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.
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5 comments:
"That Audrey's search is quite literally uncovering the truth, not just for herself but for everyone."
Interesting theory. It would explain why people she's questioned about Lucy suddenly turn around and admit to having known her. I found Duke's revelation the most frustrating at the time. "Oh, by the way, you know that search for your mother? Yeah, I actually knew her, was in the Colorado Kid photo, and she gave me her necklace. I just didn't mention it before... 'cause."
If he literally didn't remember before that moment, it would make a lot of sense.
I think Max;'s role weas to shake everyone up. He visited Dukef or no real reason and made sure Duke saw his tatoo. Then he made sure Audrey knew he couldn't feel anything. When the lighthouse fell down he looked satisfied. i think he came back to make the Chief explode. Of course in Haven that means he actaully exploded!!
I thought that Duke's blackboard was just the people Duke thought weren't what they seemed. Not just ones that were involved with the tattoo.
As for whether the 'real' Audrey Parker is Audrey Parker, I want to know more who Howard is. He was the one who sent her to Haven in the first place.
It also occurred to me on rewatching the first episode that we only see Audrey wake up in that room and get visited by Howard. We never see her working with anyone in Boston, going to FBI headquarters, or talking to anyone but Howard.
It is possible she never existed until that moment and has somehow magically co-opted the 'real' Parker's identity. If that was true, it would be moderately awesome.
I think audrey is the most troubled of all. Maybe she was Lucy ripley and when the troubles ended she went away. Now that the troubles are back, Lucy/audry is back. She is given a new identity of audrey Parker.
Her role is to pacify the troubled people when things get out of hand and maybe she's been around since the very begining of haven.
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