Just when it seems like things can’t get anymore insane in “Haven”, the tension escalates. It’s sad to think that the rough start to this series led so many to toss it aside, because as it rushes to the second season finale, it continues to hit all the right notes.
As anticipated after the events of the previous episode, the community of Haven is tearing apart at the seams. While the Reverend was more than happy to whip up the “mundanes” into a frenzy, at least he represented a central figure for Nathan and Audrey to focus upon, in terms of keeping the town under relative control. Without his influence, and with the circumstances of his death being so controversial, the town is more divided than ever.
In turn, the Troubled have begun organizing themselves, which seems to be something that happens every time the Troubles return. Whether or not this leads to the restoration of the tattooed protectors of the “cursed” is not yet on the table, but it seems like a reasonable assumption. Not only does that mean more directed use of abilities against perceived “mundane” enemies, but it also points to specific danger for Duke.
There’s finally an answer to the secret of Duke’s father, and it’s a doozy. Not only was Simon Crocker one of the devoted anti-Troubled warriors back in the previous generation, but he was the one tasked with taking out Lucy Ripley. That definitely puts Duke in the potential crosshairs of anyone wearing a tattoo, because it certainly seems that Lucy/Audrey serves a recurring purpose as a leader of sorts for the “cursed”.
This episode also confirms (or appears to confirm) what I have been predicting for a while: that our Audrey is somehow connected to the origination of the Troubles, and that she basically leaps through time from Troubled period to Troubled period, taking on the personality and memories of a real person every time she appears. The process also seems to force her to relearn everything all over again, which while convenient for the storytelling, also sounds like the kind of drawback that would come with this sort of thing.
But it also threatens to put Audrey and Duke on opposing sides, even if they don’t really want it to be that way. And maybe that is why Nathan’s father was working with “Agent Howard” in terms of bringing Audrey into Haven in the first place: setting her up with the right skills and getting her into the right interpersonal relationships to mitigate what they knew would be coming. Certainly, there was some disagreement (as seen with Dave and Vince) over whether or not Duke should be allowed to see his father’s legacy.
It’s very much in the classic Stephen King mold, from what I can tell, but it also has its origins in some traditional folklore and classic legends. It’s turning into the kind of show that I was hoping it would become way back at the beginning, and while it took a little while to get there, this second season has been a very pleasant realization of that potential.
Writing: 2/2
Acting: 2/2
Direction: 2/2
Style: 2/4
Final Rating: 8/10
