “Killjoys,” which begins its fourth (10 EDT/PDT) is a match made in heaven. Or, rather, Purgatory, the mystical Western town that’s the setting for “Wynonna.”
Both are genre stories, obviously, but each has a female lead, quirky sidekicks and a knack for mixing action, humor, pathos and romance. They’re also lighthearted and character-driven enough that if you don’t feel like wading into their mythologies, you can simply enjoy the relationships and the humor. To be honest, I’m still confused by the magic green goo that’s the most important plot point on “Killjoys,” but I love it just the same.
“Wynonna” is a horror drama about Wyatt Earp’s descendant Wynonna (Melanie Scrofano), who inherited supernatural powers from her great-greatgrandfather. Armed with his gun, she has to kill “revenants” – demonic resurrections of outlaws Wyatt killed – that infest the town, along with other mystical threats. She’s helped by her sister, Waverly (Dominique Provost-Chalkley); Doc Holliday (Tim Rozon); Dolls (Shamier Anderson), a government agent tracking supernatural occurrences; and, eventually, local sheriff ’s deputy Nicole (Katherine Barrell) and scientist Jeremy (Varun Saranga).
The draw of “Wynonna” is Scrofano’s dry wit and devastating glare, the colorful cast of monsters of the week and fruitful romantic pairings, especially between Nicole and Waverly and Doc and Wynonna. I like to call “Wynonna” a knockoff of “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” in the most affectionate way possible. It learned all the right lessons from the cult classic about melding the personal and the supernatural.
“Killjoys,” on the other hand, could easily be compared to another Joss Whedon series: “Firefly.” Set in outer space, the show follows a group of bounty hunters trolling the “Quad,” a grouping of four planets linked culturally and economically. It stars the great Hannah John-Kamen – whose profile is on the rise thanks to roles this summer in “Ant- Man and the Wasp,” “Tomb Raider” and “Ready Player One” – as Dutch, a talented former assassin with a complicated backstory. Supporting her are brothers John (Aaron Ashmore) and D’avin Jaqobis (Luke Macfarlane), one a friend, one a potential romantic interest.
The series is smart, well-thought-out science fiction, and, like other greats of the genre, is more than space-travel antics. The writers craft a detailed and (apart from the advanced technology) realistic world. The planetary system is just as full of racism, class and economic inequality as ours is, and the series includes these sociopolitical elements without seeming gimmicky or preachy.
At first “Killjoys” is pretty straightforward, but Dutch’s past, and the conspiracy behind the bounty hunters’ organization, quickly become more complex. The plot also incorporates the aforementioned green goo, which might have driven a less competent series off the rails. “Killjoys” manages to keep its head on straight, green goo and all.
Watching the two shows back-toback is an exuberant combination that only comes once a year. “Wynonna” is the shot, and “Killjoys” is the chaser. And to be honest, Wynonna and Dutch would probably enjoy sharing a drink.
You can catch up on previous seasons of “Wynonna” on Netflix, and “Killjoys” on the Syfy site, app or on-demand.