Catching Up: Warehouse 13 & Haven

As new television episodes continue to be sparse, I feel it’s fitting to offer a short write-up on those shows that I abandoned in terms of weekly reviews for the site but kept up with throughout the season, at whatever pace. Beware spoilers aplenty.

These two Syfy shows premiered back in July, the second season for the former and the first for the latter, and I gave up reviewing them after one and three episodes, respectively. When it was still summer and there were few other programs on, I stayed with both shows pretty regularly. After that, however, it was hardly a priority, and I only just recently caught up with the last few episodes of each. These are two shows that I have found to be much more enjoyable when I’m not reviewing them, mostly because they’re so unpredictable each week and take on such a different form each week that one episode might be unrecognizable from the next. They’re actually quite similar, in that “Warehouse 13” is the response to the final shot of “Raiders of the Lost Ark” with unstable artifacts each episode, and “Haven” is like a close-knit version of “The X-Files,” where unstable people are present in just one town each week. I wouldn’t argue that one is superior to the other, and I actually alternated between each show when I was wrapping up each of their seasons last week during some TV downtime.

What’s cool about “Warehouse 13” is that it has an almost infinite mythology, where every one of the artifacts has a long, secret past, and then there’s also the secret past of the warehouse itself. Seeing more of Mrs. Frederick and Benedict Valda has been helpful with that, and even if I’m not sure about the whole H.G. Wells arc (beware what having Jaime Murray on your show will do to it – see “Dexter” season two for further evidence of this), it is interesting to see the hints of a greater vision that this show occasionally offers. Pete and Myka really are a fun team, and it’s entertaining to see Claudia take on a more prominent role, especially in her interactions with Artie. The show seems to have completely forgotten about Lena, emphasizing her in the first few episodes and then just bringing her back for the finale, but it’s not a big deal since she’s not an overly memorable character. If I do end up watching it, I think I’ll enjoy season three.

“Haven,” by contrast, is a much more contained show since it lives within its small Maine town bubble. The show got seriously weird at the very end of the season finale when Audrey basically announced that she thinks she is her mother. The sudden revelation about Nathan’s father and his subsequent death also came from out of nowhere, but I think it’s in the service of a greater mythology, and this town of Haven is merely the setting for that. What sets this show apart from others is the combination of fearlessness and cautiousness with which Audrey tackles each Troubled person, and seeing Nathan respond as well in a similar, albeit less interested and active manner. The most memorable episode for me was “As You Were,” where the gang was stranded at a hotel and their skin was being used as a host by a chameleon. This show, as well as “Warehouse 13,” isn’t afraid to put its main characters right in the face of danger, and Nathan shooting the fake Audrey was proof enough of that. It’s not a great show, by any means, but in the desert of summer and as an occasional show to catch up on, it does just fine.

What I’m Watching: Warehouse 13 (Season Premiere)

Warehouse 13: Season 2, Episode 1 “Time Will Tell” (C)

I seem to remember sticking with this show last summer because there was absolutely nothing else on television. I’ve been rifling through my archives to see if that’s the case, but it seems like there were a number of other shows on at the time. Now I definitely feel like I have enough on my plate, with the exception of this past week, of course, and by that I mean I don’t think I have any reason to watch this show. The first season wasn’t great, and the slow, messy smart to the second year doesn’t suggest that it will improve this season either. This show never really lived up to the potential created by the ending of “Raiders of the Lost Ark,” and I suspect it never will. This shape-shifting ring is very much like characters ripping off their faces in “Mission Impossible” and can become similarly problematic, leading to widespread confusion and lack of sense. The fact that Leena was tricked into shape-shifting into Claudia added a whole new layer of complicatedness to the whole mess. MacPherson really wasn’t much of a compelling villain at any point, and his rivalry with Artie has definitely seen better days. The introduction of a recurring nemesis for Pete and Myka could be appealing, though I’m not sure how much faith I have in this female H.G. Wells. Actress Jaime Murray spiced up the first half of the second season of “Dexter” as narcotics anonymous sponsor Lila, but her guest spot quickly took a turn for the awful when she turned out to be totally crazy. Ms. Wells is already out of her element, and she’s sure to go nuts sooner or later. There’s one thing that can’t be argued: CCH Pounder is pretty damn cool. I’ll be deliberating over the next week whether to tune in for episode two – there are so many premieres next week on A & E, TNT, and USA that I may just not be in need of one more thing to watch that just isn’t that good.

What I’m Watching: Warehouse 13 (Season Finale)

Warehouse 13: Season 1, Episode 12 “MacPherson” (C+)

This show has really left itself in very scattered pieces at the close of its first season. I suppose the show needs a major hook to encourage viewers to return for a second season next summer. The general implosion of the warehouse would be a monumental happening if the same event hadn’t almost occurred a mere two episodes ago. MacPherson’s consistent ways of beating or counteracting the effects of artifacts is somewhat cool but also fairly frustrating. Pete’s way of beating him by setting off the ear-piercing ringing was refreshing since the man seemed pretty darn unbeatable. The revelation that the traitor was Leena rather than a mind-controlled Claudia came as quite a shock, and her non-allegiance after a season of rarely appearing is an intriguing twist. Still, not wrapping up the MacPherson arc in preparation for a fresh start in season two strikes me as a bit of a misstep, mostly because he’s just not that compelling a villain. His relationship with Artie isn’t as deep or complex as it was originally implied, and therefore he’s really not as exiting or mysterious as he originally was. Mrs. Frederic, on the other hand, should appear in every episode because she’s really fantastic, capable of both dramatic intensity and humorous intimidation. I’ve really come around to the idea of Pete and Myka (and their portrayers) as a team, but the show still hasn’t completely won me over. It’s had a few glimmers of potential this season, but overall, the frequency isn’t quite right. I may check back in for season two, but at this point I’m not too intrigued or attached.

Season grade: C+
Season MVP: CCH Pounder

What I’m Watching: Warehouse 13

Warehouse 13: Season 1, Episode 11 “Nevermore” (B-)

One of the main reasons I was sticking around with this show was for the “Battlestar Galactica” guest stars. After learning that Michael Hogan would be playing Myka’s father, I was incredibly excited, and having him finally appear wasn’t a letdown. Sure, he didn’t have a great part, but it was a fine performance and I’d argue he was just as good as he was on BSG. The role certainly doesn’t require as much angry screaming, but his shrill howl was pretty haunting. Edgar Allan Poe is a fun subject for the series to highlight, but like many of the show’s previous threads, it’s not done tremendously effectively. The power of the pen is cool, though the high school loser’s scribblings of “wall” and “fire” seem a bit silly, while the “mine,” clearly supposed to be creepy, was a bit much in itself. The emergency calling in of Claudia seemed rather extraneous, though I suppose she is part of the team and therefore should be included in all neutralizing of artifacts. The fact that Myka’s father’s own passionate writing was able to help him overcome the spell of the artifact is a neat concept. The ending is what really got me interested – while the general presence of MacPherson does feel pretty sudden and slightly less than germane to the main plotline, his determination to take out his revenge on Artie on the agents makes things interesting, and the frightening realization by Myka that he had her parents was effectively startling. Next week’s season finale is appropriately titled “MacPherson,” and I think it should provide a nice inside look into this new character addition.

What I’m Watching: Warehouse 13

Warehouse 13: Season 1, Episode 10 “Breakdown” (C+)

This is all a bit silly. Artie takes one day off, and everything at the warehouse goes down the toilet. The place almost undergoes a total nuclear explosion, and simply because Artie wasn’t around to keep an eye on things and make sure that no one did anything stupid. You’d think that having some knowledge of the danger of the artifacts in the warehouse would make Artie think twice about leaving everything so carelessly unattended. Maybe Myka has a bit more sense in her, but Claudia and Pete clearly can’t be trusted to keep their hands off of the most disaster-prone artifacts. Claudia in particular just can’t manage to stay on track for even a second, and it seems like perhaps some training might be in order especially after all the dead warehouse agents referred to constantly. Artie’s getting chewed out by a group of rather unfriendly diners, but it doesn’t seem to make much sense since clearly Mrs. Frederick actually does support him. The presence of one Mark A. Sheppard, alumnus of “Battlestar Galactica” and “Firefly,” is of course always welcome, and his sardonic, critical tone directed at Artie is entertaining. The situation which befalls the hapless trio is highly reminiscent of another “X-Files” episode (no surprise there), which is actually one of the later episodes that doesn’t involve Mulder or Scully but instead Monica Reyes, titled “Audrey Paley,” where she’s trapped in a hospital and can’t seem to find a way out. Here it’s obviously less serious and more fun since all three of these comic characters are involved, though there’s considerably less suspense because it’s not like this is the season finale or anything and therefore such a monumental event as the near-destruction of the warehouse couldn’t possibly occur now. There are two more episodes left this season; perhaps they can help launch this show in a new, more sustainable direction.

What I’m Watching: Warehouse 13

Warehouse 13: Season 1, Episode 9 “Regrets” (B)

I neglected to review last week’s episode, “Duped,” because I was determined to give up on this show. All I’ll say about the not-too-bad, not-too-good episode is that it appears Joanne Kelly is actually capable of some half-decent acting when she’s playing bad. It’s interesting to know, and certainly a surprise.

This week’s installment strikes me as exactly the kind of episode this show should be striving for, more so in setup than in execution. It probably helps that this episode reminded me a great deal of the “X-Files” episode “The List,” but I think it’s more than that. Starting off the episode with the accidental suicide of a guilt-ridden inmate set a great tone for the episode, and calling in Pete and Myka made sense. Joe Morton is always a great guest star to have in your corner, and the somewhat supernatural and divine implications of the episode gave it an extra oomph. Their eventual discovery that the prison was lined with hallucinogenic material was cool, and also, like a lot of things in this episode, made sense. Having things add up really enhances this show. It also made for the best effect-of-object yet, especially in the way it related to everyone, even those not guilty but plagued by uncertainty, like Myka and especially Pete. I can’t decide how I feel about the continual search for objects, and how in each episode they try object after object before discovering the real one. In a sense it drives the episode along, but at the same time, it also stalls it considerably. The major takeaway from this episode is that there is hope for this show, and perhaps in the future it can have episodes just as good as, or even better than, this one.

What I’m Watching: Warehouse 13

Warehouse 13: Season 1, Episode 7 “Implosion” (C)

I was struck while watching this episode at just how understaffed this show seems, cast-wise. I remarked in early 2008 that “Law & Order: Criminal Intent” seemed terribly low on stars when it first started its alternating cast scheme and only three detectives were present each week. Now, “Warehouse 13” seems to me to be focused on a far too tight-knit group of characters. “The X-Files” had so many recurring players who popped up on a regular basis, but here there’s only Mrs. Frederic and Agent Dickinson, who I was very surprised to identify as the fifth member of the cast (after Leena). A show that focuses exclusively on such a small number of characters needs to have the storylines to really carry it week-to-week, and this show does not have that. This one seemed like it was going to get really good when Artie was revealed to be a traitor, but obviously that’s not quite true and he just shrugs that off and has Mrs. Frederic bury it for him. It would have been much more interesting if he had been an actual fugitive, and Pete and Myka were pursuing him every week (kind of like “Sanctuary”). I guess that would strip the show of one of its precious few heroic cast members though, and then the two bickering agents wouldn’t have anyone to complain to about each other.

I’m feeling awfully tired of this show, but I really want to stick around to see Michael Hogan (“Battlestar Galactica”) guest star. And just as I decided I might opt out of this show, Syfy declared that it’s in. The series will return for another 13 episodes next summer. I’m not so sure I will.

What I’m Watching: Warehouse 13

Warehouse 13: Season 1, Episode 6 “Burnout” (C)

So last week when I noted that the two leads were far too often infected with whatever mysterious object was the story of the episode, I thought that it had happened too much already. But here we are again, and this week the weird skeleton jumper (which reminds me of the holographic cover for the “Fringe” season one DVD) lands right on Pete’s back and leeches onto him. The horrible realization that Pete’s going to try to bury himself alive to avoid unleashing it onto society is completely ineffective because it’s obvious that he’s not going anywhere since he’s one of the leads. If the show wants to build suspense by endangering and perhaps even killing off one of its characters, Claudia should be the one, since she’s likely only around for a bit anyway. Regarding temporary characters, could the former Warehouse 13 agent be any less exciting? It would be cool if she revealed her affiliation by shooting someone or something like that, but no, she just casually lets it slip in conversation. This show really doesn’t know how to use its assets properly. It’s also strange to see guest star Al Sapienza turn up as a character with two traits his characters usually don’t have: kindness and a home state other than New York or New Jersey.

What I’m Watching: Warehouse 13

Warehouse 13: Season 1, Episode 5 “Elements” (C)

In this episode, our trusty agents visit New York City and come across an object that gives people the ability to walk through walls. Two very cool things, yet the episode doesn’t deliver on either count. First of all, the visit to the city isn’t interesting at all, and Artie isn’t even able to pinpoint an exact street intersection for where they’re supposed to go – all he says is “the Lower East Side” and “near the river.” Regarding the ability to walk through walls, it’s a very “X-Files”-type power, which is no surprise given that this show seems to derive much, if not almost all, of its influence from that classic series, but it doesn’t play out very well. With the exception of the evil, power-hungry villain trapping the guy behind the wall, it’s just not terribly intriguing, and while the effects are quite fancy, there’s no actual, effective suspense. I did enjoy Mika looking out her side mirror and spotting Pete tangling with the jumper, but the rest of the human interactions on this show aren’t working terribly well. When Pete puts on a voice when Mika shows up, she doesn’t even react, and the moment is lost. Artie’s trouble dealing with his new employee is to be expected, and as I noted last week in my review, it’s far too early in the show’s development stage to bring her in. She’ll likely be the victim of some accident which caused her death and Artie’s plunge into guilt and a new page in his life. This show is slated to run into the fall TV season, and once other shows start premiering on Tuesday night (like both “NCIS” and its spinoff series), I think I may well give up on this show. I may grow tired of it before that, but it’s the potential that the premise has which is encouraging me to stick around. Are you still watching?

What I’m Watching: Warehouse 13

Warehouse 13: Season 1, Episode 4 “Claudia” (C)

No more even pacing here than last week, that’s for sure. This episode again falls under the category this show continues to find itself slipping into – too much, too fast. While I understand the desire to develop background on all the characters, delving so deep into Artie’s past is a mistake for the show so soon. The episode at first appeared to be trying to deviate from the formula of the mysterious object every time, but then Pete and Myka realized that the compass was in fact a supernaturally-powerful artifact. Artie’s an entertaining character, and there’s no debating that, but he’s not really capable of anchoring the show all by his lonesome. It doesn’t help that the woman he’s sharing his screentime with a crazy woman. The flashbacks were intriguing but not quite as meaningful or powerful as they should have been, and having Mrs. Frederick appear in them didn’t make a whole lot of sense. That can be said for the whole storyline of bringing Joshua back, and it seemed more like sheer luck, and also like quite a simple task. Pete and Myka’s presence felt very extraneous, and was only entertaining for their brief interaction with the intimidating Mrs. Frederick and the revelation that Myka was a huge nerd growing up. It’s not exactly ground-breaking territory, and I think the show needs to think a bit more outside the box, especially considering the vast warehouse of possibilities at its disposal, and try something that actually deviates from the formula but still incorporates the lead characters in a major way. Making the two leads on a new show feel unnecessary in the fourth episode is decidedly not a good thing.

What I’m Watching: Warehouse 13

Warehouse 13: Season 1, Episode 3 “Magnetism” (C)

It’s hard to chart a show like this because individual episodes can be good or bad depending upon the mysterious object of the week. The hunt for the object in this episode, with constantly changing suspects, was sort of fun, but it’s the setting that really hindered this one. It felt like installments of “The X-Files” where Mulder and Scully were stuck in a town where all the people banded together in a communal manner like the episode “Our Town.” Obviously, Myka and Pete will be the odd people out every time as they travel from place to place seeking out these objects, but the big town scenes have occurred a few too many times already, and it would be nice if they didn’t encounter such a large, broad group each time. The show’s also having tremendous trouble finding a static tone. Myka and Pete’s practical joke on Artie is a nice, odd bit of teamwork, but nothing in the forty or so minutes leading up to it indicated that they would have bonded like that. The sexual desires of the affected guy who kept trying to grab Myka’s breasts were amusing but not terribly consistent. Myka’s inner wishes, however, were quite entertaining, hitting Pete in the face every few seconds. Maybe episode four will find a more even pacing.

Round Two: Warehouse 13

Warehouse 13: Season 1, Episode 2 “Resonance” (B-)

This is the first real test of the durability of “Warehouse 13” since its pilot last week mainly served to put the characters in the correct place. In its second installment, Syfy’s new show certainly has some things going for it. The character of Artie (Saul Rubinek), beloved in the pilot by some reviewers, has become far less annoying and much more crucial to the whole story. His interaction with Dickinson was pretty terrific, and their back-and-forth banter is exactly what this tone-starved show needs. I must confess that the old-fashioned camera that Artie used to freeze Dickinson in the middle of his sentence was super-cool, and that kind of thing will keep me watching this show. The investigative duo of Pete and Myka still isn’t doing it for me, but it’s good that guest stars like the always-fantastic Tricia Helfer (Battlestar Galactica) will pop up. I’m very grateful that Helfer’s character wasn’t corrupt since that always seems to be the way things end up when agencies interact. In this case, she was slightly obnoxious, but not too detrimental to the solving of the case. That’s how things should go down, and hopefully this show, which is not hell-bent on government conspiracy theories, will continue to portray interagency relations. The most intriguing part of this decent second effort is an improvement of the “vessel” (still can’t get “Reaper” out of my mind), or rather the mysteriously powerful object. The haunting effect of the speakers was pretty incredible, and despite that its effect was to make people woozy and laugh, I was awed by the scene where Myka is trying to not be affected by it and it’s just overtaking everyone. It reminded me, if only slighty, of “Threshold,” which would have been a perfect, perfect, perfect fit for Syfy. Hopefully this show will get there.

Pilot Review: Warehouse 13

Pilot Review: Warehouse 13 (Syfy)
Premiered July 7 at 9pm

Intrigued by my review? Watch the first episode in HD for free via the image menu on the left!

The first show to bear the new Syfy brand seems to fit perfectly into the network’s new idea of a niche audience. If you want to expand your imagination and explore the world of impossibility, watch “Warehouse 13.” If you want to expand your imagination and explore the world of impossibility, watch Syfy. What this means for the first show to run under this banner is that it’s going to attempt to be strange and weird, to harp on the fact that this show belongs to Syfy, but also that it’s emblematic of Syfy. Now what exactly is the show about? Well, that’s perfect, because it revolves around a massive warehouse in South Dakota of all places where tons (Dozens? Thousands? Millions?) of mysterious, supernaturally powerful objects are stored. Saul Rubinek (W.W. Beauchamp from “Unforgiven”) is the quirky caretaker, and CCH Pounder (Claudette from “The Shield”) is Mrs. Frederick, the director of the project. It’s a clear takeoff on both “Fringe” and “The X-Files,” and merging the two isn’t exactly wise, especially with this policy of no boundaries. Having an object be the subject of every episode should quickly become tiring, and the vat of purple goo they use to neutralize the supernatural power of the objects reminded me quite a bit of the DMV depository where the vessels go in “Reaper.” The show itself is more reminiscent of the creepier episodes of “The X-Files,” but the tone of the pilot was fairly goofy. That’s partially due to the lack of seriousness exuded by the Mulder of the show, Eddie McClintock (who was on a terrific cancelled ABC show called “Crumbs”). He just can’t keep a straight face, and the writers have given him a bizarre, distracting craving for cookies. It’s an amusing gimmick at first, but it seems like it will quickly become overbearing. The Scully of the series, played by Joanne Kelly (“Vanished”), is completely rigid in her stances and couldn’t really be interesting if she tried. The two of them paired up, however, works somewhat well, far better than anything else in the show. McClintock’s Pete has a cool ability to sense when something bad is going to happen, and that may be the greatest thing the show has going for it. The pilot makes it hard to judge the series because this is the introductory episode where the main characters are first acclimating themselves to their new job, but I’m not sure if I’ll keep watching. It’s simply too unbounded for me without any real reward. It’s like what I imagine “Eureka,” which I’ve never seen, is like, except without all the colorful characters; just a few wacky Secret Service agents and some bizarre, powerful objects.

What did you think? Post a comment if you saw the pilot!

How will it work as a series? I know that there are some fantastic guest stars lined up, like Tricia Helfer and Michael Hogan, so having a different case each episode certainly means the show has potential. Additionally, it’s possible that one episode could be substantially better than the rest, since some standalone “X-Files” installment were simply terrific. The focus on objects may keep the show from really achieving greatness, but it also could play out like a permanent kind of “National Treasure” search, and being able to easily dismiss a failed storyline is fine if the show has nothing tying it down to reality.
How long will it last? As I’ve stressed, this is Syfy’s baby, and I think it’s more of a question of how the network will do. It’s kept shows like “Eureka” and “Sanctuary” going for a while, though I can easily remember the quick demise of semi-popular efforts like “The Dresden Files” and “Painkiller Jane.” I think this show was well-promoted and should find a good audience, and season two should be just around the corner. This show, with its undefined parameters, could easily go on forever.

Pilot grade: C