Wynonna and Waverly come into Shorty’s and demand to see Bobo. A revenant grabs Waverly and Wynonna draws the Peacemaker on him, and the other revenants in the bar draw. Bobo comes down and assures them that he legally bought the bar. Waverly quits, secretly planting a bug on the tip boot, and Bobo says that he needs a token of apology before they go. He telekinetically pulls off Willa’s necklace that Waverly is wearing.
When they return to the station, Xavier tells the women that they’re in and plays them the surveillance he’s recording of the revenants.
In the Pine Barrens, a woman walks through the snow and arrives at a gas station. She asks the owner Carl if he has a phone, and he realizes that she has a symbol drawn on her right eye. Panicking, Carl tells her to move on, and the woman begs him to tell her mother that she’s sorry that she run off. A wolf comes up, growling, and the woman screams at it attacks her, and Carl runs inside in terror.
At the station, Xavier warns Wynonna that the two of them going in will be risky. She points out that he has bruises on his knuckles and figures that’s why he was gone when they planned to plant the bug. Wynonna figures that Constance didn’t give Bobo a way out of the Ghost River Triangle so now he’s looking for a new plan, and they figure Bobo bought the bar so that Wynonna couldn’t just blow him away.
Xavier and Wynonna listen in as one of the revenants complains that they’re vulnerable now that they’re at Shorty’s. The revenant mentions that Whiskey Jim hasn’t been seen in days, and Xavier cuts Wynonna off when she wonders who Jim is. Carl runs in and tells Bobo that Lou is back, and Bobo insists that Lou wouldn’t have broke the deal and come into his territory. Furious, Bobo tells the revenants not to mention Lou’s name or he’ll torture them like he tortured Levi. Carl screams in pain as his tooth picks up a radio frequency, and Bobo uses him to find the bug. Bobo picks up the bug and says that Wynonna and Doc have been together, and then tosses the bug in a glass of whiskey.
Wynonna tries to distract Xavier by suggesting they find Lou. Xavier clearly isn’t distracted, but says that he’ll see what he can find about Lou. Wynonna wonders where he’s going, and Xavier avoids the question and mentions her getting together with Xavier before leaving.
In the squad room, Nicole leads Waverly into Neadley’s office and starts to kiss her when Wynonna comes in. The two women quickly pull apart, and Wynonna tells them that she and Doc slept together. Nicole isn’t surprised and Waverly is, and Wynonna admits that Bobo and Xavier both know. She insists that it’s just sex, but doesn’t say whether she loves him.
Bobo finds Jim in the storage unit where he’s tied up by Xavier. Jim insists that he didn’t tell Xavier anything, and Bobo says that he’s going to start.
That night, Wynonna pulls up to Doc’s place in Constance’s pink sedan. She tosses the keys to Doc as a gift, and Doc flirts with Wynonna. Wynonna says that everyone knows about them, and insists that there really isn’t a “them.” She gets an alert that Xavier is on the move and heads off after him. She goes to the storage unit and sets off the alarm on Xavier’s car. He comes out, gun drawn, and Wynonna greets him. Xavier shuts off the alarm and Wynonna wonders what he’s doing there. He refuses to say, and Wynonna warns that a lot of men have hurt her recently and she doesn’t want Xavier to be another one. Xavier promises that no one in the storage unit will hurt her, but Wynonna handcuffs him to his car and goes in to check it for herself.
Ignoring Xavier’s protests, Wynonna finds Jim tied up. She wonders what Jim wants with him, and the revenant says that Xavier has been draining him dry. Wynonna demands to know who Lou is, just as Xavier comes in after picking the handcuff. He tells Jim to answer, and Jim says that Lou is Bobo’s archenemy. A hundred years ago, Lou and Bobo worked together but Lou had a sadistic streak. Lou never understood why revenants had to hide their true nature when they could rule, and Bobo ran away. Lou took something so dangerous with him when he left that no one dared go up against him, and no one has seen him for years. Wynonna jams the Peacemaker barrel into Jim’s chest, burning him, and he screams that Lou is in the Pine Barrens. She then sends him back to Hell.
At the station, Wynonna and Xavier go over the maps of the Barrens. There was a supposed chemical spill there years ago, clearing the place out. Xavier figures that Jim gave up the location too quickly, and admits that Black Badge might have a mole so he was questioning Jim. He assures Wynonna that he doesn’t think it’s her, and Wynonna admits that she thought Xavier kept disappearing because he was sick. He admits that he isn’t sick--exactly--and warns that Wynonna can’t let herself become cold and inhuman. Xavier warns that a revenant will say anything when threatened with the Peacemaker, and they head out. To the barrens to search for Lou.
Doc prepares to take a sledge hammer to the car. Waverly arrives and points out that he’s having sex with Wynonna, and warns that the relationship is a train wreck. As he prepares to smash it, Waverly suggests that he learn to drive and walks off.
As they go through the forest, Xavier hesitates and says that he lost people among the trees first. He falls behind and loses Wynonna. Meanwhile, Wynonna says that they should head back and hears Xavier say that it’s too soon. However, she can’t see him.
Xavier hears Wynonna telling him that she’s there.
Wynonna sees a bright light and walks into it, dropping the Peacemaker. She passes out and when she wakes up, she finds herself in a chapel wearing a white robe. A group of women are there, similarly dressed, and one woman, Margo, tells Wynonna that she’s been reborn and will soon meet Iska. The head woman, Eve, introduces herself. Iska comes in and asks Wynonna if she’s come seeking liberation from the mind control of radio waves and phone towers. Wynonna agrees and Eve points out that she has a phone. When Wynonna says that she’d be glad to do without it, Eve tosses it into a brazier. Iska says that those that need to be led seek him out, but they have room for fighters as well. He tells Wynonna that her bath is ready and leads out, and Margo leads her to a nearby tub. Wynonna has no choice but to get in as the women watch.
Later, Eve takes Wynonna to the dorm and says that they burned all of her belongings, including Peacemaker. Wynonna says that she uses the bad guys, and knows the good from the bad because the good guys fight past their fear... and are hotter. More women shove Xavier in using cattle prods, and Iska comes down. He insists that they are a peaceful people, and checks Xavier’s ID. Xavier sees Wynonna but keeps silent rather than give her away.
Eve takes Wynonna back to the dorm and says that Xavier will be taken to the root cellar besides the grain house. She assures Wynonna that Xavier won’t last long, and talks about her first night she cried herself to sleep. One woman, Jen, brought her a handkerchief and hot chocolate, and it helped her. Jen was driven out and never came back. Wynonna asks if Iska has ever mentioned Bobo, and Eve insists that Bobo can’t be a real person. Wynonna knocks her out with a chamber pot and runs out.
Wynonna finds Xavier at the root cellar and frees him, and explains that Lou is Iska. They go outside and find Lou and the women waiting. Xavier mentions Bobo, and Lou says that Bob’s fur coat won’t protect him. Eve wonders who Bobo is, and Wynonna says that he’s a common enemy. Lou assures the women that he has no common enemies, and he turns to Wynonna as his eyes glow red.
The women take Wynonna and Xavier back to the chapel and Lou says that they have betrayed the people of the commune. He places his mark on their right eyes, and Wynonna says that she’s an Earp and comes from a long line of Earps that have been hunting Lou. Lou realizes that she’s the Heir, and Eve feeds them a drink. The other women then throw bags over their head.
The next day, the women drive into Purgatory and toss Wynonna out on the street. She frees herself and finds a piece of paper in her pocket with names on it. Wynonna goes to the station and shows the names to Waverly, and figures that Eve gave it to her and convinced them to drop her off in Purgatory. Waverly confirms that every woman on the list was found dead in the Ghost River Triangle, all killed by wild animals. Their bones were broken and their skin ripped off. “Help” is the last word on the list, Wynonna admits that she lost the Peacemaker in the Barrens, and figures that Xavier is alone in the woods.
Waverly goes to Nicole and tells her what’s happening. A report comes in on the radio of a pink sedan driving erratically on the highway.
Xavier gets to his car and opens the case with his drug. He gives himself an injection and then gets his gun, and tries to start his car up. A wolf jumps onto the hood and growls at Xavier, and he spots the Peacemaker hanging from a nearby tree.
Nicole and Waverly go to the highway and find Doc. The deputy asks for his license and registration, and Doc admits that he has never of them. Waverly comes over, furious, and Nicole gives Doc a ticket.
Wynonna goes back to the Barrens, and Xavier grabs her and tells her to be quiet. He tells her about the wolf and gives her the Peacemaker, and Wynonna insists on going to the commune to save the women and get Lou’s weapon.
Nicole watches as Waverly argues with Doc. Meanwhile, Doc tells Waverly that he’s finished in Purgatory now that he’s had his revenge on Constance. She’s angry that Doc is leaving Purgatory without a word, and insists that Wynonna needs him. Doc figures that Wynonna has Xavier, and Waverly suggests that he at least try like she’s trying with Nicole. He points out that at least Nicole loves Waverly and drives away.
At the commune, Lou puts his mark on some of the women. When Eve wonders what he’s doing, Lou says that they must disband and become pure because they have been sullied by outsiders. Once they do that, they can rebuild. Eve tells her sisters that Lou is lying, and Lou slaps her before putting his mark on her as well.
Xavier goes with Wynonna to the commune, and Xavier tells her that in Navajo mythology, “Iska” is the name of Skin Walkers that can take the form of humans or wolves. They go inside and Eve explains that Lou marked them all as prey before he left. Margo says that Lou will rise to make them clear, and Eve warns that Lou cast them out and they’ll die. Wynonna points out that she survived, just as they hear the Skin Walker growling and women screaming in the dorms. Eve says that Lou had an escape route with a snowmobile. Xavier tells Wynonna that if they kill Lou then it will sever his connection to the captive Skin Walker, and Wynonna goes to the escape route with Eve while Xavier gets the women upstairs.
Outside, Wynonna and Eve see Lou preparing to escape. His eyes glow and Eve wonders what he is, and Lou insists that he is a god. Wynonna draws the Peacemaker and says that he can’t hide, and Lou says that he isn’t hiding. The Skin Walker come up, wearing the form of a bear, and knocks the Peacemaker out of Wynonna’s hand. Lou takes off on the snowmobile, and Wynonna yells at Eve to get the Peacemaker. The woman picks it up and manages to shoot Lou, sending him to Hell. The Skin Walker reverts to its human form and thanks Wynonna for freeing it before running off. As Eve wonders what happened, Wynonna discovers she can now wipe off the mark.
Later at the station, Nicole reunites the commune women with their loved ones. Waverly has checked on Lou and confirmed that he was using the Skin Walker for over a hundred years. Eve doesn’t remember her life before the commune, and Xavier suggests that she might be lying. Wynonna doesn’t believe it, and wonders why Peacemaker worked in Eve’s hand. Xavier warns that there could be a thousand reasons why it worked, but Wynonna figures that there’s one and tells Eve that she’s coming home with her.
When Wynonna and Eve arrive at the homestead, Waverly comes out and tries to talk to Wynonna about Doc. Wynonna says that it can wait and introduces Eve, and Gus comes out... and realizes that Eve is Willa.
Written by Gadfly on Jun 4, 2016