Haven: Speak No Evil

Season 5 of Haven continued last night with “Speak No Evil,” and while I still have concerns about where things are going, I liked this hour better than the premiere. (And hey, welcome, Canadian viewers! After your two-hour premiere last night, you’re caught up to us.) We pick up with Nathan conscious, thank goodness, but you have been shot, dude, go to the hospital. But first he has a little heart-to-heart with Duke, and I’m glad that everything else going on has at least had the side effect of making these two into the BFFs they were clearly always meant to be. Duke also wants Nathan to go to the hospital, but Nathan is more concerned with finding the missing aether, because he wants to use it to send Mara away.

Mara, of course, wants the aether to get William back, and is still trying other methods of opening a “thinnie” (ugh), including making Vickie draw the thin spot in the woods and then ripping the paper. They’re clearly trying to make Mara funny, with her commentary on the modern world — “I used to paint. A lot of people did before TV.” — and imperious behavior, but I just find her over-the-top and grating. Anyway, she tazes poor Vickie and steals her badge to get into the morgue to look for the aether. Luckily, Gloria hides herself and the aether, and also patches up Nathan once he gets there and has a little heart-to-heart in which she hilariously likens his situation with the time she met a guy who misrepresented himself on Match.com. I love Gloria, and I’m happy that Nathan can open up to her: “Audrey was so real to me.” Aww.

Duke is still looking for Jennifer, and still Troubled with the Barrows’ Trouble. Someone tells him to call the Coast Guard, which is a perfectly, hilariously mundane solution, but they’re skeptical about Duke requesting a search: “No, it is not contraband. It’s a person.” Hee. Things don’t stay funny long, though, as it turns out that Duke’s Trouble is feeding on denial — he sews shut the eyes and mouth of anyone who might tell him that Jennifer is dead. Unfortunately, her body has washed up — interestingly, she was dead before she hit the water — and Dwight identifies it. Whoever tells Duke that Jennifer is dead will of course be in great danger of his Trouble — and so of course Nathan insists on doing it himself, as he’s known Duke from childhood and they’re semi-secret BFFs.

Nathan finds Duke by the water and immediately realizes he’s waiting in his and Jennifer’s “in case of emergency” meeting spot, which is adorable. “You know. For when Godzilla and Mothra attack,” Duke explains, reasonably enough, as this is Haven. This spot is also where Duke and Jennifer have been playing an ongoing game of Poohsticks, and if you weren’t already crying, Duke very seriously explaining Poohsticks to Nathan should have done it. Duke’s Trouble begins to act upon Nathan as Nathan gently tells Duke about Jennifer’s body washing up, but, after a tear-jerker of a flashback montage, Duke gradually accepts the truth and drops Jennifer’s scarf into the water in time to save Nathan. Both Balfour and Bryant are great in this scene; this show is at its best when they’re interacting, always. (And the song playing is “Dream Team” by Aidan Knight, which I believe was also used in the Season 4 finale.)

In lieu of an official next of kin, Gloria is technically required to bury Jennifer in a potter’s field, but she gives the body to Duke instead. Aww. I’m sad Jennifer’s gone — according to Eric Balfour, the actress chose not to return, so the writers didn’t have a ton of options — but I do love what all this has done for Duke’s character. Still, I would have rather seen them as a couple for longer.

Meanwhile, Dwight is still mad that everyone — Nathan, Duke, Vince — knew that Mara had caused the Troubles and didn’t tell him, which he believes is because they’re giving their affection for Audrey more weight than the protection of everyone else in town. And I love that this has consequences. When Vince “forgets” to send someone to protect the Barrows, it’s the last straw, and Dwight has enough support to take over leadership of the Guard. “I was born with this symbol on my arm,” Vince insists. But Dwight: “And I chose to put it on me.” He convinces Nathan to hand Mara over to him and the Guard, and Nathan explains his basic mindset about this when he’s on the phone with Mara trying to lure her with promise of aether (though at that point he’s planning to let her go through the void rather than hand her over): “You’re not Audrey. You’re just a pathetic, evil reminder of what I lost. What we all lost.” They meet at the “thinnie” (ugh) in the woods, where Mara plans to Trouble Nathan and use him as a battering ram to break through. But Nathan has Vickie with him, and uses one of her drawings to bring a giant tree branch down on Mara’s head and knock her out. (At this point, for the record, Nathan and I are both crying.)

Waiting for Dwight gives Nathan time to say goodbye — Mara’s unconscious, which undoubtedly helps make his “Goodbye, Parker” seem real. But when Actual Disney Prince Nathan Wuornos kisses her, Mara wakes up — and says that she’s Audrey, still there, and feels like Mara’s crushing her. “Audrey” only lasts a moment, but Nathan is convinced, and drives off with her (handcuffed, at least) instead of handing her over to the Guard. Is “Audrey” real? I totally get why Nathan wants to believe it, of course, but it also seems like exactly the kind of trick Mara would try, so I’m skeptical. Though I’d be more skeptical were this a book, say, rather than a show with a whole bunch more episodes that I assume has to bring its main character back somehow. What does everyone else think?

Other favorite lines and stray thoughts:

• I feel like there’s been a lot of eye-stabbing on TV recently, and I’m ready for a new trend.
• “And you know too much about getting shot.” So say we all, Duke.
• “Terrible when you find out people you trust are keeping secrets.” Welcome to Haven. Are you new here?
• “You can’t extort me with soda and pornography, Vincent.”
• Once Dave wakes up, he has the same terrible injuries now as he did when he went through the void in 1983. He and Vince spend most of the episode trying to figure out what really happened at the lighthouse and if there was someone else there.
• AUDREY’S IN NATHAN’S PHONE AS PARKER. I have a lot of feelings.
• “Every time you see me you look like you’re going to cry. Even when I don’t shoot you.”
• Can Nathan feel Mara’s touch, by the way? I assume so but I can’t remember whether we know for sure.
• “Slowly take off your shirt.” “I’m unarmed.” “I know. I just like the beefcake.” Mara telling Nathan to take his shirt off is, for the record, the only point at which I’ve agreed with her through this whole thing.

Next week: “Spotlight,” in which Nathan tries to protect Mara. Sigh. Can we have Audrey back now, please?

(Image courtesy of Syfy.)