Neo-Western TV shows are all the rage today, but nine years ago Wynonna Earp was ahead of the curve. What’s more, this wildly original supernatural TV Western is quite unlike anything else in the genre, despite drawing on its tropes and traditions extensively. Looming large over the series is the legendary figure of Wyatt Earp, Tombstone’s sharpest shot.
It’s hard to put Wynonna Earp in a specific box, though. For some, it’s a cult classic fantasy show that uses the Western genre arbitrarily as the vehicle to tell a modern heroine story. For others, it’s fundamentally a neo-Western first and foremost, due to its premise and structural foundations. The reality is probably somewhere in between.
Regardless, it belongs in the conversation for the best Western TV shows of all time, because its title character is quite simply one of the greatest Western heroes of her generation. Wielding the iconic Colt Buntline of her great-great grandfather, she’s just as fearsome a gunslinger as the protagonist of any small-screen classic of the genre.
What Is Wynonna Earp About?
Wynonna Earp is essentially the story of a Western law enforcer on a quest to overcome various outlaws, presented in supernatural terms within a modern setting. Its title character is the descendent of Wyatt Earp, the real-life lawman known for his victory in the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral, in the town of Tombstone, Arizona.
Wyatt’s outlaw adversaries have returned from the dead to terrorize Wynonna's family, and she must banish them to Hell using the Colt pistol she inherited from her great ancestor. In amongst the gunfighting, Wynonna Earp’s endearing relationships, wicked sense of humor, and message of female empowerment help make it a multi-dimensional modern classic.
How Wynonna Earp Compares To Other Neo-Western TV Shows
The best neo-Western TV shows tend to feature the same kinds of ranchers and lawmen you’d expect to find in the Old West, updated somewhat for their contemporaries settings. But Wynonna Earp is much more ambitious in its modernization of Western genre tropes, recontextualizing them in the life story of a seemingly ordinary young woman of the 21st century.
It brings in aspects of fantasy to raise the stakes, raising real-life figures such as Wyatt Earp’s gunfighting partner Doc Holliday back from the dead, and turning 19th century outlaws into demonic revenants. Yet, despite this heady mix of genre-bending elements, Wynonna Earp remains grounded and relatable, thanks to the strength of its characterizations.
It does what Buffy the Vampire Slayer did to the horror-fantasy genre in the 1990s, only with even more swagger and unabashed elevation of female courage. No other neo-Western TV series is this brave or original.
Where You Can Watch Wynonna Earp
Although Wynonna Earp sadly left Netflix in July 2025, it’s bound to be back on the world’s biggest streaming platform sometime in the near future. In the meantime it’s possible to stream the series for free on Tubi, or with a subscription to FuboTV or the SyFy app. Reruns of episodes also air on the SyFy network.
While it’s far from your typical neo-Western TV show, Wynonna Earp is a must-watch for fans of the genre. It challenges our assumptions about what actually makes a great Western, and has pushed the boundaries of the genre for future generations.
