This review contains spoilers.
3.5 Double Jeopardy
There were quiet a few shining moments in this week’s Haven, but overall, my feelings were on the whole thing were unimpressed. This is possibly because this episode seemed to encapsulate in one hour all the things that have been driving me crazy all season. The Trouble is a court reporter's golem (not to be confused with Tolkien's Gollum) of Lady Liberty who is dispensing vigilante justice through a black-and-white filter and a limited perspective.
Audrey was slipping. Her fear of losing the love she has, of finding the love she had, of the fact that everything she is, her thoughts, feelings, memories, relationships, her entire personhood could be erased and she'd never even know it is haunting her. Who can blame her? To have everything you are wiped away Dollhouse-style against your will and know it's coming in a specific number of days must be a nightmare. I love her relationship with Claire in this episode and the way she is trying to get help but it’s just not enough. I don't think anything is going to be enough but real answers and this is Haven, where there are almost never any answers.
Nathan was pushing things with the Guard this week. With The Troubled Bolt Gun Killer still out there, his motivation to join them is still strong. However, this week it became clear that he was no longer doing this just to protect Audrey from TTBGK, that his narrow black-and-white world view is leading him into allegiance with the Guard.
I can't decide which of Nathan's Guard-related actions was worse this episode: lying to Audrey for the first time ever or kissing Jordan. That's not true, it was kissing Jordan - although not because I want him to be with Audrey (although I really do). Kissing Jordan now, after the prisoner break and seeing how badly her touch affects her, feels manipulative and ugly and wrong on a level that Nathan of all people should be able to understand because of his trust issues. It would be one thing if it were just manipulative and another if he just liked her, but with all of Nathan's Audrey-baggage and the fact that he's currently infiltrating the group with less than honest intentions - the kiss really wasn't fair to Jordan. Once he breaks the kiss, Nathan just leaves her there all gobsmacked. His behaviour was manipulative however you slice it. He can be better than this. We've seen it. We spent seasons one and two with him, and I'd like for that Nathan to come back, please.
The best part of this episode belonged to Duke, who was tortured and with good reason. In the pilot he was introduced as a criminal, yet clearly he lived by his own code of ethics. Now he's killed people, murdered them with intent. He's scared that the Lady Justice golem will kill him in retribution but it's clearly more than that. His moral centre has been shaken loose and he's not sure who he is. He knows who he wants to be but he's not sure if he's managing to be the good man that Audrey says he is. It's an emotional journey that is relatable and achingly bittersweet.
Meanwhile, on the long-term story-arc front, Audrey's quest for the Colorado Kid is interrupted by a call with information on another bolt gun murder, this time with a chin taken. So it turns out I was right about TTBGK. He's making a woman’s face out of dead parts, which is so gross but a little awesome. Haven is actually one of the best body-horror shows on TV right now, which is something to enjoy even if the rest of the episode was lacklustre.
Read Rachael's review of the previous episode, Over My Head, here.
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