Welcome back once again Haven fans,
The second episode of Haven season two “Fear and Loathing” was superbly directed by Robert Lieberman, nicely edited by Neil Grieve. Conversely episode three “Love Machine” was directed by T.W. Peacock and well edited by Jean Coulombe. Both episodes feature great music by Shawn Pierce and superb costumes lead by Antoinette Messam.
SPOILER ALERT: If you have not seen Haven “Fear and Loathing” and “Love Machine” I suggest you stop reading now. Why? This review combines analysis of both episodes because a major story arc will come to a bittersweet conclusion as this may apparently be the last episode Kathleen Munroe will be a regular cast member for the time being.
Fear and Loathing:
Much like the Haven fans themselves, I was quite pleased to see a continuation of both realities with two Audrey Parker’s in “Fear and Loathing” and am sorry to see her depart from the series. However I am getting ahead of myself, so let us go back in the time line a bit shall we?
As I discussed with Emily Rose at Comic-Con 2011 in San Diego, I asked her “what she thought of a second Audrey Parker?”. Emily Rose commented “I like Kathleen Munroe in the role, she adds a nice perspective to Haven“. On a follow up question during the Syfy Red Carpet ceremony outside the Hotel Salomar, I asked if we would see more of the two 
Audrey Parker characters this season? Ms. Roses answer was a simple “yes”.
During the initial scenes of “Fear and Loathing” we come to discover that Nathan Wournos (Lucas Bryant), now ‘holding together’ Haven, and having replaced his exploded father as Sheriff, has regained his ability to feel. This development appears to be tied a supernatural epidemic. As well to several incidents with nightmarish apparitions begin plaguing the towns citizens. Each are apparently distant past memories of the victims from their most frightening experiences earlier in their lives.
The over arching question, which is the ultimate fascination of Haven, is who and or what is behind these occurrences? The ongoing supernatural circumstances in Haven are at the heart of the program that is loved by millions of science fiction fans. After the first sequence with Duke Crocker (Eric Balfour) watching someone run for their lives In a local grocery store establishment the stage is set. Duke is simply dropping by for a case of specially ordered favorite beer.
As Duke heads to the back of the store the first victim of the nightmarish epidemic events is the store clerk (Frank Mackay) sees a woman enter his store with a hideously grotesque face.
Nest one of the store patron sees an apparition of horror followed by the sounds of a vicious barking and snarling black attack dog. Seemingly oblivious to whatever has panicked the man, a woman patron of the store turns to see her dead husband in the aisle and faints dead away.
Later we will move to a scene where Audrey’s mother Lucy Ripley (also portrayed by Emily Rose) haunts the environs of Haven as well! Fans will recall that this is not the first appearance of the Lucy Ripley whom we saw in 2010 as a crime scene victim in the season one episode “Perfect Plan”. This little fact will become relevant once again in the next episode “Love Machine”.
The events are only the beginning of the unraveling fabric of saneness in Haven! A bit later as the two Audrey’s are investigating the situation, “Alt Audrey” herself is scared out of her wits when a movie theatre empties out as the citizens flee for their lives as the epidemic of fear and loathing multiplies exponentially.
Once cannot help but theorize; Is this all somehow connected to what we have witnessed of the end Sheriff Wuornos (Nicholas Campbell) blown into oblivion? Or perhaps the sheriff was only destroyed in our “current” version of the realities time line that was warped for the worse by the appearance of “Alt Audrey” Kathleen Munroe?
Things did seem to get worse the second version of Audrey Parker appeared in the town of Haven. All of which has added an exciting element of suspense. Working with “our” Audrey Parker portrayed by Emily Rose, the available “horsepower” (brain power) will no doubt be sorely needed to determine what in the hell in the world of Haven is going on!
One of the results of the interactions, as witnessed in the opening moments, we should focus on the now promoted (or should I say capitulated) Nathan Wuornos (Lucas Bryant)? He is now holding the position of sheriff after the apparent demise of his father. We see that it will now be Nathan’s job to hold Haven “together”.
With regard to the elder Wuornos, I use the term “apparent” because as we have stated before, and all science fiction fans certainly know, is that no one really dies in science fiction! What should we take from all this? That in the future we might therefore expect the return of Nicolas Campbell whenever things settle down in Haven… If they ever do!
As the episode begins to unfold, we observe the towns people literally freaking out and with good reason. Haven, created by the gifted Sam Ernst brings the superb ensemble cast of Emily Rose, Eric Balfour, Lucas Bryant, Nicholas Campbell, Stephen McHattie, Gary Levert, Richard Donat, Michelle Monteith, and Kathleen Munroe face to face with their worst nightmares. As we learn in “Fear and Loathing” the apparitions are in fact nightmares from each targeted victims past lives.
As the drama continues the towns people become understandably frightened. Many are seeing things they simply do not understand including vicious dogs, people from horror movies or their own nightmares. Both Audrey and Alt Audrey endeavor to use their “Audrey” skills, which are considerable to track down the what, why, where and when of the situation. Most telling is that Audrey’s mother is seen once again!
During “Fear and Loathing” Audrey and Alt-Audrey continue to explore their shared memories as they investigate the strange activities unraveling in Haven caused by a person trying to escape Haven named Ian Haskell (Bryan Dick) who has the ability to make others visualize their greatest fears. He desperately seeks to bribe Duke and utilize his ship to get out of Haven before more harm is done.
However what the two Audreys’ will discover leads to a return of the demonstrated powers of The Colorado Kid in the following episode named “Love Machine”!
As the episode winds down, we continue to observe the two women brought together by fate. They enjoy a tender moment together after locating and killing the troublemaker, the past acquaintance of Duke named Ian who was trying to leave Haven after inflicting so such damage to others in his search for “feelings” caused by his sucking out of emotions in the townspeople. As for all episodes villain, Ian pays the ultimate price, death!
In closing this portion of our dual Haven dual review, I for one was hopeful that both Emily Rose and Kathleen Munroe will be featured for an extended period in the Haven series. Why? Because the alternative reality adventures with two Audrey Parker characters are quite enjoyable.
However as we will learn in the next episode, “Love Machine”, “Alt Audrey” will being going away 🙁
Love Machine:
The episode following “Fear and Loathing” is aptly named when the Audrey’s and Nathan must determine why a fishing vessel owned by a new corporation owned by a cranky fellow named Mr. Halsey portrayed by J.D. Nicholsen (also of Falling Skies) and then the machinery at the local docks begins to attack people! Yikes!
It is yet another outbreak of the wild, crazy and wonderful times in Haven. As the episode begins we observe more problems for Audrey, Nathan and Alt-Audrey to figure out before too many more of the citizens of Haven are killed before the ultimate return of the Colorado Kid expected by fans of this well done series.
The source of the odd activities this time center on malfunctioning equipment being controlled by someone or something with a mind of its own and an agenda! The trouble begins at the Haven docks as a load of fish being dumped on one of the fisherman on board the vessel! The poor fellow does not perish in the initial incident, however he is clearly knocked senseless is the process.
We segue to Audrey, Nathan and Alt-Audrey who are currently looking for an apartment above Duke’s bar for Alt-Audrey. There are several funny bits including Duke stating to Alt-Audrey “You are not as nice as the blond one” when she correctly identifies Duke’s bartender as a crook! Also funny is a line by Audrey after Alt-Audrey tells her where to hang her wind chimes. Audrey’s humorously responds “Maybe we are not that much alike”! Correct!
Previously, we learned that both Audrey’s apparently had the same memories, and therefore many assumed the two had same experiences. However this was a somewhat false assumption since a split in the time line experiences occurred as a result of two Audrey’s. The most notable item revealed in this season the revelation that Alt-Audrey had a different supervisor at the FBI than our Audrey herself.
During the episode more differences are noted including a taste in music, boyfriends, decorating and critically that Alt-Audrey has never heard of Lucy Ripley, mother of Audrey Parker from our version of Haven reality. The facts that have been revealed will play an important role at the end of the episode.
The sequences of mechanized madness continues to escalate with more people in Haven becoming victims including Mr. Halsey. Funeral services will be pending for these innocent souls. The upshot of the outbreak is that another misguided soul with an agenda of alleged love which has morphed into jealousy and hatred that unfortunately is far too common in our reality on Earth.
One of the greatest sadness’ in our world is that people who are involved with hate attacks often have little or no respect for themselves as taught by their parents and therefore replicate the hateful behavior in their own lives as cover for their own sins. These tragic souls then superimpose their own hatred from the mistakes they caused in their own lives on others to perform their dirty work and pass on the hatred to their own children which we can see everyday on television news and around the Internet.
During the Haven “Love Machine” episode the unwitting perpetrator is a local handyman named Louis Pufhal (Hugo Speer) illustrated above. Louis desires to leave Haven like many others from being exposed to all the frightening manifestations in the town! He is being thwarted from leaving Haven by the machines he has “fixed”.
Believing that if he “fixes them better” he can stop their insane jealousy which has turned into hatred for anyone that may be his ticket out of the supernaturally infested and haunted town. You see Louis plans to move to Florida with a female character named Marsha Steltzer portrayed by Lisa Houle (second wife of series star Steven McHattie) who runs the local ice skating rink.
As we know from observing peoples behavior in real life, jealousy is a powerful motive leading to hatred, attacks and even mayhem. Audrey and Nathan learn that Louis Puhfal is the common denominator behind the attacks having worked on all the affected machines. As Audrey and Nathan seek out Louis in his workshop, the machines Louis has fixed launch an all out attack on our two protagonists including embedding nails into Nathan’s back. At this point it is confirmed that Nathan has once again lost his feelings.
In the final sequences Alt-Audrey holds Duke at gun point for what appears to be an inexplicable reason, Marcia is attacked by a Zamboni ice rink conditioning machine pinning her against a wall at the ice rink in a final act of jealousy. Louis fixes the Zamboni and has to promise not to leave Haven to placate the “Love Machine” he has “fixed” into killing more innocent people like Marcia. We witness Nathan leading Marcia away in tears.
Alt-Audrey becomes the ultimate victim in “Love Machine” when her memory is erased while she in process of conducting her own investigation into the circumstances. There are touching moments when Duke realizes she is no longer herself after a rapport developed between the two earlier in the episode .
Also memorable is the final scenes when Audrey calls her former estranged boyfriend Brad whom she had met after Audrey has moved to Haven. As we suspect Alt-Audrey’s memory loss is apparently caused by the mysteriously elusive and yet to be identified Colorado Kid as defined in Stephen King’s book of the same name.
The episode conclude subsequent to Nathan and Audrey looking for coordinates that may contain clues about Audrey’s past history and why she is tied to Haven. The tip leads the pair to a forested area where a building once stood as evidenced by the yellowed grass.
The building which is supposed to contain clue’s is gone which segue’s us to the “Love Machine” montage song, a nice version of Elton John’s “Your Song” performed by Ellie Goulding.
We observe various scenes including Duke at the Grey Gull looking at a map he cannot figure out, Marcia returning a crook pot Louis has fixed before she leaves town, Nathan back at his office looking for clues to the enigma, and a scene with Audrey playing the song after she while she contemplates the recent events.
We include the BBC version of Ms. Goulding’s performance of “Your Song” below for your enjoyment.
Haven airs each Friday evening at 10 PM E/P 9 PM central on Syfy returning with “Sparks and Recreation” this Friday August 05, 2011. In the meantime we include below for your viewing pleasure courtesy of Syfy a special about Stephen King references in Haven via Hulu.
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Best Regards,
Kenn
