Haven

:

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

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  1. cocodrilo
    May 9, 2011
    5
    Without having read the book on which the series is based, I find the plot quite interesting in the individual chapters, but the whole story is dark and misunderstanding. Besides, the Audrey character has no strenght, too much flat played, largely better played the male starring characters and, obviously much more better the secondary ones. Just for boring Sunday evenings.
  2. Ixoziel
    Apr 4, 2013
    5
    This review contains spoilers, click expand 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.    … Expand
  3. Kongzi
    Aug 16, 2010
    6
    Fun to watch. Not boring at all. I like to see how the story line unfolds over the next few weeks. Steven King is one of America's movie icons. I don't think there are many like him. He is a master in his own category.
  4. TheQuietGamer
    May 27, 2018
    5
    With it's charming cast and initially interesting setup regarding the protagonist's mysterious background that's related to the small Maine town, "Haven" starts off promising. However it quickly squanders all of that with a case a week approach that's hindered by some of the worst writing I've ever seen. The way random crap happens with no explanation is frustrating. I'm not talking aboutWith it's charming cast and initially interesting setup regarding the protagonist's mysterious background that's related to the small Maine town, "Haven" starts off promising. However it quickly squanders all of that with a case a week approach that's hindered by some of the worst writing I've ever seen. The way random crap happens with no explanation is frustrating. I'm not talking about the bigger mysteries regarding the overall mysteries of the town itself, but how we are never given any insight as to how the individual scenarios themselves work. Mix that in with the how our leads are magically able to piece together all of the information out of thin air and it's hard to take Haven seriously in any way.

    The only reason I kept watching was because of how much I grew to enjoy it's cast and the sense of humor the show has about itself. It's got a small town weirdness to it that's easy to appreciate. Shame about that writing though. Despite being based on a Stephen King story, the show has none of the writer's usual quality or distinct style. As it stands Haven is a frustrating and occasionally tedious watch that's few bright spots are buried under the stupidity of it's disconnected stories.    … Expand
  5. Patrick94
    Feb 5, 2015
    6
    7.6 out of 10 is a bit much for this show TBH. I don't find it all that interesting. I don't know if it's the characters or the writing, or just a combination of the two, but there's much better TV out there than Haven.
  6. sL360
    Nov 7, 2016
    4
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I feel like this show started strong, what with its very strange mysteries and "What's the deal with this **** setting, then like a deflating balloon it died and flopped on the ground as the writers struggled to make something coherent. I like being led on crazy drug induced surrealist frenzies, but Haven tried to make sense of its own madness and that worked out as well as you'd think. On top of that, the writers cannot tie up a story without killing someone. You'll very quickly be able to point out who is going to die in an episode. By the end, if you manage to make it that far, you'll wonder how the entire population of Haven isn't in a cemetery.

    At the very end of the show in the last season, the last few episodes, I was begging for something to make sense, hoping that they'd find a way to tie all this bat**** nonsense together. Instead William Shatner appeared and began to spout exposition that made as much sense as me taking a dirty toilet brush, dipping it in paint and jamming it into my ears while I chug radiator fluid.    … Expand

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

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
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
  1. 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.
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  2. 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."
    Read full review
  3. 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.
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