The Envoy – As the third episode of Moonhaven begins, a group of young people is taken to a place where they’re going to train because they’re special. Some will not make it past the first week while others will go on to build radical new technologies that IO conceives for humanity’s survival. One of them could be selected as envoy to help usher in the bridge. Indira Mare goes through the training process as a young girl. In the present, Indira Mare (Amara Karan) urges Tomm Schultz (Joe Manganiello) to wake up because she can’t do it without him. Paul Sarno (Dominic Monaghan) tries to wake up Arlo (Kadeem Hardison). When he doesn’t wake up, Paul looks at his book. The pages are empty until he inserts the key and a Sherlock Holmes book is revealed.

Once Arlo gets up, he says darkness comes and they never save the Earth. Paul believes he would’ve woken him too if he has seen her say it. He believes she believes it. Whatever Chill and Strego were into soaked their minds. Paul explains that the message left behind by Chill wanted Asus to know that they had done something. It felt like a warning. Arlo asks why Strego would kill Chill if they were working together. Paul wonders if they thought the bridge was a lie and were doing something to try to stop it. Arlo tries to calm him down while insisting they will find the truth. When Paul steps outside, he is introduced to Blu who is going to be his apprentice. Bella Sway (Emma McDonald) looks at the box and the belongings inside.

She touches a black gem that turns into a hologram. Her mother talks about being closer to someone now closer than she has to any other living soul. She promises that she is with her. When Paul’s daughter comes out, Bella tells her it was a message to her sister. She tells Bella that she has a secret because she found it. They hear someone behind them and immediately stop talking. Bella suspects someone out there has been watching her. She is asked if Earth forests are enchanted. Doda says there is no magic here. They supposedly left it all behind on Earth so they can think clearly. Paul catches up with Bella who learns about his new apprentice. Bella tells him that someone is following her now. She is worried that she could put his family in danger and thinks Chill and Strego were working for Tomm. They might’ve been radicalized.

Paul suggests Strego was just trying to leave them though. Bella thinks it’d be a good idea to tell the Envoy what happened on CAT. Bella visits Indira immediately. She asks if the coincidence is keeping her up at night since she was selected to transport her at the last minute and her sister was killed. Indira admits it has crossed her mind. When Bella is asked why he came to Moonhaven, she says she came for the smuggling and stayed for the people. She isn’t the Earth agent sent to disrupt the bridge. Indira says the work continues despite the fact that there will always be threats. The transport will take the first wave back to Earth. Indira believes the bridge is safe. Bella was trained to lie so Indira should take this as she wants. She says Tomm is half blind and barely alive because he tried to kill her. Although Bella says Tomm is a double agent, Indira believes he loves Moonhaven more than Earth.

Indira says he wouldn’t betray her. Bella argues that he already has and she either knows that or she doesn’t. She wanted Indira to hear it from her because she thought she’d learn something either way. Then, we see Indira at the school as a young girl. She begins talking to another girl about losing her parents and other things. The other girl is from New Brompton outside of London. Her brothers fought in the water wars and some of them came back different. The other one didn’t so it tore her family apart. Indira notices scars on the girl’s arm. Paul’s daughter takes Bella to the ship before she tells her to go home. Bella manages to sneak onto the ship without being spotted. She begins remembering what happened on the ship between Strego and Tomm.

She takes the container that the singer was delivered in to Paul. Bella confesses she can’t do anything with the ship until she gets part. She remembers he said the singer was a big deal since the person on Earth who wanted it had to work with a Mooner. Bella suggests Tomm was recruiting people to resist Earth and one of them was willing to help smuggle drugs. Paul finds it odd that the container doesn’t have any markings as Bella says she watched a pelican dissolve and leave it behind. They go to a place where people are building birds. Paul reveals Arlo has volunteered to help Tomm come out of the singer since it can be tricky. When they find a man making pelicans, Sirl begins running away from them. Blu is told to stay behind while Bella and Paul chase the man into the woods.

Bella discovers an object that works like a mirror. She sees herself until she gets closer and sees a pregnant woman who disappears. Then, she sees a little baby alone on the ground that could be her. Paul catches up with her and calls her name to bring her back to reality. Bella asks what this place is. Paul sees Wish on fire, but he doesn’t say anything about it. As they walk back, Paul explains that this place is called Mirrorwell and it was built by a Dreamer circle. It is supposed to stretch you in places that you don’t want to be stretched, but it can be useful if you’re prepared. They see Sirl sitting in front of one of the mirrors. When they bring him in, Sirl says he didn’t have anything to do with the drug. Bella warns him that his paradise could be under attack, but they can help.

He saw that she wasn’t so strong in the Mirrorwell and he sees the pain behind her eyes. She asks if there is any behind his before headbutting him. Then, she asks which Earther asks him to make this container. Sirl says he never met an Earther until her. She believes the Envoy’s guard is waking up so they’ll know the truth soon enough. Sirl says he has nothing to tell them. Blu moves out of the way and lets him leave. Once he is gone, Bella says Sirl will want to warn whoever else is involved if he thinks Tomm is talking. She suggests they can use IO to track him, but Paul says they don’t use it for surveillance. Blu offers to follow him and see where he goes. Bella doesn’t think they should send a kid, but Paul tells her to go and stay far behind him. Paul tells Bella that people who can be trusted create the singer.

Maite Voss (Ayelet Zurer) talks to a small group she calls mechanics of the Unseen. She thanks Sonda (Yazzmin Newell) who brings in Paul and Bella. Maite says she is sorry for Chill even though they never crossed. When asked about the singer, Maite admits they make it here although it has never been stolen before. Bella confesses to smuggling other stuff, but the singer was different since they wanted to copy it on Earth. Sonda says the singer serves one purpose on Moonhaven and it is part of their midlife celebration. They don’t think a Mooner could steal it because they all believe in Truelune or trust. They trust each other to do what is right for all and the future. Once they leave, Paul tells Bella he is thinking about the handprint they saw on the tree earlier since it was pollen dust from here. Bella believes Maite is having them watched because she is afraid they’ll find something.

Bella argues there are more people like Strego, but Paul doesn’t want to believe it. She asks why Mooners wouldn’t want to keep all this to themselves. Bella finds it hard to believe they’d want to risk their lives to save a planet they’ve never even been to. Paul explains that this isn’t Earth so they’re not looking for a reason to run away or give up. Everything they do is for the Bridge which is their purpose and promise. He doesn’t think she’ll understand that. Bella claims to have seen it and caused it because fear spreads like fire once it starts. If someone wants them to burn, Bella believes they will. Indira and Maite meet so they can use their Thimbles to give the transport shuttle permission to land. Maite refuses to give the shuttle permission to land.

Indira meets with ICON and tells Booker (Hoji Fortuna) that Maite didn’t give permission but gave no explanation as to why. They’re worried that there will be chaos and collapse if Earth knows what has happened. Indira is reminded that they buried the key on the Moon because they could true them more than themselves. They can’t imagine why Maite and the Mooners won’t let the ships land. In the past, the teacher tells everyone that they can call themselves students of IO. They will be given a demonstration of what they’re working to achieve. He shows them how technology built on the moon can purify the water from the poison pools. Indira’s friend wonders if people will really let them take all that tech since the strong take what they want and leave the rest to suffer.

Indira reminds her that is why it was built up there. She says they can’t keep making things better for the few and it all has to change. She argues that Moonhaven works and they’ll teach them. Her friend tells her that she is going to be the Envoy because people are already talking about her. Indira promises to give it her life if it is her. Paul apologizes to Bella for being sharp with her earlier. He gives her parts for her ship from a Maker. While working on the ship, Bella talks to Paul’s daughter, Elna, who says she wants to learn more about her and life on Earth. They work together to get the ship running again. Paul looks up in time to see them going for a ride on the ship and becomes concerned for Elna. When Elna sees Moonhaven, she says people made that so they can do anything. Paul sings before they return to him.

He believes Elna’s life plan is set now. Bella tells Paul that her mother came here as a test after the blackout. Although it was called a lottery, you have to be qualified to go. Bella says he had to know she might leave when he gave her the parts to the ship. He admits he wanted it to be her choice if she helped. Something happens that concerns Paul who calls Elna’s name. They find Blu who has been attacked by Sirl. She tells them that he was going to the cave and he meant to kill her. When they find him dead, Blu thinks she fought back. Paul says violence isn’t their first choice although they will fight back. Moments later, they find the device used to extract the Mark. They find a bunch of Marks and some of them are fresh. Bella warns Paul that Sirl might’ve told the others and they’ll go for Tomm so they have to get to Arlo.

They get others and approach Arlo to tell him that trouble is coming. Indira arrives. She knows it isn’t safe for her because they’ll come for her and Tomm. She argues that IO warned them of this, but Bella could’ve warned them too. If she was Tomm, she’d say she came upon her and Strego conspiring and tried to kill them both. Indira looked into Bella’s past and found a broken girl who married a war. She doesn’t think she cares enough to make or destroy anything. Indira has met the ones who only know how to survive thousands of times. She is going to tell her a story. We jump back in time as Indira and her friend watch one of the adults get blown up through the window. They’re worried the people are there to steal the tech although they’re not sure they can do anything to protect it.

Soon, Indira finds out that her friend Basta is one of them. Basta leaves with one of the killers and won’t say anything about why she did this. Tomm begins waking up while a Mooner is killed outside.

 

Moonhaven Review

By this point, people are going to enjoy Moonhaven or they’re not. It likely isn’t going to change course dramatically enough to change opinions. At times, the show seems like it is going to turn a corner and pick up the pace, but it hasn’t managed to do so yet. The acting isn’t flawless and this was noticeable in this episode with some of the casts in the flashback scenes.

The dialogue is sometimes laughably bad. I understand this for the Mooners since they’re supposed to be a cult of sorts, but even some of Bella’s lines are perplexing. After three episodes, I still can’t force myself to care about any of the characters or Earth’s future.

On the other side, Bella’s relationship with Elna was enjoyable in this episode. Interesting things could begin happening now that Tomm is waking up and so many Mooners have removed their Marks. Moonhaven isn’t terrible, but it likely won’t be memorable unless it really ups its game from here on out. The episode scores a 5 out of 10. Recaps of Moonhaven are available on Reel Mockery here. Want to support our independent entertainment website? Learn how to do so here.