Not A Blast Going To The Past. Retrospective: Haven, S3 "Sarah"

Retrospective: Haven, S3, Ep. 309 – “Sarah”

Air Date: Friday, November 16, 2012, 10/9c on Syfy

Rating: ★★★★★

“You can’t just call a girl incredible and just walk away.” Sarah

It kills me to do this but I have to…this episode is flawed in so many ways, I almost changed the channel. But, because of my deep love for Haven, I pushed through. Surely the writers will bring it back around…right? (Nervously bites nails)

Observations:

Not A Blast Going To The Past. Retrospective: Haven, S3 "Sarah" 1

L-R: Nathan and Duke must figure out a way to get out of 1955 Haven and back…to…the…future. Yes, I had to use those exact words. Homage to McFly.

Duke (Eric Balfour) is unexpectedly transported back to Haven circa 1955 after visiting Stuart Mosely (George Robertson), an elderly veteran. Luckily for Duke, no one back then considers any of his clothing, “counterfeit money,” or strange black rectangle “paper weight” (aka his cell phone) an oddity. But, it’s still Haven, after all, and the “troubles” have probably been around for ages. I know people in Haven just let everything slide because of the weird things that tend to happen in their fair seaside town, but the cops in modern day Haven are always suspicious. That’s what cops do. Granted, Duke looks smokin’ hot in that black sweater he’s wearing over his denim shirt, but come on.

***

Not A Blast Going To The Past. Retrospective: Haven, S3 "Sarah" 2

With Duke and Nathan trapped in 1955 Haven, whatever is happening is altering modern day Haven…I mean, Nathan’s father Garland has been long dead but here he is, along with Claire, helping Audrey, who is a fugitive?

Next to be accidentally zapped back to 1955 is Nathan (Lucas Bryant). I mentioned in my Haven GetGlue check-in last week that after seeing the clips for the aptly titled ”Sarah,” I thought Duke could be the father of Sarah/Audrey’s (Emily Rose) son, James Cogan (Steve Lund), aka “The Colorado Kid”. But as I thought about it more prior to the episode airing, I began to think Nathan could be the father. Of course, that led me to think about Nathan’s father, the former Chief Garland Wuornos (guest star Nicholas Campbell). Could he have been the father since Sarah lived so long ago? Of course, after watching “Sarah” and seeing Garland as a seven-year old boy, that theory is blown. And I’m still not sure who fathered “The Colorado Kid.”

***

With Duke’s disappearance into the past, the current Haven is changing. “The Haven Herald” newspaper no longer exists. Then when Nathan vanishes, something else changes and Audrey learns that Dave (John Dunsworth) killed his brother Vince (Richard Donat), and now things are getting even screwier. Duke and Nathan being in the past alters events and people in modern day Haven. Duke saving his own grandfather probably doesn’t help, but I think Nathan making out with Sarah doesn’t fare too well either. So, Nathan kissing Sarah, who is now reincarnated as Audrey (who can’t quite remember herself as Sarah)—is that a trip or what? And I love the line Nathan says to Duke: “We are not messing with the…time space continuum so you can work out your daddy issues.”

***

Just like Audrey, Sarah worked for the government as a war nurse. And guess who Sarah’s handler is—Agent Howard (Maurice Dean Wint)? I’m sure we’ll get more details about Audrey’s other past life as Lucy at some point and whatever government agency Lucy worked for. A treat would be if the writers would ramp up Agent Howard’s story. Give us more background so we can understand his purpose and involvement with Audrey and all her past lives. He’s obviously not of this world and he looks like he hasn’t aged since 1955. Is he like Audrey, living past lives? I find that doubtful but again, this is Haven and stranger things have happened.

***

Not A Blast Going To The Past. Retrospective: Haven, S3 "Sarah" 3

No matter the era, Sarah/Lucy/Audrey still captivates a helpless Nathan.

I love Audrey but I was not impressed with Rose’s portrayal of Sarah. I know Audrey comes back to Haven every 27 years as a new person, with new memories, but like Vince told her in “Magic Hour Part 1,” she’s a little different each time. At the core, however, she’s still the same. As Sarah, though, she seems much more brazen. Audrey wouldn’t make the first move, at least not as quickly as Sarah did. I guess I’m so used to seeing Rose as Audrey; I was taken aback by the way she chose to play Sarah. Perhaps it was the way the writers wrote the character, but I will say Rose looks great as a redhead.

***

I’m not sure how I really feel about “Sarah” overall. The time warp creates some interesting scenarios in current Haven; I mean, Garland has been dead since the end of season one. Sure, his ghost appeared in season two, but the key word here is “ghost.” Also, Audrey is a fugitive for killing the Reverend Driscoll (Stephen McHattie) in season two. I don’t want to see long dead people returning to Haven. That doesn’t really move us forward. But Dave killing Vince…now that piques my interest.

And I know we haven’t seen the last of Tommy (Dorian Missick). That explosion was too staged, too easy. How many of you think Tommy’s working with Agent Howard? I read a comment online that someone thought Tommy’s “trouble” was due to him being a shape-shifter of sorts. He steals bodies and is actually “The Colorado Kid.” I can’t wrap my mind around that theory but it’s an intriguing one, for sure. What do you think Tommy’s “trouble” is?

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Haven returns in two weeks on Friday, Nov. 30 at 10/9c, only on Syfy. Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

For more on Haven, go to http://www.syfy.com/haven.

Follow the show on Twitter @Syfy using hashtag #Haven, as well as @EmilyroseLA, @EricBalfour, @davehaven and @vincehaven. For Eric Balfour fans – follow @EricBalfourfans.

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Judy Manning

Dream chaser extraordinaire! Judy tends to be a tad sarcastic and kind of goofy! She is an avid admirer of all things supernatural, paranormal, celestial and mystical. She loves to read, write, and watches way too much TV. She enjoys many genres of film and music (and let's be honest, most music from the 80s). She also has a wicked sweet tooth. Cupcakes beware.