Nathan is in pursuit of The Guard, the society of troubled people with that nautical tattoo we’ve seen popping up for ages. Duke must deal with his family legacy. Will killing Audrey really end the troubles as his father believed? Meanwhile, Audrey is hot on the trail of the Colorado Kid and learns more of her past personas. We are also introduced to Audrey’s abductor, the bolt gun killer—Haven’s own serial murderer who also happens to be a skinwalker. Fun stuff.
The strengths and weaknesses of the show are still in force in Haven Season Three. Downsides? Occasionally silly troubles. Upsides? Strong characters and great dialogue. It is the strength of the characters (and the actors playing them) that makes the show so enjoyable. Let’s examine two episodes out of the thirteen to give you a taste.
In the season opener (“301”) Audrey has been abducted by somebody who tortures her for information about the Colorado Kid. The location of the Colorado Kid and the barn become big plot points this season. But who is this guy, and how does he know so much about Audrey’s past personas? Meanwhile, Duke and Nathan are interrupted from killing each other by a new trouble: there’s a guy in town who believes aliens are coming, and his trouble makes it true. Nathan saves the town by talking the guy into joining the aliens as his grandfather may have done the last time the troubles were affecting Haven.
What seems like a silly trouble allows for an interesting dynamic to play out between the characters. Nathan can kill and allow people to die because he’s the law, but Duke is always evil. It’s a dynamic that continues from Haven Season Three into the fourth season, but saves itself from being annoying by the growing mutual respect the two develop—albeit slowly—for each other. This tension circles around Audrey and comes to an immediate halt whenever she is in need. In fact, everybody stops fighting when Audrey reveals that the Colorado Kid might still be alive. They gather around to dig up his grave and discover it’s empty. All that is inside is a message left for Audrey from Lucy—her previous persona. The mystery of Haven and the troubles grips all the characters and always outweighs any internal conflicts they may be having.
Whereas alien troubles may seem to be pushing the boundaries of believability, the trouble revealed in “Sarah” is more entertaining. Duke looks up a name from an unfinished entry in his father’s assassination journal and encounters Stuart Mosley, an elderly man who freaks out when he sees Duke and sends him back to 1955. This changes the present, giving Audrey, the only person aware of the changes, a challenge to figure out who’s trouble is at work.
Eventually, Nathan is sent back in time as well where he meets Sarah, Audrey’s persona from the troubles in 1955. Emily Rose is delightful as a red-headed nurse. When Nathan meets her he is twitterpated. Although we suspect Nathan only sees Sarah as Audrey, he gives in to his enchantment. This has ramifications later on in the season. Meanwhile, Duke, who had discovered that his grandfather doesn’t want to kill the troubled, thinks he can change his fate by helping his grandfather not kill Stuart Mosley. In this way, he can help his grandfather avoid being killed by Sarah.
Since this is television, the timeline is restored in the past just in time to save Audrey from the deadly present. This episode was my favorite of Haven Season Three, however—even more than the exciting and revelatory season ender—because of the actors and their chemistry. We learned more about Audrey’s past and moved the story along while still dealing with the trouble of the week. Although the Guard is starting to become more of a pain this season, and Nathan’s romance with the pain inducing Guard leader, Jordan McKee is even more annoying than his last non-Audrey romance, the mystery of the Colorado Kid, the barn, Agent Howard, and the troubles comes to an explosive conclusion. It makes you wonder what they have up their sleeves for the next season.
Original Air Dates: September 21, 2012 – January 17, 2013 (USA)
TV Parental Guidelines Rating: Not Rated
Network: Syfy
MySF Rating: Four point zero stars
Family Friendliness: 75%
Alcohol/Drugs: 2 (social drinking, scenes in a bar)
Language: 1 (mild deity, d & h words)
Nudity: 0
Sexuality: 1 (implied)
Violence: 3 (blood, gore, ichor, gunplay, and people being generally nasty to each other with sharp implements)
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