Havoc Town – Episode 12: "Closing Time"

Release Date: October 28, 2025
Podcast: Havoc Town by iHeartPodcasts
Main Theme: The legacy and reckoning of the Abbesstown Vampire Panic comes to a violent and emotional close as the curse of vampirism claims a new generation, and protagonists confront their history, guilt, and the monster within.

Episode Overview

Episode 12 brings the story of Abbesstown full circle. The characters—descendants, old adversaries, victims, and monsters—face the grim consequences of choices made generations ago during the original "Vampire Panic." The episode weaves together present with past: Corinne Abbas is on the verge of death and a new (immortal) life, while the true story behind Abbesstown's bloody past is revealed. Accusations fly, painful truths are unearthed, and vengeance, guilt, and the idea of legacy are reckoned with as the cycle of violence teeters toward either conclusion or deadly renewal.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Confrontation and the Collapse of Old Feuds

• Setting: The tension comes to a head as Jury Havoc, Corinne Abbas, Noah, and Marie Damaris face off, carrying the weight of generations of violence and suspicion.
• There is a heated exchange about guilt, responsibility, and cycles of vengeance.
• Marie Damaris (to Corinne): “It’s not every day that you get to meet face to face with your ancestors. Well, don’t leave her in the dark, you horrible monster. Say hello to your granddaughter, Damaris.” (02:04)
• Corinne realizes Marie Damaris is her grandmother—a twist linking the generations and fates.

2. The Failed Attempt, Infection, and New Damnation

• Action Scene: Corinne tries to stake Jury Havoc during the melee, misses his heart, and gets splattered with his blood. She’s struck and loses consciousness—her infection all but guaranteed.
• Corinne (narration): “Too far off center. I missed the heart. He turned to me, stake in his lung. A look of shock as blood poured from his mouth...” (05:41)

3. Aftermath & Reflection

• Corinne awakens at Noah's house, outside Abbesstown. Noah informs her that she is now infected and must soon face death and rebirth as a vampire.
• Authorities (CDC, National Guard) crack down, but the supernatural truth will be hidden as always.
• Noah: “The news will speak of deadly illness without mentioning the vampirism. They always do. Why panic the public with something incomprehensible when you can chalk it up to Ebola?” (07:18)
• Noah shares his own transformation tale, describing the loneliness, the fever and madness, and ultimately, his self-imposed exile to spare others.

4. The Ruin and Failure of Reverend Josiah Abbas

• The episode flashes back to the moment Josiah had to grapple with the cost of his fanaticism. He is broken and consumed by guilt.
• Josiah Abbas: “A believer without anything left to believe in… If I feared him before, I found in this Josiah Abbas something more disturbing.” (11:38)
• Josiah tells the story about saving Noah from drowning, relating it to the failure and fear he now embodies (13:21)
• Josiah Abbas: “I underestimated Jury Havoc... I know now that there is nothing more dangerous than a rich man who believes that he is right. Vampire or not, I will not kill you. You have done no wrong.” (15:23)
• He refuses to kill Damaris/Noah, asks only that the curse not spread, and then departs to make peace with his God—implying suicide.
• Announced by Noah: “He was found by a parishioner the following day hanging from a beam above the pulpit... He was buried in a pauper’s grave.” (18:34)

5. Shaping History and the Monstrous Legacy

• In a haunting scene, after her rebirth, Damaris/Noah chooses to remain in hiding, refusing to correct damning public misconceptions—thus preserving the legend of the "vampire panic" and marking her children with shame for generations.
• Noah: “I did not correct her [Mary Spalding] ... It was better to mark them with the shame of zealotry than the mark of superstition.” (27:11)
• Noah describes his personal crusade against the Havoc business empire—acts of sabotage, labor unrest, and vengeance spanning centuries.
• Corinne: “Why the hell didn’t you just kill him?” (30:10)
• Noah: “We’ve already died, darling. I wanted to take from him everything else.” (30:14)

6. Modern Carnage and Moral Fallout

• It’s revealed that Noah infected Raymond Bachman, indirectly unleashing the new round of violence and plague as a targeted revenge against Jury Havoc.
• Corinne: “Jimbo died... Tom Staben... you destroyed my home. Everything. For petty revenge.” (32:07)

7. Death, Nightmares, and Transformation

• Corinne is sedated with morphine as the sickness takes hold. She is beset by hallucinations, fever, and encounters with ghosts from her life and family.
• Corinne (hallucinating): “They’re all here. All of them... Daddy. In the corner. Can’t you see?” (35:40)
• Her father’s ghost comforts her.
• Father Josiah Abbas: “Who you are next is up to you. Close your eyes. We will all be here to see you through.” (37:12)
• Her death is gentle, described as “sleep comes to the weary”—but it is also the beginning.

8. Rebirth and the Promise of Violence

• Corinne awakens as a vampire—thirsty and unstable.
• Noah hands her pig’s blood, promising to help her manage her new state.
• Corinne: “Once I have full control, I will use it to end you.”
• Noah: “Fair enough.” (39:10)
• Their pact is darkly pragmatic.

9. Aftermath, Loose Ends, and a New Hunt

• The authorities have contained most of the outbreak, but there are “no loose ends,” except one missing infected.
• Jury Havoc has disappeared—his power and influence will make him difficult to bring to justice.
• Noah: “He’s one of the richest men on the planet... a PR machine that could put a positive spin on the Hindenburg.” (40:04)
• Corinne, newly a hunter herself, accepts her new role.
• Noah: “You’re a hunter now, so we’ll hunt.” (40:27)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Marie Damaris (introducing herself as Corinne’s grandmother): “Say hello to your granddaughter, Damaris.” (02:04)
• Noah (on the media and official response): “Why panic the public with something incomprehensible when you can chalk it up to Ebola?” (07:20)
• Josiah Abbas: “And I know now that there is nothing more dangerous than a rich man who believes that he is right. Vampire or not, I will not kill you.” (15:23)
• Noah (on choosing revenge over murder): “We’ve already died, darling. I wanted to take from him everything else.” (30:14)
• Corinne (to Noah, reborn): “Once I have full control, I will use it to end you.” (39:10)
• Noah (matter-of-fact): “Fair enough.” (39:10)
• Noah (on the pragmatic cycle): “You’re a hunter now, so we’ll hunt.” (40:27)

Important Segment Timestamps

• Familial confrontation and vampiric lineage revealed: 02:00–04:00
• Attempt at staking Jury / Corinne’s infection: 05:00–05:41
• Corinne wakes, learns her fate: 06:29–08:29
• Reverend Josiah’s broken confession: 13:21–18:08
• Josiah’s demise and the legacy of shame: 18:34–28:09
• Noah’s campaign of vengeance: 28:12–30:49
• Corinne succumbs to the blood sickness: 31:09–35:32
• Her last family hallucinations and comfort: 35:40–37:10
• Corinne’s rebirth & pact of vengeance: 38:19–40:27

Tone and Atmosphere

The tone is somber, haunted by guilt, regret, and the burden of inherited violence. There is Gothic poetry in Corinne’s transformation and Josiah’s downfall—a mood blending existential dread, bitter humor, and the faintest glimmers of hope through dark acts. The episode closes not with catharsis, but the suggestion that the cycle will go on—though, perhaps, under new rules, with new monsters hunting old ones.

Final Thoughts

This finale of "Havoc Town" binds together centuries of blood, shame, and unfinished business into a tragic tapestry. Rather than neat conclusions, it offers an uneasy partnership, new appetites, and the grim hope that next time, the monster may be hunted instead of unleashed. If you appreciate Gothic tragedy, family curses, and nuanced horror, it’s a satisfying, chilling listen.