WAREHOUSE 13: Burnout

Whattup WAREHOUSE 13 fans! First…some business to attend to. I asked the showrunner Jack Kenny (on Facebook) if he could tell us who did the artwork we were discussing in last week’s comments, and he said he has no idea! Hmmm….more research is needed. Possibly far away. Let’s send Claudia.

Ah, I jest, I jest. She’s not terrible. She really isn’t. Unfortunately, though, IMO, she seems to have been turned into a caricature of what could be a really great character. Of the four main leads, hers is the most heavy handed, but Myka, Pete and Artie all seem to be victims of being stereotyped into their own selves! Pete likes cookies! Claudia is new fangled, Artie is old fangled and wears neutrals, Myka has emotions! We get it.

But here we are, smack dab in the middle of the season, and I’m wanting a bit more. It’s good, don’t get me wrong, but to me, the show is good in the “good is the opposite of great” kind of way.

This isn’t a criticism, but I really thought that Myka was going to save Pete tonight. She kind of did, with the CPR and stuff, but Pete had already conquered the ‘spine’ (and btw…that thing was creepy! AH!) and knew what needed to be done to disarm it. The spine affected its victims by causing them to go after their deepest hate (and also burns them to a crisp with no sign of fire), so I guess I thought Myka was going to pull Pete’s sad sack out of a bar or maybe convince him that his dad’s death wasn’t his fault. But Pete was already at the generators, and Myka kind of just stood there and watched. Which brings me to my question for you…

Did Myka choke? Did she fail Pete as a partner? Did she have HIS best interests at heart, or hers? Maybe she didn’t want to lose him, but maybe she was just trying to save face against losing another partner. Thoughts?

I am leaning more toward the idea that she cares for him as a person, and not just about her resume. Interestingly enough, I also think she cares more for him than he does for her. So far, at least. He definitely teases her and stuff, but she’s the one whose eyes linger just a fraction longer. And for someone who hates men, she sure seems to like him. That whole storyline could be developed more. Along with Pete’s relationship with his dad (does he still carry around that fireman’s badge, for example). I guess I could handle less of Artie kind of putzing around the warehouse, but maybe I’m in the minority there. And Claudia? She kind of made me miss Leena!

I have more questions at the mid season point:

• Why is Pete the one always affected by the artifacts? I mean, I guess Myka was affected in Magnetism, but her “affected” reaction caused her to want punch Pete in the face, so…not exactly a win for him, you know?

• Were Pete and Myka even AT the warehouse this episode? I don’t think so (save for a few moments at the end). The warehouse is a ‘character’ I would like to see more of.

• Why the purple gloves? Do they have that ‘special sauce’ for disarming artifacts on them?

• Don’t you just want to see Pete meet Myka’s dad?

Perhaps I am being too harsh. There are a lot of things I love about this episode. The artifact was interesting, and most importantly, Pete and Myka did some good, actual investigative work. They weren’t just reacting to clues from Artie, or whatever, but they were chasing down leads and carrying guns and showing they are “top government agents”. I also laughed a lot, mostly at Pete’s jokes. I think he’s funny, and Eddie McClintock has a good handle on that character. His is the least forced, like I talked about before. I think my favorite parts were when they were talking to Rebecca, and she kind of dissed both of them. First, by talking about how annoying it was for Secord to have those vibes (and I loved the look Myka gave to Pete), and then later when she told Myka, “Welcome to the conversation” (and Pete’s raised eyebrows toward Myka). Good stuff.

What was your favorite part? Which episode has been your favorite this season? Discuss below!