More Trailblazing in Store in Season 4 of WYNONNA EARP, says Melanie Scrofano

By BILL HARRIS Special to The Lede Listening to Melanie Scrofano speak about Season 4 of WYNONNA EARP, this is perhaps the best way to sum up her feelings: It’s the perfect show for modern times. “Oh, can you spin it that way?” said Scrofano, enthusiastically. “Because that’s perfect. It’s so fundamentally true on so many levels.” An intensely devoted fan base has been patiently – or rather, impatiently – awaiting the return of WYNONNA EARP, which kicks off Season 4 on Sunday, July 26 at 10 p.m. ET on CTV Sci-Fi Channel. Scrofano, who plays the lead character, was asked what devotees need to recall from where Season 3 left off (Seasons 1-3 are available for streaming on Crave). “I’m not too worried about our fans not remembering  – they’re just so excited,” Scrofano said with a chuckle. “And I think everybody is really looking forward to some stories that have nothing to do with COVID, right? But as a refresher for Wynonna, everybody she loves basically is gone. She has no people and she has no curse to fight. So she has no purpose. At least, that’s how she’s feeling. So Season 4 starts in that head space of, ‘Who am I now? What is my role?’ ” And therein lies the notion of WYNONNA EARP being the perfect show for modern times. As Scrofano sees it, the pandemic has left many of us wondering who exactly we are, and where we fit in. “Many of the things that define us have been stripped away,” she said. “A lot of us couldn’t work, we couldn’t do the things we normally do. So what is the new definition of normal? What is the new definition of myself? What is the new definition of how I interact with other people? It’s a really fascinating time, and there are a lot of parallels. I call this season a brave new world.” Bravery has never been in short supply on WYNONNA EARP – a supernatural, time-travelling, Western dramedy that’s unlike any other show on TV, in terms of both content and tone. “The thing about our show is, people are f—— fearless,” Scrofano said. “Emily (Andras, creator) is just like, ‘Well, I hope you like a f—— octopus with guns, because that’s what you’re getting.’ Everybody else would be like, ‘Are you nuts?’ But because we have that integrity, and we’re not trying to make it for everybody, I think that’s a big part of the appeal. We’re not sitting on the safe side of the fence. We’re like, ‘This is exactly what this show is, take it or leave it.’ ” Humour is a big part of WYNONNA EARP, but Scrofano recalls there was a debate about it. “There was some pushback at the beginning – some people wanted it to be less funny, and Emily and I don’t know how to do that,” Scrofano said. “I can’t give you that in a way that’s interesting. I can’t just be the stoic action-hero girl. I don’t know how to do it. I’m going to give you a lot of faces and s—, because that’s what I’m bringing to the table. And if you don’t like it, there are a lot of other shows for you – a lot! There are a lot of other chicks who are willing to put on the pushup bra and be stoic and be very safe. It has an appeal for people. But that’s not us.” Season 4 of WYNONNA EARP will be split, due to the production break caused by the pandemic. The first six episodes will culminate in a mid-season finale on Aug. 30, with the latter half of the season airing at a later date. Scrofano was asked what it has been like to be back on set and in production in Calgary in recent weeks, in a post-pandemic safe environment. “It has been odd at times, but we’re being really safe and making it sustainable, because people need to get back to work,” she said. “We need to be leaders in the industry to show others what works and what doesn’t. It takes some sacrifice. It sucks to be in 40-degree (Celsius) weather with a mask on, but it’s a small price to pay for doing what we love, and being able to offer this gift of a show to ourselves, and to our fans.” When you think of it that way, WYNONNA EARP is trailblazing, yet again. “I do feel like that, yeah, thank you,” Scrofano said. “It’s sort of incredible and exciting. I have said this to a few people, like, ‘Dude, we’re pioneers right now.’ ” billharristv@gmail.com @billharris_tv