Pop-Culturalist.com

Emily Andras is a trailblazing visionary in entertainment, celebrated for her groundbreaking storytelling and unwavering commitment to diversity. Renowned for her pioneering work on series like Lost Girl and Wynonna Earp, Emily Andras has left an indelible mark on audiences, transcending traditional storytelling. This September, she defies expectations by introducing a new chapter in the beloved Wynonna Earp series with a gripping 90-minute special on Tubi, titled Vengeance.

In this eagerly awaited return, everyone’s favorite demon killer faces her greatest challenge yet: a psychotic seductress hellbent on revenge against Wynonna and everyone she loves.

Pop Culturalist was lucky enough to speak with Emily about Wynonna Earp: Vengeance, building on the legacy that her and the cast created, the fandom, and more.

PC: Wynonna Earp has always been a series that defied expectations. The fandom has gone above and beyond in their unwavering support, not only for the show but for everyone’s careers afterward. Did you really think Season 4 was the end of this chapter? What were your early feelings when you kicked off conversations with Tubi?
Emily: Great question. Listen, it’s always been a phenomenon. We’ve always been the underdog. No writer would be arrogant enough to say, “I saw this coming.” [laughs] It’s beyond your wildest dreams to create something that goes from belonging to you to belonging to an entire fandom that rallies for it. They’ve formed friendships, gotten married, had babies—everything. They’ve become their own force, which is incredible.

I had the privilege—honestly—of writing a real ending to a TV series, which is rare. And people were satisfied with it, which, as we know, isn’t always the case with TV finales. So, I had mixed feelings when Tubi said, “We would love to do a special.” I was both exhilarated and delighted to revisit these characters, who feel like family. I love them. I could write stories for them for the next fifty years, but I’d be lying if I said my blood didn’t run a little cold. I had to pull on a thread. I literally left one couple happily married and the other riding off into the sunset. You’ve got to shake that up, but then you realize that can be part of the story.

Earp has never done anything traditionally. We had a pregnant superhero in Season 2. We shut down for financial reasons. We weathered COVID. I thought, “Yes, this can be an unusual story you don’t always see.” What happens after happily ever after? People have to mature, they have to ask for different things. They can still love each other and want new things, new adventures, and new experiences. That came together, and I relish the opportunity. Fear is your friend. It’s good to be a little scared—it means you care.

PC: This series has always been ahead of its time—credit to you—often shedding light on untold stories. How does this special build on the legacy that you’ve all created? How did the freedom of being on Tubi allow you to push the boundaries of storytelling even further?
Emily: Tubi has been incredible. Honestly, they had almost no guardrails when it came to language, sexuality, or expression, so it was really fun to play in that space and let Wynonna be her sauciest and sexiest self. Sorry, everyone, we put too many hot people together in romantic situations. You can fast-forward. [laughs]

I feel really privileged that when the show first aired, nobody was paying attention to us. That gave us the freedom to tackle a lot of issues. We had many LGBTQ+ characters and put people in heroic positions in a Western—people of color, Indigenous people, and others who don’t usually get to be the heroes. By the time the show became a success and everyone started paying attention, it was too late—we had already done what we wanted, and what a gift that was. Vengeance built on that. Everybody is unapologetically themselves. There’s no need to explain who they are. It’s a very unusual group to be portrayed as demon hunters, and that’s what I love about it—it’s unquestionable.

The characters have evolved even more in how they express themselves and how they identify, and you’ll see that in the special. It feels very organic. Our cast members have also evolved on their own journeys of sexuality and gender identity, and some of that is reflected in the story, while staying true to the characters.

PC: It was so important to you that these characters meet the cast where they were in their lives at the time of filming. How did that influence the development and direction of these storylines, and how did it help you hone in on the theme of change that you wanted to explore? Why was that so important to you?
Emily: We’ve been so lucky with Earp. But the truth is, as you touched upon earlier, everyone’s career is thriving, as it should be, because they’re such talented, incredible individuals. So, right away, I made a mental note that we were all going to do it, or none of us were going to do it. That was going to be the deal. It was an incredible opportunity, but it was a big ask. I asked everyone, “Can you find time in your schedule to come to Calgary in the middle of February for a month?” But this speaks to how much we care about one another and how much we know that the series is so important and unique. Everyone worked their butts off to make sure they could be there.

When we got there, it felt like summer camp. There’s something about the distance and appreciating what you had, and then being able to go back to it, that made me more determined to be present. We all felt that. But the other thing I said to the cast, which I felt very strongly about, was that I wanted to make this easier for them as well. I told them, “I want you to come as you are. I’m not going to ask you to lose a pound. I’m not going to ask you to cut your hair or grow your hair. If you can’t fit into your leather pants, I don’t give a sh*t because these characters have evolved as well.” I mean, everyone is the hottest person you’ve ever seen—let’s not pretend. I really didn’t want it to be about these characters pretending to be eighteen years old. I wanted to meet them where they are, as their characters have evolved and matured. That made everyone feel safer and more secure on set. The result is magic. You see those themes throughout the special.

PC: Minus Tim [Rozon] and Doc’s mustache.
Emily: He’s the one that wanted it. He needs like five months to grow that. But I’m always like, “We can get a fake mustache.” [laughs] But he looks at you like he’s going to die if you say that. It’s as if you’ve said the most offensive thing in the entire world. So I feel like Tim is always ready to grow a mustache in case we come back. That’s why we have to tell everyone it’s the real deal, because he works so hard. He’s like, “I walk around looking like a porn star for three months.” I’m like, “You’re fine.”

PC: We know that you can’t say too much, but you’ve teased that Vengeance follows life after happily ever after. How does that look different for Wynonna and Doc versus Waverly and Nicole?
Emily: Waverly and Nicole are really living their wifey-lifey. They’re domesticated at home. Nicole is the sheriff of Purgatory, but Purgatory isn’t as demonic and supernatural as it used to be. Things are calm. But Waverly is still an Earp. Part of her might be starting to realize that because she’s so secure in her relationship and marriage, she can maybe start to wish and hope for things she hadn’t even permitted herself to hope for—maybe that’s a little adventure, something new that doesn’t compromise her relationship. WayHaught are as solid as they’ve ever been. But like any couple in the world, they might have communication issues or things might change, and they have to be able to talk about that.

Doc and Wynonna, while they may be soulmates, they’ve also always been dysfunctional as hell. They have borderline personalities. They’re addicted to chaos. They like fu*king and fighting. They do not like sitting down and making craft dinner with each other. They’ve been on this wild adventure, but maybe they’re also starting to think about what’s next. Can they maintain this chaos and calamity, and always being on the run? The two couples definitely need to discuss what’s next, and it does dovetail with one another.

Then, of course, there’s always a demon who’s going to show up in Purgatory that they’re going to have to deal with. This one is particularly personal to Wynonna because she’s been out of the game for so long. It’s a little unsettling for her. She has to come at this battle with a whole new mindset and with new tools she has to figure out.

PC: That’s a great teaser. That bond and sense of family that you’ve built over the four seasons of this show is truly one of a kind. How has that trust grown over time, and how does knowing what your ensemble is capable of allow you to push yourself creatively while also playing to their strengths?
Emily: There’s something subconscious when you watch a show like Earp that doesn’t always happen, which is that we all do love each other and we’re so committed to the material. They trust me, so I can push them, and they’ve all made each other better. Melanie Scrofano is probably the most talented performer I’ve ever had the privilege of working with, along with a cast that’s so bloody talented as well. But she elevates them, and they elevate one another. That allows me to almost be a lazy writer. It allows me to push their emotions and push their actions because I know they’re so committed. But I also think that they know their characters after five years better than anyone. That trust is mutual.

If they come to me and they’re like, “I don’t feel like this is genuine,” or “Maybe my character would react more like this,” I’m always like, “You’re the protector of that character, and that’s your right.” You also live in this shadow of this fandom that loves the show. Sometimes that can be intimidating if you think too hard about it, to be honest. But the trick about writing for an audience that’s this passionate is that you need to give them what they need and not what they think they want. Sure, everybody would love it if WayHaught was sitting on the couch holding hands for two hours, but no, it’s the strife, the trauma, and the tribulation that make those moments sweeter. So I feel like there’s a lot of trust across the board. We all love each other and feel so grateful that this is such a phenomenon.

To keep up with Emily, follow her on X and Instagram. Watch Wynonna Earp: Vengeance on Tubi today.

Photo Credit: Christina Gapic