First of all, the good news for Haven fans is that Syfy announced the series was renewed for Season 3 and there was an order for 13 episodes which will air in the Summer 2012. This panel was added at the last-minute so it was a pleasant surprise. There was no formal screening but the audience was treated to an out-takes reel as well as a sneak preview of the special Christmas episode which is a stand-alone episode so it won’t take place after the action of the Season 2 finale. I was a bit wary of it as I tend to dislike special holiday episodes but this one looked fun since the “trouble” was that everyone thought it was Christmas in July. It will be airing on Syfy on December 6th at 10pm.
The Haven panel consisted of the shows stars, Emily Rose (Audrey), Lucas Bryant (Nathan) and Eric Balfour (Duke) along with the shows writer/producers Sam Ernst and Jim Dunn. Ernest and Dunn talked about the beginnings of the show, and how initially it didn’t have any supernatural elements until they sent a draft of the story to Stephen King who felt there needed to be one so they added it to the show.
Eric Balfour talked at length about Duke and has given a great deal of thought to his character. He wants to ensure that Duke is “as badass as possible” and finds ways to increase his “badassness.” For example, in the episode when Duke’s boat is hijacked, he insisted he pull a gun on the perpetrators and he should shoot them. The compromise was that they took the bullets out of the gun. But Balfour believes the appeal of Duke is that he’s a reluctant hero who is extremely violent. He’s looking forward to more opportunities for this next season.
There were questions whether the producers would be bringing Dwight (“Edge”) back to the show this coming season. They said although there aren’t any concrete plans they would love to have him back. This topic extended to former cast members who were troubled. Fans wanted to know if any would be brought back and the answer was yes, sporadically fans will see previous guest stars return.
The producers revealed they have at least eight seasons worth of shows they’d like to do and that’s the goal they’re aiming for but right now; in this climate, they just seemed pleased they get another year of making Haven. Audience members were given an edition of the Haven Herald upon entering the room which includes “local stories” and a promo for a Stephen King book, Trouble In Mind. It’s a clever giveaway that represents the two mysterious characters (Vince and Dave) that seem to be at the heart of the mystery with the show. I hope in Season 3 more about their involvement gets revealed. Hint. Hint.
Film & TV reviews by Romi 