Tonight is the season premiere of Haven on Syfy. It’s been almost a year since the season two finale. Last season, things ended on an exciting note. Nathan & Audrey kissed, Duke was scared as he waited for the tattooed man to kill him, and then Audrey was kidnapped—and Duke believes Nathan had something to do with it. It all comes to a head tonight. In preparation, the three stars – Lucas Bryant, Emily Rose, & Eric Balfour – all spoke to the press with Executive Producer Lloyd Segan about the new season and what it means for the show, the characters, and the town of Haven itself.
On what they’ve learned about their characters this season
Emily Rose: Well, it’s interesting. I think Audrey, the first season she just kind of is curious when she finds a connection with the place of Haven, that there’s something there about herself. And then by season three, she’s facing some really, really dark, dark, dark, questions regarding who she is and there’s a – sort of a clock in play. So, it’s really, really hard and I think she’s in a really, really hard place all season. It’s not a fun place for her to be in mentally.
And I think – it was interesting, we filmed the second to the last day yesterday when we were finishing up the season and there’s this one scene at the very, very end of the season where Audrey is able to kind of ask all of those questions that she sort of dealt with and it’s just neat. It’s neat to have posed a lot of questions to the audience for so long and then finally have a season where some of those things are addressed or directly asked and to see what kind of answers are given is really, really interesting.
Eric Balfour: Yes, and, I mean, for Duke this season, Duke is going to have really decide who he wants to be in this world and he’s going to get pushed to limit and has to make some really tough choices about who he wants to be in this town and in this world and to these two people in life.
Lucas Bryant: And for Nathan, I learned that Nathan has a lot more ability to find his private parts and strap them on then he might’ve necessarily known. That’s maybe a crude way to say it but, it’s the truth.
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On doing the stunts for the show, and specifically the season premiere
Lucas: I’m such a method actor. Nathan doesn’t feel anything, and so I really inhabit that role and I don’t feel anything, either. And even though Eric throws monster haymakers, it really doesn’t affect me.
No, that’s not true. He punches like a girl. No, that’s not true either. We had a big fight scene in the first episode and that was a lot of fun to get to do. We weren’t sure if it would be us or stunt doubles initially and it ended up that we got to do most of it and it was a lot of fun.
There were a couple minor injuries but nothing terribly serious. Right?
Eric: Yes. My favorite part about, you know, the fight scenes is just that I get to roll around very closely next to Lucas Bryant. Yes, that’s kind of the best part for me. Any excuse I can to be squeezing, holding, grabbing, touching Lucas is great.
Lucas: It goes both – it’s mutual
Eric: But no, it was – you know, it was interesting because we actually shot the season opener of the show second in line. We actually shot the second episode of the season first and then shot the first episode second. So by the time we got to this fight scene, it was actually the last day of shooting and it – you know, it’s always – it’s a tricky thing because you don’t want to hurt each other but, you know, you try to be careful but, yes, I mean, I think I got a – did I get a bloody nose or did I just get elbowed in the nose.
Lucas: Yes, you – I don’t think you bled. There was pain.
Eric: But, poor Lucas kept getting – you kept getting thrown across the room. I felt bad for him. I mean, it’s fun to watch. I laughed, I don’t want you to think I didn’t laugh.
Emily: And they were allowed to have, like, bruises and like an aftermath to fights. Like, I get frequently thrown into fights and as, like, the lady in the show. Everybody’s like yes, she just got in a big fight but with not – no bruises on that face. Not cuts, nothing. You will look pristine at all times. So, I fight for black bruises and all of that stuff but I don’t [get more than that].
Lucas: I remember the conversation on set where Emily’s going come on man. I just…
Emily: Just let me be bloody.
Lucas: Just one cut. I just want a cut.
On the relationships between the three main characters
Lucas: Yes, I guess. Nathan is now in a place where – in the second season we saw him sort of uncomfortably thrust into the position of police chief. And in the third season he’s kind of manned up a bit and he’s accepted his position and taken more – I think, taken more initiative. And our – Duke – and my relationship with Duke this season takes a number of turns, doesn’t it. I guess it comes – it goes – we fall in love and then we break up again.
But, you know, the cool thing about – I guess it shows many sort of love stories and Nathan and Duke are sort of arch enemies or each other’s nemesis in many ways. But, what really is under that is a great affection for each other and I think both of them really care about each other and rely on each other. So when they get to occasionally team up, we have a blast doing that and we get – we did get an opportunity to do more of that in season three and I think they do – they work better together than against each other.
Eric: I like to think of Nathan and my character’s relationship as sort of like when Harry met Sally. And I think now we’re sort of in the second act of when Harry Met Sally when I think they’ve probably, you know, slept together at this point but it was a little awkward and they’re going to have to now realize how much they actually mean to each other.
No, I think, you know, the show obviously has this really exciting element of the troubles and every week you have these, you know, fantastic, you know, scares and mysteries. But, at the core of this show, it really is about this love story and this triangle between these three characters and about the different relationships that Emily’s character, Audrey, has to these two men. And they sort of represent different components of her own personality, if it’s okay for me to say that.
And, I think what the writers even told us at the beginning of the season and what was most exciting for me and I think is going to be incredibly exciting for the viewers who turn in this – tune in this year is that this love triangle is really going to just be like a rubber band. And it’s going to expand and contract and move and grow and cause riffs and strifes and it really is dynamic this season.
And I think that’s what’s going to be ultimately I just think the most exciting part for the fans of this show because we really do get to take the audience on a ride this year with the love story that goes on between these characters. As friends, as lovers and it’s my favorite part of the show this season.
On what they’re most excited about fans seeing this season
Lucas: Well I think season just feels like the show’s really got its game on. Everything, you know, the scripts this year are hugely ambitious and I think [the writers] succeeded in producing hugely ambitious storylines. The stakes are that much higher. Like, everything’s just kind of juiced up a bit.
So, for, you know, for people that enjoyed following the first two seasons felt like it’s been a sort of steady increase on intrigue and it – and it’s like the lid gets blown off a lot of it this year. And so I’m excited to see how people react to that. A lot of big questions and big mysteries are answered in a way that they haven’t been up until now. And, you know, and I think just each show is bigger and better than ever before.
Eric: Yes, I’m most excited about the fans getting to see just how deep down the rabbit hole this show goes this year. It really goes – it really just sort of opened Pandora’s box and it kind of lets everything out of the bag, it’s pretty cool.
Emily: Yes, I think that’s the neat thing about the genre of sci-fi is that a lot of things are possible and this season with the methodology of this show, we actually go into a lot of those questions and see some of those answers sort of face to face. I’m really excited about the finale, we just shot that. And I think that by the end, people are going to be like what the heck, you know.
So that’s exciting to me to have shot the finale and to feel like it’s a strong, strong season. You know, looking back and going oh, that was a cool episode. Then that was that episode. Oh, and that was that episode. You know, it’s like it’s really neat to feel like you have a – like a very large, large amount of very strong episodes. That’s exciting for a cast, to look at their season to see that.
Lucas: Yes, and I would also I’m really excited for the fans to see the quality of the show this year. The show feels bigger, it looks bigger and, you know, I think for me personally, as a fan of science fiction, you know, I get frustrated at shows that I love that in the third and fourth season they sort of – they run out of ideas, almost.
And they – everything starts to feel almost over the top and it starts to just sort of go off the rails. And I was really proud that I feel like we’re just starting to hit our stride and the show is now just actually starting to get interesting. And what’s going to be really exciting is what we’re going to learn about this show in seasons four and five because of everything that happens in this season. This season is huge.
On what element of the show they enjoy most
Emily: It’s interesting because I, you know, it’s – I think it’s you want the mix bag, I think, because anytime I’ve been doing dramatic crying things for too long, I’m over it. And anytime I’m doing too many lighthearted, you know, not lady things I’m aching for that.
So I just – my favorite scripts are the ones that have a quirkiness to them and that allow for those moments of the romance or of the real, like, hearty emotion because you do feel like you’re really tapping into something very human. But then that you’re also able to laugh about things and be quirky. That’s – to me, being able to do all of it is what I like about our show.
Eric: Yes, I mean, I think my favorite part is that episode that really take you out of your everyday life. I think, you know, what we’ve created here in Haven is this sort of strange macabre, like Emily just said, quirky world and it exists in its own reality in a way.
And those are my favorite episodes when we really dive into that world and that reality where Haven is a town that although it’s not completely different from the world we know, it is unequivocally not the world that we know. And that’s my favorite part when we live in that reality.
Lucas: Yes. Yes, I just mostly reiterate what Emily said. I think it’s such a pleasure to have all of the above elements in our show and I think that’s what makes our show so unique that we can – you know, that – and that one minute it’s disturbing and weird and creepy and there’s, you know, in those moments sometimes there’s some strange humor and light fun. And I guess some of that is that sort of Stephen King element. You know, the mundane just turned sideways and twisted out of whack. But it’s something I think makes our show totally unique and that I’m really proud of.
On how Duke’s new knowledge about his father from last season will affect him this season
Eric: I think, you know, Duke has always been superficially self-servant. I don’t think that’s who he is at his core and I think that’s what makes him intriguing as a character. but I think the discover of what he learned about his family at the end of last season and there that’s going to take him this season is going to provide some really intense and emotional moments in this season. And it’s going to really – forgive me, I can’t find the word I’m looking for.
It’s going to really force Duke to question everything about his life and that’s why we watch movies, that’s why we watch television shows. We watch to see people in love. We watch to see people in the greatest moments of triumph and the greatest moments of tragedy in their lives, and I think this season provides that. It really – all three of these characters are really sent on a journey to the furthest reaches of their limits and that’s why people, you know, turn on the television, you know. So yes, I think those revelations are going to have a big impact on Duke this season.
All three of them are fun to talk to, but you put them together, and it definitely becomes a party! So thank you to Emily, Lucas, Eric, & Lloyd Segan for taking the time to discuss the new season. If you can’t tell, they love hearing from fans on Twitter, so why not follow them and chat about it? I don’t think Lucas is on Twitter, but here are the links for Emily & Eric. Say hello & tell them I sent you! 😉 @EmilyroseLA & @ERICBALFOUR
Don’t forget to catch the season premiere tonight on Syfy at 10/9c. It looks like it’ll be a fun & wild ride!
