Synopsis of 2×03: It’s homecoming weekend in Purgatory and you better believe there’s a new demon of the week stalking the halls of Purgatory High. Also we learn what Doc has been up to lately, Waverly descends further into her black-eyed madness, Haught gets mixed up in some trouble, and more. OH! And we finally get to see Dolls again! Albeit briefly.

Rating:
After an excellent first episode and a decent kick-off with last week’s creepy, crawly spider episode, we’re getting back to a more familiar demon-of-the-week formula. Granted, it’s not just Revenant demons, but all kinds of creepy other demons. Purgatory is becoming a place not just plagued by the demons of Wyatt Earp’s past but all kinds of supernatural beings. We knew this from the first season finale, but Purgatory has apparently always been like that.

Regardless, it should come as no surprise then, based on this town’s demonic undertones, that high school kids playing with magic can get themselves in a world full of hurt. That’s the basis of this episode. Purgatory High’s reigning championship hockey team from 2007 apparently made a pact with a demon to be bad-asses for 10 years and in 2017 – you guessed it – it’s time for the demon to collect on what they owe him. And apparently they owe him organs because the four guys who summoned this demon at the behest of their coach are now tearing out their own innards for some reason.

Wynonna gets wrapped up in everything after Nedley calls in Black Badge after the first dude, Bryce, tears out his liver in front of the trophy case inside the high school. Haught is not happy with turning the case over at all. From there Wynonna gets even more wrapped up in things when Mercedes tries to hook her up with hot former classmate Perry – who later calls her up for an actual date.

Of course, he’s skinning and bleeding a rabbit dry at the time he’s on the phone with her so… kinda creepy.

Don’t worry, though. Perry is actually trying to save his remaining friends from the demon. One of those friends is drunkard Skip, who adds a level of comedic humor throughout the episode. You know, when this sack-wearing demon isn’t trying to compel him to pull out various organs. Sadly, their bro Cam doesn’t make it. RIP Cam. You tore out your eyes and actually reached gray matter. It’s kinda impressive. Also: really gross. 

Anyway, Perry and the team manage to stop the demon by trapping it back in it’s vessel – which happens to be the trophy. In an amazing scene, Wynonna actually beats up a bunch of high school hockey players from the current team to get it out of the high school. But I digress. They trap the demon and save the day – and they also save Perry and Skip! I have a feeling that Skip might meet a grisly fate in another episode but I would not say no to seeing more of Perry helping out #TeamWynonna at some point.

Especially since Mercedes may have been murdered by the creepy black specter thing that was stalking Wynonna in the last episode. Seriously, I’m super sad.

I loved Mercedes. I loved that Wynonna had a friend and that she was encouraging Wynonna to get out there by hooking her up with Perry. But Mercedes has a really shitty family. Her sister Beth is weird and enables their super creepy, stalker-y brother Tucker. Seriously, the dude is like twenty and taking upskirt photos of teenagers.

Tucker actually has a pretty big subplot this episode. His last words to Mercedes before she probably dies are, “If you died…” and “I hate you.” Also he tries to get Haught fired after she goes off on him and arrests him with little cause. And he’s super creepy stalker-y with Waverly – even going so far as to tell her that she’s “confused” and her relationship with Haught is wrong.

Waverly responds to this by damn near strangling him (and then stealing his medical alert bracelet).

Wondering what’s going on with Waverly? Yeah, we all are still. Let’s look at some of her greatest hits this episode. Instead of eating dead spider babies, she eats lipstick. She is weirdly attracted to shiny things and steals shiny metal objects throughout the episode. She’s super into the trophy – she’ll inevitably steal it at some point causing all kinds of hell. When Haught tries to talk to Wynonna about Waverly’s new quirks she gets blown off. But by the end, Wynonna might at least have suspicions that something is up with the littlest Earp.

Okay, but, I bet you’re all wondering about that Dolls teaser I gave you in that synopsis at the beginning of our recap, right? Of course you are.

Yes, Dolls is back! It’s very brief. And he’s not in a good place. He’s a.) really messed up without his serum stuff and laying sick on the floor and b.) he gets to see black-eye Waverly in all her glory. She’s amassing a horde (maybe she’s possessed by a dragon?) of shiny things in the same room where Dolls is half dead. And she freaks the shit out of him with her eyes… which then start running with black demon-y wavy-ness. Okay, that’s not a great description but whatever.

Poor Dolls, man. Because people really are trying to help him. Like I called back in our season premiere recap, Doc isn’t making demon meth in the basement of Shorty’s. He’s actually trying to have bartender Rosita reverse engineer Dolls’s serum so he can be himself again. There’s a really touching moment, too, where Doc explains to Wynonna why Dolls didn’t ask for her help. Dolls finds Doc expendable – as Doc puts it, Dolls can “afford to lose” him.

He can’t, however, lose Wynonna. And Doc is only helping Dolls for Wynonna’s benefit. Our love triangle is alive and well, folks. And it may become a love rhombus with Perry if he ever shows up again? Probably not. But still.

Lastly, I just want to say that I love Haught even more with every episode. I mean, I’m here for #WayHaught forever but I really do like Haught’s character. I like that she’s basically the only normal one who still manages to hold her own. Nedley actually has a heart to heart with her this episode where he acknowledges that. And he tells her that he wants her to replace him as sheriff someday. She has the strength of character and the foresight to take this strange town with his crazy, supernatural problems and protect the simple, honest folks that for some reason still want to live their quiet little lives there. Seriously, what’s wrong with those people?

So, hopefully next episode we’ll get some actual answers about what’s going on with Waverly. And hopefully Dolls will appear again – even if it’s not in a major way just yet. Also: I really hope Mercedes isn’t dead but I’m not holding my breath. Wynonna had to shoot her own sister in the season finale. I should have known this show wouldn’t let her now have a best friend.

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