The Ending Of Wynonna Earp Season 4, Episode 12 Explained
All good things come to an end, and for the devoted fans of SyFy's supernatural-meets-Western show Wynonna Earp, that bittersweet day came April 9, 2021. That's when the network aired "Old Souls," the twelfth episode of season 4 and likely the series finale, since SyFy is not renewing the show and there's been no announcement of rescue by another platform.
However, showrunner Emily Andras gave fans something sweet to look forward to going into the episode: the wedding of the show's beloved couple, Waverly Gibson and Sheriff Nicole Haught — ship name #WayHaught.
WayHaught's journey as a couple began in the first season when then-Officer Haught walked into the bar where Waverly worked and dished out some smooth-as-butter flirting. After Waverly's realization that she's bisexual, a boyfriend dumping, a bold confession, swapped "I love yous," a first fight, supernatural-forced separation, and a passionate reunion, there was a proposal at the end of season 4, episode 6.
The following episodes have involved wedding planning, which has been superseded by various threats in Purgatory, the home of the couple and their family. Deadly fog, a ruthless government agency, and a family with a grudge-based curse mission to destroy the Earps and cowboy-turned-vampire Doc Holliday have all been keeping everyone busy. But last week, in the penultimate episode, it seemed Nicole, Waverly, Waverly's gun-toting hero sister Wynonna, and the rest of the crew had dispatched all their problems and enemies. When the dust settled, at Nicole's behest, everyone's attention finally turned toward the wedding.
That's where this episode kicked off. Heading into it, fans weren't sure what to expect. Would recent threats rear their evil heads and interfere? As it turns out, no. With the exception of some minor evil supernatural activity, what fans mostly got is the chance to see every hero find the home and hope they've long sought.
Here's the ending of Wynonna Earp season four episode 12 explained.
Nedley, Rachel, and Billy form a helpful, hopeful bond
Nedley, the now-retired sheriff of Purgatory and savior, mentor, and father figure to Nicole has recently developed a father-daughter dynamic with another wayward Purgatory soul: Rachel, whom Nicole and Wynonna encountered in their quest to save Waverly from the garden. Rachel and Nedley plan a fishing trip after WayHaught's wedding, and during the celebration, Rachel convinces him to invite Billy Clanton, her crush. Billy now has no family, as his sister Cleo abandoned him and the rest of his family is dead. The fishing trip thus marks a new beginning for Nedley, Rachel, and Billy.
Nedley can be hopeful about the future of all his wards on Wynonna Earp. His real daughter Chrissy is safely away from troubled Purgatory. His first surrogate daughter Nicole is with him in Purgatory, building upon his legacy as sheriff and now married to the love of her life. His new surrogate daughter, Rachel, offers him the chance to still feel needed, which suits him.
Rachel, meanwhile, has Nedley to lean on as she finds her place in Purgatory with her new family. The fishing trip gets her out of the house so the newlyweds can have privacy without Rachel feeling like an imposition, and when she returns, she can take comfort knowing she's welcome with both WayHaught and Nedley. Even Billy gets hope for a new life. He's human again, the weight of his family's grudge is gone, and he can be a regular teenager with his regular crush.
With Nedley's presence and help, both Rachel and Billy can start to experience a happy home.
Jeremy moves on and up
Despite an initial misunderstanding, Jeremy hits it off with a sexy caterer, Damon, at the wedding. When Damon asks him out, Jeremy accepts. As actor Varun Saranga said in a behind-the-scenes video, this shows Jeremy is finally ready to move on from Robin. He's been tormented by losing the Robin he knew to the fog, both because he misses him and because he feels guilty for costing Robin his identity. But Robin is happy in his new form and has a new boyfriend. Damon gives Jeremy a chance to make a new life for himself, too, and Jeremy's giddiness about their date proves he's ready to be happy and hopeful.
Also giving Jeremy hope: work. While talking to Damon, he gets a call from someone at BBD — it's Andras, in a voice cameo. She says he's the new Deputy Chief of BBD and that they want him running operations for all of the Ghost River Triangle (GRT). If headquarters is putting Jeremy in charge, perhaps it means the ruthless members of BBD are gone. It's possible evil BBD will return if things ever get bad again in the GRT, but as it stands, for Purgatory, Jeremy is the BBD. It's unclear what that job entails if demons and humans coexist peacefully and most of the evil demons were already extinguished by Team Earp. Perhaps Jeremy will simply use BBD resources for new wholesome purposes ... maybe extreme trivia nights? Wynonna Earp fans may never know, but it's safe to say Jeremy is better off than he's been in a while. Last week, he tearfully told Doc he'd lost his love and job. Now he has his job back, with more power than ever, and he's on his way to potential new love. If that's not hopeful, what is?
Wynonna and Doc navigate what's next
At the start of the episode, Wynonna obsesses over ensuring the wedding is absolutely perfect. In the behind-the-scenes video, Melanie Scrofano, who plays Wynonna, suggests it's because most of Wynonna's experiences on the Homestead have been bad — she lost her sister and father and she's fought endless battles there since becoming the Earp heir. So, she needs one thing on the Homestead to be good. After the wedding, perhaps Wynonna can finally see her home as a place of happiness instead of pain.
That's one way the wedding impacts Wynonna. Another involves a supernatural mishap. Before the ceremony, Wynonna tries on Waverly's wedding dress and discovers it's cursed — the dress entices brides into wearing it, then compels them to kill everyone at their wedding. Brigitte, the witch who cursed the dress, tells Wynonna, Doc, and Waverly that the curse only works with someone who's really in love, meaning Wynonna's love for Doc must be true. Wynonna then admits she wanted to imagine being normal and in love. This all frazzles Doc.
Still, Doc plans to leave town after the wedding. He tells Wynonna he must experience life and let go of the past. He then implies he thinks Wynonna is too scared to fully embrace their love even if he stayed. He asks Wynonna to prove him wrong and come with him. She insists she can't leave Waverly and is devastated when he leaves anyway.
However, Waverly then makes Wynonna see that she deserves to finally release the responsibility she has taken on. Wynonna pursues and catches up to Doc at the Purgatory border and they agree to head out into the world together. As they depart, Wynonna notes she hasn't traveled so lightly in a while. For the first time in her life, she's living on her own terms. The curse is gone and she has a sister, friends, and a person who loves her unconditionally for all she is, so for once she's not bearing the weight of any negative emotions. What's more, she tells Doc to stop in Montana. She doesn't say why, but Doc and fans know: that's where their daughter is. They rejoice at the thought of her, and off they go to find themselves at home with each other.
Waverly and Nicole embrace their bliss
Nicole came to Purgatory looking to understand her past and build a life in a place she'd long felt connected to. That started with her job as a police officer, and then she met Waverly. She was smitten instantly. Now, all this time later, she's the sheriff of the town and Waverly is her wife. It's the sense of belonging and stability she always wanted.
Waverly used to be a manicured version of herself. She was the town sweetheart but didn't feel truly seen. She dated a boy she had no interest in who even demeaned her brainy, fierce side. Waverly also felt alone, as her only living sister and her mother abandoned her. Her aunt and uncle were her only family for so many years. Then Wynonna returned, and Waverly met Nicole. As Waverly tells Wynonna when she sends her off after Doc, she feels Wynonna has finally gotten to know her, and though once she feared Wynonna would never come home, she knows now that Wynonna will always return to her. What's more, she isn't alone because she has Nicole.
Nicole helped inspire Waverly to be true to herself, which meant ditching her disrespectful boyfriend and embracing her sexuality as she let herself feel for Nicole. Nicole even sacrificed the ability to leave the Ghost River Triangle so Waverly wouldn't go to the garden.
Waverly asks Nicole if she regrets doing that because it means they can't have a honeymoon adventure around the world, but Nicole reiterates that a life in Purgatory with her wife is all she ever wanted. With Nicole beside her as her love and Wynonna free to feel her own happiness, Waverly, too, feels happy and hopeful at home in Purgatory.
There's beauty in the details of the WayHaught wedding
There are three more things that must be noted about the #WayHaught wedding. One is that following the dress disaster, Waverly wears her mother Michelle's dress, showing forgiveness and love despite everything they went through. Second, there's the beautiful twist that Wynonna stands beside Nicole at the altar, affirming their status as best friends and serving as another sign that Wynonna and Waverly have more than each other now. Similarly, Doc stands by Waverly's side as her best man, spotlighting the series' most consistent and deep platonic bond. Lastly, as a present to the newlyweds, Rachel (Martina Ortiz-Luis) performs a song. That song, "Wildwood" by indie pop-folk singer Fleurie, is the soundtrack to WayHaught's first kiss. Originally, the song was for the audience's ears only. This time, it's embedded in the scene itself, and that's a meta twist the likes of which Wynonna Earp has always done so well. Cheers to Emily Andras and crew.
Overall, this series finale tied things together neatly. Some questions remain, of course: What will happen with BBD? How will Wynonna and Doc cope with being parents? And how will Nicole cope with her new extreme sheriff role? And we missed a few faces in the finale that would have been nice to see: Mama Earp, Gus, Mercedes, Kate, Rosita, and Nedley's daughter Chrissy. (Presumably, COVID-19 interfered with such returns, but they were honored via name plaques on chairs at the wedding, with even the departed Dolls and Julian included). Regardless, in so many ways, this finale left everyone with a sense of hope and home. For that, Wynonna Earp cast and creators, it's safe to say fans will "never get over you, you, you."