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Haven: The Tale of Two Audreys

“They’re not freaks. Some people call them cursed. We call them troubled.”

It's a new season of Haven, and Audrey has decided that Haven is her place. This is somewhat complicated by the fact that there is another Audrey Parker, FBI, who I will call Audrey II. The season premiere was good on both the weekly weirdness and overarching mystery fronts. I’m glad I kept watching and I’m ready for this season to get curiouser and curiouser.

The weekly weirdness was a cross between “Inkheart” and Exodus. Haven gets hit with a serious of disasters that seem to follow the plagues that God was said to impose on Pharaoh’s Egypt to convince him to let the Israelites go. They missed a few plagues along the way, but generally these were well done. I particularly liked the flaming hail, but the dying of the firstborn sons was a bit cheesy. At least the “troubled” person, TJ, who just lost his wife in childbirth, was a sympathetic character. I wanted him to be okay. I guess he will have to be careful about what he reads in the future. While the Velveteen Rabbit is a great story--and who doesn’t like big fluffy bunnies? (well, Anya but that’s Buffy)--there are many children’s books that wouldn’t be so lovely if they became reality. I’m glad it was that book in the crib.

Moving Things Along

The larger, overarching mystery was moved along quite a bit. The Reverend Driscoll is recruiting for his “holy” war against the troubles, and Nathan is on the wrong side. Duke says he isn’t taking a side but it is pretty clear that he has become one of the Scoobies. The Chief, who died trying to hold Haven together, traveled around in a cooler in the back of Nathan’s truck for the whole episode, which displays both Nathan’s ambivalence about taking on the role of the town’s protector, and his difficulty in accepting that his father is dead. It looks like, with the chief gone, the balance of power has shifted. Maybe the chief kept the Reverend in line. I was glad that Nathan managed some closure by the end of the episode and that Duke was there to help him bury his dad.

Audrey II spends the episode being Audrey’s shadow, following her around, helping with the weekly weirdness and doing a great job of reminding us how strange all these happenings are, and how acclimatized to them Audrey has become. It is an interesting bit of casting for Audrey II as she looks like Audrey’s shadow - dark where she is fair. Audrey shared a story with Audrey II that makes it obvious that they share the same memories (and also let us know why Audrey became a cop). By the end of the episode, we are left wondering who the real Audrey is. I can’t wait for the second Agent Howard to appear.

Audrey II is not the only new character. Ryan Crocker, Duke’s ex-wife, has shown up in town looking to bring Duke in on a big job. Duke is not interested but Evi is sticking around. This should shake up the Duke/Audrey/Nathan triangle a bit. Duke and Nathan seemed to bond a bit over the death of Nathan’s father. It looks like the Scoobie triangle has solidified and we may have some new additions, at least for a few episodes.

Bits and Pieces

I thought I saw that Duke’s boat was called the Ryan Atlantic. I wonder if this has any connection to Evi’s last name - Ryan.

Vince and Dave are back. They were sweet as usual and they have handy, odd bits of land. I like them.

I am going to name-drop now. I was very surprised at the conclusion of last season when Audrey Parker II showed up. I shouted, "That’s Kathleen!" I know Kathleen Munroe - well really I know her mom but still... It is great fun to see her in shows that I watch. PS: her mom is very good at not giving away anything about shows, so I didn’t know that Kathleen was in Haven until I saw her on the screen.

Quotes

Audrey II: “I’ve never seen that on Animal Planet.”

Audrey: “Firstly, a tricorder is just for readings.”

Audrey: “I’m trying to get some units on the road to block him but they’re busy with the flaming hail.”

Duke: “Why does everyone think I want to help?”

Laverne: “Nathan honey, only the chief can order that. You need to call him.”

Audrey: “I’m not going to waste a perfectly good cooler.”

Evi: “Bug infestations, schizophrenic weather - how do you keep the tourists away?”

Duke: “Just so we’re clear - I’m the lion.”

Note

Just to let you know that in Canada I don’t get to see Haven until Monday night. This means that the reviews will be a bit late in coming. I will be continuing to put up reviews for last season at the same time as I review this season.

5 comments:

  1. This is stupid but I would love to know when this was posted. It's just that I live in england and I love Haven and from this I might be able towork out when it will be aired on UK T.v

    Maybe it's a silly idea but either way, I loved it.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hello, Anonymous: No trouble at all! The episode aired in the U.S. last Friday, a week ago.

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  3. Just watched this, my first episode of Haven. I enjoyed more than I thought I would, and the relationships were pretty clear even without having seen the first season.

    The kid in the rain gear with the paper boat was a nice nod to It, too.

    I think the idea of a gigantic smallpox-carrying velveteen rabbit wandering around town is horrifying, though.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I finally got to this one and it was pretty good, with some fun set-up. A bit heavy on the troubles; it seemed like it was wall-to-wall plague. I kept thinking that Audrey II is the name of the man-eating plant in Little Shop of Horrors. I liked what you said about Nathan being unable to let go of his father by carrying him around in the cooler, Sandy. :)

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  5. I was thinking about Little Shop Of Horrors too! Ah, I've missed Haven!

    ReplyDelete

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