Well, here we go. The next episode of Haven is the finale, but the producers tweeted that this episode was almost like the first part of a two-parter, and it certainly felt that way. Let’s get through the Trouble of the week first, since its specifics don’t really have much to do with the plethora of interesting things going on in this episode. A Troubled man named Stu, who is trying to organize a group that seems somewhere between a union and Troubled Anonymous, accidentally kills two friends by dehydrating them when he touches them. By the end of the episode he and his wife decide to leave Haven until the Troubles are over and go somewhere presumably isolated where he can keep from hurting everyone. (But – couldn’t he just wear gloves and stuff? Or does his power go through clothing?)
In between, though, Stu is kidnapped by a guy named Patrick who wants to wipe out the Troubled (and is also threatening the Haven PD). Patrick has both Stu and Stu’s list of Troubled people who were interested in his meeting, and Audrey and Nathan are afraid he’ll use it as a hit list. They finally find Patrick and realize that he has tied Stu up and set the building on fire. Since Audrey is immune to Stu’s Trouble, she manages to rescue him just in time. And we’ll get back to the stuff about Nathan, Audrey, Stu, and the meetings in a moment, but first, let’s take a look at Duke’s plotline . . .
Duke finds the silver box in Evi’s stuff, with a note telling him about the hidden “Crocker” engraving. He goes to the Teagues to see if they know anything; Vince says they don’t have time to get involved, but Dave seems eager to help. Duke (wisely) refuses to leave the box with them, so Vince sends Dwight to steal it, and Dwight and Duke fight briefly and then team up. In their tussle, the box falls and a mysterious key falls out. Dave tells Duke that the box was commissioned by one of his ancestors and that it’s part of a set – presumably the key opens the bigger one. Duke theorizes that his father had hidden the larger box on his old boat, but when he and Dwight break in (of course), the boat’s current older tells them that the elder Crocker owned a boat after that one – the one now owned by Duke. Duke eventually finds the box and opens it to discover weapons and other things inside. Dwight turns on him and tries to steal it (presumably as directed by Vince), and when he hits Duke with the box, Duke cuts him with one of the knives from the box. When Duke gets Dwight’s blood on him, his eyes glow and he suddenly has the power to push Dwight off the boat with extreme, superhuman force. Well! That was unexpected.
This episode had perhaps more conflict than we’ve ever seen before between Nathan and Audrey, but don’t worry – it really just grew out of their love and worry for each other. They’re reacting very differently to the Rev’s death and the growing tension in Haven. Nathan is terrified that Audrey will wind up in jail, so he’s determined to follow the letter of the law and simultaneously trying to hide as much of the Troubled-related activity as possible. Audrey, meanwhile, is growing increasingly desperate to get answers and help people, no matter the cost – partially because she thinks her ability to help the Troubled is her, not Lucy or Audrey. When they first hear about Stu’s meeting of the Troubled, Audrey thinks Nathan should go, but Nathan thinks he should consider shutting it down, for everyone’s safety – and that really says it all. And when Nathan theorizes that Stu might hate himself so much that he’s trying to kill people like himself, Audrey is worried that he came up with that idea so quickly.
Throughout the episode, Audrey is angry that Nathan thinks she needs protection, and worries that he thinks she shouldn’t have killed the Rev, despite his constant protests that he knows she did what she had to do. He finally gets fed up:
Nathan: “It’s not that you don’t care about getting fired. It’s that you want to get fired.”
Audrey: “I’ll be fine.”
Nathan: “I won’t!”
Audrey: “Nathan, you’re a good cop. You’re gonna be okay.”
Nathan: “I won’t be fine. This isn’t just about work, Parker. You’re not just my partner. Not anymore.”
They stare at each other for a while, but just as Nathan starts to say “Audrey . . .” they’re called away to rescue Stu from the burning building. Well, that was some poorly timed arson. But look at Nathan, starting to talk about his feelings and sort of almost making the first move! I’m so proud!
Before they can resume that conversation, they have to deal with Stu and his wife’s decision to go into exile with him even though they can’t touch – which is a weird sort of inverse of Audrey and Nathan’s situation. Nevertheless, they are both obviously touched by Stu’s wife’s talk of commitment, and when she says “For better or for worse, right?” the camera focuses on Audrey and Nathan, who are stealing glances at each other. Aww.
Toward the end of the episode, Audrey reaches a breaking point and asks: “How am I supposed to know right from wrong if I don’t even know who the hell I am anymore?” Nathan’s response is immediate: “I know who you are. I do. Because of you, I… I can… never mind.” Oh, Nathan. To show his faith in her, he gives her an address he’s found for Lucy Ripley – it turns out he’s been doing his own investigation all along, and even hired a P.I. in Portland. That’s quite a gesture.
Nathan: “I hope you get some answers, and I hope you come back and tell me what they are.”
Audrey: “Of course. No matter what she says or what happens, I’m coming back. . . . I promise. . . . You’re not just my partner, either.”
Nathan: “I’ll be here.”
And it looks like she’s leaving with just a hug . . . but then she runs back and kisses him. Go Audrey! I think the show has paced this relationship perfectly, and this was great payoff for the fans. Well done.
And some shows would have left the episode there, but Haven doesn’t. Audrey finds Lucy Ripley, who tells her that Audrey was at her house 27 years before and told her she would come back someday. She was on the run and scared, and had Lucy’s memories, but Lucy didn’t know who she was. She told Lucy that she had discovered how the Troubles started and how they could be stopped, but people were hunting her to “erase” her. Lucy never told anyone – including Duke’s father, who arrived a few months later looking for information.
Meanwhile, back in Haven, Vince is mad that Dave is letting the Troubled meet in their offices:
Vince: “If people knew what you’re really doing…”
Dave: “I’m helping them.”
Vince: “You’re starting a war. I will have no part of that.”
Interesting. The Teagues have always been mysterious, but there’s definitely something going on here. Dwight shows up to ask Vince why he wasn’t told what the box was when he was given his little recovery assignment, and Vince says: “If I’d have told you what it really was, you’d have been scared, or you’d have just killed Duke. Right?” Hm. Ideas on what the box really is, anyone? (I assume he means something other than “Troubled-hunting kit.”) Nathan shows up, but he’s there to join the meeting, not shut it down: “I can’t worry about what the town thinks any more. I’ve gotta do what I think is right.” His last line of the episode is supposedly about the meeting but obviously applies to Audrey as well: “Sometimes risks pay off.” Awww.
The episode ends with Duke and Audrey looking through the box, and Duke complaining that he hasn’t been able to replicate his sudden power. They find an old ledger full of names and dates, and there’s a note from Duke’s father at the back. It starts with “Duke, if you’re reading this, then I haven’t survived,” so presumably Simon did not actually die in an accident. And it ends with “It’s up to you to finish my work. You must kill her.” In case it’s unclear, “her” here is Audrey, so, um, EEK.
So we’re certainly set up interestingly for the finale. I’m worried about Duke’s power and his instructions from his dad, of course, but the preview shows someone saying to Nathan “You two can’t be in love. She’s too important.” So is Nathan actually talking about his feelings? That would be a real shocker.
Photo courtesy of SyFy