Darkside Seekers. Review: Haven — “Shot in the Dark”

Season 4, Episode 11

Air Date: Friday, November 22, 2013, 10/9c on Syfy.

Rating: ★★★★★

“How many gas leaks does a small fishing village need to have before they get new pipes?” – Seth

The title of this episode is a bit of a controversy. Syfy’s Haven show site titles this episode “Shot in the Dark,” while all the clips we’ve posted, as well as IMDB have it titled “Monster’s Ball.” For argument’s sake, I’ll go with “Shot in the Dark;” given the hairy creature that’s featured in this week’s Haven, it goes without saying. But the heart hungry monster isn’t the only thing visiting the not-so sleepy town of Haven, ME. The Darkside Seekers have come and are digging up the dirt everyone is trying to sweep under the proverbial rug.

The Darkside Seekers

Seth (guest star Kris Lemche) and his trusty cameraman Anderson (guest star Danny Masterson) go to Haven seeking evidence of some supernatural creature that is literally eating people’s hearts out. What’s interesting is this isn’t Seth’s first visit to Haven. Seems he and his family vacationed there when he was a boy and something he saw changed him, making him the paranormal chaser he is now. I find it odd yet sensible that Seth confides in Dwight (Adam Copeland). I think Dwight is the kind of person you feel you can trust with a secret and know he won’t repeat it. While I was anxious to see “Shot in the Dark,” because of the Darkside Seekers and guest star Masterson, it is Lemche who takes center stage and shines. I didn’t know much about Lemche’s previous works and found him to be unassuming at first. But as “Shot in the Dark” progressed, I grew fond of his character and found him to be quite intriguing. Seth is a bit obnoxious but Lemche convincingly plays him as the host of a ghost hunter type show. If you know me, you know I’m very much into the paranormal and supernatural. I watch nearly all the ghost hunting shows on television. I can’t say the Darkside Seekers’ little escapade constitutes a real show, but I could see it being a big draw with an online video channel on the cusp of getting its own network show.

What surprises me is Anderson’s subdued nature. I thought for sure Masterson would be more pronounced in this first peek of the outsiders arriving in Haven, but he tones it down making his character seem a bit more…mysterious. I wonder if we’ll see more of Seth and Anderson in the season finale. Despite their announcement not to post the footage of what they saw in Haven, these two guys are up to something, I’m just not sure what that something is yet.

Phantom Bullet

Audrey (Emily Rose) and William (Colin Ferguson) are very connected as we saw in “The Trouble with the Troubles.” When Nathan (Lucas Bryant) shot William, Audrey also went down with a twin wound. I’d hoped for more insight into their connection; however, we learn something Audrey hasn’t confided to anyone else. Why does Audrey feel like she can talk about this to Vince (Richard Donat) but not Nathan or perhaps Duke? I’m still anxious to find out about the connection between Duke and Audrey that was hinted at in the conference call with Eric Balfour. I think Audrey felt something more than she wanted to when William touched her. The electricity between them could have sparked a memory or memory of feelings she had for William, feelings she may be ashamed of especially because of her love for Nathan. William’s presence in Haven seems to come at an odd time. Again, I think his link to Audrey may also be linked to Agent Howard (Maurice Dean Wint). If Audrey and William did create the troubles, why did they do it? And it doesn’t go unnoticed so…where is Dave (John Dunsworth)? He’s the one who’s been saying all along that something is awry in Haven with the changing troubles. He found that old journal that foretold it. This morphing of the troubles has happened before and that’s what I’m very curious about. How long have the troubles plagued Haven? The twist in the story is the miraculous healing of both William and Audrey. It doesn’t escape me that the heart monitor flat-lines before Audrey suddenly opens her eyes fully healed. If she and William are both immune to the troubles and can both heal, doesn’t that seem…peculiar?

Wild hair theory: Are Audrey and William ancient immortals who like to toy with humans, thus creating these incredible troubles?

Unstake My Heart

Throughout “Shot in the Dark,” a creature goes around town attacking everyone with the birthday of June 12, 1981. It’s no coincidence that Jennifer (Emma Lahana) shares that birthday. She’s connected to the barn but it’s so much deeper than that. If you recall from “Crush,” Jennifer retrieved a box of so-called junk from her suspected birth parents’ former home. In the box was a book with a very interesting title, “Unstake My Heart.” Even more shocking, Audrey recognizes the book. While the tell-tale signs point to this creature being the manifestation of someone’s trouble, we know William can give someone a trouble or create something from those tiny little black globules he carries around.

The monster attacking people isn’t just an ordinary trouble and we don’t know who the troubled person is or if it’s anyone at all. There is an interesting passage that Jennifer reads from the book, “In times of great evil, the child of ruin must find the heart of Haven and summon the door.” Find the heart of Haven? That could be Audrey but now, it could also be William. Moreover, Jennifer can summon the door and we know the door leads to the other side of the barn.

Funny lines

Nathan and Duke visit one of the victim’s best friends to get information but encounter Seth and Anderson who are asking probing questions. When Nathan threatens to arrest them both, an argument ensues.

Anderson: “Yeah, I know he can’t arrest us, which is why I am gonna keep exercising my first amendment right of free speech and ask you, Mr. Ponytail (Duke), don’t you feel like grunge died in the 90s?”

***

Dwight tries to scare Seth with threats but explains privately to Nathan that he has an agenda in his methods:

Dwight: “I’m done pissing him off. I was just trying to get under his skin so that he’d slip up and tell us where they’re uploading their footage. I can have Jennifer digging through those files by the time we get to the station.”

Nathan: “Jennifer can do that?”

Dwight: “As far as I can tell, everyone younger than me can do that.”

***

Jennifer tells Audrey she doesn’t think the book is really important.

Jennifer: “No, seriously, I read this and it makes Twilight look like Faulkner.”

Overall

“Shot in the Dark” starts off a little shaky, and it’s not entirely due to the hand-held camera POV of the Darkside Seekers, but it gradually shifts into a very revealing episode. While we still don’t have clear answers about Audrey and William’s connection or how Audrey is the reason behind the troubles, we do get some insight into Jennifer’s link with not only the barn but Agent Howard himself. He’s the only one who could have left that book for Jennifer to find. He was, after all, the man behind her adoption and removal from Haven. Why did Agent Howard move Jennifer away from Haven? Did he know she would find her way back?

Haven is on holiday next week due to Thanksgiving.

Tune in Friday, December 6, 2013 at 10/9c for part one of the two part season finale of Haven.

For more on Haven, go to http://www.syfy.com/haven.

Follow the show on Twitter @Syfy using hashtag #DiscoverHaven, as well as cast members @EmilyroseLA, @EricBalfour, @davehaven, and @vincehaven. For Eric Balfour fans – follow @EricBalfourfans.

LIKE Haven on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/haven.

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Judy Manning

Dream chaser extraordinaire! Judy tends to be a tad sarcastic and kind of goofy! She is an avid admirer of all things supernatural, paranormal, celestial and mystical. She loves to read, write, and watches way too much TV. She enjoys many genres of film and music (and let's be honest, most music from the 80s). She also has a wicked sweet tooth. Cupcakes beware.