"I tried being a lawman, it didn't take."
"We so rarely get what we deserve."
This article is a collaboration from SpoilerTV writers: Aimee Hicks (coder/article analysis), Luana Arturi (article lead), Kollin Lore (contributor), DJRiter (editor), and Zandarl (contributor).
Wynonna Earp had every possibility to become a cheesy fantasy show, complete with Wynonna's quirky lines and Doc's hats and thick accent. But a talented cast and brilliant character development immediately made it so much more. This season the stories are getting more personal by the episode and are really delving deep into characters that are growing closer and stronger every week. Every character is very well written, and those who were lacking a backstory, are now getting one. John Henry "Doc" Holliday is definitely the most improved character. He started as a brooding, selfish a**hole and ended up being a rock for everyone on the team. Those unfamiliar with Tim Rozon's acting may think he's just okay, but that might be because you haven't seen him in any other role to appreciate the understated brilliance of his work here. Doc is the farthest you could imagine from his
Instant Star character Tommy, and even though he tried a more similar role to this on
Lost Girl, it's nothing even close to what he has accomplished here.
Tim Rozon completely embodies the persona of Doc Holliday, aside from providing amazing comic relief, he's the perfect person to play this crazy gunman. Even though, emotionally, he hadn't been given that much to work with before, that all changed this season. Rozon has proven to be up to the task; which is why he was nominated for all four episodes that aired in June. No matter how small the scene, he can make it important, and far deeper than it would seem on the surface.
Doc has become a part of the Earp sisters' day-to-day life, providing not only backup when needed, but also emotional support, something that wasn't expected from him before. When he walks in on Nicole and Waverly during an intimate moment and clears his throat awkwardly announcing his presence, even Waverly calls him on being a "prude". When Nicole leaves, the fact that it comes so naturally for him to go to his missing hat to salute her is also a small detail that really makes a difference in his portrayal. He asks how Waverly's doing, noticing there's something off about her, something the closest to her are finding hard to pinpoint. The fact he thinks it has to do with the events that went down at the end of last season shows you how much he cares for the Earp sisters. It's a sweet quiet moment that shows just how far he's come.
Later, when they set up a whole operation to rescue Dolls, there's a moment when they're talking on the stairs, waiting for Waverly to open the door, where Eliza points out Dolls might not be himself. Wynonna immediately says she's prepared for that even though she was hoping to go twenty-four hours without killing someone she loves. Doc is quiet but hears Wynonna perfectly, seeing just how much everything weighs on her, and how much she takes it without a second of hesitation. He decides she deserves someone to carry the weight for once, not something everyone would be able or willing to do, even less do both. When the door opens Doc takes advantage of Wynonna and Eliza arguing, and he closes the door behind him. Wynonna yells at him to let her through but he refuses, telling her it's his turn now to carry the heavy load, and that it's her turn to take care of herself and the sister she's still got since she's probably in danger.
Once downstairs, Doc runs into Lucado, who seems to be guarding Dolls' cage. He says he didn't bring any guns but dynamite is undetectable by her "fancy metal wands". Lucado thinks he's bluffing, that he wouldn't blow the whole thing up for Dolls, but he's not buckling and scares her enough to make her back into Dolls' cage. Dolls, of course, takes advantage of the closeness to strangle her and almost kill her, but Doc talks him out of it. Dolls is stunned, Doc Holliday is lecturing him on ethics but the audience is not.
Some people might think all this change is for Wynonna. It might be partly because of her, but in an altruistic way, you'd never expect from the old Doc. When Wynonna approaches him drunk, we see the tender, soft hearted Doc for who he is as he tells Wynonna it is ok to miss Dolls, and then lets her confide in him. However, despite being a big softie, Doc is not one for expressing his deepest emotions and when Wynonna tries to bring it out of him with a kiss, he rejects her. This, of course, leads to a brief argument where Doc tells Wynonna he doesn't want her to get soft because that makes her vulnerable; reflecting his own insecurities, but also something that probably would've meant a lot more if not lost in his anger. Tim Rozon does a great a job in portraying both that soft and vulnerable side of Doc, but also the side of him that won't reveal his true feelings. It quickly turns from a very affectionate moment to a heartbreaking moment due to the complexity of Doc's feelings.
Doc is definitely more lovable rogue than a strict lawman, like his late buddy Wyatt. So, it should come as no surprise when he helps himself to some Black Badge funds. Of course, Agent Lucado finds out and she isn't happy. During the scene at the bar in the second episode, their relationship shifts slightly. Before they were openly hostile to each other, this time there was a bit of flirting from Lucado, which Doc uses to his advantage. This is yet another example of understated Tim Rozon charm that has made his interpretation of Doc Holliday a fan favorite. An agreement is reached but Lucado certainly doesn't get what she wants. And from this moment on, Shorty's is back on the map and it has a better use than it ever has before.
Since the beginning of the season, Doc has done everything in his power to help Dolls. When the wish-granting demon makes Xavier being back a real possibility, Doc is forced to open up to Wynonna. There is a certain restraint, more so struggle, that Rozon conveys when Doc attempts to express himself to her. We see it when he tells her that he is not making the potion to cure Dolls for Dolls' sake, before staring at her affectionately. He cares for her deeply, even though he feels her heart might be with Dolls. Doc is not the most graceful when it comes to using words to express his deepest emotions, yet, we see, through his actions and his expressions during intimate moments, that he is not as hardened as he wants everyone else to think. He does a tremendous job bringing out that restraint and yet making it known that there is so much more Doc is not telling Wynonna in terms of his feelings. It is both sweet and heartbreaking at the same time.
Once Dolls is finally with them, Doc spends most of his time taking care of him and figuring out a way to cure him. That is when he's not kicking ass and saving everyone else, of course. Doc used to hide his feelings as much as possible in season one, but now he's showing just how much he cares for everyone on the team. However, he clearly tries to avoid making it obvious. His expression while covering Dolls up with a blanket was transparent, and the fact that he does this knowing that Dolls might be an obstacle between him and Wynonna makes him an even better man. Here he showed that, no matter how much he cares for the woman he loves, he can't avoid considering Dolls a friend. They, of course, can't avoid making jokes and engaging in a fake (not so fake) pissing match where Doc says Dolls is not human enough for Wynonna. Dolls says Doc looks small without his hat. It's clear from Doc's face how worried he is about Dolls health and how scared he is that despite all the effort he's put into caring for his friend, it might not be enough to save him.
When Doc learns the Earp sisters are in need of backup, he runs to their side and we see him doing what he does best, O.K. Corralling up a bar and arriving in the nick of time with his trustworthy Colts. There is a nice touch of humor in this scene too when he finally gets a new hat to replace the one he lost in the premiere. It was a fun snippet of a scene and one that proved his reliability when it comes to the Earp sisters. Back at Shorty's Dolls injects himself with the liquid and burns Jaxon to a crisp. This leads to a nice scene when it's clear how happy Doc is now that it seems like Firebreather Dolls is going to be okay, their handshake over a bottle of whiskey was the perfect salute for these two.
You get the distinct impression that Rozon's best work is yet to be seen, especially with the fatherhood storyline. Fans will certainly enjoy further greatness from this awesome actor, and the Spoiler TV community has now given Tim Rozon more of the recognition he deserves. He was given so many exceptional scenes in June that it wasn't possible to highlight every single brilliant moment he had. Feel free to use the comments section to give him all the recognition he deserves for the powerhouse moments we couldn't cover in this article.
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