Trouble Maker. Retrospective: Haven — “When the Bough Breaks”

Season 4, Episode 12, Season Four Finale — Part 1

Air Date: Friday, December 6, 2013, 10/9c on Syfy.

Rating: ★★★★★

“You are Audrey Parker. You don’t give people troubles, you save them.” – Nathan

Who is Audrey Parker (Emily Rose)? This question has been asked before but there hasn’t been many clues…until now. Even though “When the Bough Breaks” doesn’t tell us exactly who Audrey Parker is, we get a glimpse of the person she was when she was with William (Colin Ferguson).

Cry Baby

Audrey faces something that could change her forever.

People are dropping like flies after hearing a strange noise. Turns out, our friendly neighborhood baddie William, activated a family curse in a four month old baby. How sadistic can he get? Ferguson is an absolute breath of fresh air on Haven. His turn as the bad guy surpasses what I ever imagined of William. The way Ferguson delivers his lines—injecting them with a quiet ferocity that causes your spine to quiver—makes you not want to blink for fear of missing one minute while he’s on screen. William is a man trying to get the love of his life to remember who she is. Meanwhile, Nathan (Lucas Bryant), who also loves Audrey, is fighting to keep her as the woman he knows now.

William regales stories of how he and Audrey had so much fun creating “the troubles,” and as much as Audrey doesn’t want to believe him, Duke (Eric Balfour) hits the nail on the head when he calls her out: “You know I’m fine if you want to lie to that scumbag, but you’re not gonna lie to me…you felt her; you felt your original self and you liked it.”

Can Audrey reignite Duke’s family curse?

All roads seem to lead to Audrey creating a curse countering Ben Harker’s (Christian Campbell) family trouble. If a Harker cries, people die. But what if Audrey can reignite Duke’s family curse? Remember, if a Crocker kills a troubled person, their curse ends completely. But after one failed attempt, and a taste of the tempting evil she once knew, Audrey may not be able to control what happens to her or maintain this Audrey Parker persona.

Rose does a first-rate job of conveying her conflict with how Audrey will proceed. Re-curse her friend or kill an innocent child? Sheesh, what a choice to make. Side note: I think Nathan’s blind faith in the love he shares with Audrey will be to his detriment. He’s not even willing to accept the possibility she is anyone else other than Audrey Parker.

The Heart of Haven

What is Vince’s connection with Jennifer and the book?

Jennifer’s (Emma Lahana) new book, “Unstake My Heart,” is like an “other worldly instruction manual,” but no one knows how it works. We learn that the book is not only linked Jennifer but to Vince (Richard Donat) as well, the leader of the Guard. I’m intrigued by the introduction of this book and its link to Haven and the troubles. Why is Jennifer the only one who can see the glowing symbols and writing? What is Vince’s connection in all this?

I wish I could say I wasn’t surprised to learn a secret about Dave (John Dunsworth), but I can’t. There is so much behind these two brothers—biological or not—and this little bit of information, as Duke says, “explains a lot.” Yet not enough.

Interesting lines:

Vince explaining his tattoo to an audience of Duke, Jennifer and his brother Dave:

Vince: “First bornes in my family always have this mark going all the way back to the founding of Haven and more. You call it a tattoo but really it’s a birthmark and a birth right. It designates me to be protector of troubled people.”

Duke: “But your symbol blinks in rhythm with this book like you’re supposed to show us the ‘Heart of Haven’ and you have no idea?”

Vince: “No…unless; what if I’m the Heart of Haven?”

Dave: “Oh please! Does your egotism know no bounds.”

***

Nathan and William have it out about knowing Audrey and understanding the troubles.

Nathan: “You’re out of your mind.”

William: “And you’re out of your league. You have no idea about the larger picture. It…it’s like trying to explain physics to a goldfish.”

Overall

There’s a reason a lighthouse is used in the Haven logo. When Dave, Vince, and Jennifer head to the lighthouse, what they discover underneath the trap door, which coincidentally only Jennifer can see, will astound you. “To summon the door we need four people for each spot.” Jennifer reads something from the book but as the camera pans down to the large symbol on the floor, I’m thinking there are two male figures and two female figures…Nathan, Duke, Audrey, and Jennifer are the four…right?

“When the Bough Breaks” is a good episode but is it a good part one of the overall season finale? I expected so much more but didn’t get. We do get a lot of interesting and perplexing tidbits that make me scratch my head but it doesn’t make it a great part of a two part season finale. I’m hoping that part two, “The Lighthouse,” will really pull this two part finale together for something spectacular.

Tune in Friday, December 13, 2013 at 10/9c for the Haven season four finale.

For more on Haven, go to http://www.syfy.com/haven.

Follow the show on Twitter @Syfy using hashtag #DiscoverHaven , as well as cast members @EmilyroseLA, @EricBalfour, @davehaven, and @vincehaven and @TheLucasBryant. For Eric Balfour fans – follow @EricBalfourfans.

LIKE Haven on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/haven.

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Judy Manning

Dream chaser extraordinaire! Judy tends to be a tad sarcastic and kind of goofy! She is an avid admirer of all things supernatural, paranormal, celestial and mystical. She loves to read, write, and watches way too much TV. She enjoys many genres of film and music (and let's be honest, most music from the 80s). She also has a wicked sweet tooth. Cupcakes beware.