With the supernatural mystery series that is Haven returning to our screens on July 15, it’s inspired me to start some speculation on the surprisingly-interesting Stephen King inspired programme.
Haven’s first season aired last year and did not exactly send the airwaves buzzing with excitement. It has most noticeably failed the YouTube fan video test of new cultural zeitgeists. Its final episode should, by all rights, have spawned a great deal of internet excitement and speculation about the twists and revelations it contained. That it did not serves to demonstrate the extent to which the show has failed to grip the popular imagination. For this reason, we’re lucky to have a season 2 at all.
Haven follows FBI agent Audrey Parker, sent to the titular small Maine township to track down an escaped federal prisoner. Following the revelation of the town’s strange supernatural happenings and of a 1983 photo that contains a woman that looks remarkably like her, Parker decides to stay in town to unlock her own past.
She is helped (or is she?) both by local Haven PD detective, Nathan Wuornos and by local smuggler and rackish bad boy, Duke Crocker.
The first few episodes weren’t particularly exciting and so many viewers had already left by the time the show began to pick up its pace. In retrospect, the initial two or three episodes weren’t boring or derivative. Like many well-planned story arcs, they were only the first few bricks in a rather impressive building.
In fact, this show distinguishes itself from other ‘outsider in a small town’ series by its genuinely stunning twists and revelations. The writers have also avoided the clichéd ‘will they, won’t they’ meme with their lead characters and have managed to set up a nice love triangle without it being painful or unnatural. The subtlety of the character’s interactions is one of the programme’s greatest strengths.
Last year’s season finale was genuinely gripping and managed to include twists that were both well-telegraphed but also surprising; no mean feat.
As to the town's legendary secrecy about the death of the Colorado Kid and Lucy Ripley, this is something I was finding frustrating until I considered that, maybe as Audrey discovers more about who she is, everyone in town remembers more about what happened. That Audrey's search is quite literally uncovering the truth, not just for herself but for everyone.
Now that would be a twist.
So, if you’re a Haven fan and have any clues, thoughts or speculation on the show, meander on over and let me know.
What’s the secret of the Haven tattoo?
Is the ‘real’ Audrey Parker really Audrey Parker?
Was Max Henson lured back to Haven just to drive the Chief over the edge, rattle Duke, and make Audrey and Duke aware of the tattoo? If so, who was manipulating him? The Rev?
Who are Vince and Dave and what do they know?
Is the Rev really the bad guy? How did he know the Chief was gone?
If Nathan is Max’s son, does it mean he’s one of the tattoo people? How does this relate to his antipathy toward Duke?
And most of all:
Why is Audrey on Duke’s chalkboard?
Sure, you can also comment on if and/or when Audrey may or may not hook up with either of our male leads. But to me, that‘s not the most interesting part of the plot.
Thursday 9 June 2011
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