The fourth season of Haven was a game-changer for the series.  While it was a boon for the writers to finally start giving some major answers to the mysteries of Haven and the series’ mythology, it also meant that the comforts of the series’ format were largely stripped away.  The fourth season finale effectively underscored the point, and this season premiere continues in the same fashion.  This is no longer the Haven we knew.

 

The question is whether or not the changes are to the betterment of the series or not.  It may be a bit too early to say, since the premiere has to pave new ground and affirm the new status quo.  But on its own merits, there is a sense that the writers are struggling a bit to find steady ground.  All the familiar elements are there, but they have been tossed in a blender.

 

Much of the reaction is going to come down to acceptance that the apparent lead character is no longer in place.  Audrey Parker may exist in some form within the memories of Mara, but how precisely is Audrey supposed to re-establish control from Mara?  Ideally, it might come down to answering the question of how the memories of the actual Audrey Parker wound up in Mara’s body in the first place.  It doesn’t have to be the key to the solution, but it would be nice to finally get an answer about that.

 

A big part of the mystery pertained to Jennifer and her nature, so the decision by the actress not to return to the series (according to Balfour, at any rate) is surely going to complicate the matter.  Duke’s search for Jennifer could be the mechanism for this, since in doing so, he could find a new source of similar answers.  That said, it’s still a complication.

 

From a plot perspective, Mara’s desire to re-open a door into the other world from which she and William originally emerged was addressed.  There are multiple doors (an interesting retcon, but a retcon nonetheless), but none of them are currently available.  Was this simply to demonstrate that Mara’s quest is not going to be as easy as she would like, thus trapping her in Haven long enough for her status to be addressed?  Or will it factor into the larger question of Jennifer’s revised fate?  Time will tell.

 

The biggest problem with the season premiere is that it doesn’t quite provide a sense of clear direction.  The story is moving forward, but to what end?  Having Mara in the mix does allow for the possibility that the origins of the Troubles might finally be revealed, yet there’s little reason to think that sort of answer will be coming anytime soon.  When it comes to the fifth season of Haven, there are still basic questions to be answered.