Season 3 feels like it ended so far away, but for fans, it feels like yesterday. The moment the barn disappeared taking Audrey (Emily Rose) and Duke (Eric Balfour) with it has been seared in our brains. We watched in horror along with Nathan (Lucas Bryant) as he stood watching in disbelief and horror as meteorites bombarded the little “troubled” town of Haven. As the comic book released with the Season 3 DVD/Blu-ray set showed, Nathan did survive his multiple gunshot wounds and Season 4 of HAVEN picks up six months later. So where shall we find Nathan after such a great amount of time? In a recent press call, star Lucas Bryant did his best to tease the upcoming season without too many spoilers. See for yourself!
This season starts off a bit bleak and Nathan seems to be this dejected version of himself — not the confident guy he used to be. So can you talk a little bit about what it has been like playing that version of the character?
LUCAS: That was a really cool turn for me. Nathan has always been maybe a little bit too sure of himself. I mean sure, he’s always got doubts, but he had this kind of blind trust in himself and Audrey, and that as you saw at the end of Season 3 led to a disastrous outcome. So now getting to explore that ruined side of him was a lot of fun, and continuing out through Season 4, he has a new mission. But it is a lot darker, and that was a lot of fun.
Dwight has a new role this season. Can you talk about how that changes up the dynamic between Nathan and Dwight?
LUCAS: Dwight sort of gave Nathan some new leeway to not have to always follow the rules, not having to act the role of Chief and I’m able to get a little bit more dirty; and the relationship with Dwight is fun. So we got to play a lot around with him. I always sort of felt that he was kind of like an older brother, although I am actually ten years older than the actual actor. He felt like an older brother who knew a lot more about what was going on here. But he was someone that Nathan kind of needed to corral I suppose, and now, the tables have been turned.
Is Nathan going to have some happier moments this season hopefully?
LUCAS: There are some happy moments definitely for Nathan, but sadly, they seem to be fleeting. That’s just the way it has got to go. When things start looking too good, you have to just smash it all to pieces, right? So hopefully — well especially in the first half of the season — Nathan’s outlook is pretty bleak, pretty dark. You learn in that opening episode what he has decided and he needs to do and the deal that’s made about his short future. So, no, things aren’t looking too good there, but I will tell you that there may be very exciting lights at the end of that dark tunnel.
Do you have a favorite moment so far from this season?
LUCAS: There are a bunch of great bits coming up that I can’t tell you anything about, but I’m sure fans will probably be pretty into what develops midway through the season. Specifically, for me, a couple of episodes ago I got to play a wildly different version of Nathan. Something happens in town that’s — how do I put this — that shakes up everyone’s reality. So, yes, I got to explore a very different side of him, which was a blast. A much less reserved and much more effusive side of Nathan that I certainly didn’t see coming.
Is Audrey going to remember who she is at some point soon or is kind of this disconnect going to be going on for a long time throughout the season?
LUCAS: That was my question at the beginning of the season too, but like I’ve said before, the writers don’t tell us very much of anything. I’m lucky if I even know if I have to work tomorrow or not. Part of the Audrey we knew does make an appearance this season, yes. How, or why, or when, I can’t really tell you that, but she is not altogether lost.
Can you talk at all about Nathan’s interactions with Audrey and how their dynamic is going to be different if she does not remember?
LUCAS: Yeah, well that’s the tricky thing. Let’s just say she does make it back to Haven and let’s just say hypothetically that there is a reunion of sorts, but she has changed. As far as Nathan is concerned, she looks like this person she was and seems like the person she was, but it’s quickly clear that she is not, so that’s troubling for him and difficult. And this new side of her character is wildly different from Audrey Parker, so that is a challenge. She is much more sassy and outspoken and tough and Nathan has, I hope, kind of a humorous and also challenging relationship with her.
What is Nathan’s mindset as he looks for Audrey? Does he truly think he can find her?
LUCAS: Yeah, I think that he with the little glimmer of hope that’s given to him initially in the first episode, he holds onto that as tightly as possible. So I think he believes in that 100%, because there is nothing else. He doesn’t have any other hope. So that’s not to say I guess he is not without his doubts, but yes, I think he has to believe that there is a way to get her back.
Can you tell us a bit of maybe how long it takes for Nathan to find Audrey?
LUCAS: There is a sort of reunion in the first half of the season.
Are we going to find out anything more about Nathan and Duke, and what happened between them when they were younger, or maybe why Nathan doesn’t remember being adopted?
LUCAS: Some of that is touched on a little bit. I guess there is a bit of that backstory. I would love to see that explored more, because we are not really going to get — as far as I am concerned — we are not really getting terribly satisfying answers. There is a little bit there.
The first season kind of mixed it up a bit because there was a through-thread the entire season. Will the fourth season be similar to that where there is say a single thread that kind of goes throughout the entire season or will it get back more to more self-contained episodes?
LUCAS: Yeah, there are both. I guess it’s similar to the third season in that there is an ongoing storyline throughout this whole season. With that being said, I think that there is a case of the week that we need to deal with, but some of them are tied in over multiple episodes. This season it seems like our finale – I don’t know the finale yet — but the second to the last episode, which I just read for the first time, is sort of a continuous thing, so that looks like it will be sort of a two-part story. But, yes, there are a couple of big themes running through this whole season that I think will reward viewers that are tuning into each episode and waiting for the next one.
Can you talk about what those are or are you sworn to secrecy on those themes?
LUCAS: Well, I’m sworn to secrecy about most things, but I can tell you a little. The character of William in Episode 401 is very important in Season 4 and just exactly who is and what he knows becomes a large part of this season’s story, and also, obviously, initially my attempts to locate Audrey and get her back. That and get the Audrey we know back is a large part of this season. And what else is running through this season? You meet in 401 this new character, Jennifer, and her relationship to the barn and just what she is capable of I think is a story that’s woven in throughout this whole season too and becomes very important, especially as we get into the end of it.
Does working on other shows sort of change how you play Nathan when you go off and get to play other characters during the hiatus and get to come back to Nathan? Do you see him through a different lens?
LUCAS: No, I wouldn’t say that it necessarily colors how I play Nathan. Nathan is what he is and the story is what it is, but the experience of doing other shows in the offseason definitely colors my relationship to this show. Not necessarily about how I approach the character, but this year especially it really reminded me or showed me how lucky we are to be where we are and shoot the way we do. The other shows that I did in this off season were great experiences and they were all cool people and it was lovely. But here we are in Nova Scotia and it’s a beautiful day. We have boats, and docks, and people camped out here like a real little family. It’s fantastic and so that whole experience surrounding the shooting of the show I think is something really special and by doing others, I was reminded just how special.
Have you had the opportunity to be in many scenes or any scenes with Colin Ferguson so far this season, and, if so, what it has been like to work with him? Then regarding Kate Kelton, what you think of her as a scene partner and if you could comment on what her character’s intensity brings to the mix of the show?
LUCAS: Sure. Kate is great. Her role in the story is something quite different this season and Nathan’s relationship with Jordan is an about-face from last season. So that was fun to play. To have that animosity I guess this season and having had the history that we have from Season 3. Then Colin is fantastic. I have worked with him this year — I guess more so in the second half of the season and his character is — of course, once again, I have given you this vague answer, I can’t really tell you anything — but his character brings out a lot of emotions in Nathan. Let’s just say that. And Colin is a charming guy and the character that he plays is such a — well I can’t really say that either, can I? Man, how do you even answer any of these questions? He is a whole dynamic I guess that he brought to the show and he’s a blast to work with because he’s got a real great sense of humor and he is a total pro.
Can you go into a little more detail on what the primary theme of this season is and how it has changed from last season?
LUCAS: I guess in many ways this season the danger has been raised again and I think our heroes of the show for lack of a better word and each of us are wrestling with how little we understand and how maybe ill-equipped we are to deal with them. I think in the past we had some things going badly, but there was maybe some faith that we would somehow we would be able to deal with it. Not that we’ve lost all faith now, but I think this season all of us have been shown that this thing is maybe so much huger than anyone could have guessed. So I think we are sort of adrift in a lot of dangerous possibilities this season. Maybe the theme is about questioning ourselves, but it doesn’t really sound like that’s a departure from the show does it? Because I guess questions have been the central theme since the beginning. But it’s just like a whole new rug has been pulled out from under everyone’s feet.
What two episodes of Season 3 should fans watch to gets some clues about Season 4?
LUCAS: I don’t know that there are clues in Season 3 that would lead you to where we are now. I guess the episodes that I enjoyed most last year were — I think it was Episode 9, the time travel episode “Sarah” — I believe where Nathan and Duke were stuck back in 1955 and Nathan got to meet Sarah. That episode, I think a lot of things happened in that episode, which pushed the story along in the end of Season 3 and it’s all tied into where we are now in Season 4, but I don’t know that there is necessarily any clues in there. But yeah, I guess just watch them all.
Nathan and Duke have had a pretty tumultuous bromance throughout the series, but Nathan did trust Duke enough it seems like to send him in after Audrey in the barn. So what can we expect from their reunion and their relationship this season?
LUCAS: In Season 4, Nathan and Duke have a lot more trust of each and faith in each other, so we see more of their friendship, I guess. I mean the relationship is always the same, but I think some of that animosity has been left behind in their shared goals this season initially of finding Audrey and we did get to work together a lot more this season, so that was a lot of fun. Anytime that those characters are put together and try and achieve something together, I think it’s a great matchup.
The show has gotten really dark over the last three seasons and a little scarier. As far as the horror elements of this series goes, what can we expect in the new season?
LUCAS: Yeah, that’s true isn’t it? There is some pretty gruesome stuff this season. Maybe we should raise the recommended viewing age from like 6 to 7 or 8 this season, maybe 8-year-olds and up. There is some gruesome stuff definitely. Let me think, there is an episode that is coming up that has babies in it — babies are horrifying, and also, kids. In an earlier episode, there are kids. Kids are terrifying too. (Laughs) No, seriously, I guess the kids themselves may not be terrifying and the babies themselves may not be terrifying, but when you put kids and babies in these terrible situations, that seems to raise the horror element for me anyway. That gets me every time. II think Episode 303 last year “The Farmer,” was the one where the guy had the like organ-sucking snake that came out of his throat. I don’t know that anything has topped that one for just total weirdness yet, but there is definitely a lot of creep factor this season.
What kinds of troubles can we expect?
LUCAS: Let’s see, like I said, we have some children coming up and that is pretty yucky — and some neat and weird clawed forest creatures. There are more claws, definitely a lot more claws. There are more claws coming in later too, and big teeth. Well that happened recently. Let me think. One of them that was not a terrifying trouble, but was a lot of fun for me and one I mentioned before, was there is something that effects everyone’s reality, so each of our characters were altered considerably and we got to play really wild versions of ourselves. That was a lot of fun for me and for Duke especially.
Can you kind of hint a little bit as to how Wade Crocker (Christian Camargo) is going to come into their lives?
LUCAS: That was so cool to have Christian this year. He is a great actor and a really lovely guy. Unfortunately, I didn’t get to interact as much with the character of Wade as I would have liked to. He was tied in more to Duke’s storyline, and the possibilities of the Crocker Family. So, let me just say that he provides a whole other set of concerns for our characters when this other Crocker shows up.
How does this season feel to you compared to last season? It sounds like it’s more challenging for you so far.
LUCAS: I think so, yes. First of all, it feels fast. This season has flown and I can’t believe that we are almost done. So that’s an indication I think of some good momentum. Things really gained — well last year, they had that, we had the ticking clock with Audrey’s inevitable departure apparently — and so this year we sort of continue that momentum. Nathan is, as you will initially see, is sort of a wild man with a one-track mind, and like I said before, we are all dealing with a new level of self-doubt and desperation. So I think those factors can lead to more irrational behavior that only further speeds up this inevitable whirlwind of madness that is HAVEN Season 4. It has been very cool to have these new characters: Emma Lahana, who plays Jennifer, and Christian and Colin. Each of them represents something, either a huge new hope or a huge new danger. All of those elements this season felt like they’ve been woven very nicely together for like a quick, fast-moving season. I don’t know exactly the dates, but it feels like every now and then we stop and we are like, “Hang on!” This season happens in a really short time timespan once we do the time jump in between seasons. All of this takes place in a very short period of time, so it’s moving really quick.
How do you think Nathan will feel if he learns that Duke is right and that he is not the one that Audrey loves the most, especially since Audrey isn’t really Audrey this year?
LUCAS: (Laughs) Well, hypothetically, if that were to happen, then we would hypothetically get to see exactly how Nathan feels with that in a hypothetical world.
Will we be seeing more revisiting of past Troubles as a lot of Haven people still live there and they still have those same troubles. So will we start to see some of those manifest again?
LUCAS: Let me see, I guess we don’t revisit too many. I mean there are a couple of callbacks to things that have happened before. The rules that we thought we understood have now changed for some reason and we are trying to figure out why. So, yes, these things are happening. The “troubles” are happening with much more ferociousness and the death toll is rising pretty fast. People have died in the past, people have died on this show, but in some ways, we were able to kind of have somewhat happy endings. Now, those happy endings seem all the more elusive.
With the arrival of the Dark-Side Seekers, does it mean new outsiders may be dropping into Haven?
LUCAS: Yeah, there are some outsiders this year and they must be dealt with as outsiders. I mean that’s sort of the manifestation of this whole thing spiraling out of control. Not that we ever had any control over it before, but it was a much smaller group of people who knew and I think now the lid is off and it’s kind of going wild.
What do you credit for the success of the HAVEN?
LUCAS: I have been very modest in the past, but now I’m going to go ahead and take credit for all of our success. (Laughs) No, it is amazing isn’t it? Here we are four years later . My daughter is in kindergarten this year and she was just a little diaper wrapped noodle when we started, so that’s how I can count it. But why has it lasted? I have no idea, but I am so thankful for it. I think that there is just a lot of heart in the show and people respond to that and in all things around it. We’ve all said before and as I said earlier, what a pleasure it is to shoot here and to be in Chester and be in Nova Scotia and to have such a fantastic local crew and such great people involved — actors, and producers, and it’s really a tight ship and a tight family. Not to say it’s without its own set of problems and issues that we are always working through. But really we are just so thankful to be together here and loving this job. I don’t know. I’ve been lucky. But there is just such joy in making this, and in some way, I think that that can’t help but make it onto the screen. Hopefully, that’s felt. As dark as it can be and especially as we are moving forward, the show has gotten darker, but I still hope that people feel and some get joy out of the relationships of these characters and the fun of the story and the beauty of the locations. So and then I guess we’ve just been lucky, first of all, being a Stephen King-related show. I think we won some of his fans and then the fans who found the show initially have just been so loyal and supportive and wonderful, and they have told their friends and together, they and their friends and their friends have kept us on the air. And you guys by doing what you do and supporting the show and putting the word out there. We are not a hugely promoted show, but the results that the show has been getting, the numbers and support that the show has been getting is in no way proportionate to the amount of money that we have. It has become something of a — I feel like that family feel has spread out through the viewers, and fans, and us. It’s just a real joy to be a part of and I am so thankful that we’ve done four and hopefully we’ll get four more. 
Season 4 of HAVEN premieres Friday, September 13th at 10:00 p.m. on Syfy. #DiscoverHaven and find out what “troubles” lie ahead this season!
Tiffany Vogt is the Senior West Coast Editor, contributing as a columnist and entertainment reporter to TheTVaddict.com. She has a great love for television and firmly believes that entertainment is a world of wondrous adventures that deserves to be shared and explored – she invites you to join her. Please feel free to contact Tiffany at Tiffany_Vogt_2000@yahoo.com or follow her at on Twitter (@TVWatchtower).