Fandom Overview: Haven

[shadowkeeper.livejournal.com]

Background: Haven is a SyFy show based very loosely on Stephen King's novel The Colorado Kid. (a pretty great mystery novel if you'd be interested).

Basically, Haven is a small coastal town in Maine. Where the citizens are plagued with something called 'The Troubles'- a heredity propensity for (usually dangerous or at the very least, deeply inconvenient) supernatural powers. Which comes and goes in cycles with a 22 year respite from their woes in between periods of Troubles. Powers can range from causing tornadoes to attracting bullets(seriously) to causing plagues. As a show, Haven is a procedural where most episodes tend to deal with a 'trouble of the week' and various characters, other people, possibly the whole town, is threatened by a manifesting power. The season arcs tend to deal with the mythology surrounding Haven itself, and what role the characters have in its cyclical curse.

Haven has currently aired 3 seasons with a 4th on the way, to be aired sometime in 2013.
Seasons are 13 episodes long, so if you want to watch and catch up on the show, it's not the biggest commitment you'd have to make. (I can go through a quick and dirty episode-recs list for people who want to try a few episodes before committing.)

The Characters: Haven boasts a lovely array of side and reoccurring characters and some pretty awesome ladies, but for the purposes of a quick introduction for fic reccing, let's focus on our lovely trio of main characters: one of the best reasons to watch the show.


This is Audrey Parker. As the show opens, Audrey is an FBI agent sent to Haven to investigate a routine case when she stumbles into the Troubles and decides to stick around the town working as a detective to find answers. Or so she thought. Turns out, Audrey Parker is only the most recent identity of a mysterious Haven figure that comes to town every 22 years, with different names and different memories each time, and works to help the Troubled before disappearing again.

Audrey is immune to the effects of the Troubles, and between helping out the citizens of Haven, she's trying to find out about her past- who her previous identities are, what her purpose in Haven actually is, and who the Colorado Kid is.

When Audrey decides to stay in Haven, she stays on at the police department and partners Nathan. She lives in the apartment over Duke's bar, and their friendship is pretty fun and adorable when the mood of the show allows it.


Nathan Wuornos, a detective, is the son of Haven's sheriff and is one of the first Haven residents Audrey meets. He also is afflicted with a Trouble: Nathan can't feel. (Psychical sensations, not an emotional stuffiness) Nathan can't feel pain or physical injury, or anything he touches except for Trouble immune Audrey. For much of the show, the only physical sensation Nathan is capable of feeling is Audrey's touch.

Nathan is involved or gets dragged into a lot of the conspiracy that exists among certain older Haven citizens, especially after he finds out he may have a role to play. He also has a connection to one of Audrey's previous incarnations.


Duke Crocker is a pirate a smuggler Haven's resident bad boy. He owns a boat, which may or may not be used for slightly illegal purposes at times, and a bar over which he rents a studio to Audrey. At first, Duke starts out as a reluctant aid to Audrey and Nathan's investigations, but he tends to find himself in the middle of dodgy situations. Eventually, he gets past his knee-jerk reaction about cops when he realizes they've become his best friends. (Well, Audry is. He and Nathan have a more complicated relationship)
Partway though the show, it is revealed that Duke actually has a Trouble himself and has a role in Haven's ongoing drama.

Duke and Nathan have history. It's never been completely revealed what that history is exactly, but they grew up together, at one point were friends, but by the time the show starts, they mostly hate each other, or make a good show of it. Audrey acts as a great buffer between them though, and in between bouts of being on opposite sides of some conflict or another, when they work together, they make the most effective team.



Ok, that is actually the cast, but it perfectly sums up my attitude to character relationships between the trio which is:OT3!
Haven is a fantastic show for shipping options between interesting, well developed characters (for romance, friendships, rivalries, and more!) The show may present them in a standard love-triangle, but arguments can be made for any pairing, in 2's or in a threesome. There's enough canon text/subtext, angst, fluff, friendships, and heightened circumstances all around to make a case for any way you want to swing!

For more information, LJ comms tend to stay dead between season airings, so try tumblr!

Comments

[mrwubbles.livejournal.com]

Oh yay! I just got into this show so very excited to see it here. Great overview!

[shadowkeeper.livejournal.com]

Yay, more Haven fans!
Hope you enjoy at least a few recs. :)

[scribblinlenore.livejournal.com]

Awesome! I'm a recent convert to the show, and I can't wait for your recs. Some new stories will help tide me over until the new season airs. :)

[shadowkeeper.livejournal.com]

For some reason, the wait for Haven seems a little longer than it did for other shows. Maybe because there are only 13 episodes. Fic tided me over nicely between season 2 and 3, and at least we know when 4's coming.
I hope you enjoy at least a few recs this month. :)

[ghostrunner7.livejournal.com]

Yay, Haven!

[shadowkeeper.livejournal.com]

Yay!
Hope you enjoy this month!

[indigocat.livejournal.com]

He (Nathan) also has a connection to one of Audrey's previous incarnations.

I would say that's an understatement.

[shadowkeeper.livejournal.com]

I was trying my best to avoid spoilers.
(I can never tell where the acceptable spoilers line is considering I don't personally believe in them, but I didn't want to give the game away for the people that do care.)

[meredith44]

Haven might be my favorite show at the moment. I'm so happy to see it here!

[twigged.livejournal.com]

Thanks for posting this!

[shadowkeeper.livejournal.com]

:)

Also, is there a way to remove a tag from a post? I mistagged one and now it seems like I can't get the incorrect tag out.

[twigged.livejournal.com]

I think that only mods can remove tags. Link me to whatever needs fixed and I'll take care of it. Thanks!

[shadowkeeper.livejournal.com]

http://crack-van.livejournal.com/6010785.html

The doctor who tag isn't suposed to be there.
Thanks!

[twigged.livejournal.com]

Fixed!

[kattahj.livejournal.com]

I just finished watching the show, and I'm so glad that you're doing recs, and that you're primarily OT3 focused. I'm so OT3-shippy with this show it's ridiculous, and I hate the moments if ship rivalry, because I need them all to be happy together. (I even kind of prefer when one or more of them is dating someone else, because that takes the pressure off the triangle and they can all just be awesome together.)

[shadowkeeper.livejournal.com]

Their relationship was kind of the best right at the end of season 2 where they were all so friendly and great with each other right before that cliffhanger moment. (And their relationship in the Christmas special! I wish Haven could be like that all the time for them.)

It seems better to give each pairing a moment of spotlight considering they do all work in their own ways. But there are so many more OT3's to come this month!

[kattahj.livejournal.com]

Oh, I completely understand that you need to spread your graces a bit! It would just have been so sad if the reccer was very biased towards one two-person ship, because then the third character might not get their fair share.