Why Nicole Haught From Wynonna Earp Looks So Familiar
In Wynonna Earp, the titular descendent of the historical gunslinger Wyatt Earp fights supernatural baddies in the fictional town of Purgatory. Its traditional Western-inspired setting plays host to a number of fantastical story elements, positioning the series firmly in the growing "Weird West" genre. While its distinct and culturally relevant setting is responsible for some of Wynonna Earp's appeal, its protagonist, too, is a major contributing factor. Prior to the release of the first issue of Wynonna Earp's comic book source material in 1996, author Beau Smith reports having pressured the publisher to allow him to depict Wynonna as a strong woman protagonist. Now that legacy lives on in the present-day TV adaptation of Wynonna Earp on the Syfy network.
The titular Wynonna Earp isn't the only capable woman on Wynonna Earp, however. Among her allies in the series' run is Officer Nicole Haught. Upon the show's opening, Haught is a deputy sheriff for the town of Purgatory. In that role, she ultimately fights alongside Wynonna against the growing number of supernatural threats that begin to descend upon the town. Haught is played by Katherine Barrell, whose past credits include some prominent TV appearances from which viewers who find her familiar are most likely to have seen her prior.
Katherine Barrell was Alicia on Workin' Moms
The basic premise of Workin' Moms is stated outright in its title. Over the course of the series, comedy and drama alike are mined from its four central characters' struggles with balancing work and motherhood. Workin' Moms aired on the Canadian network CBC Television and was created by Catherine Reitman, the daughter of Ghostbusters director Ivan Reitman.
In the first two seasons of Workin' Moms, Katherine Barrell plays Alicia Rutherford. While Alicia is a new mother like the series' leads, she's something of a foil to their lives. Alicia is a social media mom, creating an image of motherhood online that's idyllic and worry-free. This is played in stark contrast to the relatable, everyday struggles of its protagonists.
Alicia, therefore, is unlike Nicole Haught in a few key ways. On one hand, she's a sort of villain, disliked by the show's principle characters and presumably by many of its viewers. On the other hand, Workin' Moms is a comedy, so Alicia's over-the-top behavior never quite carries meaningful stakes. Rather, she's the type of villain viewers often love to hate.
Katherine Barrell played Joy on Good Witch
Like Wynonna Earp, Good Witch contrasts the fantastical and the mundane in a fictional small-town setting. Good Witch's world is one in which magical witches both exist (instead of "witch" being merely wielded as an accusation) and are subject to the same everyday trials and tribulations as the average non-magical human being. The Good Witch TV series debuted in 2015 as the continuation of a series of seven made-for-TV movies. It's in the TV series' sixth season that Katherine Barrell appears as Joy Harper.
Joy first enters the series as an interior designer who arrives in the town of Middleton to look into the Merriwick family. The Merriwicks are an important part of Good Witch's lore for multiple reasons. Members of the family founded the town of Middleton. Plus, given the nature of the series, the Merriwick family tree includes a number of witches. Joy ultimately turns out to be a descendent of the Merriwicks. Over the course of Joy's tenure in Good Witch's story, Katherine Barrell appeared in the role for a total of ten episodes.