Haven: we're not straight, we just love each other.
It's really weird to me to lurk in the Haven thread on TWOP, because it's so heavily slanted towards 'shipping Nathan/Audrey, and everyone seems to watch through that filter. To the point where if anything gets in the way, even temporarily (ala characters like Chris), the viewers decide the episode was terrible. I tend to 'ship at the drop of a hat, so I obviously get WHY people are so invested in the pairing, but, for me, Haven isn't about just the two of them. Haven, to me, is one of those ensemble shows like White Collar, where the core cast is practically symbiotic. And pairing up Nathan and Audrey would have one major flaw in the design: It would leave Duke out in the cold.
I think I've noted in the past that Emily Rose doesn't really have chemistry with the guys, and I have to amend that, because I think she does... I just don't think it's explosively sexual. Neither are Nathan and Audrey. The connections the actress/character make are emotional and built over time. And Nathan and Audrey are very, very similar characters. They're intense, quiet; they practically don't have to speak to understand each other. As a viewer, watching them, if they were to become a romantic couple... where's the fire in that? Don't get me wrong, I adore them, but pairing them is not going to drive story. They would be the exact same duo they are platonically... just with sex thrown in. That's where Duke comes in. Fandom tends to use Audrey as the conduit between the guys, but I think Duke's the conduit. He brings a spark to both of them, keeps them on their toes and allows them a safe way to express themselves.
I felt like that was clear in this past episode...
...when Duke died and BOTH Nathan and Audrey were shaken. More so than they could express when it was Nathan who died. Obviously Nathan's "I only feel you" was gut-wrenching and as close as he can get right now to saying, "I love you," but I thought it was interesting how intimate the three of them were in Duke's scene. And that was echoed at the very end of the episode... when Audrey and Duke shared that long, evocative look, and then Nathan glanced up only for Audrey to be hidden and trying to compose herself.
Also in this episode was the casual way Nathan tilted Duke's chin so he wouldn't look at Chris. That was actually *better* than the accompanying mancrush joke, because it was Nathan voluntarily touching someone besides Audrey, and touching that someone in a intimate, almost proprietary manner.
Then, in "Roots," we had Duke instinctively jumping to save Audrey... when Evi was standing right there. I know he denied having feelings for her when Evi called him out, but Duke has accepted what his role in Haven is and why he has to stay... and Audrey and Nathan are a huge part of that.
Not to get too hokey about it, but I think the *three* of them are a haven for one another.
I could basically watch Nathan, Audrey and Duke fight the Troubles till Randall Flagg and the cows come home.
And that's why I don't necessarily mind temporary love interests like Jess, Chris and Evi (though I wish the actress was better): Because rocking the boat for the core three with *each other* would mess up the dynamic they have.
I think I've noted in the past that Emily Rose doesn't really have chemistry with the guys, and I have to amend that, because I think she does... I just don't think it's explosively sexual. Neither are Nathan and Audrey. The connections the actress/character make are emotional and built over time. And Nathan and Audrey are very, very similar characters. They're intense, quiet; they practically don't have to speak to understand each other. As a viewer, watching them, if they were to become a romantic couple... where's the fire in that? Don't get me wrong, I adore them, but pairing them is not going to drive story. They would be the exact same duo they are platonically... just with sex thrown in. That's where Duke comes in. Fandom tends to use Audrey as the conduit between the guys, but I think Duke's the conduit. He brings a spark to both of them, keeps them on their toes and allows them a safe way to express themselves.
I felt like that was clear in this past episode...
...when Duke died and BOTH Nathan and Audrey were shaken. More so than they could express when it was Nathan who died. Obviously Nathan's "I only feel you" was gut-wrenching and as close as he can get right now to saying, "I love you," but I thought it was interesting how intimate the three of them were in Duke's scene. And that was echoed at the very end of the episode... when Audrey and Duke shared that long, evocative look, and then Nathan glanced up only for Audrey to be hidden and trying to compose herself.
Also in this episode was the casual way Nathan tilted Duke's chin so he wouldn't look at Chris. That was actually *better* than the accompanying mancrush joke, because it was Nathan voluntarily touching someone besides Audrey, and touching that someone in a intimate, almost proprietary manner.
Then, in "Roots," we had Duke instinctively jumping to save Audrey... when Evi was standing right there. I know he denied having feelings for her when Evi called him out, but Duke has accepted what his role in Haven is and why he has to stay... and Audrey and Nathan are a huge part of that.
Not to get too hokey about it, but I think the *three* of them are a haven for one another.
I could basically watch Nathan, Audrey and Duke fight the Troubles till Randall Flagg and the cows come home.
And that's why I don't necessarily mind temporary love interests like Jess, Chris and Evi (though I wish the actress was better): Because rocking the boat for the core three with *each other* would mess up the dynamic they have.