Haven

:

Season 1
  • Network: SyFy
  • Series Premiere Date: Jul 9, 2010
Season #: 5, 4, 3, 2, 1
Metascore
53

Mixed or average reviews - based on 22 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 6 out of 22
  2. Mixed: 13 out of 22
  3. Negative: 3 out of 22
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Critic Reviews

  1. Kansas City Star
    Reviewed by: Aaron Barnhart
    80
    The darker tone of Haven (including a haunting piano soundtrack) and reliance on paranormal, rather than technological, story elements form an ideal counterpoint to the wonkery of "Eureka."
  2. Wall Street Journal
    Reviewed by: Nancy DeWolf Smith
    80
    No vampires (so far). But no matter what materializes in the town, it's satisfying to see in the first episode that Haven already revolves around grown-ups.
  3. Deseret News
    Reviewed by: Scott D. Pierce
    70
    It's not bad. It's actually sort of promising.
  5. Los Angeles Times
    Reviewed by: Robert Lloyd
    70
    Viewers sad about the end of "Happy Town" and looking for another creepy municipal drama filmed in Canada may find this a port in the storm, though it is more cheaply appointed and less spectacularly cast. Still, it would be pointless to attack the show for not achieving things that are beyond its ambitions.
  6. Miami Herald
    Reviewed by: Glenn Garvin
    70
    As a cop drama, Haven--marred by busy and blurry story lines--is barely competent. But as a narrative of eccentric, slightly damaged yet ultimately warm characters, it's quite successful. The deadpan my-badge-is-bigger-than-yours needling between Rose and Bryant is particularly engaging.
  7. New York Post
    Reviewed by: Linda Stasi
    63
    Sure, Haven is fun. But I get the feeling that I'm suffering from the same attack of "been there/done that" as the lithe and lovely agent.
  8. The New York Times
    Reviewed by: Mike Hale
    60
    Haven not only resembles its Syfy stablemates, but it's also just about as good, which means that if you like a cozy, lived-in mystery with some quirky characters in a pleasant setting--and you don't mind spotty writing and perfunctory camerawork--you may enjoy it.
  9. Entertainment Weekly
    Reviewed by: Ken Tucker
    58
    The pilot doesn't possess much Stephen King grit--in fact, it's more like Syfy whimsy. But give it time; if Haven can become darker and more complex, as Warehouse 13 has, it could become fun summer sci-? TV.
  10. Boston Herald
    Reviewed by: Mark A. Perigard
    58
    Tonight's mystery ultimately doesn't hang together, but it does establish the show's light mythos in an easy-to-digest way.
  11. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
    Reviewed by: Rob Owen
    50
    The mysteries of Haven do offer some intrigue but coupled with fairly unextraordinary situations and plots, the show may have a tough time convincing viewers to become weekly visitors.
  12. Chicago Sun-Times
    Reviewed by: Paige Wiser
    50
    Haven succeeds at laying on the whimsy, and the dialogue is cute. But it's impossible to follow the investigation, and each discovery raises more questions--not about the supernatural, but about the holes in the script.
  13. Chicago Tribune
    Reviewed by: Maureen Ryan
    50
    Why, Haven, why?? Without the Balfour, this might have been a blandish but watchable "X-Files" derivation. With the Balfour, well, his time on screen did not increase my desire to check out this "Haven" in future.
  14. PopMatters
    Reviewed by: Michael Abernethy
    50
    The reason we might stick around is Audrey Parker. She also provides an alternative to the usual dark mystery associated with Stephen King's work.
  15. Newsday
    Reviewed by: Verne Gay
    42
    King didn't actually write Haven but "developed" it for the small screen, which is a form of plausible deniability if things go wrong. With Haven--as somnolent as a summer afternoon--they most likely will.
  16. TV Guide Magazine
    Reviewed by: Matt Roush
    40
    There's nothing about Haven that isn't derivative at best and dispiriting at worst.
  17. The Hollywood Reporter
    Reviewed by: Randee Dawn
    40
    Such a winning cast of characters and sharp dialogue deserved better than a midshow derailment, however.
  18. Boston Globe
    Reviewed by: Matthew Gilbert
    40
    The characters are so shallow, it's hard to invest interest in them.
  19. Philadelphia Daily News
    Reviewed by: Ellen Gray
    40
    Maybe it's just too soon after the bitter nonending of ABC's "Happy Town," but there's nothing in the pilot of Haven that makes me eager to crawl down the rabbit hole of one more small town mystery with supernatural overtones.
  20. Variety
    Reviewed by: Brian Lowry
    40
    Uninspired writing and Rose's lack of heft combine to undermine the Parker character, who is pivotal not only as the newcomer to this latest permutation of unusual TV hamlets but figures in a serialized twist about what might have brought her the assignment.
  21. People Weekly
    Reviewed by: Tom Gliatto
    38
    There's no real awe or fear-just a relatively safe Haven. So, no go.
    All this critic's reviews
  22. Slant Magazine
    Reviewed by: Scott Von Doviak
    38
    Rose and Bryant make for a dull, chemistry-free duo. A love triangle seems inevitable--and inevitably tedious. Worse, the creative team has failed to make the title character, the town of Haven itself, a vivid presence.
  23. USA Today
    Reviewed by: Robert Bianco
    37
    A ludicrously see-through supernatural crime drama that wastes a perfectly fine performance from Emily Rose as an FBI agent who tracks an escaped convict to a Maine town.

Awards & Rankings

90
#90 Best TV Season of 2010
37
#37 Most Discussed TV Season of 2010
17
#17 Most Shared TV Season of 2010

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
7.6

Generally favorable reviews- based on 105 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 80 out of 105
  2. Mixed: 14 out of 105
  3. Negative: 11 out of 105
  1. 3rdFoundation
    Oct 10, 2011
    2
    This review contains spoilers, click full review link to view. Haven is a small town with a case of "The Troubles". Unfortunately the troubles don't originate within the town but within the writing. Even the phrase "The Troubles" is painful. It's like something a loathed aunt would say to you if you had a stomach ache. It is almost as bad as the term "werepanther" from True Blood. Almost.

    The story centers around 3 characters: An FBI agent, a local cop and a smuggler who investigate problems that arise in a port town of Maine. It sounds like a decent set up for television series but the characters are bland, they have no chemistry and the script is so nasty it continues to push you out of the story as you shake your head in shame and disbelief. At points in the series you can just see the anguish in the actor's faces as they have to work their way through scenes that make no sense within the story or their character.

    The series feels like the writers have no one editing their work. No litmus test for realism or consistency. The characters swap love interests faster than a daytime drama, and that is no easy feat. By the end of the first episode Audrey is ready to leave the FBI behind to dive deep into Haven's mysteries. I could see it coming but it makes no sense. She has spent a lifetime becoming an FBI agent to throw it away on a photo a couple of news hacks show her. Who writes stuff like this? And every episode has gems like this.

    After the third episode I actually decided to turn the show into a drinking game. Every time a character would say or do something stupid I would take a drink. There has yet to be an episode where I don't finish a beer.

    I would say this show is a vision of the future when emotionless robots take over and write television dramas but that is an insult to robots since they must, by design, be logical and this show rarely achieves that.

    Unless you are looking for a laugh, a drink or an example of writing gone horribly wrong skip this and tune into fringe or x-files reruns.    … Full Review »
  2. Ixoziel
    Apr 4, 2013
    5
    This review contains spoilers, click full review link to view. I came to this show being a fan of Supernatural, Grimm, and the X-Files. I wasn't expecting a well written gem... just an entertaining sci-fi show. After watching the first episode, though, the writing stuck out... in a very, very bad way. The show begins with Audrey (could barely remember her name) driving to Haven to catch a criminal we don't know much about... by herself. She crashes on a bridge, and this is where things get really bad.

    Half of her car is dangling off the cliff. She isn't the least bit paniced. She actually turns off the radio while her car is dangling there. I thought "maybe this show is supposed to be a comedy", but it isn't. But it gets worse... a guy comes and asks her if she needs help. While her car is sitting there about to fall off the cliff. She says no... this is not a time normal people joke around, yet they're doing it.

    So he pulls her out anyways, and the car crashes. I didn't think it could get any worse. I was very wrong. He sees that she's wearing a gun on her belt and they draw on each other. What the He saves her life, then pulls a gun on her for no reason. They begin asking who the other one is. The terrible writing is so thick here that it's pathetic.

    So later on in the episode, she gets thrown into the ocean unconscious after a power box explodes. She gets rescued by a smuggler... and when she wakes up, she's not the least bit disoriented. Her first question is "where are my clothes?".

    Unfortunately the entire first season is like this. The characters treat life or death situations like they're some big joke, they do things that make no logical sense, and they jump to ridiculous conclusions. The only part of the movie where they show emotion is during the "romantic" scenes. And they're so overacted that it might as well "the bold and the beautiful 2.0". It's thicker than a soap opera.

    This type of writing just bores you. The characters never really fear for their life, so why should you? I think a good way to describe this show is smallville meets ripoff of xfiles.    … Full Review »
  3. Dobby
    Aug 19, 2012
    10
    This is one of my favorite sci-fi TV shows. The story centers around the strange events that occur in a fictional town in Maine. The town hasThis is one of my favorite sci-fi TV shows. The story centers around the strange events that occur in a fictional town in Maine. The town has a very puzzling and bizarre history and many of its inhabitants suffer from specific afflictions (called "The troubles") that often give them unwanted or dangerous powers. The protagonist of the series is an FBI agent, Audrey, who follows an escaped convict to the town and ends up staying after discovering that her past is somehow connected to the town. Haven has a unique story with a well-developed plot and great cliffhangers at the end of the 2nd season. The acting is terrific and the chemistry between the three main characters (Audrey, Nathan and Duke) is a big draw. I'm really surprised that it isn't on one of the major network stations in the USA.… Full Review »
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