Other week, another start to a Haven two-parter. While the words “Haven” and “two parts” have been a sign of impending disaster this season, with the introduction of a new female supporting character and something resembling a future direction for the plot in last week’s episode, I was looking forward to Morbidity.

Normally, I would say that we should know better than to set my hopes high for an episode of Haven this season but there’s a real chance that the season may have turned the corner this week.

Shockingly, this week’s episode was not an episode about Audrey and Nathan. After eight episodes of Nathan and Audrey being apart and focusing on nothing but getting each other back, they were still together this week but they also weren’t the focus of this week’s episode.

This week’s A-plot was about a CDC doctor who has come to Haven after seeing the results of Dave’s biopsy from last week. Dr. Charlotte (something-or-other) saw an unknown viral agent in the biopsy taken from Dave’s leg and has come to Haven to investigate it. Fortunately, Dave knows that she’s there and concocts a plan with an old friend and his charm Trouble to get her to deal with him and forget about it quite quickly.

Of course, it’s not as simple as taking care of Dave and job’s done. First, Dr. Charlotte wants to spend some off time in Haven to relax. Secondly, a staph infection is going through Haven which just so happens to be one of Charlotte’s specialties so she’s sticking around.

Most importantly, Dwight finally gets a love interest. In a series where the first three seasons and moments of the next two were about the Audrey-Nathan-Duke love triangle, Edge was always left out in the cold. At least, they’ve never mentioned a wife or girlfriend in a while but they probably did at one point. Now, Dwight and Charlotte are smitten over subtle flirting around down and lobster dinners at the Grey Gull.

Meanwhile, the B-story is the continuation of the Duke and Mara pairing. Mara spent the whole episode in subtle manipulation mode. From exposing herself to Duke after a shower to trying to influence how he interprets what his friends are saying about what he and Mara should do while the CDC is snooping around, Mara is so far into Duke’s head that he doesn’t realize it.

Duke has originally presented as bit of a shady character and they wanted you to believe that he couldn’t be trusted. Now that he’s paired up with Mara, it seems as though he is going to edge back that way. One issue that the writers have had is that they want Duke to be one of the lead three characters but they never have a plan for him. It was sort of obvious that they were going to pair Audrey and Nathan but poor Duke has spent the rest of the time twisting in the wind. Season Four went well because he was the clever member of the team and having Jennifer alongside gave him direction. Now, we’re back at a lost square one.

The two stories meet in the final two acts of the episode.

That staph infection that I mentioned isn’t actually a staph infection. Of course it isn’t. It’s Haven. Turns out that it’s some sort of contagious disease Trouble that’s infecting all of the Troubled people in Haven. So the woman whose Trouble is causing creeping pedo bear looking zombie men in bear suits to appear all over Haven isn’t undergoing the usual emotional duress. She’s actually going through the last phase of this infection which seems to end by activating that person’s Trouble.

Dr. Charlotte figures out that one person’s Trouble killed him… well, sort of. His trouble boiled his IV fluid and a bubble entered his brain which killed him. And then stumbles upon the morgue where Dwight had the infected hidden so Charlotte doesn’t suspect an infection. And just when Charlotte is about to call the CDC in, Duke threatens to kidnap Charlotte so Dwight tazes him (bro) which cliffhangers the episode.

So we really end up with four possibilities for a so-called “big bad” of this season of Haven after this episode. The Guard are still the clubhouse leader after the last two-parter. Mara still is a possibility but that’s seeming less likely than my next suggestion. I think that a team of Mara and Duke is most likely to take over as this season’s big bad. And though I think it’s the least likely antagonist pairing, Dwight’s attachment to Charlotte and her lack of understanding of the Troubles could make them a formidable pair.

The thing that made this among the best episodes of the season is that there’s potential for the series going forward from this episode. There are so many directions that I’ve predicted this show can go and it’s very likely that it’ll go in a completely different one just to keep us all on our toes. I’m actually very excited for next week’s episode just to see what happens.

Other random points of note:

• I love the Jason Priestly cameo so the team can exploit his charm Trouble. If there’s one thing that Haven does well is recycling old guest stars in smart roles.
• So when does Dr. Charlotte die? Does she get to go through to the next season because this season is, legally speaking, 26 episodes or because she’s a bit of an antagonist, in the old Jordan role?

Next week, everyone’s Trouble activates and all hell breaks loose. And it even looks like Duke will unleash the Mara in order to try to preserve Haven’s secrets. And somehow the preservation of Haven’s secrets doesn’t allow for more time with the Brothers Teagues. It’s a shame really.