Haven — “Morbidity” Recap. An Outbreak and Dancing Bears, Oh My!

Season 5, Episode 9

Air Date: Friday, November 7, 2014 at 7/6c on Syfy

Rating: ★★★★★

[warning] SPOILERS AHEAD [/warning]

“A scientist looking around Haven — that’s our worst nightmare.” – Dwight

“Morbidity” begins with a haunting dream sequence. Someone is running through the woods, bodies are lying lifeless on the ground, “Croatoan” is carved into a tree, and a “thinnie” is wide open. When Dave (John Dunsworth) wakes up in a panic, infected leg throbbing, he calls an old friend for help. Meanwhile, Dwight (Adam Copeland) tries his best to stall the CDC’s Dr. Charlotte Cross (guest star Laura Mennell) from discovering the “troubles.”

“Morbidity” is a very intriguing episode with something very disturbing lying beneath the surface of the “dancing bear” trouble and illness plaguing Haven. One of Haven’s residents, Eve (Tammy Isbell), has a unique trouble. She sees her father’s old bear costume dancing, and when the bear removes its head, she doesn’t always see the same thing. Sometimes, the invisible man is inside the suit and sometimes, Eve’s father shows up with his head nearly blown off. It’s a little jarring.

Has Audrey really lost her mojo?

Audrey (Emily Rose) used to be able to talk people down and get their trouble to retract but since she and Mara (Emily Rose) split, Audrey seems to have lost her ability to help the troubled people. Did she really lose her “mojo?” Is it just me or is Audrey different? She’s much too…cordial. I’m not saying I like Mara more than Audrey but I like the little bit of Mara that lives within Audrey. The old Audrey never shied away from a creepy trouble, even if the guy’s brains were exposed. The way Audrey cringes, almost as if she were afraid, bothers me. Something about this Audrey/Mara split isn’t right. Duke (Eric Balfour) says it was an accident when he split Audrey and Mara but I believe there is some truth to what Mara says – deep down, Duke wants the Mara part of Audrey to stick around. Whether it’s because Duke thinks Mara can cure him of his trouble, or if he really wants revenge for Jennifer’s (Emma Lahana) death, or (dare I say it) if he’s attracted to Mara, it is his trouble that splits Audrey from Mara so maybe, he still has feelings for Audrey (the Audrey with a dash of Mara).

Forcibly removing dancing bears has to be a new one for Nathan

Nathan (Lucas Bryant), wearing his new “duty socks,” rounds up all the sick people so Gloria (Jayne Eastwood) and Pete (Matt Baram) can treat them. I didn’t know Haven has its own resident epidemiologist. Pete reminds me of Muppets Dr. Bunsen and Beaker combined. He’s a bit bumbling and frazzled by Cross’ inquiry about the previous illnesses running rampant in Haven but he’s loyal to the cause. The curious thing about all the sick people in Haven is they’re all troubled. As more and more troubled people become sick, their troubles begin activating, causing Dwight, Gloria, Pete, Duke, and Nathan to go into panic mode trying to keep Dr. Cross far away from discovering the truth.

One of the weird and alarming developments in “Morbidity” is Dr. Cross’ discovery of a common genetic marker in the first four sick patients. She doesn’t know it but she may have uncovered a genetic link to the troubles. Could there be a scientific cure for them?

Dwight’s budding romance with Charlotte Cross is gonna have to wait…Haven is about to get quarantined.

Another strange development is what Dr. Cross says about the biopsy of Dave’s infected leg. “A biopsy from his leg crossed my microscope. What I saw was virulent and new to science. It warrants follow up.” What kind of crazy infection is Dave carrying around? Could his “virulent” leg be linked to the “blistered lip” illness affecting the troubled people in town? If you recall, in the dream sequence at the beginning of “Morbidity,” everyone on the ground looks dead. Could they have died of the same disease ravaging Haven now?

Interesting Moments

Mara is showering and walks out soaking wet in front of Duke, who seems completely uninterested in her nudity. Either Duke is still mourning Jennifer or he’s become a monk. I’m voting for the former.

Dwight and Duke square off on what to do about Dr. Cross. I didn’t expect Dwight to actually use his taser on Duke. Now, everything Mara said would happen is happening. She warned Duke his friends would turn against him, and people would behave differently with the threat of exposure looming. This doesn’t bode well at all. I still don’t trust Mara but she has been around too long and has too much experience dealing with the troubled people of Haven. She is, after all, the creator of the troubles.

Chris (guest star Jason Priestly) makes a rare appearance via video chat and his “charm” trouble is still active, wooing even Dr. Cross through the monitor. The whole “jellyfish” explanation for the infection on Dave’s leg is a bit out there but it is Haven, right? I wonder how Nathan would feel knowing Chris is being sought out for assistance. Remember, Chris is Audrey’s ex-boyfriend and now that Audrey isn’t immune to the troubles anymore, I wonder whether she’ll swoon over Chris should they see each other again.

Overall

“Morbidity” pushes us deeper into a perplexing mystery. What do Dave’s odd dreams and memories have to do with the present situation in Haven? Will history repeat itself? Will Haven become a new lost colony like Roanoke? Mara and Duke seem to be inching closer but I’m not sure what toward. Duke is smart and savvy. He knows Mara can’t be trusted; however, Mara is showing signs of wanting to be something other than the evil bitch she once was. The writers have really spun a complex web of mystery this season and I am definitely enjoying unraveling the clues.

What did you think of “Morbidity?” What are your thoughts on the CDC coming to Haven? Let me know. Leave me a comment below or tweet me @judybopp. I’d love to hear from you!

Tune into Haven, Fridays at 7/6c on Syfy.

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

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

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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.