Archives

Haven, Season 5, Episode 13, Chosen (Season Finale)

Dec16

Spoilers Ahoy!

In between my early mornings, late evenings and interesting/amusing experiences working with people upon people upon people during the holiday season, I did get a chance to watch the S5 finale for Syfy’s Haven.

Duke is now a Trouble giver rather than taker, but he has no choice in who he gives the Troubles to.  These spells come out of him as black tears that settle on the human/s nearest to him at the time.  And Mara is right: These Troubles are much worse, in one case causing near instantaneous death and destruction.

Vince and Dave are on a hunt to discover whatever or whoever Dave is remembering from his time in the lighthouse in S4.  Also, the infection on his leg is getting worse, and it appears that his attacker may still be in Haven.

Charlotte Cross appears to be a kind mother, loving enough to have tried to discipline her daughter (albeit perhaps a bit too harshly).  She and Mara come from another world like Earth, but more advanced and “developed independently” – whatever that means.  She is also a thousand some years old, while her daughter Mara is 600 years old.

Dwight is understandably upset that Charlotte was not completely honest with him.  He did not realize he was under the power of a major cougar. 😉

Audrey/Mara – Finally, finally, push came to shove and the writers decided to get rid of Mara.  The sad thing is, they gave her such a reason to hang around before they did it: Redemption.  Charlotte sees all of the maliciousness and anger  in Mara and realizes that through Charlotte’s punishment, Mara has become worse, not better, and in fact seems to have no goodness or love in her at all.  But that’s not necessarily the case.  When confronted by her mother, Mara recalls her father and when she would like to do to get him back (hopefully Papa Thinny’s story will be detailed in S6), and the emotion in her voice and eyes show a hurt that runs very deep.  Mara’s hurting doesn’t excuse her actions, but it’s a sign in my mind that she’s not merely an uncaring devil who wants to take the world to hell with her.  She had something good (possibly the unconditional love of her father, and maybe mother) and desperately wants it back.  That’s what I saw, anyway, and a motivation like that seems like a good way to start a cool redemption story.

Charlotte says that Audrey is essential all of the rightness and goodness that used to be in Mara.  She hopes by using her Thinny powers to combine the two beings that it will make Mara whole again.  Well, as I said before, Char decides against that and instead kills her daughter, choosing to leave Audrey behind in her place.  Audrey’s great and all, but she’s already sweet, smart, good, etc., no redemption needed (though likely if S6 resolves around Papa Thinny, she’ll have some daddy issues to deal with).  So I’m a little miffed that Mara’s just gone (if indeed she is) because it appeared as if the character had room to grow and Emily Rose is so good at playing her.

Nathan is Nathan.  He doesn’t really have anything interesting going on with him aside from being there for Audrey (and sometimes Duke) and helping with the Troubles.

The Troubles – S5 ended with a bang!  With Mara’s death, her Duke curse was ultimately released on Haven in the form of massive quantities of those Trouble tears erupting from the lanky antihero’s mouth like flies from the mouth of a possessed person.  The last couple of minutes evoke good horror genre imagery, and no doubt that angle is a nod to one of Stephen King’s tomes (if you know which one, let me know.).  So an apocalypse is upon Haven with its citizens Troubled ten times over and unable to leave the town.  Hopefully the solution will involve a cool trek to Charlotte’s world.  And the Colorado Kid.  Whatever happened to him?  Sounds like I’ll have to rematch the whole series before the next season airs.  🙂

Haven, Season 5, Episodes 10-12

Dec2

10. Mortality. 11. Reflections. 12. Chemistry.

Spoilers.

Haven, Season 5 is chugging along.  So many developments.

Audrey: S5, she still isn’t quite the same, yet her relationship with Nathan is sweet and the big reveal about how she and Mara are exactly connected is looming on the horizon (along with Mara’ origins).  Audrey is now sick and dying.  Her cells are slowly breaking down.  Is this happening because of the Trouble Duke used to separate her (or create a separate being of Audrey), or something to do with Mara and how she and Mara are related?

Mara: Manipulative, she is, and sadly her manipulation of Duke is working.  For reasons yet to be revealed, Mara is turning him to the dark side, black, bleeding eyes and all.  Duke’s power of taking away Troubles is the antonym to Mara’s ability to create them.  This begs the question: Are Duke and his family merely Troubled, or is there more to the story?  If Mara created (and I think she may have said that in a past episode) the Crocker family Trouble, why this particular one?

Duke: Who knew he was quite such a lonely soul? So lonely that he ends up sleeping with Mara (presumably because she looks like Audrey) and detesting himself for it.  He’s in a place where he can’t trust Nathan and Dwight, and is likely still mourning the loss of Jennifer.  Is his wishing that Mara were Audrey an indication that he still holds a candle for Audrey?  Audrey still cares about him, too, and instinctively knows he’s hurting, and even encourages Nathan to get him to open up.

Nathan: There’s not a whole lot going on with Nathan, but I like that he’s he’s calmer and actually quite charming now that he has Audrey back.  His belief in both their love and her realness is still rock solid and will likely be what saves her in the end.

Dwight and Charlotte: He has a sweet, little love story that might possibly be ruined now that Dr. Charlotte Cross has revealed herself to be Audrey/Mara’s mother — say what?  Yup, her mom.  Her scrapbook following the progress of Mara/Audrey over the years raises other questions: Has Charlotte also been banished from the Thinny world? Does she, too, get recreated every x number of years? Has she been searching for Mara or only come to Haven to complete a specific mission?  What’s with the genetic markers for the Troubled? Do they actually exist, or has Charlotte been hoaxing everyone?  And, for Dwight, does Charlotte actually like him, or is she just manipulating him like what Mara is doing to Duke?

Vince, Dave, and Gloria:  Vince is really the only one doing the investigating lately, as most everyone else is busy with amorous pursuits.  He and Gloria both may be the saviors in all of this, as they don’t trust anyone, especially those new to town.  Plus, they are older and have seen a lot more of the Troubles.  I’m interested to see how they react to the news about Dr. Cross.  Dave has been MIA the last couple eps, and I miss him.

All in all, the show is picking up, working on its world- and myth-building á la Lost (not a bad thing at all, in my book), and giving the characters more emotional meat to work with.  I liked the last Trouble where people were turned into how they saw themselves.  Very revealing.  How can a jaded creature like Mara create Troubles with so much depth?  This understanding of how humanity works indicates an interest in them beyond being “less than insects” as she insists.  Maybe her mother will be able to shed more light on who Mara actually is.  The Troubles are based on emotions, and usually one has the most powerful emotions about family.  Plus this Thinny family has cool matching rings.  Rings of power, perhaps?  We will see.  Season 5 is, I think, the first half and set up to hopefully an awesome Season 6.  Still, I’m excited for the S5 finale.

Thanksgiving Thoughts

Nov24

Happy almost Thanksgiving!  The day on which we hopefully realize how much we do actually have in our lives and to whom we owe them.  For me, it’s God, always and forever, and I’m amazed he gets me out of the messes I make — and I make a lot.

Syfy’s Haven: So, so good!  Give it a try on Netflix if you haven’t checked it out yet.  I will be back next week with more thoughts on Season 5.

Book recommend: Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel is a wonderful read full of thoughtful moments and a new angle on the pandemic-ending-civilization storyline.  I’m enjoying it so much, I don’t want to finish it because then it would be over.

The Five Fingers: Ok, I said I was going to review this K-drama, but getting to episode five ending up being torture — too much soap opera and not enough interesting and/or funny drama.  Plus, I couldn’t take anymore kid crying.  It started to make my ears ring.  I love that it’s about piano prodigy brothers, and maybe I’ll give it a shot again sometime, but this just wasn’t for me.

CW’s Reign: Wow. Love it. Addicting guilty pleasure starring Adelaide Kane and the awesome Megan Follows (Anne of Green Gables).  It loosely (and I stress loosely) follows the story of Mary Queen of Scots.  The costumes are Renaissance Fair cool and the music is contemporary.  The content is rather adult, especially for younger viewers, but it’s a compelling story of a girl learning how to rule as a queen, with all of the responsibilities and heartbreaking choices it entails.

Until next week,

Pixie

Haven, Season 5, Episode 9, Morbidity

Nov11

(As usual, spoilers)

Dwight! Ok, ok, I did miss you!  This was a great episode for Dwight, a little flirtation with the CDC lady, and also one of the best lines, ever: Got a new crossbow! The line was said to recurring character Chris Brody (Jason Priestly), who has the one of the most comedic Troubles: everyone who looks at him thinks he’s awesome.  Both his reactions to this charm and the reactions of people charmed by him are hilarious.  Brody’s world-weary abruptness has comedic timing and the shameless flirtation of both men and women smitten by him reveal cute, willing to please desires. Fortunately, Brody is not evil enough to take advantage of everyone around him, or he would be Haven’s and the world’s biggest threat.

Nathan and Audrey: Silly socks and adorableness abound.  I like them together, but like them most when they are solving Troubles together.  And they deal with two really weird Troubles: One involving a dancing bear costume with a dead man inside, a bear costume that multiplies, the second, a Trouble affecting the Troubled, giving them a sickness and bubbly lips, and activating their Trouble powers.

Gloria and her sharp wit and dry humor are also back in this episode.  Laura Mennell (Alphas – a great show that unfortunately got cancelled) does well as CDC doctor Charlotte Cross, and I look forward to her continued presence and interactions with Dwight on the show.

Duke and Mara: Steamy flirting in a scene reminiscent of Audrey’s first meeting with Duke. Mara’s manipulation of Duke’s loyalty to his friends seems to be working, but he’s a poker player, so he might just be pretending to get her to trust him.  Mara needs to get off the boat soon, because her prisoner status is starting to get a bit tedious.  Her idea of Audrey’s identity is interesting, that she is nothing more than a husk.  Mara seems to consider herself Audrey’s maker, as well.

Overall Arc: The Troubled have genetic markers? !!! X-Men ahoy! Joking aside, the markers will likely be the way they figure out how the Troubles were made and/or the origins of the Thinny world.  Maybe the markers all contain Mara’s DNA.

The cliffhanger ending shows the alignment of Duke and Mara, and the sad realization that Duke is still not quite one of the Scooby gang.  He is on the outside now, not because of his wrong-side-of-the-law past, but because he’s a Pandora’s Box of Troubles waiting to spill over into the streets of Haven.  Plus, Sasquatch taser’s him! Dwight claims he’s for doing what’s best for the town, while Duke and Nathan are focused on themselves.  Time will tell if that’s true or not.  Dwight’s attraction to Charlotte might cloudy his thinking, and what if she isn’t who she says she is? Maybe she has an ulterior motive to be in Haven?

Haven, Season 5, Episode 8: Exposure

Nov4

(Spoilers)

“Exposure” was more or less a typical Haven episode.  The fixing of the “ghost” trouble wasn’t super surprising, as it was obvious that the photographer was responsible.  Her not-actually-dead-fiancee-now-turned-murderer was a bit creepy, and a testament to the real reason people fear change.  Traumatic changes often either bring out the very best or the very worst in a person, and for many of us, well, we’d rather not know how what kind of a person we’d become (or actually are).

Vince and Dave Teagues were the best part of the episode.  It was great to see them try to talk their way out of a tricky situation, and even funnier to think of them performing similar shenanigans throughout the years to prevent the greater world from hearing about the Troubles of Haven.  I’m guessing Dave’s leg infection will feature prominently in the near future.

Mara/Audrey: Is it awful that I now find Audrey boring?  Time will tell if Audrey is actually, well, Audrey, and not just a shadow of her, but short-term Mara is far more intriguing simply because of all she knows.  Speaking of things she knows: Woohoo! A partial explanation for how she and Audrey became separated! Again, it’s not terribly specific, but Mara knows that Duke chose to separate the two entities instead of having Audrey take over Mara’s body.  What’s Duke’s motivation here?  Likely, it has something to do with wanting to rid himself and his family of the Troubles.  Hopefully, it’s not amorous, though he may try to manipulate Mara in that capacity (or vice versa).  He also is still dealing with the fact of Jennifer’s death, and this may be affecting his judgement.  In addition, we learned through Mara that Duke’s mother may be important to the overall Trouble arc and more backstory about Duke.

As things stand, Duke and the Teague brothers may be the ones to power through and figure out what everything means.  Nathan and Audrey, while helping, are so focused on each other that it risks making the characters irrelevant to the larger arc.  I’m sure, though, that the writers will get them back on track if not in Episode 9, then 10.  Audrey in particular won’t rest until she finds out who or what she actually is, and who or what Mara is.

Dwight was not present this episode, and I’m sorry to say I didn’t even miss him.  As much as I like his character, his relevancy (like the Guard’s) is floundering.  Gloria was not in this episode either, but her character is even more minor than Dwight’s, so it doesn’t bother me as much if I don’t miss her.  Who I do miss (sorry to harp on this) is Audrey being Audrey again, and I do so hope that the next few episodes will fix that, as I don’t want her identity to simply now be as a couple with Nathan.  As much as I like a good love story, Haven is not first and foremost a love story.  It’s a science fiction mystery, and Audrey’s journey to understand her identity is the biggest part of that.

Haven, S5, The Old Switcheroo Pt. 2 and Nowhere Man

Oct27

(Spoilers)

The Old Switcheroo Pt. 2

She’s back! Amusing episode ending with a great scene of Audrey being exorcised from Mara (or vice versa).  So, I was wrong in that they weren’t two people, they are, proving Nathan’s faith in true love.  Kudos also to Duke (in Nathan’s body) for thinking up the idea of using a Trouble to force Audrey out of Mara.

Great acting in this episode, and I think now that the Scooby Gang is trying to figure out both weekly troubles and unpuzzle the greater arc over the trouble origins, Haven feels like, well, Haven, again.  The best parts of this ep were Mara now obviously pretending to be Audrey to manipulate Duke and Nathan in their switched bodies, and the end scene with the three of them.  Pretty compelling.  Also, the South Carolina Thinny thing is a freaky vacuum vortex!

Nowhere Man

Like Sherlock, LOST, and a few other shows, the writers don’t feel obligated to explain certain plot points, like how Audrey is now a separate person.  And that’s ok for now, but if the reason stays as being an unknown trouble it may hurt the impact of the show as a whole, for the show has always been about who or what exactly Audrey (and now Mara) is as well as why the Troubles exist.  Leaving an explanation for later, however,  keeps the momentum of the storyline going strong.

Nathan, dear Nathan, finally gets some lovely time with his one true and Duke has an interesting verbal sparring match with Mara.  Will there be a Duke/Mara relationship?  Could prove amusing, but perhaps too much fan service if the show goes that route.  And now Audrey is a separate person, yet no longer immune to the Troubles.  I think, though, that she will still be good at helping the Troubled despite that.

Trouble of the week: Awesome.  A Trouble that flips people to a ghost-like existence while leaving a burnt shadow figure on the floor.  And Nathan’s the one who gets ghosted!

The Guard: They seemed shoehorned in in far too many scenes.  In the earlier seasons, the Guard seemed relevant, but now I just don’t see the point of them other than to promote more Hollywood stereotypes that “hicks” often with Southern accents (never mind we’re supposed to be in Maine, here) are easily-led goons who stick with their traditions or marching orders no matter what.  Duke’s addressing Guard members in a mocking Southern accent both mocks these members and pokes fun at the show itself for portraying these people as hillbilly types.  The writers are possibly acknowledging that for now Haven needs a villain, and the Guard works in that capacity.  Mara’s evildoing ability is currently put on hold as she is prisoner on Duke’s boat.

Speaking of Duke, he seems more like S1-S3 Duke, though I can’t put my finger on why.  Maybe its his drinking of hard liquor and threats of violence towards Mara.  Plus, a gun just looks so right in his hands.

Nathan gets his own screen time and scenes that are not so Audrey-focused in what seem like forever.  In them, he shines!  He, too, is born to figure out Troubles.

Audrey:  Yes, she’s back, but she’s nowhere near her old self.  She appears weak compared with Mara, but then it’s supposed to be that way.  She’ll find her way.

Trouble of the week, dos:  It is not the Trouble of the week, but  of the fortnight (for you Austen lovers.)  I’m thinking this Trouble is photography-based, and figuring that, it’s pretty obvious who’s behind it.  Dun, dun, dun!

Haven, S5, Eps 4 & 5

Oct16

(Spoilers ahoy!)

Ep. 4: Much Ado About Mara

Not a lot happened in this episode but a few parts were very good, especially Duke’s nonsense curse.  Delicious taco!!  Eric Balfour was so great at delivering the ridiculous lines, that half of the time, I belatedly realized he hadn’t said anything understandable.  I’m sure his costars were ready to burst with laughter by the time “cut” was called.  Also, Mara is really a great character.  She’s a mean girl, yet somehow likable…perhaps some inner Audrey peeking through?

We also get a hint of what kind of creature Mara actually is, someone so far above humans they are like insects to her.  I give Dwight/Sasquatch props for trying to get some information out of her.  Nathan is no use in this area, as he is only focused on getting Audrey back. Duke is just trying to deal with everything.

The last scene where Nathan, Duke, and Dwight try to bring Audrey out of Mara by treating her like Audrey is outstanding.  Emily Rose really shines and the humor is spot on.

Ep. 5: The Old Switcheroo

Body switching! This is a good “trouble,” especially for actors who like to have fun imitating their costars.  I thought that John Dunsworth (Dave) did an awesome job being his brother Vince.  The standout, however, was Lucas Bryant (Nathan) mimicking Duke’s mannerisms to a T.

As far as the long arc plot, we get more hints about Dave Teagues’ dubious origins that are connected both to the world Mara is from and/or the New England Roanoke legend.  North Carolina looks uncannily like Nova Scotia 😉 and we get another “Thinny” or door between worlds as a cliffhanger.

Nathan is still on his quest to draw Audrey out of Mara, or change Mara into Audrey or whatever.  He recruits Duke’s help and Duke discovers (dun, dun, dun!) Mara is pretending to be Audrey!  This presents the possibility that every time Audrey has appeared in S5, it has simply been Mara pretending to string the Havenites along, so we come back to the question: Does Audrey still exist?  I say, and I think Duke would agree, that Mara is Mara, and Audrey is Mara, and there has never been two separate entities.  There is only one woman.  She may have multiple personalities, but she’s still one woman. a woman who may have both the desire to give people “troubles” and to help cure them.  No real answers, yet, however, and I still miss Jennifer.  Duke needs another Jennifer.  And as much as I love the Nathan/Audrey love story, this “saving Audrey” thing is dragging the storyline a bit.  Nathan could use another love interest or just another focus for a couple of episodes.  Maybe a woman with long black hair?  That seems to be his type.  Or maybe he could just deal with this obsession off-screen for a bit?  Let Duke, Dwight, and Gloria handle a really whizbangwow Trouble until the writers are ready for the big Mara/Audrey reveal and we can get on with the big arc already!  Ok, it’s not that big of a deal, it’s just annoying when plot points are prolonged or withheld because the story needs to be x number of episodes long, or x number of pages (I know, I do it myself in my own writing from time to time, roll my eyes, sigh heavily, and keep going with the story).  Filler episode, filler scenes, filler characters, these are the Troubles that plague storywriters.

Season 5 is good, yet I’m wanting more rewatchable moments and episodes.  Too much fill means too much going through the motions and who wants to rewatch that?  Seasons 1-4 all have a very rewatchable quality to them.  Again, S5 isn’t bad, it’s just having difficulty finding its footing, probably because of Mara/Audrey.  Audrey and her desire to help people is the glue that holds the series together.  So, as much as I love watching Mara, Haven needs Audrey back, and soon.

Haven, S5, Ep. 3: Spotlight

Sep28

So far, I’m liking Haven Season Five.  We still have all of the same great characters, even if Audrey only has a few “blink and you miss them” moments so far.  And I really miss Jennifer, and Duke seems so lost without her.  Wow, what great acting/writing for Jennifer from S4, huh?  Too bad she couldn’t stay…along with Duke’s ponytail.

Instead of “Hear no Evil,” we have “Spotlight,” a totally Haven-weird Trouble where this lady collects all light into herself and sends it out of her body via multiple laser beams.  As awful as the Trouble was for her and her family, I couldn’t help giggling at the scenes when only two laser beams came out of her torso.  The producers should have just bitten the comedy bullet and made the beams come out of her boobs.  It’s impossible not to think of that while watching the scenes.  Or maybe I’ve just been ruined by Austin Powers.

Anyway, Nathan is still in denial of the fact that he is actually in love with Mara, one aspect or personality of whom is Audrey.  Yes, Nathan is in love with Mara, and until the show says differently, that’s what I’m going with.  The plus side is that Mara/Nathan is far more interesting than Audrey/Nathan.  A love story of two very nice people is great, great for them, great for the world, yes as far as on screen, oh so boring to watch.  Mara is distastefully bad — she kills people with pencils, yet she has that same sense of humor that Nathan always liked in Audrey.  It’s fun to see Nathan and Mara try to play each other, and bittersweet that Nathan can’t let go of Audrey.  Ok, ok, it’s true love, and Audrey still does seem to exist somehow.  However: What if Audrey really is Mara?  Can Nathan deal with that or is he just doomed to go crazy?

Duke trusts Nathan and agrees to let him try to figure a way to get Audrey out of Mara’s body.  Well, is that what Nathan’s doing?  Or is he trying to keep Audrey in Mara’s body but just make sure she stays the dominant personality?  But that doesn’t solve the problem that Audrey IS Mara.  Also, Duke is totally rethinking this trust after he walked in on Nathan and Mara tickling/making out.  And what of Duke’s affection for Audrey from seasons 1-3?  Jennifer so blew that storyline away, that I cannot even comprehend him having an attraction to Audrey now, especially because she’s Mara.  Duke rejected Mara’s advances, but Nathan somehow succumbed to them.  Does this mean Nathan is weaker or that his love for Audrey is too strong and he can’t separate (not that he necessarily should) the two personalities.  Wow, this making my head spin.

Another thing with Duke:  He is about to explode, literally (and that’s used correctly) because of all of these Troubles built up inside of him, troubles the Crocker family has collected over generations.  Also, according to Mara, Duke has a “darkness” inside of him.  Is this due to the Crocker family trouble, to Duke’s past as a smuggler, or do to some aspect of his past or personality that we haven’t yet seen?  True, he’s no boy scout, but on the show he’s been shown to be a good guy who wants to help people.  I’m just not sure where this darkness comes in.  Is it worse that Nathan’s single-mindedness in trying to save Audrey, no matter the cost?  Not that I’m trying to bash Nathan, but it’s sort of like if you have a family member in danger.  You love them, yes, but is it really right of you to jeopardize or even take the lives of numerous other people in order that you may save them?  I don’t think Nathan’s killed anyone so far in his attempts to save Audrey, but I’d have to go back and rewatch.

Mara’s trying to prove something to her family.  She revealed that much to Nathan in the cabin.  Is she perhaps trying to show that her ability to trouble people is the mark of genius, that it’s ultimately something good for humanity?  She seemed to be talking about gifts not being appreciated, sometimes being scorned, sometimes being lauded.  What she is specifically referring to, we might not know for awhile.  It’s revealing, though, that whatever kind of being she is, Mara has a family of some kind.

Sasquatch Dwight wasn’t as interesting this episode, but maybe he will have better moments in the future.  Also, I’m looking forward to Vince and Dave being in the next episode.  Have to give a few shouts out: One, for the coroner Gloria playing with that little toy while she’s talking to Dwight on the phone — pretty amusing.  Two and Three: Duke’s awesome old boat and the Grey Gull.  It felt like a true episode just with a couple shots of both.  Have we ever seen where Nathan lives?  Why not?  Oh, love that the laser beam lady and her daughter brought out Duke’s tender side, kinda sweet.  Lastly, pancakes!  I would marry Nathan forever if he made me pancakes every day!  The writers must have read the Nate the Great series as kids.

Haven, Season 5, Ep. 2, Speak No Evil

Sep19

(Spoilers).  So I’m loving Season Five of Syfy’s Haven so far.  Not too many answers forthcoming yet, but that’s the nature of these shows.  Everyone wants a piece of Mara, whether it’s to banish her, beat the truth out of her, keep Audrey alive, or to goad her into saving Haven in some way.  Everything revolves around Audrey/Mara at the moment, giving whoever is the other Big Bad in town, a chance to flourish.

Mara: In this episode, Emily Rose did an outstanding job of portraying her, or maybe it’s just that I’m more adjusted to the actress not playing Audrey.  Mara is evil, as shown by her actions, and thus worthy of the name villain.  She also still has a bit of Audrey’s dry humor, which makes her all the more unsettling.  We got a two-second glimpse of Audrey this episode, showcasing just how talented Rose is.  Sometimes actors embody their characters so well, we forget that they’re acting.  This is why Rose as Mara is so jarring.

Vince and Dave: Love their banter and their relationship.  These two old gents have so many secrets, you’d think they’d be pouring out of their ears by now.  Vince has an intriguing attachment to Audrey, hinting at a back history with her, and perhaps some kind of love/emotional bond.

Nathan: Singleminded in his continued love for Audrey, and the belief that she still exists in some way, yet not so much as he can’t be a friend to Duke and assist Dwight in trying to save the town.  I have a theory about Nathan, and that he may have a Trouble, or power of some kind dealing with true love.  Perhaps Audrey still exists, because Nathan’s true love for her still exists?  Maybe that’s his power.

Duke: He’ll be down in the dumps for awhile about Jennifer, but I think saving the town and having to fight against whatever forces of evil are in it, will pull him out of it.  This idea of him having hundred of Troubles inside him is interesting, though, I don’t know that they’ve definitely proved that that’s the case.  Could be all coincidence, even Nathan getting sewn shut.  We still don’t know who else is in town.  Perhaps they too have an emotional bond with Jennifer and did not want to see her go.  Duke has the potential to be a super awesome hero, and it would be fun to see that pay off.  Will they resurrect his feelings for Audrey?  Their relationship is intriguing in the fact that he gets her in a way that Nathan doesn’t (he knew she was pretending to not be herself, S4).  Is it a deep love or a deep friendship, or something else?  Also, I miss his big boat home and the bar.  Hope they will show both again later in the season.

Dwight:  Adam Copeland as Sheriff Dwight is impressing me more and more.  He has a good stage presence (maybe from WWE?).  I was surprised after his first few appearances that he was a returning character, but he fits in Haven, and I love how Duke calls him Sasquatch.  His intentions seem to be entirely focused on saving Haven, and using Mara/Audrey to do so, yet something about his actions makes me uneasy.  Is he being controlled by some unknown force?

Gloria: What an awesome old lady.  I loved the actress Jayne Eastwood way back when in a small role on the Anne of Green Gables miniseries, and she’s just gotten better with age.  She’s so funny, yet a sweet old grandma to everyone.  I think she and Vince should have a romance. 🙂

Vickie: I’m glad they kept her around.  The scene with her and Mara trying to open the Thinny was great, almost fairy tale-ish.  The actress, Molly Dunsworth, has a sort of storybook princess allure about her.  Right now, due to her Trouble, Vickie is just a tool for the major characters, but that could easily change, and I like her working for Gloria and them acting as a team.

Jennifer:  Sad to see her go.  She was quirky, and cute, and ended up being perfect for Duke.  At the same time, though, she was sort of a kid sister to him, especially when contrasted with his wife Evidence (wouldn’t mind her returning).  Duke maybe needs someone he can protect, because that’s what he likes to do, but also maybe someone with more self-confidence, an equal to him in some way.

The Guard:  The people with the super special circle/compass tattoos.  As a group, I’m finding them annoying, mostly because it’s apparent that they are just drones following orders and don’t really have any answers themselves.  Makes most of them irrelevant.

The plot: Yep, it’s unbelievable and complicated, but right now I’m just enjoying the characters finding their way in this yet again altered Haven.  Any one of the characters can take a turn to the dark side, no matter their intentions, and the ultimate question may turn out to be: Is Haven worth saving?  If so, why?  If not, why?  Is the town some kind of purgatory similar to the island on Lost, or is it something different?

The scenery: Can. Not. Get. Enough. of. Nova. Scotia.  Vacation destination calling at some point in the future.

Seven Reasons to Love SyFy’s Haven

Sep18

dscn0478_2.jpg

SyFy’s Haven is my current favorite show, and here are seven reasons why:

7. Based on a Stephen King novel.

I have an on again off again readership with author King.  Sometime’s his stories are great, sometimes they’re just too out there or hokey for me to relate to.  Haven is based on a short novel by King called The Colorado Kid.  I put this reason of watching Haven at number seven mainly because the story it’s based on is awesome.  It’s a story with no ending about a reporter being tested.  Does she have what it takes to be a journalist?  Does she have a curious enough mind to ask the right questions?  The mystery itself of The Colorado Kid is baffling, but not in a bang, bang, boom, sort of way, making it unique among King’s more grandiose reality bending stories.  The writing is some of his best yet, in my opinion.  At heart, The Colorado Kid and Haven are both about people, what motivates them, makes them tick, etc.  And the show caters to King fan’s, including numerous odes to his stories, some blink-and-you-miss-them.  Haven also pays tribute to similar teen shows such as Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

6. The Troubles.

Like most science fiction and/or fantasy shows, Haven revolves around people with special abilities and how they deal with them, using them for evil and/or good.  And Haven has some truly unique troubles (spoilers), like a girl who can turn an entire town into a snow globe, or a man obsessed with aliens who makes alien invasions turn real (or are they real?), or a man who becomes a house.  Fun and disturbing stuff.

5. It’s like LOST.

And I mean that in the best possible way.  Haven starts out simply, FBI agent going to a town to investigate strange circumstances, but it just gets weirder and weirder, much like the island on Lost.  If you loved that about Lost, you’ll like it about Haven too.  Both shows are similar in that the characters are dealing with events they cannot control, and they are part of a grand scheme where good and evil go head to head.  In addition to that, both shows share a love of humanity, it’s various struggles, concerns, and fear of the truth.  Like Lost, many Haven episodes are stand alone reflections on human life.  Taken away from the larger arc of the Troubles’ origins, these episodes are sweet, little stories in and of themselves.  Also, like Lost, Haven doesn’t really make sense, and the ending is likely to be a letdown, but I don’t care.  It’s fun to see writers and show producers push their imaginations.  It’s great to see channels like SyFy at least give the stranger stories a chance.

4.  The theme song.

I don’t know if the song has a title or who it’s by, but the theme song and opening credits are ultimately what got me hooked on Haven.  The shots of Nova Scotia and/or New England are breathtaking, and the Celtic-themed melody just lets you know you’re in for a yarn of a story.  It’s no mistake that Haven is located on the sea.  The Troubles are just another version of all those sailor’s stories, like mermaids, or Davy Jones’ locker, whimsical stories involving both passion and danger.

3. The love story.

Haven is ultimately a love story.  There’s some sort of love triangle involved, which becomes a quadrangle, but how that will play out to the end, I don’t know.  Many people dismiss love stories as boring, but I think Haven does a decent job with it.  They don’t bang us over the head too hard, and generally keep the focus on defeating whatever the Big Bad currently is.  But love is the reason the main characters have such a problem weeding out the Troubles.  Because people love their family members, they are reluctant to “out” them, so to speak, and/or are in absolute denial that either they or their family members have a Trouble.

2. The actors/characters.

Emily Rose is a great Audrey.  She’s spunky and portrays Audrey as the girl you’d want for your best friend.  She plays Audrey so well, that seeing her play (spoilers) Audrey’s alternate egos is jarring, and seemingly unnatural.  Lucas Bryant as detective Nathan Wuornos is a unique face, and he plays Nathan’s alternating low self-esteem against his absolute belief in true love really well.  He’s a bullied kid who still believes in people and in love, and even might be the one to get the girl in the end.  The third member of this triangle is Duke Crocker, played by Eric Balfour.  Balfour has gone mostly under the radar up to this point, and I think this is because Duke is his first big chance to shine.  If Haven were Lost, Crocker would be its Sawyer.  He’s funny, charming, and teetering the line between criminal and good guy.  He has a good heart and cares about people, but is not necessarily pure of heart.  Like Sawyer, Haven would not be Haven without Duke Crocker.

The numerous minor characters on Haven, are great as well, especially the Teague brothers with their old married couple spats, and the unexpected longterm addition to the “Scooby gang,” Dwight Hendrickson played by Adam Copeland.  Even those who only stick around for one episode, are memorable, and in their own ways, are each a thread of the fabric that is Haven, including Maurice Dean Wint as Agent Howard, Vinessa Antoine, as Evi, and Emma Lahana who won me over as Jennifer.   In addition, I have to give props to the Haven production for picking such great actors to play the town’s coroners.  The coroners are all portrayed as quirky, salt-of-the-earth people who tell it like it is.  They embody the town of Haven most of all, and are played by Mary-Colin Chisholm, Christopher Shore,  and Jayne Eastwood, who steals nearly every scene she’s in.

1. The writing.

The fun of writing a fantastical story is that as a writer, you can tie yourself into absolute knots, the likes of which it is impossible to untangle to anyone’s satisfaction.  Some people, like me, like these kind of stories, whereas others can’t stand them.  I am constantly intrigued by what the writers come up with for the overall arc of Haven, and also how they bring back minor characters that previously seemed throwaway.  In Season 5, we have the continued presence of Vicki Dutton, a girl who’s drawings work something like voodoo dolls.  It’s a troubling Trouble, writing wise, because any effect on the paper can cause chaos in the real world.  It is one of the more illogical Troubles to use, and yet one of the most interesting.

Season 5 of Haven, hangs in a balance of sorts.  Rumors are that both Emma Lahana, who played Duke’s love interest, Jennifer, and Colin Ferguson, who played the Big Bad, William, may not be returning to the show.  Both characters are integral to the overall arc, so if they are not recast, or even do not return at all, it will be intriguing to watch how the writers write themselves out of that trouble, and it’s exciting that the renewal for another Season will give Haven an ending, hopefully a good one.  I think the most interesting reveal to come will be just how Vince and Dave Teague play into the origins behind the Troubles.  They’ve been keeping secrets for a long time, perhaps to hide an awful truth from the world.

The love triangle with Nathan, Audrey, and Duke, I have a feeling may end with a self-sacrifice of some kind.  One will take it upon his or herself to fight and die in order that the other two may be happy.  Well, I think that would be a great ending, even if cliche.  The likeliest to sacrifice himself would be Duke, as his antihero persona is becoming more and more all out hero all the time, even though he still denies it.  His potential sacrifice would be satisfying in a way that Nathan and Audrey’s would not, as such a sacrifice would be a given with them, and consequently, somewhat disappointing.  Also, Nathan and Audrey are the embodiment of true romantic love on the show, and as such, they should live, and live happily with that love.  Is that cheesy?  But why do we think this about true love ?  Are we too cynical for our own good?  The problem most have with happy endings is that there’s often no pay off.  The happy ending is tacked on without an emotional catharsis, which is why sometimes a sad ending gets more points.  I have hope, though, that if Haven does end happily, the writers, will make the characters earn it.