Smallscreen Features

Recap: ‘Warehouse 13’ – For The Team

By Wayne Hall Aug 18, 2010, 16:32 GMT

07/24/2010 - Joanne Kelly and Eddie McClintock - San Diego Comic Con International 2010 - Entertainment Weekly and SyFy Party - Hotel Solamar - San Diego, CA, USA © Alan Hess / PR Photos

The big news about this week’s episode is that Lindsay Wagner, best known for starring in The Bionic Woman in the 1980s, begins her stint as a recurring character on the show, a move that has garnered quite a lot of publicity for the series.

For me, it is so great to see her back on television, which is just one of the high points of this hour.
 
Here’s the episode summary from tv.com: “Myka takes Claudia on as a partner for the teenager's first full mission, investigating cases of spontaneous combustion among athletes. Meanwhile, Helena returns to plague the team.”
 
During a terrific season, it’s often tough to pick out the best of the bunch, but this episode is definitely in the running. Lots of action, character bits aplenty, surprises and a huge name guest star? Yeah, that could make this hour stand out, all right!
 
I have to admit that the premise of the show turned out to be something of a guilty pleasure for me. Jocks who burst into flame without apparent provocation? Yeah, I took just the teensiest bit of satisfaction in that, being a nerd myself. (Of course, I wouldn’t want that to happen to anyone in real life. Really!)
 
Again this week, the show deals with consequences and continuity. After last episode’s experiences, Pete is on the sidelines this time. However, Pete is still as funny as ever even though he’s not involved in the action. (Timothy O’Leary’s glasses were a hoot!) And the interaction pairings get shaken up, with Pete helping Artie learn how to approach the lady he’s interested in.
 
One important event happens before the show’s title sequence--Claudia and Myka are interviewing members of the wrestling team in their shower area. Claudia, who has never been in that kind of situation before, reacts with such … horror … to it all that it was quite funny.

Myka is not bothered by it in any way, of course, being the oh-so-logical one who keeps her focus on the problem. This whole scene showed the difference between the two characters in very specific detail. If Claudia, who still fails … miserably, is to be more than an apprentice, she still has a ways to go, which is good for the series. Had she simply leaped into the field without any problem, I would have had a problem with that.
 
The return of H.G. Wells (Helena) pumped up the tension as well. Since she (yes, she) was introduced back in this season’s opener, I’ve been wondering what she’s been up to. Is she telling the truth about wanting to be a Warehouse agent? I expect we’ll find out before the season is finished.
 
One thing I enjoy about Warehouse 13 is its ability to twist and turn and shock us. It takes some investigating to finally discover just what’s going on, and it’s good to keep us in suspense. Claudia being in trouble after falling into a vat of energy drink was again a bit of a play on our expectations because it was too much of a good thing. But that’s what artifacts are all about, after all.
 
So how was Wagner? She gave an excellent performance, I feel. She’s always been cool in front of the camera, and she takes the unusual sci-fi dialogue and plots in stride, so she was a welcome addition to the show. I can see why they wanted her for the role and why they’d like to have her come back. I feel the same way!
 
Next week—body switching as only W13 can do it. Only two more new episodes before the show goes on hiatus … until its very first holiday special this December. Is it just me, or is someone at Syfy watching Doctor Who on BBCA? That sci-fi show is famous for its Christmas specials, after all!