Haven Review: Skin Deep

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Congratulations, TV Fanatics! You guys called it in the comments section of "Magic Hour Part 1."

Tommy was already dead by the time he joined the Haven police department. I'm so proud to be associated with such a smart group! You complete me. While the supposition of shapeshifter was a little off, we received confirmation in "Burned" that Tommy was indeed dead for at least six weeks, and Audrey and Nathan found his skin floating in a tank, with other skins, making The Bolt Gun Killer (TBGK) a skin walker!

Still, not a lot to go on, and the first thing that came to my mind as Audrey stood next to Nathan in the basement was... oh my God it's Nathan. Then... no, it's Claire! The conversations between Claire and Audrey haven't been as fascinating since Tommy died. Could TBGK be sporting Claire's skin now? After all, as Nathan and Audrey realized, he could be disguised as just about anybody. Come to think of it, it could be a woman. Oh. The mind reels!!

I just hope TBGK doesn't turn out to be The Colorado Kid. 

Audrey's Fate

I was under the impression Audrey was going to use all of her remaining time in Haven to locate her son, but he was mentioned only briefly during the episode. Those pesky Troubled people and The Guard can really suck the time out of a day, can't they? The Trouble of the week did directly relate to ending The Troubles, as Jordan was forced to admit The Guard brought Ginger and her father to town so Ginger could control Nathan, and thereby control Audrey. We'll get to the why in a minute.

Kiara Glasco was the guest star, Ginger, with The Trouble this week, and it was a fun one to have as a little girl. Essentially, anything she told someone to do, they did. It made for some really cute scenes between she and Eric Balfour (Duke) as they played Pirate. If you've never seen Kiara before, she stars in Copper on BBC America and is a phenomenal actress. Even without The Trouble, it would be difficult to say no to that little girl! 

The Guard's plan of a three-tiered layer of control was to force Audrey into the mysterious barn we've seen on the island through the mist. Jordan had some information, but not enough to satisfy. She just knew that the Audrey's last incarnation, Lucy Ripley, didn't want to go and it caused such a fuss that they were laying the groundwork to ensure Audrey would go willingly. When she goes into the barn and disappears for 27 years, so do The Troubles. 

If I had a Trouble like Jordan's, or so many of the others in Haven, I'd be hard pressed not to want her inside that barn when the time came. Lose one person, gain 27 years of carefree living? The ability to touch, or feel, or not want to eat your family or so many other Troubles we've seen in three seasons of Haven. But I'd also have to wonder if each incarnation of Sarah, Lucy and Audrey might not get smarter and become more capable.

In other words, might there come a time when she's able to confront The Troubles, discover the reason for them, and defeat it - without losing herself in the process? Or is Audrey's Trouble that she only surfaces once every 27 years and then is forced back into oblivion? If that's the case, I'd reckon she has the worst Trouble of all. 

We're down to three episodes and we need to learn who TBGK is, which of our main characters is a skin walker and therefore dead, who The Colorado Kid is and whether he is alive or dead, and what happens if Audrey goes into that barn. Why do I have a feeling that Haven Season 3 will end with Audrey going into the barn, but maybe not alone? 

Wouldn't it be interesting if her crew refused to leave her side and decided to head into the barn with her? I wonder how that would change the dynamic of the 27 year pattern. Knowing Audrey, she wouldn't want anyone to go with her, but knowing the others, it would make sense they'd override her decision and go along. At the very least, Nathan. 

I still think we have a lot to learn from the Teagues, and very little time to drag it out of them. The upcoming titles are ominous: "Last Goodbyes," "Reunion," and "Thanks for the Memories." I'm guessing a week of goodbyes, followed by finding her son and then the finale, where she regains memories of all her past lives before she sets off into the barn. I don't know if the next three weeks are going to be too fast or too slow!

What did you think about "Burned?" Who is wearing the skin, and which character might have already passed on leaving his or her skin behind? Head to the comments and work your magic!

Burned Review

Editor Rating: 4.5 / 5.0
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User Rating:

Rating: 4.8 / 5.0 (42 Votes)

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.

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Haven Season 3 Episode 10 Quotes

Claire: Tommy was here a week ago. That's impossible.
Medical Examiner: Are you FROM Haven?

Ginger: Audrey said that she would take met to my dad.
Jordan: She's lying. She knows what you can do and she wants to put you away somewhere, all alone.