Dom Provost-Chalkley and Kat Barrell are part of one of the most iconic LGBTQ+ couples on TV: Wayhaught. Playing Waverly Earp and Nicole Haught, these two created a space within the Wynonna Earp show and fandom that was full of love, understanding, kindness, and hope that we can see ourselves reflected in the media that we consume. When the iconic SyFy show was cancelled, we thought we’d seen the end of these two. But then Tubi came on the scene.
On Friday, September 13th, Tubi will be premiering a 90-minute special that sees the continuation of the adventures of Wayhaught. And just because we got that happily ever after for these two with a beautiful wedding, doesn’t mean that they’re stuck there. Their relationship will continue to be what we’ve always loved about them: an evolution of two people who want to face this world together.
Fangirlish spoke with Dom Provost-Chalkley and Kat Barrell about Wynonna Earp: Vengeance, coming home to a showrunner that met them where they were at, and so much more at San Diego Comic-Con 2024. But to start off, let’s go back to that “happily ever after” with Wayhaught. For Barrell, happy isn’t always the end all, be all.
Barrell said, “We find Wayhaught in a very happy place. But happy isn’t always the most interesting. And there’s definitely some shaking up that happens and we get to see the evolution of their love. Because we kind of ended on their marriage. But really that’s just the beginning of their next chapter. So now we get to see what that looks like.”
Provost-Chalkley echoed that sentiment and said, “It’s also not realistic to think that every couple is just always blissful. There’s ups and downs to every single relationship. And I think it’s really important to represent that.” They went on to recount something someone had shared with them on relationships in general, “A good relationship is like you’re doing life alongside one another. And sometimes one person goes off a little bit off track but you’re always aiming to come back together.”
They see this sentiment reflected in Wayhaught. “I think that’s what Wayhaught does so well. They’re always aiming to support one another, hold each others hands through everything. But it would be unrealistic to think that there aren’t little waves and ups and downs. You get to see the truth of an evolved relationship.”
Being back at Purgatory also comes with the real life reminders that they’re not the same people they were in 2021. And this opportunity with Vengeance is about being grateful to come back home but also being honest with themselves about their lives and how that changes the direction their characters go in on this next leg of their adventure with Tubi.
For Barrell, her biggest change is that she became a parent. “I have my son and I was pregnant when we shot Vengeance,” Barrell said, adding that it changed the way that she portrayed Nicole. “I think becoming a parent, the deep love that you experience and the deep sense of family and protection…I think I tapped more into Nicole’s protective nature after becoming a parent and also that strength that she has. And she’s so…she’s such a protector but I felt that more deeply becoming a parent and coming back.”
For Provost-Chalkley, they have also gone on a journey in their real life when it comes to their queerness. That journey has now become part of Waverly’s evolution. “The three years that I was away, I did a lot of personal growth and coming into my queerness and my authenticity. And I think it was really important for me to bring that into Waverly’s journey too.”
And when we meet Waverly in Vengeance, she’s going to be “in a more settled place in her queerness. I think she’s owning her queerness a lot more. And has matured a lot more and is just kind of just so proud. And I think that’s how I felt when I was watching…I haven’t seen it yet…we haven’t seen it yet.”
For Barrell and Provost-Chalkley, the ease that they settled back into Wynonna Earp absolutely had to do with their showrunner Emily Andras. Provost-Chalkley shared, “I think it’s such a blessing to be on a show that…we have a showrunner who’s just like…embraces who we are and wants to bring all of that into the characters. It’s not shying away from that.”
Wynonna Earp, it’s cast, and showrunner have never shied away from the stories that need to be told. Vengeance is going to be proof of that.
Watch the full interview below:
Wynonna Earp: Vengeance premieres on Friday, September 13, 2024 on Tubi.
