This weeks episode of Haven continues last weeks trend of continuous improvement. For those whove been tepid toward the series thus far, this weeks episode might give you a warmer feeling and may even be the episode that wins you over.

The basics in a nutshell: this weeks episode is titled Harmony and revolves around the Haven psychiatric hospital, the institution as well as its patients. At the forefront of the episode is a woman named Lily who is a fidgety psychotic woman obsessed with playing the piano. She is sometimes strange, sometimes lucid, and it is this bizarre disorder that is the underlying theme for the episode.

You see, it is one of those psychotic ailments that seems to be contagious. It's also via this affliction that viewers are introduced to the paranormal in this episode. Note: without giving too much away, rage is the prevalent trait characterizing this particular episode. It appears there is a lot of negative and rank emotional baggage lurking underneath the town of Haven that is slowly bubbling to the surface as each new episode unfolds. Watch it, youll see.

What Worked

The production quality of the series is improving with each new episode. Episode 3 did not appear rushed or have any of that thrown together feel predominant in the pilot episode. This is a good thing for the series; looking professional and polished will give Haven an extra edge.

What also worked well in this episode was the supernatural, or rather, lack thereof. The weirdness that was shown had to do primarily with mental disorders, the realm of the imagined and imaginary, and this played out well on screen. A lot of the minor details were also left for the audiences imagination, things that were hinted at but not necessarily seen. This is a nice touch, as it enables viewers to participate in the episodes horror and the supernatural elements.

What Didnt Work

Haven has not been successful in advancing the story much further than what takes place in the individual episodes. Apart from the three main characters, there has been no continuance or cohesion between the first three episodes. This is proving to be confusing when one tries to think about the bigger picture. What took place last week appears to have had no bearing on the outcome of this weeks episode. Thus, it is not too much of a stretch to think that the events in Harmony will also have no bearing on future episodes.

Another disappointment is that none of the supporting characters from the previous episodes have yet returned to the screen. The supporting characters with whom weve become acquainted, perhaps briefly even come to like, have since vanished into the ethereal mists of Haven. Hopefully we will get to see some of these characters again. After all, their purpose is to support, to give a solid foundation to the overall plot of Haven.

To summarize, Harmony was the best episode Haven thus far, illustrating that good character development and subtle plot hints work better than over-the-top CGI.

Giving Credit Where Credit is Due

"Haven" stars Audrey Parker, Lucas Bryant, Eric Balfour, Richard Donat, John Dunsworth. Harmony was written by Matt McGuinness and directed by Rachel Talalay.