The series Haven follows life in the town of Haven, Maine, where residents have strange afflictions that they call "troubles." Chief Nathan Wournos (Lucas Bryant) and detective Audrey Parker (Emily Rose), originally of the FBI, attempt to control the troubles and keep the town safe. Audrey, who has here own strange past, has somehow always been there to help the town through the decades, though always as someone new. She is immune to the troubles and may hold the key to getting rid of them forever.

They are also helped by Duke Crocker (Eric Balfour), often a third to the love triangle between Audrey and Nathan, who this season discovers he has a trouble of his own.

Season three of Haven moves deeper into the mythology of the first two seasons, while still maintaining a mystery of the week format.

Certain mysteries are moved forward a bit, such as that of the Colorado Kid, who fans will finally get to meet. In season three fans also learn much more about who Audrey is, and who she was, and get a glimpse of her previous personas.

A big part of the mythology in season three is with a possible short-time cure for the troubles - if Audrey leaves and becomes someone else again.

Season three also brings in a new multi-arc storyline with the introduction of the bolt gun killer, which plays out to completion throughout the season.

New characters are also introduced:

Jordan McKee (Kate Kelton) - a member of the Guard with a trouble of her own, and an interest in a certain lawman.

Tommy Bowen (Dorian Missick) - Boston police detective who may be able to help them with their investigations, but all is not what it seems.

Dr. Claire Callahan (Bree Williamson) - the psychiatrist who is brought in to talk to Audrey and help her deal with being abducted, whether she wants the help or not.

Adam Copeland also returns as Dwight, and has a bigger part to play this season.

I really enjoyed season three of the series. Haven is one of my favorite television shows, and season three helped to answer some questions, yet also bring in new ones. I enjoyed that they did delve more into the mythology and complex storyline, yet still did a good job balancing it with the weekly stories. This season we also got to see both Lucy and Sarah and understand who she was before Audrey. I also really liked the twist with the Colorado Kid.

The season also focuses a lot on the Barn which is almost a character in and of itself. The idea that there may be a way to stop the troubles is intriguing, yet heartbreaking.

The show itself is beautiful; the landscape of Nova Scotia fits the New England town. The series has also done a great job with giving it a darker feel at times, and showing that other side of the idyllic town.

The characters are well developed and the stories are always interesting, and I enjoy seeing what they come up with next. Season three is no exeption, and is the best so far.

Bonus Features

The Haunting Truth About Haven: A Documentary (over 42 mins)

This feature is over 42 minutes and really gives a look behind the scenes of production of the series. The documentary includes clips of the actors in their free time (hear Emily Rose sing), as well as snippets of crew members talking about their jobs. The majority of the documentary, however, is a behind the scenes look at the making of episode six, "Real Estate," from location scouting to filming, to getting a warning that the house really is haunted, and everything in between, from the crew's point of view. The feature really shows you what a day on the set would be like.

Haven Panel from New York Comic Con - self explanatory

Cast Interviews

Emily Rose, Lucas Bryant, & Eric Balfour - These on camera interviews with the cast were enjoyable. If you have listened to or read interviews with the cast before, a lot of the content is repeat, yet the actors seem to find a way to keep it fresh and interesting. I also really enjoyed hearing about their "band," and it was funny to watch them tease Bryant.

Iain Glen - In the interview Glen talked about getting the role on Haven, as well as some things such as the effect on his life of working on Game of Thrones. Another topic was about how both series were adapted from novels.

Nolan North & Emily Rose - This feature is of Emily Rose conducting an interview with Nolan North, who guest starred as Brady in episode 11, "Last Goodbyes." They also worked together previously on Uncharted. They talk about things such as chemistry and working together, as well things such as the collaborative work of the crew on Haven.

"Escape to Haven" Webisodes - These eight videos feature Kate Kelton as Jordan, and are basically an introduction to what the Guard is all about. Not necessary to understand the series, but it's a nice addition.

Deleted/Alternate Scenes - Self explanatory. There are quite a bit of them, which is nice if you enjoy that kind of feature.

Behind-the-Scenes Footage Reel - This is just a bunch of different pieces strung together with music. It's cute but you don't really learn anything.

Blooper Reel - Lots of line flubs and mistakes. Cute feature, but many of the others are better.

Season 3 Trailers - These include the International Promo, the New Season Trailer, and the Home Entertainment Trailer for the DVD release.

Season 4 Teaser - Since the DVDs were released before the start of the new season, it obviously doesn't reveal much.

Audio Commentaries - Included are audio tracks for episode two, "Stay," and four, "Over My Head," with Gabrielle Stanton and Matt McGuinness, episode nine, "Sarah," with Nora and Lilla Zuckerman, episode eleven, "Last Goodbyes," with Brian Millikin and Shernold Edwards, episode twelve, "Reunion," with Gabrielle Stanton and Brian Millikin, and episode thirteen, "Thanks for the Memories," with Sam Ernst and Jim Dunn.

Comic Book - Included in the disc set is a mini comic book, After the Storm, that is supposed to bridge the gap between the end of season three and beginning of season four. It's mostly about what happened to Jordan and Nathan leaving. It doesn't give a whole lot of insight, but if you are a fan it's definitely worth a read.

Packaging

I was given the blu-ray set to review, which contains four discs in the standard clamshell case, with a side sliding slip cover. Unfortunately the discs only contain the disc number; however, the contents of each disc are listed behind the discs if you take out the insert. While I prefer at least episodes listed on the discs, this is the next best alternative and it gives descriptions of each episode in each listing which is really helpful. Disc one includes episodes 1-4, two has 5-8, disc three contains 9-12, leaving episode 13 on disc four, as well as all the bonus features, which are all listed on the insert. All of the commentaries are also listed.

Overall, the set has a lot of extras for the series, and if you are a fan, I definitely recommend it, even if you've been watching the show all season on Syfy.


Buy Haven the Complete Third Season at Amazon