Last week, we got the conclusion of Haven‘s two-parter “The Old Switcheroo,” and it was probably my favorite episode of the season so far — not least because Audrey might finally be back.
In North Carolina, Vince and Dave finally get Allison Doohan to tell them what’s going on. It turns out that Skip and Jeffrey had switched years ago, and Jeffrey had been living as Skip while Skip (in Jeffrey’s body) was confined to the psych hospital in Haven. The original Skip had been cheating on Allison, and Jeffrey was in love with her, so she was happy with the switch. And why Haven? Because her mother had always said it was a safe place for the Troubled — and it turns out that Allison’s family had been responsible for watching over any weirdness in their part of the world for generations. Skip touching the Teagues at the same time doesn’t switch them back, and he finally agrees to go back to Haven with them. When Skip and Jeffrey finally see each other again and hug, everyone affected passes out and then switches back to their own bodies.
Back in Haven, Duke and Nathan are still in each others’ bodies, discussing Audrey and Mara. The actors both do a really good job with this switch, by the way. They don’t tell anyone what happened, but I like that Dwight figures it out immediately. Duke is less sure that Audrey is still in Mara — Nathan will never give up – but he’s still working with Nathan. And Nathan thinks that them not telling “Audrey” they switched will make Mara realize they know she’s faking being Audrey. But! They have a new plan: it seems that Mara is not immune to Duke’s weird Troubles, and since Nathan-as-Duke needs to let a Trouble out anyway, they plan for it to be a reincarnation one in hopes of releasing Audrey. But Nathan’s attempt to let out a Trouble fails and Mara — pretending to be Audrey, with Audrey’s badge — manages to get the boys locked in the psych hospital. She takes Jeffrey, in an attempt to buy time hoping that Nathan and Duke will both die because Nathan can’t let out a Trouble, but Duke eventually manages to stun her and get her restrained again. Once Nathan and Duke switch back into their own bodies, Duke lets out the reincarnation Trouble — and Audrey (apparently) appears, naked, “reborn” outside of Mara.
Remember those secrets that were supposed to cause the switches? It turns out that the secret Gloria was keeping from Dwight was that his sister’s Trouble had activated, and she had been shot and died. And Dave’s secret from Vince was that he had another “lost hour” thirty years ago — the day the Colorado Kid died. He was pulled into the void and then woke up on the beach next to the dead Colorado Kid, and he’s spent the last thirty years wondering if he killed him. Poor guy. (Vince, of course, won’t even consider this.)
And a few more interesting show mythology bits: Agent Howard tried to buy the house from Allison’s mother ten years ago. And Vince passes out and has a vision of the last days of the Roanoke colony, including running through the woods, someone carving “CROATOAN” on the tree — and green mist, the same they saw in the cave. Intriguing.
Other favorite lines and stray thoughts:
- When Nathan needs to let out the Trouble, he must be extra in pain, since he’s not used to feeling pain at all. Poor thing.
- I love Duke having to tell sex secrets to get someone to believe he and Nathan have switched.
- “I was single!” “You’re always single.”
- “You ever wonder if it’s maybe because Audrey is the only person you can feel?” “No.” I’m glad someone finally vocalized this.
- Aw, Nathan bought Gloria a GPS for Christmas? (If I heard that correctly.)
- “Actually, I’m not in love with Audrey. Remember? I’m Duke.”
- Dave, about his brother: “I wouldn’t want to go on without him.” Aww.
Up next: “Nowhere Man.” Do we really believe Audrey is back?
(Image courtesy of Syfy.)