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My actual meme post for the day, laura47 wants to know why she should watch Haven. And I need to preface this by saying I haven't actually seen much of the current season, because it's one of the ones I let build up to watch in one big go.
The short answer can be summed up in two letters and a number that, if you have this inclination, should have you running to consume this canon without stopping to pass go:
O. T. 3. baby. OT3. OT3. OT3. (yes, it needed to be repeated). And not just an OT3, but one in which the canon somehow manages to allow all 3 members to be canonically interested in each other without falling into the typical soapy love triangle jealousy bullshit. There is a primary pairing that appears to be endgame in show, because sadly an actual OT3 conclusion is beyond what a network is willing to give, I imagine. But it takes barely a squint to work past in the interest of a threesome. It's not just Audrey/Nathan that has strong underpinnings to work from. Audrey/Duke, Duke/Nathan, and Audrey/Duke/Nathan all three together is just...handed to you on a silver platter. Repeatedly.
Okay, so maybe you need more than a solid, nearly canonical OT3. So let us discuss. If you are a Stephen King fan, you might be interested to know that it has its origins in the short story The Colorado Kid (origins are very, very, very, very loosely based...more of a smidgen of a nod). But if you enjoy sly nods and shoutouts to King in general, the first two seasons in particular will have you going 'OMG, they did that' at the screen and giggling in recognition.
Let us also discuss the Troubles. The mystical puzzle that fuels the series, and since you asked for not so much with the spoilers, I won't get into any of the details of anything we've learned about the how and the why and the who and the various surrounding thingies (though I suspect those who are caught up know even more than I do at this point). But I can say some of the revelations will blow your mind, and even if it goes off the rails at some point those 'holy SHIT' moments are worth your time.
See, this sleepy little town of Haven has a problem. Every 28 years, some of its population become afflicted with supernatural powers, known as the Troubles. And not cool stuff like suddenly being able to fly or whatever. No, more like the kind of thing that causes distress and isolation and inconvenience at best and horrific pain and death and destruction to those around you at worst. Why? How? Who? gives you a solid multi-season mytharc framework to follow with aforementioned holy shit moments. But also, it is the perfect vehicle for your monster of the week eps and a way to explore character development and relationships through the metaphorical lens of whatever Trouble is front and center. Particularly because the Troubles themselves are always tied to emotional states.
At the center of all of this you've got Audrey, Nathan, and Duke. And together they fight crime. Er. Troubles. Er. Troubled crimes. Each of whom is deeply loveable in their own way (well, Nathan is sometimes hard to love but he gets over it) and central to the mysteries of the Troubles themselves. And I'm having trouble (heh, trouble) articulating why without ending up going into spoilery detail but they really, really are. Audrey is just super smart and competent and badass and endlessly compassionate in the face of shit that would make me crawl under my bed and refuse to ever come out again. Nathan comes with a bucketload of issues and feelings (so many feelings), but he's doing his best and he genuinely cares about his town and others and in his best moments will make you go AWWWWWW a lot. Duke is pretty much the definition of loveable rogue, operating outside the law sometimes maybe, but never outside my heart as he struggles to be the man he wants to be, and not the one forced on him by circumstance or destiny (and to say more would be spoilery as hell). <3 <3 <3 <3 to all three of them.
So you should watch it. And report back. :D
The short answer can be summed up in two letters and a number that, if you have this inclination, should have you running to consume this canon without stopping to pass go:
O. T. 3. baby. OT3. OT3. OT3. (yes, it needed to be repeated). And not just an OT3, but one in which the canon somehow manages to allow all 3 members to be canonically interested in each other without falling into the typical soapy love triangle jealousy bullshit. There is a primary pairing that appears to be endgame in show, because sadly an actual OT3 conclusion is beyond what a network is willing to give, I imagine. But it takes barely a squint to work past in the interest of a threesome. It's not just Audrey/Nathan that has strong underpinnings to work from. Audrey/Duke, Duke/Nathan, and Audrey/Duke/Nathan all three together is just...handed to you on a silver platter. Repeatedly.
Okay, so maybe you need more than a solid, nearly canonical OT3. So let us discuss. If you are a Stephen King fan, you might be interested to know that it has its origins in the short story The Colorado Kid (origins are very, very, very, very loosely based...more of a smidgen of a nod). But if you enjoy sly nods and shoutouts to King in general, the first two seasons in particular will have you going 'OMG, they did that' at the screen and giggling in recognition.
Let us also discuss the Troubles. The mystical puzzle that fuels the series, and since you asked for not so much with the spoilers, I won't get into any of the details of anything we've learned about the how and the why and the who and the various surrounding thingies (though I suspect those who are caught up know even more than I do at this point). But I can say some of the revelations will blow your mind, and even if it goes off the rails at some point those 'holy SHIT' moments are worth your time.
See, this sleepy little town of Haven has a problem. Every 28 years, some of its population become afflicted with supernatural powers, known as the Troubles. And not cool stuff like suddenly being able to fly or whatever. No, more like the kind of thing that causes distress and isolation and inconvenience at best and horrific pain and death and destruction to those around you at worst. Why? How? Who? gives you a solid multi-season mytharc framework to follow with aforementioned holy shit moments. But also, it is the perfect vehicle for your monster of the week eps and a way to explore character development and relationships through the metaphorical lens of whatever Trouble is front and center. Particularly because the Troubles themselves are always tied to emotional states.
At the center of all of this you've got Audrey, Nathan, and Duke. And together they fight crime. Er. Troubles. Er. Troubled crimes. Each of whom is deeply loveable in their own way (well, Nathan is sometimes hard to love but he gets over it) and central to the mysteries of the Troubles themselves. And I'm having trouble (heh, trouble) articulating why without ending up going into spoilery detail but they really, really are. Audrey is just super smart and competent and badass and endlessly compassionate in the face of shit that would make me crawl under my bed and refuse to ever come out again. Nathan comes with a bucketload of issues and feelings (so many feelings), but he's doing his best and he genuinely cares about his town and others and in his best moments will make you go AWWWWWW a lot. Duke is pretty much the definition of loveable rogue, operating outside the law sometimes maybe, but never outside my heart as he struggles to be the man he wants to be, and not the one forced on him by circumstance or destiny (and to say more would be spoilery as hell). <3 <3 <3 <3 to all three of them.
So you should watch it. And report back. :D
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Also, there's one more thing I think people should know because it was instrumental at getting me to fall in love with the show: this is not a show about killing monsters. Evil is what you (voluntarily) do, not what you (involuntarily) are. People afflicted with Troubles are treated as equally worthy of being saved, and almost always are saved if they do not choose to do wrong.