*** Editor’s Note: This article originally appeared on The TV Junkies and has been republished here with the consent of its author and Emily Andras. ***

*** Warning: This article contains major spoilers for the Wynonna Earp Season 2 episode “Gonna Getcha Good” ***

It was time for Wynonna Earp to head back in time this week and revisit one of the most horrific periods of Wynonna’s (Melanie Scrofano) life: high school. Thanks to a reunion, Wynonna and friend Mercedes (Dani Kind) got to catch up with old friends, frenemies and the school’s star hockey players in “Gonna Getcha Good” written by Brendon Yorke and directed by Ron Murphy. Luckily, Wynonna was able to track down the wish-granting demon that was terrorizing the championship hockey team alums and trap it in order to use it to help out Dolls (Shamier Anderson). As it turns out, Doc (Tim Rozon) and Rosita (Tamara Duarte) had been cooking up and working on perfecting the drugs Dolls needs in the basement of Shorty’s.

Not so good for Dolls though is that his return was met by an evil Waverly (Dominique Provost-Chalkley) who, when not busy doing cheer routines for her girlfriend, also revealed her new dark side to local creep Tucker Gardner (Caleb Ellsworth-Clark). Nicole (Katherine Barrell) also ran into trouble with Tucker, but in the end Sheriff Nedley (Greg Lawson) admitted the truth to her about Purgatory and why he sees her as the next town sheriff. As is usually the case with a Wynonna Earp episode, there is much to discuss and thankfully showrunner Emily Andras is back for her weekly chat to break everything down. Make sure you add your thoughts about the episode and what’s to come as well!

The TV Junkies: So you start off the episode with Dominique cheerleading. Is the strategy to just make everyone pass out from the get go?

Emily Andras: I specifically gave notes to cut that sequence because I thought it was superfluous. It was ridiculous and I’m hoping we maintain the audience. If the ratings drop off a cliff because everyone has died, that’s the last sexy cheerleading sequence any of you are getting!

Can we just talk about Dominique this year? She is crazy! I think she did that cheerleading sequence 75 times for four hours and didn’t pass out. It’s insane, but I really like it. I like the way it plays on tropes, but at the same time subverts them because she’s doing it for her girlfriend. It’s all taking away the male gaze, I hope. It’s also just nice to have a fun episode and remember that the show is ridiculously fun.

TTVJ: What was her reaction when you told her you wanted her to dance and do a cheer routine?

EA: The problem is I know Dom is talented, so I think she wishes that she hadn’t told me all these things. To Dom’s credit, I thought it was going to be more “rah rah” and then Dom was like “I’m going to do it properly.” So she looked up Dallas Cowboy cheerleaders on the internet and learned a whole routine and took it to the next level. That is Dominique and I just wrote it with no expectations and that her in the little skirt would be adorable enough. She just took it straight to 1976 fantasy land.

TTVJ: Did she watch Bring It On for research?

EA: I cannot speak to her inspiration. You’ll have to go straight to the cheerleader’s mouth to find out what inspired her. There’s just something about that girl that is so adorable and sexy at the same time, and yet likable, warm, and innocent. It’s crazy that it all comes in that teeny tiny, sis-boom-bah package. Thank God we got her on our show. I’m so proud of her and it’s the first of many things this year that showcase her as an actress who has come up to the next level.

TTVJ: Speaking of Waverly, it seems that Waverly doesn’t remember things that happen when Gooverly is in control.

EA: GOOVERLY Forever! End interview! I love it!

TTVJ: Is that what’s going on or can you give any hints about whether or not she’s aware of what’s happening?

EA: First of all, it’s really important to stay hungry as a writer, so the fact that someone came up with Gooverly made me just rethink my entire career because it’s so much better than anything else I’ve ever come up with. Kudos to that person!

Number two, I really think it looks like Waverly has no memory of what happens when the tentacle takes control of her. Also, to be frank, things have now happened that I would hate for the audience to interpret as it not being Waverly in those moments. I don’t want to take away from the sweetness, the consent, and certain connections, both with Wynonna and Nicole. I think it’s important that we’re starting to see that distinction and that there are two entities wrestling for control within Waverly.

That being said, there are going to be consequences for what Waverly is doing, and increasingly it feels like she’s losing time and herself to this thing. At the same time, can we say that Gooverly is kind of a badass? So it’s kind of fun, entertaining, and I don’t hate it that much.

TTVJ: Gooverly did reveal herself to a couple people this episode and one of them is Dolls, who is back in town! What will that mean? Any hints about his return?

EA: I think Gooverly turned and looked at Dolls like he was a delicious hamburger. I don’t think this is a great situation, Bridget. We have seen her devour an entire spider, then a lipstick — which is less terrifying — but I don’t know. I wouldn’t bet on a sick, injured Dolls versus a very aggressive Gooverly. I’m actually kind of worried for Dolls in that situation to be completely honest, and from his manly, yet terrified scream, I’d say he’s worried too. We’ll have to see what happens there.

She also revealed herself to Tucker Gardner, and the truth is that Tucker seems like a Grade A creep. So in a weird way it’s fantasy fulfillment in that it’s probably something Waverly would’ve wanted to do for many, many years and then, Gooverly allowed her to tap into that part of herself. But I’m worried for our little Waverly, that’s for sure.

TTVJ: The one good thing for Dolls is that we did learn what Doc is up to in the basement with Rosita. We also learned that Doc went through all this trouble not for Dolls, but for Wynonna. See, he does still care!

EA: How sexy was that line? That’s the problem with someone like Doc, he can be cool as a cucumber and reject your drunken self in the bar, but then with one line and one intense look with those blue eyes and a twitch of that mustache, you’re back in! Tim Rozon is so good and he just gets it and what that line has to be.

TTVJ: Does this mean things soften between Doc and Wynonna now?

EA: I’d say it’s still complicated and I think that’s OK. I think there’s something really interesting about the complexity of Doc and Dolls’ relationship and how it has evolved. They are grudging friends, but at the same time, they are rivals. I think there’s something to be said for Doc still wanting to win fairly. I think if he’s going to get Wynonna it’s going to be on his own terms. There’s destined to be some hesitation right now on Doc’s part, as for pursuing Wynonna and not wanting to be second best. I like all that and think it’s torturous and romantic and good.

TTVJ: In the meantime, he’s got Rosita hanging around and Wynonna wasn’t too fond of her.

EA: Well, have you seen Rosita? My God! The look on Wynonna’s face when she walks in and Rosita pops up from behind the bar is, if anything, a little subdued. Have you seen Tamara Duarte? I would feel the same way.

TTVJ: Is the animosity between Wynonna and Rosita going to continue?

EA: Well yes, but I also really like at the end when Wynonna jokingly calls her “Boobs McGee” and Doc says “She’s a biochemist and going to cook Dolls’ drugs,” which makes Wynonna acknowledge she needs to stop being so superficial. What I really like about these female characters on Wynonna Earp is they are very self aware, and this isn’t Bring It On, just to reference it twice now.

TTVJ: Hey, maybe we can get Kirsten Dunst to tweet that everyone should watch Wynonna…

EA: Oh my god, Kirsten, you can come on any time and I love your work in Fargo so, so much! She’s been to Calgary, too! Also we basically named Eliza after Eliza Dushku, plus there’s Eliza [Taylor] on The 100, so I don’t know if I ever met an uncool Eliza.

Anyways, yes, definitely Wynonna wants it both ways. She wants to keep Doc at arm’s length because she’s not a commitment person right now, but does she want the most beautiful person in town to show up and make eyes at him? No, probably not. I think it’s possible for Wynonna Earp to hold both those thoughts in her head at the same time. I like that she’s complicated and she can know that she should know better than to be competitive, especially with another woman, based on her looks. But at the same time, the feelings are going to be the feelings. We don’t really know what Rosita’s deal is really so we just have to stay tuned, Bridget. We just have to stay tuned!

TTVJ: Since we’re discussing female characters on the show I think it’s a good time to bring up how great Melanie Scrofano is as Wynonna. You guys are really making her go across a spectrum of emotions each week. On one hand she’s ripping my heart out telling Perry that “I’m the one who’s broken,” but then she also had so many great one-liners.

EA: Oh my god, she’s amazing. Amazing! That whole sequence in the bar where she sees Rosita for the first time, to drinking with Mercedes, to reluctantly flirting/trying to get Perry off her scent, to talking to Doc — that whole thing is incredible and a tour de force. I’m not bullshitting you when I say that Scrofano is just getting warmed up! That’s the craziest part! This is her just at the starting line and getting ready to go because the stuff that girl has coming down the pipe is so good. It’s funny because I really feel like Melanie’s quips this episode are just phenomenal. There’s just something about Episode 203 where everybody is hitting the ground with all motors running.

TTVJ: One thing I loved about this episode was seeing more of Nicole outside of her relationship with Waverly. We see her super frustrated with where she’s at in her career and the fact no one is acknowledging all the supernatural stuff going on around Purgatory. What does Nedley’s revelation and validation at the end of the episode mean for her?

EA: First off all, that Nedley and Nicole scene is one of my favorite scenes in the entire season. I love it so much and Greg Lawson as Randy Nedley is the most delightful surprise of Wynonna Earp. He’s like the MVP and so good! I love the music that plays through that scene, it’s so epic and like Alfred from Batman giving advice and is incredible. I cry every time.

I think what Nedley says to Nicole is so true. All the idiots we know and love on Black Badge are running around and chasing after scarecrows, but there’s so much value in just being a police officer and taking care of citizens and the people who need it the most. That’s why Nicole became a cop, because maybe it seems like unglamorous work, but that stuff is truly, truly important. He helped Nicole remember why she became a cop in the first place.

At the same time, she’s way too smart and way too talented to not be participating in the goings on that are threatening the people of Purgatory. They need to stop having half the picture and I thought it was a huge step forward, and a huge indicator of Nedley’s confidence in Nicole, that he agreed to let her participate in Black Badge cases and assist them. Then just to say that he was going to make her sheriff when he retires was massive, that he specifically recruited Nicole because he knew she had all the traits that he thought would be important to take on the challenge of a town like Purgatory. It was so gratifying for Nicole to hear that and for someone to acknowledge that she is really good at her job, that she is really talented, she’s exceptionally brave and principled. She really needed that.

I really was determined to give Nicole a storyline that was not about being Waverly’s girlfriend. I think women don’t talk about their ambition and their career in terms that are positive a lot of times on TV still. I like that Nicole is unapologetically ambitious and just wants to be good at what she does. I think that’s really refreshing and I love that storyline. I think it was one of my favorite plots we did this year.

TTVJ: I loved when he said “just be a good cop. It matters.” That was great.

EA: He’s right, right? It’s great to be running around and be sexy Wynonna with the big sexy gun, but somebody does have to do the parking tickets and keep everybody safe. That stuff is really critical and Black Badge really needs them to be good cops too. We’ll see more that more and more this year.

TTVJ: So, other than not having to wear khakis anymore, what changes can we expect to see at the Purgatory Sheriff’s Department?

EA: RIP khakis! I’m so sorry about all the cosplayers! What’s happening in the second season in general is the sense that this team is coming together. They are starting to share information and maybe realize they are better together than apart.

TTVJ: Are they going to get more manpower? They seemed to keep bringing that up and that they need help.

EA: Stay tuned. We all know that Nicole’s thing isn’t “manpower,” but is she going to get more help? I think Nicole just feels more able to do what is necessary and participate and again, considering what she’s facing with Waverly, even if she doesn’t completely understand it yet, that’s going to be critical.

TTVJ: We did meet Tucker Gardner this week and Nedley gave Nicole a file on him. Is he going to keep causing problems for her this season?

EA: I think he is. He just seems like the type of man most women have met. He seems like a very particular type of human creep, villain, sleaze bucket. Sometimes it’s those guys we take for granted that can be the most dangerous. So we definitely need to keep an eye on that guy.

TTVJ: Elsewhere, here we were all excited that Wynonna finally got a friend in Mercedes, and now it looks like she’s been taken from us. Please tell me this is not the last of Dani Kind!

EA: I can tell you nothing, Bridget. I can tell you nothing! I love Dani Kind and think it’d be a shame if we didn’t see her again, but that didn’t look like the best situation to me. I’m pretty scared she spilled her wine. That seemed to be the cruelest cut of all that she didn’t even get to take a single sip. I’m telling you nothing about that except that those ladies in black are crazy and they freak me out! What do they want?

TTVJ: We got another amazing slo-mo walk sequence this episode, so does that mean we get one every week? Because they are pretty awesome.

EA: I feel like we did a triple threat now, which was more accidental. I hope everyone can forgive us and I wouldn’t count on it every week. I think we maybe hit capacity on the slo-mo walks. I hope people aren’t sick of them yet. I’m certainly not and I love picking the songs for those. If I could just pick songs for people’s slo-mo walks in their everyday lives that might be my second career. Hit me up if you need to walk into a meeting, or an interview, or the wedding of an ex. I’m totally available for consultations on the best song choice for a slo-mo entrance/exit.

TTVJ: What can you preview about Episode 204?

EA: I love 204 and 205! We had a lot of fun these first three episodes, a lot of slo-mo walks, a lot of goofy spiders and scarecrows, but in 204 we are getting down to business. We are in Earp sister territory where things are both delicious and freaking fraught. You are going to need to buckle up for this. There are some act outs that are insane and an ending that is insane. We are starting to ramp up here to some Earp sister goodness and things are coming to a head. Plus, you probably won’t hate Doc Holliday in this episode. There’s amazing Earp sisters stuff, just incredible, but the boys are going to surprise you. They really come to play, both of them.

It’s your turn to share your thoughts, Earpers. Let us know what you thought of the episode below!

Wynonna Earp airs Fridays at 10 p.m. ET on Syfy and Space Channel.