This episode of “Haven” had a classic Stephen King premise, yet it was the surprising subplot for Audrey 2 (called that nickname on the podcast!) that made the grade this time around. I didn’t see any of that coming at all, and it made a strong statement that this season is going to be more cohesive than the first.
It’s really hard to take the idea of machines coming to life and killing people and make it work without being campy. Stephen King has tried the idea many times, and has probably been the most successful at the concept. It helps that the underlying premise of “Haven” makes it clear that all of this madness must ultimately be connected to a human being, one of the “troubled”, and that the point is finding that person and ending the crisis.
One thing I’ve always appreciated about “Haven” is how well they underscore the cursed existence of the “troubled”. How many of them are essentially trapped in the town, if only to mitigate the effects of their curses on the rest of the world? It maintains the impression that there are no easy solutions to whatever is happening in the town.
As much as that story dominated events, it was the sudden turn for Audrey 2 that hit the hardest. I didn’t see this coming at all. It does connect directly with the Colorado Kid mystery, in terms of her losing her memories, and could therefore tie into our Audrey’s receipt of those memories at some point. It all points to that shack in the woods as terribly important, and given the unusual cyclic nature of the story, I wouldn’t be shocked to discover that there was some kind of weird temporal detachment taking place.
It also adds more layers to the “Agent Howard” mystery, because it seems like Audrey 2 was sent to Haven for this purpose. And that would suggest that both Agent Howards are working to common purpose. Maybe the government has been investigating Haven for quite some time. The whole situation also reminds the audience, in a roundabout way, that our Audrey could be Lucy Ripley, displaced in time, with Audrey Parker’s memories overlaid on her consciousness.
The mysteries are deepening in unexpected ways, and while I really would have rather had Audrey 2 around for a lot longer to help flesh out the plot, it does prove that the writers are continuing to defy audience expectations. I only hope that the series is holding its own, despite its distance from the current Syfy Monday sci-fi programming block. Having improved so much from its rough beginning, “Haven” has made a solid case for survival.
Writing: 2/2
Acting: 2/2
Direction: 2/2
Style: 2/4
Final Rating: 8/10
