Haven 4.06 Review: A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes

Anyone that has yet to watch Friday night’s episode of Haven, titled ‘Lay Me Down’, I suggest you do so now. This is not a spoiler free blog. THIS REVIEW MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS! You’ve been warned.

So this was an okay episode, although to be fair I’ve been pretty disappointed with a lot of this season so it wasn’t that great an episode. Whatever happens to people in their dreams happens to them in real life because of a mysterious handprint that happened to a Troubled person when she was mugged. The whole mysterious handprint is an intriguing concept, and for the most part this Trouble was too, but it got to be a little much when she was able to stop the Trouble by going into the dark place in a lucid dream. Troubles aren’t supposed to be that simple to get rid of.

Elsewhere in this episode, Duke quickly catches up on what Wade has been doing lately, and boy has he been busy. Duke is none too happy when he becomes privy to his brother’s extracurricular murdering activities. Wade is deluded enough to think that he’s helping these peoples families, and enjoys the rush of the family curse. When he goes after Jennifer, Duke has no option but to kill him. I understand this happening, but I think it came a little too early. What was the point of Wade if he’s killed halfway through the season? Also, because Duke killed him, his Trouble is now gone. I was under the impression it was a curse not a Trouble from the time we first learned of his ability. Now he’s got no ability to protect himself against the Troubled people, so I think this was moronically written out before there was enough fruition. But then, perhaps a mystical handprint will bring it back?

About those two men, they were in the barn with Audrey, so I’m rather curious to learn who exactly they are. Are they the consequence of opening the door? Is that why the handprint morphs or magnifies a Trouble? Also, aren’t they just ridiculously creepy? And if they’re out, does that mean William is out and will pop up soon? I could have sworn he was a series regular this season, but maybe I’m mistaken and he was just a recurring character. But still, it took long enough for the consequences of opening the door to show up, that would’ve been a little nicer to have last week, though I suppose last week was all about Nathan learning Lexie is in fact Audrey.

A few last things to note, one being the shaky camera work used throughout this episode, which is a valid technique, but it just is used improperly so often, and this was one of those circumstances. For the most part, I’m not a fan of it, it’s used way too much, and I just don’t think most cinematographers have the skill to use it properly. Like the cameras attached to the actors body, I absolutely hate that. Also, as I’ve said before, Jennifer and Duke are getting way too close way too quickly, he hadn’t even had any time to get over Audrey when she came in, and now it’s all googly eyes at each other, and protective manners. I don’t like it; it’s not natural enough. And while this whole business with Agent Howard having transacted her adoption in Haven, she’s just being made way too much of for such a new character. Her character seems to be getting way too central to the story, like a second Audrey, but Audrey already exists so she’s not necessary in that way. I liked her as a secondary character, but that’s looking like that’s not the way she’s going.

Overall, I’m not satisfied with the way this season is being written. Storylines are being thrown in, then pulled out before they’ve been able to fully develop. Other storylines are being dragged on and developed at a ridiculously slow pace. This is becoming an ever increasingly uneven season, and it’s leading me to believe this series is losing its mysterious touch. There was this build up to the end of season three about who the Colorado Kid was, that was solved and now there hasn’t been much to build up towards since then. I really hope the writing begins to get better.

My rating: 6 out of 10.

Best Line:

“I’m a Gemini, Aquarius rising.” – Duke states, inferring to his interest in horoscopes to Nathan and Audrey.

Alright, I apologize if this is a bit scatterbrained, I’m very tired and I watched this episode last night. I’m going to go watch an episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer now. Be sure to check back in tomorrow for reviews of Once Upon A Time and Revenge.

Haven 4.06 Review: The Monster Inside Us

This is your only warning. For all those that have yet to watch Friday night’s episode of Haven, entitled ‘Countdown’, I suggest you go and do so immediately, or vacate the premises. As always, this is not a spoiler free blog. THIS REVIEW MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS! You’ve been warned.

Well, this week’s episode marked the halfway point for the season, kind of, only seven episodes left to go. Definitely a better episode than last week, possibly better than all of the episodes of the season so far. There were a lot of little threads brought in concerning past seasons that made me quite happy.

Finally, the subject of Duke loving Audrey was raised in this episode. Audrey is back, seemingly in the form of Lexie, and so Nathan plans on making her fall in love with him so that she can kill him and end the Troubles for good. Thus, this week Nathan brings up the little tidbit of information Duke shared with him before Nathan shot Agent Howard, and feels like he’s the right person to take care of Audrey when Nathan’s gone. It was good to see the bits and pieces of Duke’s feelings towards Audrey, whom he knows is in fact Audrey, including the subject of Colorado from last season. Still, I don’t think it was quite as strong as past seasons, though I do think it helped that Jennifer wasn’t in this episode to distract from that subject. Even though Duke did appear a little too nonchalant about her packing up her stuff.

A large part of this episode consisted of the subject of being, and creating, a monster. In the end, Jordan decided she no longer wanted to be one, but it was too late for she had already pointed Wade onto the path of becoming one. I still really can’t stand his character, despite understanding the reason he was added to the series. While he plays villain much better than scorned brother, I don’t feel like the switch was completely natural. This week his acting seemed more natural, but not the character. I completely saw that point where he went in to stab the Troubled man Paul to activate his family’s curse, but whereas Duke sees it for the curse it is, Wade views it as more of a gift. Power does corrupt absolutely when that is what a person craves. Still, I can’t stand the character.

Part of the reason why I think this week’s episode worked much better is because of the fact Bigfoot didn’t appear in it (yes, I mean Dwight), and the fact Jordan was cracking and finally decided it was time to move on, although she really didn’t end up moving on – on to the afterlife. Also, the fact that the love triangle wasn’t corrupted by the Jennifer character this week, and that we knew Lexie was still Audrey. And how Nathan eventually figured out who Audrey really was. Some nice, simple things that really boosted the episode’s appeal.

While I know this show can’t be like this every week, with big reveals popping up throughout an episode, I am happy to have been able to watch a much better chapter to the story of Haven. If the writing starts to shape up a little more, and add in the repercussions of opening the door, this series will begin to work it’s way back to the greatness it had in the beginning.

My rating: 7.5 out of 10.

Best Lines:

“I’ll say things like 10-4 and copy that, and like eat donuts and stuff.” – Audrey says to Nathan, trying to convince him that she is Lexie.

“Don’t touch him.” – Nathan says. “I wasn’t planning on it.” – Duke retorts, after a body gets rigor mortis before death.

Sorry for not posting this last night, but I did watch, I just got too tired to write the review. I’m off to watch Once Upon A Time now, then Revenge. Stick around for those reviews.