Haven - Episode 5.01 & 5.02 - Review

Everyone’s favourite town in Maine is back, but not as we know it. Audrey is now the psychopathic, eye-stabbing, trouble-creator Mara, Duke is a trouble melting-pot and Nathan is heartbroken and isolated.

In fact isolation is a strong theme at the opening of this new series. What was once a well-oiled, good-natured team is now a scattering of broken individuals. Duke has reverted from his hard-won place as beloved friend and ally back to a lone wolf, doggedly and hopelessly searching for Jennifer (sob). Even Haven’s oldest and most reliable friendship, that of Vince and Dave, has suffered a shocking breakdown of trust which is again mirrored in the breakdown of the previously brotherly relationship between Dwight and Nathan, the prior now having Nathan’s job and the latter refusing to share important information with Dwight.

This widespread separation really highlights the fact that Audrey had become the glue which stuck these diverse characters together and gives us even more reason to hate Mara. And, with a lot of credit going to Emily Rose’s portrayal, you do hate her. In the first episode she takes a little while to settle in, lines like ‘stupid pothead’ feeling a little forced, but this can be put down to experimentation and finding the character and it’s safe to say that, when she does, it’s fantastic; she’s clearly having a lot of fun showing off her evil side, really nailing the ‘maniacal laugh’ inherent to villains and, particularly when she casually murders a Haven redshirt with a pencil to the eye purely because she wants her outfit, you know this is not a woman to mess with. 

You can see that it’s not just Audrey’s absence which is pushing the gang apart but also Mara’s deliberate actions, telling Dwight he’s “always so loyal, always trying to do the right thing, and always the last to know” and sensing and attempting to exploit Nathan’s weakness for her by extending an invitation to join her: “unless you wanna help me find it?”. When Nathan rejects her it’s a cool twist that Audrey’s ability to have him feel her touch extends to Mara’s violence too. When flashbacks of Nathan discussing feeling Audrey's touch for the first time are contrasted with scenes of Mara inflicting pain it really makes you think that this has been a story a long time in the planning and really amps up already-high faith in the Haven writing team.

While the key plot is obviously that of Mara attempting to cause havoc by reclaiming her ‘aether’, Duke’s story is also central. A particularly creepy trouble which, inspired by some very sinister stuffed monkey dolls, sees Haven citizens having their eyes, mouths and ears sewn up turns out to have its source in none other than our favourite reformed criminal. The reveal that Duke is now the bearer of every trouble his family has ever 'ended' is very interesting and will no doubt be a huge ongoing storyline this season but this first example had a particularly upsetting solution. Yes, Duke had to realise that the fan-favourite, goofy girl love of his love was gone. RIP Jennifer, gone far too soon! If you didn’t have at least a little moisture on your cheek as Duke discussed their pooh sticks game and admitted that he had packed her bags for a romantic trip away you may want to check if your heart’s still beating. This moment, arguably the best scene in the two episodes, was made even more emotional by the song choice, Dream Team by Aidan Knight, which eagle-eared viewers will recognise from its use in last season’s closing episode as Duke struggled with the decision to shoot Ben.

All in all, it’s a solid start to Haven’s fifth season with the Duke troubles storyline set to serve up intrigue, emotion and danger along with the question of whether, after being unable to shoot Nathan dead and momentarily surfacing when Mara was knocked out, Audrey may still reachable or indeed whether Mara could be manipulating Nathan. One thing is safe to say, Haven is less of a haven than it’s ever been.

Pet peeve: Why didn’t Mara just swim out to the rock?!

Best lines:

Duke – “you try operating a supernatural door to another dimension using a vampire novel and a positive attitude”

Mara – “yoga, a fetid room full of sweaty bodies; it’s like a camel house at the zoo”