TheSyfyOriginal SeriesHaven, created bySam ErnstandJim Dunn, is a wonderful supernatural mystery loosely based on the novelThe Colorado KidbyStephen King. The show starsEmily Rose, who is most known for her work in the video game seriesUncharted. Rose plays Audrey, an FBI agent who comes to the small town ofHaven, Maine, where some of the townspeople are afflicted with cursesreferred to on the show as “Troubles.” A procedural with a supernatural twist, the underrated series was a lot more than meets the eye and deserves to be your next binge.
‘Haven’ Puts a Unique Spin on the Monster-of-the-Week Format
The format ofHavenis similar to earlySmallville, where each week Clark Kent discovers a differentperson who’d gained superpowersdue to contact with the meteor rock in Smallville. What makesHavenspecial ishow unique and inventive the paranormal plots are. In one episode, a troubled person causes all the dogs in the pound to turn into humans. In another, a painting of Lady Justice comes to life to act as a golem for a troubled person and get vengeance on all the people who escaped justice in the courthouse.Havenindulges in plenty ofbeloved sci-fi tropeslike time travel and body swapping, along with the more bizarre and creative plots.
The town of Haven includes quirky supporting characters like Vince Teagues (Richard Donat) and Dave Teagues (John Dunsworth), the always-bickering brothers who run the newspaper. The goofy recurring characters giveHavenaGilmore Girlstype of charm. In addition to providing comic relief, the ensemble helps make the town feel real, giving the audience a reason to care about the supernatural curses plaguing them.
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‘Haven’ Presents an Intriguing Mystery With Audrey and Her Past
In addition to the satisfyingsupernatural mystery stories in each episode,Havenhasan ongoing mystery involving Audrey’s past. She discovers she’s had many past identities and seems never to age, but she always returns to Havento help the Troubled in every new identity. The mysteries around Audrey’s past, her connection to the strange town, and her destiny unfold in an exciting way over the show’s five seasons. How she slowly discovers her past puts Haven among thebest supernatural mystery shows. Audrey’s many past identities allow Emily Rose to flex her acting muscles, playing multiple personas. The mystery also leads to compelling drama as Audrey wonders if she’s the only person who can save Haven for the Troubles and what sacrifices she’s willing to make.
Havenis a romantic, steamy show thatfeaturesa classic love triangle. When Audrey comes to the town, she meets Nathan Wuornos (Lucas Bryant), a police detective who becomes her partner, and Duke Crocker (Eric Balfour), a bad boy who lives on a boat and owns a bar. The way Audrey is torn between a hero and a bad boy feels reminiscent ofThe Vampire Diariesand a dozen other shows. While the love triangle starts off fairly formulaic, it works because of the execution. Emily Rose has great chemistry with both actors, and the show includes strong tantalizing scenes for each part of the love triangle. AsHavengoes on,the romance becomes less clichéand, thanks to the sci-fi premise, goes in wild directions. In particular, the time travel aspect throws bonkers curveballs at the Audrey/Nathan relationship.
Havenhas somewhat archetypal characters and can have flat dialogue, butthe plotting is far better than many supernatural shows. This is true of both the episodic plots and the overarching mystery. Fans of either sci-fi/fantasy procedurals likeSupernaturalor paranormal mysteries likeFromare sure to have a great time. While many supernatural mystery shows start to feel like they’re treading water after the first season,this is a well-paced mystery that hooks the audience earlyand manages to keep up the interest all the way to the conclusion. This is largely because even the episodes that don’t move the larger mystery forward have stunningly entertaining standalone plotlines with the Troubled-person-of-the-week making every episode a strong entry in the series.
Havenis available to stream in the U.S. on Prime Video.
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