From Left to Right: Eric Balfour, Lucas Bryant, and Emily Rose as Duke Crocker, Nathan Wuornos, and Audrey Parker

I always seem to be the last to know about good shows. I didn’t watch Buffy or Firefly until after they ended, with Angel and Veronica Mars, I only discovered them shortly before their unjust cancellations, and Doctor Who, I didn’t come across until the end of David Tennant’s era. While I guess it’s better late than never, I am always a bit disappointed that I didn’t find these treasure earlier, but what I have recently learned though, is that it is even harder being a fan of a show that no one else watches! You live in constant fear of cancellation, you start asking your cat’s opinion of current stories, and you find yourself “liking” your own Facebook comments about the latest episode. I’ve decided it is time to action! If you don’t like the fandom, or lack thereof in this case, make a new one! It’s time people know about Syfy’s beautiful and shockingly underrated gem, Haven.

Haven is a bit different than the usual Syfy-fare. There are no aliens, (as of yet), there are no robots, (also subject to change), and no half-crazed super-genius accidentally putting the world in danger (it could happen). Haven is in fact more Eerie, Indiana than Eureka, but it’s fantasy elements and Lost-style mystery make it a perfect fit for the channel’s current programming.

Loosely based on Stephen King’s short story “The Colorado Kid,” Haven is set in the small town of Haven, Maine (I know, I know. A Stephen King story based in Maine? You don’t say). FBI agent Audrey Parker, played by Emily Rose, is sent there by her superior to investigate a seemingly typical case. Superficially, Haven is like any little American town-full of secrets and secret keepers, but Audrey quickly discovers that Haven’s secrets are not the typical small town debauchery and scandal, but are in fact, much darker and dangerous. The residents of Haven are different. Many of them possess various supernatural abilities, such as weather manipulation and pyromancy. The gatekeepers of the town refer to the owners of these afflictions as “The Troubled.” Audrey quickly gets involved in trying to unravel the mystery of Haven and it’s residents and soon discovers that she might somehow be linked to this mystical town. Of course, Audrey can’t delve into this adventure alone; she is accompanied by Haven police officer Nathan Wuornos (Lucas Bryant) bar owner/smuggler Duke Crocker (Eric Balfour), and various secondary characters that help flesh out the town.

The premise of the show revolves around the central mystery of the town and Audrey’s role in it, but each season has it’s own smaller arcs, and each episode has it’s own self-contained story line. After the exhausting experience that was Lost, I was hesitant to take on another show that was so reliant on concept, but after a while, I realized that Haven handles it’s mystery quite differently. Story lines aren’t being stretched out for the sake of prolonging the main arcs, but things are written in such a logical, concise way, that if necessary, the writers could tie up the primary and most of, if not all, the secondary plots in an episode or two without it feeling rushed; when questions are answered or semi-answered, new questions are posed, but these aren’t “WTF is that smoke monster?” type questions, they are much more organic and stem naturally from the steady progression of the story. The writers have also done a great job of keeping the mystery of Haven and Audrey Parker exciting, but accessible. It hasn’t reached the mythological levels that the island of Lost or even River Song on Doctor Who did; therefore expectations can be kept on a much more realistic level, and so, I don’t feel the writers are setting me up for disappointment in the final reveal. The main mysteries are interlaced throughout the smaller season arcs and into the individual episodes, keeping the narrative flow steady and captivating.

The main arc is interesting and well-paced, but the character’s individual stories are not sacrificed for the bigger plot. The character history reveals feel natural and necessary to the storyline, not some weird tangential filler. The three main characters, Audrey, Nathan, and Duke are likeable, dynamic, and well-acted. We know enough about these people to make them complex and interesting, but there is still an element of mystery about each one that leaves you curious to know more. Secondary characters on Haven are also well-developed and interesting; they are not just talking plot devices. Even when faced with SyFy-enforced stunt casting, the writers were able to make WWE Superstar Edge (this is how he is billed, seriously) into one of the most-well-received and fun characters on the show. The relationships between the individual characters and their relation to the town as a whole, provides the heart to the show. In the midst of ancient secrets, prophecies, and the occasional killer tree, the characters feel like real people with real problems Audrey is an FBI agent/small town cop, who enjoys helping people and solving mysteries, but also likes to have a beer after work and spend time with her friends. She has romantic problems, but that’s not the basis of her story; she often works too hard, but she is never a cliché. There are tender moments, painfully honest moments, and downright hilarious moments. While the basic mystery of the show is enough to keep you interested, it is the characters that keep you invested.

No show is perfect of course, and Haven does have its faults. I found it took me few episodes before I really started getting into the story and the characters and appreciating the actors. The special effects are often laughable; the monster, I mean trouble, of the week can get a little cheesy, and for a show that features very strong lead and secondary actors, the actors involved in the weekly stories, are often noticeably less talented. Haven is also guilty of silly Twitter product placement, and season two featured an arc starring Jason Priestly that felt plotty and contrived. It’s faults though, are generally minor, and do not take away from the overall quality of the show.

I have wanted to write this article since I joined NoWhiteNoise, but when I sat down to actually write it, I found it incredibly difficult. I knew why I liked the show, but to put it into words? How? It’s like trying to describe why you like the color blue, or your favorite season is spring, or why you prefer cake to pie. You know how it makes you feel, and what it means to you, but it’s hard find the right words to express why. So, after much thought, I have decided that the best reason to watch this show is just because it’s good. It makes you feel the way you are supposed to when you watch television. You cry, laugh, and fret over this show, often in the same episode. You care about the overall story and all the people in it. From what I have seen of the fandom, there is little to no shipping war, and that’s because the individual characters and their stories are just as important and interesting as their various relationships. Actions and events still shock, but upon re-watch, all the clues are there for you. You don’t just tune out half-way through and continue to watch so you can see the preview for next weeks in hopes that it will be better. Haven is what television is supposed to be, fun.

It might not have the history of Doctor Who, the flash of Battlestar Galactica, or the whimsy of Warehouse 13, but Haven does have heart. It is an all-around good show, with animate characters played by very capable actors, consistently-strong writing, and a deep, intriguing mystery that keeps you invested and wanting more.