Smallscreen News

‘Warehouse 13’ – Merge With Caution recap

By Wayne Hall Aug 25, 2010, 13:55 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

Body swapping has been a sci-fi cliché for decades. The first time I ever saw it was back in the final Star Trek episode, “Turnabout Intruder,” in which Captain Kirk and Dr. Janice Lester did the body-switching thing.

She proceeded to creep me out when she tried to pass herself off as the captain, attesting to William Shatner’s acting ability, I feel. However, I don’t think it was all that new even then, in the late 1960s.
 
Will this episode plow new ground, or will it be the S.O.S. (same old stuff)? Let’s find out.
 
Here’s the episode summary from tv.com: “Pete and Myka fall victim to an artifact that causes them to swap bodies, but the process will soon prove fatal if not reversed.”
 
The first thing that concerned me is Cody Rhodes, the wrestling star who guests this week as Cody Runnels. Usually the ring is the place where wrestlers provide their best acting, but Rhodes did a very believable job of playing the football player who sees in Myka (Joanne Kelly) something that she never had in her before. (Interestingly enough, he won his match on the show following Warehouse 13 in the States.)
 
Another highlight is that we see the return of Leena (Genelle Williams), who gets to help out some this go-round. I hope we’ll see more of her character in future episodes. She’s really gotten the short shrift this season.
 
Claudia (Allison Scagliotti) again shines, and she’s proving to be quite the asset for the Warehouse. This week, she’s teamed up with Artie (Saul Rubinek), and the two track down the artifact causing certain executives in an insurance firm to suddenly begin donating huge amounts of cash. Even Artie’s attempts to protect himself don’t help, and it’s Claudia to the rescue!
 
I’m sure it is very appealing to actors to get to play each other’s characters, and the two main folks who play Pete (Eddie McClintock) and Myka do a good job of it. What appealed to me, though, was that we suddenly discover that body switching is really only the first part of the problem, and the griffin must be correctly disassembled and re-assembled for things to get back to normal. The effects are cool, and it’s a good attempt to try and add a little spice to a long-lived plotline.
 
In spite of all that, this isn’t going to be my favorite of the season, honestly. It had its fun moments and its nice twists and turns, but when compared to the other episodes this year, it’s not going to be that memorable, sadly. Maybe next time!
 
Next week is the second season finale, “Vendetta,” so be sure to be back here in about seven days for my review!

We’ll see more of Artie’s past and the return of H.G. Wells. But don’t worry about your artifact fix after that … Warehouse 13 will return for its very first holiday special this December! And although the show has not yet been officially renewed, with Eureka’s return, I doubt W13 will be far behind!