Haven Season 5 Episode 7 Review: Nowhere Man
Carissa Pavlica
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Oh Haven. I'm about to give up.
On Haven Season 5 Episode 6 it seemed like they might have finally discovered a way to get back to a good place with this story when Mara sort of gave birth to Audrey Parker.
Apparently their understanding of what to do with both Mara and Audrey stopped there, because on Haven Season 5 Episode 7 the best they could come up with was sending Nathan into some sort of alternate dimension as a ghost, thereby ripping the lovers apart before they fully reunited.
The Trouble itself wasn't bad. It reminded me a bit of the previous episode of Doctor Who, but Nathan and his new friends have a chance to get back to real life. It was just very poorly timed. Audrey and Nathan needed an episode or two to rediscover each other and determine what to do with Mara before this Trouble surfaced.
While Nathan and Audrey did eventually reveal their feelings for each other, their actual romance was incredibly short lived. Audrey disappeared into the Barn/Bar and came out pretending to be Lexie, then she turned into Mara and William happened. They have had relations maybe a handful of times that we're aware of and as soon as they come close to finding their way back, Nathan is "killed" by a Trouble.
Thankfully, sense was made of Audrey's birth and she is no longer immune to the Troubles and she has none of Mara's memories. I wonder if at some point they will want to address the fact that Nathan had a son with one of Mara's personalities and not Audrey's.
It was discouraging that we had no further word of Agent Howard or James/The Colorado Kid this week, but I understand why it was lacking. They had plenty on their plate with the death/disappearance of Nathan.
I was also interested to see how Emily Rose would handle the transition from a multiple personality player to just plain Audrey Parker. With a full blown Audrey before us, it still seems as though she is missing some of her spark. She is more weepy and easily discouraged than the Audrey I fell for.
It could certainly be that Audrey got her strength from Mara. If they're willing to offer up Audrey losing her immunity to the Troubles, perhaps they're willing to have her undergo even more of an overhaul, which includes the loss of her unwavering determination. She wasn't as off as the Audrey inside of Mara who has been poking out, but not hell bent on finding Nathan or defending herself to the Guard, either.
Is this a choice on the part of the actress or the directors? Because we had three years of that driven, determined woman who thought she was Audrey Parker who never backed down or shed a tear, I'm guessing it's the direction. Word to the production team -- we can tell the difference between them without the need to alter the Audrey we all remember.
Last week Duke questioned Nathan's love for Audrey. Was it really love or born out of his ability to feel her? Nathan assured Duke it was love, but when he was in bed with Audrey after revealing that he could no longer feel her and she was needlessly tracing his lips with her fingertip, the look on his face wasn't as confident as I would have liked.
Was this installment what you expected? Are you still happy with the trajectory change after Mara and Audrey separated or were you hoping for a more directed plot going forward? How will they get rid of Mara, and will that involve giving Audrey back a Trouble that is an immunity to the Troubles? Will that help or hurt in the longer run?
It's not as if Audrey was Audrey because of her immunity from the Troubles or she would have seemed more Audrey-like with Nathan before he told her his suspicions. Would a series about regular people helping the Troubled be worth watching? Where do you see things going from here?
If, like me, you miss the old days, you can watch Haven online for a blast from the past. In the meantime, hit the comments and share your reaction to this new, troubling story thrust upon us. Ha! Troubling. Get it?
Carissa Pavlica is the managing editor and a staff writer and critic for TV Fanatic. She's a member of the Critic's Choice Association, enjoys mentoring writers, conversing with cats, and passionately discussing the nuances of television and film with anyone who will listen. Follow her on X and email her here at TV Fanatic.
