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Blu-ray Review: HAVEN Season 5, Volume 1

Sep 08, 2015 Posted by in DVD/Blu-ray, Reviews | Comments

The fifth season of Haven picks up immediately after the exciting events of the fourth season finale. The gang has successfully banished William to the void, but at what cost? Audrey Parker (Emily Rose) seems to be gone, replaced by the evil Mara—the woman who originally brought the Troubles to Haven centuries beforehand. And Duke’s (Eric Balfour) love Jennifer is also missing. Nathan (Lucas Bryant) refuses to believe that Audrey is gone for good, but can he find a way to bring her back before Mara can unleash even more of her evil on the town?

Volume 1 of the double-length fifth season centers around the goal of stopping Mara before she can get a hold of the Aether, find a “thinny” back into the void, or unleash a whole host of new troubles on the town. However, these 13 episodes follow a similar formula to past seasons, where we get a Trouble-of-the-Week type case in each episode that also serves to further the season-long story arc.

Another common theme this season is revealing the secrets these characters have been hiding all these years. Dave (John Dunsworth) was injured at the end of last season and still hasn’t fully recovered. He is constantly having daydreams/nightmares of running through the woods, but can’t explain what is going on. So Vince decides to look for clues to unlock the truth about Dave’s past. Meanwhile, Nathan learns about the kiss she shared with Duke; Duke is struggling to contain the Troubles inside him that are trying to burst out; and Dwight (Adam Copeland) has to deal with a new threat as CDC doctor Charlotte (Laura Mennell) comes to town looking for answers as to the mysterious illness that has killed several townsfolk.

This “Volume 1” was a mixed bag for me. Many of the episodes felt like two-parters, despite only one pair being labeled as such. While I really enjoyed some of the storylines, others felt like they dragged on a bit too long—I wasn’t really a fan of the purgatory themed episodes, and I got a bit tired of Mara by the end—after a while, it felt like Mara was just there so that Duke/Audrey shippers could get a glimpse of what could have been. That said, Emily Rose does do a really good job portraying these two very different characters, making us hate a version of the character we’ve loved so much over the seasons!

There are a lot of fun, interesting and horrifying new Troubles this season. One of my absolute favorite episodes was the two-part “The Old Switcheroo”, which involved several of the townsfolk swapping bodies with one another—this was really well done and led to some hilarious moments. Mainly in these episodes, but also throughout the season we get some really great scenes between Dave and Vince, and between Gloria and Dwight—both heartwarming and hilarious. I also really enjoyed new character Charlotte and what she brings to the group’s dynamic.

The Blu-ray looks amazing, even better than the series originally did on the HD Syfy channel. The picture is crisp and every detail/special effect looks great. The soundtrack is also really well done, utilizing the surround channel to make the viewer feel like (s)he is part of the action on screen. The discs are loaded with bonus features. There are audio commentaries on every episode, each voiced by a duo of actors, writers or executive producers. There are also really fun “Inside Haven” cast interviews for each episode. And rounding out the bonus features are two short “Haven: Origins” films that take a look at a couple of the original Troubled as they find their way to the small town.



What’s Included:

Episodes: (554 min)

  • All 13 Episodes of the first half of the fifth season:
    “See No Evil”, “Speak No Evil”, “Spotlight”, “Much Ado About Mara”, “The Old Switcheroo” Parts 1 & 2, “Nowhere Man”, “Exposure”, “Morbidity”, “Mortality”, “Reflections”, “Chemistry”, “Chosen”
  • 1080p / Widescreen 1.78:1
  • Audio: English DTD HD-MA 5.1, English Dolby Digital 5.1
  • Subtitles: English SDH

Extras:

  • Audio Commentaries
    There are audio commentaries included for every episode, each with various pairs of participants who are teamed up for 2 consecutive episodes (the break down is listed below). Overall these commentaries provide some really fun discussions of the episodes and lots of interesting behind-the-scenes anecdotes and stories. I really enjoyed the commentaries with the actors as it’s always fun to hear them talking about their experiences on set.
    The audio quality of these commentaries varies from episode to episode. The audio is presented only through the center channel, and for some of the commentaries (namely the first and final pair), it sounds like the participants recorded in an empty cavern. And during the season finale commentary someone is constantly tapping the mic, which gets a bit distracting.

    • “See No Evil” – director/executive producer Shawn Piller, executive producer Lloyd Segan
    • “Speak No Evil” – director/executive producer Shawn Piller, executive producer Lloyd Segan
    • “Spotlight” – actors Emily Rose & Lucas Bryant
    • “Much Ado About Mara” – actors Emily Rose & Lucas Bryant
    • “The Old Switcheroo” Parts 1 & 2 – actor Adam Copeland, writer Adam Higgs
    • “Nowhere Man” – writers Brian Millikin & Nick Parker
    • “Exposure” – writers Brian Millikin & Nick Parker
    • “Morbidity” – writers Speed Weed & Adam Higgs
    • “Mortality” – writers Speed Weed & Adam Higgs
    • “Reflections” – writers Shernold Edwards & Y. Shireen Razack
    • “Chemistry” – writers Shernold Edwards & Y. Shireen Razack
    • “Chosen” – executive producer Gabrielle Stanton, writer Matt McGuinness
  • Inside Haven Featurettes (47:01)
    Each of these 3-5 minute featurettes includes episode clips and discussions with the cast, who share their thoughts on and behind-the-scenes stories about the episode. Those interviewed include stars Lucas Bryant (“Nathan”), Emily Rose (“Audrey/Mara”), Eric Balfour (“Duke”), Adam Copeland (“Dwight”), Jayne Eastwood (“Gloria”), Laura Mennell (“Charlotte”), John Dunsworth (“Dave”) and Jay Reso (“McHugh”). These are a lot of fun— the editors have done a great job adding humor by the way that they intercut the clips with the interviews. You can tell how much fun these folks have on-set—the actors have great chemistry with one another during these interviews. Play All or select from “Episode 1” through “Episode 13”.
  • Haven: Origins: Witches Are Born (7:29)
    A pregnant woman runs for her life as a group of men chase after her, believing her to be a witch, but the forest comes to life to help protect her. This short film is presented in a 2.35:1 aspect ratio.
  • Haven: Origins: Native Breaks Free (7:07)
    During the War of 1812, a “Troubled” Native American with a deadly scream is captured for use as a weapon for battle. This short film is presented in a 2.35:1 aspect ratio.
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    Final Thoughts:

    My Rating
    Episodes:
    Video:
    Audio:
    Extras:
    Recommended (Highly, For Fans)

    Volume 1 of the fifth season of Haven provides interesting new Troubles, an exciting season-long arc, new characters, and answers to some longstanding questions. The episodes build up to an exciting reveal and explosive season finale that has me excited to see the final season when the series returns to Syfy next month! The Blu-ray looks and sounds great and is loaded with audio commentaries, cast interviews and more. Fans of the series should definitely pick this up, but those new to the series may find themselves a bit lost at first if jumping in with the fifth season.