Nathan: “Let’s do this the smart way.”
What do you make of a group of creepy little boys drowning one of their friends? I was horrified. Then add an adult who nonchalantly walks over to see the boy drown as he calls the others for supper and you have real horror. Are they creating a ghost? Is the poor kid a sacrifice for some monster? And all this is happening in the cultish compound of the Glendowers. What great misdirection! I really enjoyed this episode. They got back to what Haven does best, Audrey and Nathan with a smattering of Duke.
Weekly Weirdness
I also liked the weekly trouble. A family whose males turn into mermen is a great concept and it makes sense that the process would happen gradually. It also makes sense that you would want to make sure that you all lived together in one place since you need a group for the transition, not to mention that turning into a fish isn’t something that most people would understand. I was just disappointed that the women weren’t included. It would be kind of cool to breathe underwater (and also have super jumping power).
Overarching Mystery
It became pretty clear that the Reverend Driscoll knows a lot more than he is sharing, and also that his crusade against “the cursed” is long-lived and powered by a zealot’s belief as well as some personal grudges. He was willing to let children die for his cause. I am liking him less and less. It was easy to understand why Penny might want to fake her own death to avoid him. The Reverend has his own army and he is recruiting Duke with the help of Evi. I was surprised by that as well. She may really care about Duke in some twisted way, or she is playing both Duke and the Reverend for someone else. The mystery of the tattoos was solved. They are a mark of those who stood up to, or will fight, the Reverend. Apparently they killed Duke’s father and may kill Duke in the future. Are they the good guys or the bad guys?
Lucy was also at the Glendower compound with the Chief. Were they an item? Penny says that she came for a few months and disappeared as quickly as she came a few days after the murder of the Colorado Kid. It was the only time they saw her cry. Did she fail the Colorado Kid or was his death necessary to make the troubles go away? Audrey/Lucy is obviously linked to the troubles.
Relationships
This episode seemed to take a break from relationship development. It was lovely to have Audrey and Nathan together again for the episode. They work well together. Nathan is taking on the role of the chief. I loved when he stood up to the Reverend - both times. Duke and Evi are an interesting couple. I can’t quite figure them out and I don’t think they can figure themselves out either. I wonder if Duke knows about Evi and the Reverend. He just might. Will he stay part of the Scooby gang or revert to his bad boy ways and join the forces of bigotry and religious zeal to save his own life?
Bits and Pieces
If I was on a midnight raid of a cult’s compound I think I would be a little more careful with the flashlights. Just saying.
It seemed odd that there was so little reaction to Cole murdering Leith. He was either his son or his nephew. You would think his family might be a bit more upset.
The black capes looked cool but I’m not sure how useful they would be going into the water.
Quotes
Nathan: "The Reverend and his men are this close to going all Mad Max on them.”
Audrey: “C’mon, I bet you look good in black.”
Evi: “Like religious cryptic.”
Duke: “Jackass cryptic.”
Audrey: “Boys, not now!”
Reverend Driscoll: “I want to see you both at Sunday Services. I want the town to see that we stand together.”
Nathan: “Not a chance.”
Penny Driscoll: “No amount of prayer or hurting people will take the troubles away.”
Reverend Driscoll: “You only say that because you don’t believe.”
Reverend Driscoll: “A good shepherd always finds a way to save his flock.”
Audrey: “Looks like we’ve been following in their footsteps without even knowing it.”
