Recap: Haven, Episode 2.09, “Lockdown”

We open with Nathan greeting people on the street on his way to work. Aw, everybody likes Nathan. A black-and-white has pulled up in front of the police station. Dwight’s being brought in (with a crossbow!) for B & E at a meat-packing plant, but he’s confident Nathan can clear things up. The arresting officer, Paul Stark, sneeringly informs him that Nathan’s no longer in charge. (Nathan, when he comes along, still gets Stark to uncuff Dwight.) We learn they’ve sent in an out-of-towner named Merrill to act as chief.

Inside, Paul goes to the bathroom. When he takes off his gloves he sees his hands are black. In the mirror he sees his face has started changing color. He wonders what he caught “in that place” before his face turns black and he drops dead.

In Nathan and Audrey’s office, Audrey’s nervously getting ready for a date with Chris. Duke shows up to see Nathan privately and tells him about Evi’s involvement in his demotion. Duke’s brought Evi in, under the pretense that Nathan is helping Duke with parking tickets. They both forget about Evi momentarily when they see blood coming from under the bathroom door.

Chris shows up to see Audrey. She’s planning to go to the boat parade, but Chris was hoping for something more private. Audrey, however, gets called over when Officer Stark’s body is discovered.

After the credits, Chief Merrill wants to know what’s going on. Duke quickly makes himself scarce. Merrill thinks they’re dealing with some kind of chemical attack and tells them to investigate. Nathan tells Audrey that Evi helped get him fired. They aren’t sure if whoever attacked Stark is helping the Rev, or is someone “pro-Troubled.”

They call Dwight but he tells Nathan he didn’t do anything, and says he needs to trust him now more than ever. Dwight hangs up and goes back to hauling trash bags out of his trunk.

Duke brings Evi in. She shows Nathan her hands, which are all black. The Rev cannot be paying her enough. This town is not a safe place to be running a con. Merrill comes in and starts questioning Evi. She says she had no contact with Stark. Merrill puts the station under quarantine and locks it down.

Next we see him on the phone with someone, saying, “I’ll do whatever has to be done,” and, “I’ll await further instruction.” Nathan enters and asks what the state police said. Merrill says they’re doing the right thing. As asked, Nathan provides him with a list of the handful of people in the station. There’s a doctor in the house, a Hugh Underwood, who’s agreed to examine the body and anyone who’s sick.

Merrill tells Nathan that he and the other cops must surrender their weapons and confiscate all the cell phones. He says it’s to keep anyone from “panicking.” Nathan reluctantly hands over his gun and phone.

Chris tells Audrey he can use his power to get them out. Audrey, anticipating Merrill, is more concerned with making sure she has access to a gun. She has hers packed up and booked into Evidence.

In the bathroom, Dr. Underwood determines that they’re not dealing with anything he’s ever seen before. Nathan and Audrey’s faces are all, no shit. Nathan uses Stark’s walkie talkie to contact Dwight, parked outside. He learns that Merrill’s told state police and the CDC to regard any call from Haven as a prank. Nathan asks Dwight to stay by the radio in case he needs backup. He tucks the walkie talkie in the back of his waistband, like that’s a good hiding place.

Audrey reports that Evi’s worse, and the infection has spread to another woman. Nathan passes on what Dwight said. Audrey thinks maybe Merrill’s Troubled. Nathan thinks they can “reason with him,” because Nathan apparently isn’t thinking clearly.

Merrill says anyone who leaves is going to be shot. He flips out at Audrey’s suggestions that he’s Troubled. He starts ranting about Troubled people breaking the law ““ then his face and hands rapidly turn black and he drops dead. Guess it’s not him.

Officers bag Merrill’s body and stash it in the bathroom. Nathan has Merrill’s cell phone but it’s locked. Dwight confirms that there are snipers outside. Nathan sends him to get backup from the sheriff’s department. Audrey has Merrill’s key card (which can override the locks) but Nathan reminds her that they can’t use it, lest they infect the entire town.

Audrey plans to conduct interviews, as she’s probably immune. Nathan insists on being the one to question Evi. She wants to go to the hospital. She pretends to faint, and snags Merrill’s access card when he moves to catch her. Sometimes Nathan is too nice for his own good.

He asks Evi why she’s working with the Rev. She implies that a mysterious “they” (including the Rev) somehow pressured her into helping them. She was told that Duke was “important” and Nathan needed to be out of the way so Duke could learn certain lessons. Duke, who seems to have been listening in, comes in and demands an explanation. Nathan politely leaves. Evi starts crying when Duke leans on her, and says she can’t tell him. He walks out and she immediately pulls out the key card. Looking out the window, she sees two men pull up in a truck, get out and wait.

Audrey interviews some woman named Nikki Coleman, who came to the station to file a building permit. She has nothing useful to say, but destroys a foam cup while she’s being questioned. I’m sure that’s not at all significant. Chris comes in for his interview next, bitching about how ridiculous it is. Naturally. Nathan reports that Evi is missing, and realizes Merrill’s card is missing.

Evi storms outside ““ leaving the card behind ““ demanding answers. Duke goes after her but is too late to keep her from being shot. One of the snipers says, “Hold your fire! Not him!” Duke carries Evi back inside. Audrey goes to get “help” (I don’t know what the doctor can possibly do) but Evi dies on the floor. It sucks. For Duke, I mean.

Duke has the card and tries to go outside, but Nathan blocks him. They fight and Nathan knocks him out with the walkie talkie. Audrey comes in and is all scandalized by their behavior for some reason.

She pokes around in Merrill’s trash can and finds a decimated foam cup. She confronts Nikki Coleman with the knowledge that Stark made a call to her house earlier, and that she was in Merrill’s office. Chris comes to show Audrey his blackened hands. He wants to use his ability to get Nikki to fix him, and gets in her face about it. Audrey is appalled at his behavior. Why is she acting like he just started being an asshole today? He wants to go to the hospital but Audrey’s pretty sure he’ll be shot before his power has a chance to work. They argue and Chris nastily wishes Audrey wasn’t immune to him. Audrey shuts the door in his face.

She tries to question Nikki, who confirms Audrey’s suspicion that she’s being abused. She ran away and changed her name, but her abuser finally found her. Meanwhile, Hugh Underwood (who seems strangely unaffected by Chris) asks Chris for an update, which Chris is all too happy to give. Somebody needs to talk to Chris about the unwritten rules of dating a cop. Lesson one: STOP TELLING PEOPLE SHIT.  Hugh tells Chris if they can get to a hospital, he can save him. If only they had a gun”¦ Hey, Chris knows where they can get a gun! Lesson two: DON’T BE DOLING OUT GUNS TO PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT COPS.

Audrey tells Nikki the years of abuse she endured seeped into her like poison. Now, her fear is making the poison leak out and kill people. Audrey then realizes Nikki’s abuser couldn’t know she was talking to the police (as Nikki fears) unless he was also at the police station. About a second later, Hugh bursts in with a gun and asks to speak with his wife.

He herds everyone (except Duke and Nathan) into one room. Chris’s face is all, holy shit, I’m stupid. Hugh mocks Nikki for not poisoning him. Then he notices Audrey’s not infected.

Meanwhile, Nathan has locked Duke in a cell for his own good. Dwight radios to say backup’s on the way, but the snipers are coming in the back to wipe everyone out. Duke begs to be let out but Nathan ignores him.

Hugh has the gun to Audrey’s head. Chris tries to reason with him while Audrey convinces Nikki to fight back. She tells Hugh to stop, and he turns the gun on her and demands an apology. She calls him a coward and tells him to rot in hell. He turns black and drops dead. Audrey reassures her that she did the right thing and saved them all. Nathan comes to tell Audrey the men outside are coming in. She gives Nathan her gun and goes to find the confiscated stash.

Nathan heads to the back door. Dwight rushes in and pushes him out of the way. Then he takes a chest full of bullets while Nathan just kind of stands there. We hear one of the gunmen say, “Let’s get out of here!” and a car speed away. What kind of bullshit brigade is this? Dwight, on the floor, opens his shirt to reveal he’s unharmed. “Bullets tend to find me,” he says. Nathan sees how Dwight might be good to have around.

Later, Duke looks down at Evi’s body. The Rev shows up to be inappropriate and cryptic. He says he’s sorry and that Evi’s another innocent victim. He says he can help Duke understand what’s going on but Duke has to prove himself worthy. Duke, who really is hooked at this point, actually thanks him. “I’ll pray for her,” the Rev says. Ugh.

Audrey asks Dwight to make Evi’s death look like a suicide or accident. Nathan thinks it’s out of the question, but Dwight’s all, “No problem.” Nathan has learned that Merrill was in contact with the Rev during the lockdown. Audrey stares the Rev down as he walks out of the station. Seriously, what is he even doing there?

Audrey goes to meet with Chris. He realizes he screwed up hugely and claims he didn’t mean what he said to Audrey. He says he needs her; she says “want” and “need” are two different things. Clearly, it’s not going to work. He says maybe he’ll come back after the Troubles are over, and maybe she can love him then. He walks away. Audrey does not watch him go.