Entertainment
Stephen King’s Thrilling 5-Part Supernatural Drama Is Officially Free To Stream
TV adaptations of Stephen King’s books are notoriously hit or miss, from the highs of Mr. Mercedes and 1990’s It, which scarred an entire generation, to The Langoliers and Under the Dome. One series that is squarely in the former is the thrilling supernatural drama Haven, which ran for 5 seasons on SyFy. The series is based loosely on King’s 2005 novel The Colorado Kid, creating a deep mythology of its own as it progresses… and now it is available to stream for free on Tubi.
‘Haven’ Uses Stephen King’s Book as a Stepping Stone into a Larger Story
When we say loosely based on King’s book, we mean very, very loosely: the murder of the titular character, 25-years prior, that drives the entire narrative of the book is merely a means of bringing FBI Agent Audrey Parker (Emily Rose) to the small town of Haven, Maine to investigate. Haven, naturally, is a nice, normal town where nothing strange ever happens. Right. Haven is, as its name suggests, a place where those plagued by a supernatural affliction known as “The Troubles” find refuge, a safe haven.
The manifestations of the “Troubles” are what drive the series; a “paranormal trouble of the week” procedural, for lack of a better comparable. One person’s nightmares become physical manifestations, driving him to try and stay awake to protect others. Animals transform into human beings. Another has a living shadow that attacks and kills whatever has angered him. A woman poisons people in the vicinity when she’s stressed out. Typically, the Trouble is a response to an emotional trigger, and once that trigger has been identified, it can be sent into remission with the right coping mechanisms.
Which is where Audrey comes in, as she, for some reason, is impervious to the effects of these Troubles. That extends to Nathan Wuornos (Lucas Bryant), a local police officer whose Trouble is idiopathic neuropathy, a condition where one cannot feel physical sensations, i.e. pain or touch. But he can feel Audrey’s touch, and the two form a bond and partner up to help those afflicted, with Audrey eventually leaving the FBI to join the Haven Police Department. They’re aided by local charming rogue Duke Crocker (Eric Balfour), with the three forming a team… and the proverbial love triangle.
But the question really is why Audrey is immune from those with Troubles, which in turn poses even more questions. Was it coincidence that she came to Haven, or was she destined to be there? Why does she feel a connection to Haven, which starts to feel less like a town and more like an entity unto itself? And why are there photos of her in Haven from years ago? It’s an overarching mystery that is intertwined with the origins of The Troubles, and she’s going to need Duke and Nathan’s help to bring the Troubles to an end, once and for all.
‘Haven’ Has a Deep Mythology With Ties to Stephen King
The depth of the Troubles they encounter is staggering, a set of imaginative maladies that keep each episode from playing out too similarly to those before or after it. It’s truly imaginative, with a well-detailed mythology that ties to the broader world of Stephen King’s works. The Troubles, inherited through bloodlines, occur in a recurring cycle of major outbursts every 27 years, a nod to the same multi-decade hibernation cycle shared by It‘s Pennywise. Other Maine towns from King’s works — Derry and Castle Rock, for instance — are often mentioned. A model of a red and white 1958 Plymouth Fury coupe appears on a desk, which looks suspiciously like the titular Christine. And in one of the more overt cases, a young boy in a yellow raincoat chases his newspaper boat, only to see it go into the gutter, letting out a blood-curdling scream when he reaches in for it…
Still, Haven stands on its own outside the King association. The relationship between the three leads has a similar vibe to The Vampire Diaries, with a very natural rapport between the three on screen. However, unlike its supernatural drama kin, where the love triangle often controlled the narrative, the focus of Haven remains on the mysteries of “The Troubles,” making the love triangle more of an engaging complementary piece than the main attraction.
The cast, led by the trio of Rose, Bryant, and Balfour, are excellent, breathing life into a host of characters that harbor their own deep secrets beneath their veneer. The one weakness of the series lies with the CGI, which is very, well, SyFy. But it’s a minor distraction, at worst, with the stories engaging enough to not have to rely heavily on it. Most importantly, it all feels somehow plausible, that despite the scope of the Troubles and Audrey’s place within it, Haven still feels grounded, a testament to Emily Rose, who shoulders the bulk of it. Haven is well worth the watch, especially now that it’s free to stream on Tubi. No “Troubles” at all.
Haven
- Release Date
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2010 – 2015-00-00
- Directors
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Tim Southam, Fred Gerber, Jason Priestley, Rob Lieberman, T. W. Peacocke, Adam Kane, Keith Samples, Ken Girotti, Lynne Stopkewich, Rachel Talalay, Rick Rosenthal, Stephen Reynolds, Mairzee Almas
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