Haven

If a grocery store sells paperback books, they most often carry many titles churned out by the author Stephen King. Usually, they’re top-sellers and are prominently displayed. There are new titles so often that is seems there may be a sweatshop in some country where children are ordered to write scary stories really really fast — then the Stephen King Corporation glances through them to find the best of mediocrity. ‘Haven’ appropriately represents this, and would be perfect for watching on your smartphone while waiting in checkout lines. Crying without tears. Humor without laughter. Plot without substance. Acting without appropriate skills. Haven has it all, even the kitchen sink. $3.00 an episode, or $20 for a season? Anyone willing to pay those prices would be a swampland merchant's dream. Nothing but reruns on regular TV, and, Haven is part of your Netflix or Prime streaming subscription… maybe… It's one of those shows you can miss gaps or episodes of, and it really doesn't matter. There’s so much choice when it comes to good television these days, and while Haven doesn’t come close to representing that —you could do worse.

I agree with the critics above except that I would say it really started to improve about the middle of the second season -- though the "two Audreys" sub-plot bridging season 1 and 2 was well done. They've kept up with the "trouble of the week" format for the most part but the overall mythology has grown and adds more substance to the later episodes. And they've gone a touch "darker" which adds a nice contrast to the idyllic setting. If I were to recommend, I'd say skipping the first 12 episodes wouldn't leave you at much of a loss.