There is something daunting about reviewing a show like Haven. Inspired by Stephen King’s supernatural noir The Colorado Kid, Haven at first didn’t strike me as a show I wanted to watch. The teasers (shown since at least April to the best of my recollection, probably longer) didn’t offer much beyond “Hey, we got a new paranormal show set in a small town,” and unlike some, I can’t usually be bothered to track down information on a show that hasn’t aired yet if it doesn’t immediately make me say “Now, please.”
However, Eric Balfour (who I had recently seen in 24, though sadly he went away again) was draw enough to make me watch the first episode. I’m glad I did. Haven was a smart, entertaining hour that didn’t veer into the absurd (like Eureka) or irritate me with its snarkiness (like Warehouse 13).
Audrey Parker is a young FBI agent who has a solid track record and a penchant for the paranormal books. Is she Wonder Agent of the year? Nope, but that’s okay, because she’s resourceful, tenacious, and thinks just a little outside of the box. Her boss sends her to Haven, Maine, to track down escaped prisoner Jonas Lester, but cautions her to “Just focus on the job” and try to stay rooted in reality.
And then we see Jonas get tossed off a very high cliff, seemingly by no one at all. Yep, I’m pretty sure Audrey and Haven will be best friends.
After a brief contest of who’s in charge with Nathan (Lucas Bryant), which is rather funny since they both are law enforcement agents and are both certain the other isn’t, we watch the characters learn about what happened to Jonas. Well that he died, at least.
Interestingly, in the “enhanced video” available online at Syfy’s site, the creators of the show (Sam Ernst and Jim Dunn) discuss the fact the “showdown” between Nathan and Audrey is word for word the same as their first draft of the script four years ago. Practically everything else changed, but they seemed proud of the fact that that scene did not. And why should it: it worked well, to be honest. It gave us a good sense of Audrey–her professional attitude, quirky sense of humor, and quick thinking–and of Nathan (how seriously he takes his job, dry humor, and laid-back personality).
The episode is, ostensibly, about who killed Jonas Lester and why. There are a couple of suspects and plenty of motivations, but the episode mostly focused on the small town and weird occurrences there. Strange weather patterns that seem to happen whenever Conrad, the lead suspect, is in trouble, and Nathan’s inability to feel pain (though this is a true condition). Earlier, Audrey’s boss paved the way for the fact that Audrey is open to the supernatural, so it’s not surprising when she thinks along those lines. I was afraid that the show would head into the X-Files territory with Audrey believing and Nathan (her de facto partner) not.
While the answer to Jonas Lester’s murder is explained, plenty of mysteries abound. The strange happenings, for one; for another, at the very end is show a picture in a newspaper from more than two decades ago with a very prominent picture of a dark-haired woman who looks just like Audrey. Who happens to be an orphan. Who never knew her parents. Yep, a little heavy-handed, but the point is clear–the woman is related to Audrey somehow. Character interactions built mystery, as well, such as Nathan and Duke’s animosity/adversarial relationship. Actually, Duke in general is a mystery; smuggler, charmer, saver of Audrey, and worldly fellow (who reads a Chinese newspaper just for fun?).
I recommend to everyone to either watch the enhanced videos on the Syfy site (after watching it on TV, let’s keep those ratings up!) or download the podcast commentaries for the episodes, because the creators give a lot of fascinating behind-the-scenes information. Such as our first meeting with Duke (Eric Balfour) was really meant to be a brawl he was having (shirtless) with a Russian–the two of them screaming in Russian. It was barely a minute long, but as Sam and Jim found, it would take three days to film. So it was nixed for the scene of Duke lounging while reading the Chinese newspaper. Other details, such as the auditioning process for the main cast, their original envisioning of what Audrey would look like, and filming in Nova Scotia, are discussed. As well as little details about tying the show into the book.
Some of the episode was annoying, like the Chief’s condescending attitude toward Audrey’s investigation, and, sadly, Nicole de Boer, who alternated between being a weepy damsel in distress and being an emotional wreck. The case itself was handled awkwardly, with a lot of it being based on circumstantial evidence at first and personal bias on Nathan’s part, which seemed to be more of a hindrance than helpful.
Overall, however, the episode was a good indication of how interesting the show can be. It’s quirky and has a sly humor that invites you to join in. The chemistry of the cast works well to sell the show, and the town itself made me want to move in. I have high hopes for this series…and, I won’t lie, Nathan and Duke are an added bonus for eye candy.
