Warehouse 13 is back! My over all impression of the first episode of season three is- Woot! I’m so excited that my summer shows are back on the air. ::biggrin:: I like that this season started off similar to season one, that we have a new character, and that there was no miss-step in artifactyness (ok, so I just made up that word. But you know what I mean). Last season ended with Myka leaving the Warehouse because of her dealings with H. G. Wells. This episode we see how the team deals (or tries to) without her input and knowledge. Agent Jinks finds out about Warehouse 13 and Mrs. Frederic offers him a job to replace her missing agent. His chemistry with the established team works well, and I actually look forward to seeing him in upcoming episodes.
We are also introduced to a female FBI Agent who I suspect may stick around for a few episodes. With the loss of Jaime Murray (Helena Wells) to her own steam punk show (::squee::) I like that they added another female to the mix. Overall this episode whetted my appetite for more. I loved hearing Pete’s jokes again, seeing Claudia tinker with her “toys”, Artie’s attempts to bake enough cookies so everyone gets along, and Jinks’ struggle to stay “Buddha” while working with this high strung team in dangerous situations. I got so into the episode that I forgot to take notes, and had to re-watch the whole thing. <.<_>.> Woe is me. ::giggle:: Full and spoilery review after the jump.
Season three opens with Myka driving away and Pete having just missed her as a recap without reshowing all old footage. I thought it was a clever set up for newcomers without boring established fans and within 45 seconds the actions begins. Can’t ask for much more from a recap opening to a new season. Camera pans to Jersey City, NJ (can I just interject here that I have warm feelings towards NJ for the sole reason that it is where the Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich is set? Weird I know, especially as I have never actually been to New Jersey- except the airport). Mayhem is happening in and around some museum which is all about rock and roll. We are introduced to the character ATF Agent Jinks who knows when the only suspect coming out of the building is telling the truth that he brought a date in after hours to get luck, the girl is still stuck somewhere inside. Jinks notices Pete enter the sparking building and goes in after him to find out what is up.
Screen Still of Warehouse 13
Pete hurries amid lightening strikes inside to catch up with Artie and Claudia. Where they are trying to contain Jimi Hendrix’s guitar which is setting off the sparks. A girl, presumably the unlucky guy’s date, is in a telephone booth (this is the oddest part of the episodes, it doesn’t seem to be an exhibit and frankly I haven’t seen a telephone booth in years) which is on fire. Pete runs off to put out the fire and Artie and Claudia turn their attention back to the artifact which shoots more sparks at them right as Jinks pulls a gun on the two of them. Claudia and Artie start throwing their cover stories at him but after each explanation he calls out “Lie!” until Artie finally tells him the truth at which point he puts away his gun and gets busy helping them. Claudia plays the guitar (to calm it down?) or gets it back into pitch so that it stops shooting off sparks and then they replace the artifact with a duplicate. I thought it was clever that the show let new viewers know what the gang does by explaining it to the new guy in one sentence. Pete puts out the fire and Jenks begins to question the gang when Artie stuns him with the tesla, “There now, I don’t have to lie to you anymore. Are you happy?!” The girl is so grateful to Pete for rescuing her that she hits on him, and Artie and Claudia are worried at Pete’s lack of response and lack of jokes regarding how she is obviously cold. Something is definitely up with Pete.
Agent Jinks returns home to a weird message that says, “Turn on the light. We need to talk.” He turns on the light and poof there is Mrs. Frederic. She offers him a job and next we see Jenks he is arriving at the warehouse in a Prius that Claudia goes goo goo over. Artie, Leena, and Pete are having a heated discussion over Pete not wanting to work with a new partner. Artie tells him that the decision has already been made. Pete wants Myka back, but in spite of both Artie and Mrs. Frederic’s attempts to get her back, she refused to rejoin the Warehouse. Pete says it feels like his old dog got sent to the farm, and they are shoving a new puppy on him. Awww poor Pete. Claudia greets Jinks, calling him the new guy, handing him the fishing rod to fix the fish. Very reminiscent of the very first episode when Artie greeted Myka and Pete for the first time. Déjà vu.
Jinks is introduced to the team and shown the largess of the Warehouse as sparks begin to shoot across the floor. Claudia pulls down a periscope she recently fixed and they discover the the lightening is coming from ancient archives area near the pyramid. In rushing back to the office the team gets a message from Leena that something is going on and they also get an alert that there has been an incident in Denver where a woman was bitten by a snake after receiving a gift basket and touching a piece of paper that flashes at her. Pete and Jinks head out into the field to figure out the snake bite woman and Artie and Claudia meet up with Leena to figure out what is wrong with the Warehouse. Pete and Jinks check out the woman’s apartment, but can’t find any snakes. Pete attempts to joke around with Jinks, but Jinks is not a “laugher,” but he is a Buddhist. While bagging ash residue from the waste basket, Pete tries to explain to Jenks what they are up against. “I put on Abe Lincoln’s hat once, and had an uncontrollable urge to free Mrs. Frederic. Don’t think that didn’t get me into trouble.” Ah Pete, you and your funny is back! Pet and Jinks’ search is interrupted by FBI Agent Sally Stukowski who doesn’t want to play nice and forces them off the scene. I’ve a feeling she will be sticking around for a while, she just has that air about her that she is not one and done. Like when Rachel Boston (Detective Abigail Chaffee) guest starred on In Plain Sight.
Meanwhile, Artie finds that a Zeus statue is completely freaked out in the ancient archival area and he figures it must have something to do with a glowing box that houses a statue of Hera. Attempts to mist purple goo on either statue fails and Artie decides it is time for a Greek mythology crash course. So, Claudia, Leena, and Artie hit the books to discover that the statues where the ones involved in a battle. They hated each other because Zeus married his sister Hera, don’t ask why, and Zeus cheats on her, and Hera found out about it and makes Zeus’ life hell, so he starts throwing lightening bolts. They need to put one of the statues in a safe place. On Jinks and Pete’s end another victim falls prey to a piece of paper and dies from multiple stab wounds from multiple knives even though there was no one around him as he fell to the ground against a pillar. This death is witnessed by a neighbor who tells Jinks and Pete that the victim mumbled some strange words as he was dying. They also discover that there is a connection between the two victims, a hotel. Agent Stukowski shows up again, Pete tries to get her to work with them. But she poo poos his information and forces him off the scene again after Jinks discovers that she lies to them about her knowledge of the hotel connection. Pete says he has a bad vibe. She still throws them out.
Pete and Jinks try to get into the banker’s meeting at the hotel, because the meeting is what connects the two victims specifically, not just the hotel. Jinks has found out the strange words the man mumbled as he died and it is from a Shakespeare Play. Pete comes up with the idea to ask Myka for help because she knows all about Shakespeare. Ah, nerd Myka with the big hair and glasses surrounded by books, thought somewhat cliche, you do my heart good. Myka tries to brush him off, but agrees to help once Jinks arrives and charms her with a smile. Hmmmm. Pete goes, but your an expert on the Bird of Avon! Myka glares at him, “Bard.” She says hoarsely. I laughed out loud at that one. I love the chemistry between the two of them. Myka had better not be gone for good!!! I mean it! With Myka’s help Pete and Jinks discover that the lines quoted from both victim’s are Cleopatra’s last words before she died. Myka recognizes that the deaths are from Shakespeare’s Lost Folio which was cursed by an actor the Shakespeare refused to hire because he couldn’t remember his lines and kept improvising. Pete says, “That’ll piss a writer off.” Making me think that maybe Eddie McClintock is an improviser himself. Right as Myka get’s interested in the case, Pete brushes her off and tells her they don’t need anymore of her help. Jink’s says, if it makes a difference, he was lying.
Screen Still from Warehouse 13
Artie and Claudia are at Univille Garden Conservatory where they are installing the Zeus statue to keep the warring statues apart from each other. Claudia rigs up some security device to let the warehouse know if it is moved. Hmmm, seems a lot of trouble went into this storyline for it not to come back and haunt them. Jinks and Pete are discussing Buddhism when they get back to Denver and the hotel, Pete gets a bad vibe and Jinks gets a package. He opens the package, stupidly. He starts to die when Myka arrives on the scene and tells Jinks to say the lines written on the paper (though he can say them in modern day English, so that’s cool). Jinks survives and Myka tells him now that he has almost been killed by a Warehouse artifact, he is officially an agent. Pete is angry that someone has come over after his team. Myka did some digging on the history of the Lost Folio and found out that unless someone speaks the death scene lines before the paper catches on fire can survive the curse. You have to say it before the flames, that is the only way out. Pete takes the info, but once Myka starts to get interested in the case itself, he tries to brush her off. The two of them start bickering when Jinks interrupts them. He wants Myka to consult with the case as she just saved his life and all. Plus, so maybe the two of them can work on their repressed sexual tension another time.
Myka, Jinks, and Pete review the security footage and discover who is handing out the cursed paper. They all discuss telling the bankers but figure they wont be taken seriously, plus there is the FBI agent to consider. Pete decides to use the FBI agent’s uptightness to help them save the Bankers. Myka goes undercover as a waiter and hovers near the bankers. Pete and Jinks are still discussing Buddhism, but Jinks says that Pete has it wrong, that is not what Buddha meant. Pete replies with, You didn’t know him. While the FBI agents are busy restraining Jinks and Pete, the Bankers begin to die from touching the cursed paper, Myka gets the bankers to say the last words on the script and saves the day. Pete’s shirt mostly comes off in the scuffle, yum! Pete and Myka wave good-bye to each other outside the hotel. The she goes again, says Pete. Jinks tells Pete that they found the rest of the folio, but not the bad guy. The FBI agent thanks Pete for his help, with a lot of caveats.
Back at the Warehouse, both of the statues have been contained, but Claudia lets loose another one, a beetle this time, which starts burrowing through the floor of the Warehouse. Mrs. Frederic pops up suddenly at Myka’s parents bookstore to thank her in person. She brings along a surprise guest, a hologram of H.G. Wells who tells Myka not to let hate turn to fear. That she is sorry for what she did, and is now locked up- somewhere- unable to harm anyone and is sorry what she did drove Myka away from the Warehouse. This “touching scene” is a little out of place and feels like the wrap up it is. But she does convince Myka to go back to the Warehouse, if that is the end result than bring on the awkward touching scenes!
Claudia’s aura is changing colors? Is this important? The conversation gets interrupted by hugs with Myka. Everyone is happy, and Jinks is worried that he is out of a job, but Pete explains the only way to leave the Warehouse is feet first. Even though Jinks laughs, this is actually not a joke. Artie arrives sees Myka and says, “Good. Good.” Then he makes everyone get back to work on the mysterious man who ran away in Denver.
The mystery man is explaining to his boss why he needs to disappear. He is talking to a man hidden in the smoky shadows. It reminds me of The Smoking Man from the X-Files and I’m sure at some point he will be revealed just like The Smoking Man. A woman comes up behind the mysterious man and puts a bag over his head suffocating him to death. We can’t see the woman’s face. Oh dear, it is gonna be the FBI Agent and she will be the bad guy of the season. Dang, I was hoping that they would bring in another female that was not evil and twisted! Sure enough, after the mysterious man dies, the camera pans out and it is FBI Agent Sally Stukowski smiling evily. Yup, she will definitely be a reaccuring character, at least this season.
All in all an excellent way to begin season three and I am much looking forward to it!!
Absurdly Nerdly 