Haven (Season 1)

Ok, so oddly enough... even though I can't grasp what exactly I like about Haven, I find it pretty addicting.  I finished Season 1, although it was only 13 episodes, so not crazy long.  The lead actress to me still isn't quite standing out but in the moment, while I'm watching, I like her.  She reminds me too much of other actresses though, like a combination of Maggie Grace, Stana Katic, Anna Paquin, Robin Tunney and Mariska Hargitay.  But not really as good of an actress as any of them.  (Well, Robin Tunney is questionable, in my opinion).

I recognized only two people from the first season.  I'm used to seeing supporting actors and trying to figure out what else I've seen them in but so far I'm not recognizing anyone except for a guy who was killed off in the first episode of Buffy and the female lead from The Dead Zone (and she was only in the first episode).

I like that there are elements of a procedural show here but it is spun in a way I haven't seen before, except perhaps in Fringe.  There are obvious similarities between the two shows and Fringe comes out on top of all the categories except that I would say Haven looks a little prettier.  But seriously:
- Science Fiction?  Check
- Blonde lead female FBI Agent?  Check
- Stoic African-American Superior FBI Agent?  Check
- Characters who are somewhat helpful and yet obviously not telling you everything they know?  Check
- Blonde lead, with two male co-leads?  Check
- Mysterious cases to investigate that somehow she is right in the middle of?  Check
- Weird occurrences, believed only by our small investigating team?  Check
- Sinister undercurrent?  Check
I could keep going...

What I find intriguing as well as what makes me apprehensive is that there is an over-reaching science fiction arc throughout the whole season.  (And being that it wasn't resolved, I'm assuming throughout at least the next season as well).  We are left with questions about the town of Haven, Maine, its quirky townsfolk, the FBI Chief, and the origins of our main character, Audrey.  The questions are interesting enough to keep me watching but close enough to Lost to make me wonder if they will ever be answered properly or if we're supposed to think that loose ends are good?   I want to hope they will provide answers, but with Lost and The Mentalist, I am beginning to wonder whether hoping for answers is just an exercise in futility.  What is the saying...?  The definition of insanity is doing the exact same thing over and over again while expecting a different result?  Are these television shows driving me slowly insane?  Hopefully not.  Until then, I am on to Season 2.

Haven

Just started watching the first few episodes of a show called Haven.  Not sure if any of you have heard of it?  It wasn't my intended pick, as I went on to Netflix to start watching either Almost Human or Justified, but then this show was listed as a top pick for me so I decided to check it out.  So far, it feels like a lesser version of a lot of shows I like, almost an amalgamation of Lost, Fringe, X-Files, Gilmore Girls (for the small town feel), Supernatural and maybe a little Persons Unknown thrown in for flavor.  I looked it up and it airs on the SyFy Channel, which I don't think I have seen anything from before.  That is, if they do other original programming, I don't think I've heard of it, but these days it seems almost every station is starting to do original programming, which I think is very cool.  Diversity and imagination is good for television!  The first few episodes that I've watched have a "monster of the week" feel to them but there are hints that the show may go for a larger arc that may be interesting.   I like the main character, a blonde female FBI agent, but she is no Ana Torv.  Something about the characters so far has not drawn me in.  I don't know what it is, but it doesn't have the quirkiness and immediate draw that most of the other shows I listed above had for me.  The main guy so far seems so bland that I find myself forgetting about him and I don't think I'd recognize him if he was in anything else.  My initial take is if they had found a better male lead, this show might have grabbed me right away.  Anyway, I think I will give this show that I have never heard of a try until it loses my interest or I determine I don't like it.  Maybe neither of those things will happen.  The other series will be there when I need a new one but for today, I think it's fun to have found a potential series to be interested in that yesterday I didn't know existed.